Aquatop aio

[Ron Reefman]

I'm considering buying a used (still running) Aquatop 40 aio tank. All my tanks have been big and had sumps or refugiums. The small tanks I've had used HOB filters. I'm downsizing and seriously want to try an aio system. Is the Aquatop 40 a good choice?

BTW, this will be a mostly coral and invert tank, probably no fish.

 

[Saltyreef]

Do it!

 

[Ron Reefman]

Do it!

I'm actually more inclined to build my own. Everything in aio tanks that I have seen so far seem either too small (less than 40g) and/or very under built. I want more pump, more filtration, maybe a skimmer and even a refugium. So I'm thinking a custom made aio insert for the tank I build?

 

[Saltyreef]

I'm actually more inclined to build my own. Everything in aio tanks that I have seen so far seem either too small (less than 40g) and/or very under built. I want more pump, more filtration, maybe a skimmer and even a refugium. So I'm thinking a custom made aio insert for the tank I build?

I did all of this on a 14g biocube

 

[razorskiss]

I'm doing this right now in a 25 gallon cube!

 

[ClownSchool]

I did all of this on a 14g biocube

I did as well and loved it for LPS and softies. Once I come across a used light at the right price, I’m setting it back up for a small SPS project.

 

[Saltyreef]

You can absolutely get what you need all in the back of most AIOs.
I am running a fiji cube insert in a 10g aqueon and it barely gets by.

I really miss my jbj30rl and biocubes.
I was a big fan of the first overflow stuffed full of chaeto and a jbj nano glow strapped to the back.
I was pulling softball size chunks out of my biocube weekly to keep it pruned.
One media rack is all you really need for some carbon, a sponge and anything else your heart desires

 

[ClownSchool]

I'm considering buying a used (still running) Aquatop 40 aio tank. All my tanks have been big and had sumps or refugiums. The small tanks I've had used HOB filters. I'm downsizing and seriously want to try an aio system. Is the Aquatop 40 a good choice?

BTW, this will be a mostly coral and invert tank, probably no fish.

I would do it. You can grow anything in it with the right light. Worst case, you can either upgrade the return pump or add a small power head for flow.
man’s, anything smaller than 20 gallons doesn’t necessarily need a protein skimmer because it strips the the nutrients out too fast. Weekly water changes would be fine…unless you’re doing the moonshine method.

 

[razorskiss]

I'm taking the test and see approach for now. With no fish in the tank, I dosed nitrate and phosphate at the beginning to make sure levels weren't 0 and seeded pods as a prophylactic CUC. Now I dose phyto to feed the pods and maintain nutrient levels to try to dial in a steady state. At the moment I'm more worried about nutrient depletion than export, but I imagine that may change.

 

[Derrick0580]

Honestly I built a custom aio insert for my aqueon 40 breeder and hate it. This weekend I’m drilling it and tying it into my 120 display sump. Seems small aio systems are ok because nano fish and small water changes are easier to manage. But, with a larger aio parameters are harder to keep steady. I’m thinking due to larger fish and more things in the tank.

 

[Ron Reefman]

Honestly I built a custom aio insert for my aqueon 40 breeder and hate it. This weekend I’m drilling it and tying it into my 120 display sump. Seems small aio systems are ok because nano fish and small water changes are easier to manage. But, with a larger aio parameters are harder to keep steady. I’m thinking due to larger fish and more things in the tank.

I agree. That's why I'm thinking a coral (mostly sps and lps) and invert only tank, no fish... well, maybe one as part of the CUC. And that's why I'm thinking if I build it myself (the tank) and order a custom aio insert, I can get it big enough to do the job on a 40g tank (i.e. bigger pump and more filtration). Water changes are easy at my house. I have a 900+gpd RO/DI system that I got back when I was doing huge saltwater tanks.

So what was it that you hated about your custom aio insert?

 

[Derrick0580]

I didn’t feel it had adequate filtration. I am using an innovative marine mini jet medium size at about 3/4 power as a frag tank. Using 2 filter socks, media pure biomedia, heater and ato yet the frags were never happy and opened up like they do in my display. Although I am running a vipar light on it vs g5 xr15’s on the display, but was dialed in with an apogee 510. I have a foxface, 6 line, and pink damsel with varios snails and hermits for a cuc.

 

[ClownSchool]

Honestly I built a custom aio insert for my aqueon 40 breeder and hate it. This weekend I’m drilling it and tying it into my 120 display sump. Seems small aio systems are ok because nano fish and small water changes are easier to manage. But, with a larger aio parameters are harder to keep steady. I’m thinking due to larger fish and more things in the tank.

That’s interesting. I never thought of it that way.