Help me choose: IM 40 vs IM 25 Lagoon vs Waterbox 35.2

[KK's Reef]

Ok guys, help me decide on the next tank. The choices are...

* Innovative Marine Nuvo Fusion Pro 2 - AIO 40 gallons - pretty comes with everything including a stand
https://www.innovative-marine.com/shop/Fusion-Pro-2-40-AIO-Aquarium-w-APS-Stand-White-p222399362

* Innovative Marine Nuvo Fusion Pro 2 - AIO 25 gallon lagoon - comes what the heck a pedestal and I can get the stand from another vendor.
https://www.innovative-marine.com/s...goon-Aquarium-w-APS-Pedestal-White-p416189929

* Waterbox AIO 35.2 - 33 gallons - not as many accessories as the IM but does have a matching aluminum stand.
https://waterboxaquariums.com/collections/aio/products/aio-35-2

My first choice was initially the IM 25 Lagoon. I love the dimensions and aesthetics of it. However, I do like the IM 40 for more water volume and it will allow for high and low light zones. The Waterbox is in the mix due to the matching stand, water volume, and is only a couple of inches shorter than the IM 40. The Waterbox might be the Goldy Locks of the three.

Let me know if you guys have these tanks and what your experiences have been. What do you love about 'em, what do you hate. All opinions are welcomed. Coming from 3.8 gallon pico so any of these tanks would be a nice upgrade.


Thanks!

 

[Jekyl]

What are your goals? The smaller the tank the fewer the fish, coral, etc.. Lower costs at same time. My opinion is always go big or go home.

 

[AdeptMrSniffles]

I got back into the hobby with a IM25 Lagoon, then I upgraded a year later to the 40. If I could go back I'd get into a 60ish. Still love my 40 though. Easy to fill with coral lol

 

[KK's Reef]

What are your goals? The smaller the tank the fewer the fish, coral, etc.. Lower costs at same time. My opinion is always go big or go home.

Primary goal is more space, more room for corals and fish. Current tank is a mixed reef pico. Greatest challenge is providing high PAR for acros but not burning the LPS.

 

[KK's Reef]

I got back into the hobby with a IM25 Lagoon, then I upgraded a year later to the 40. If I could go back I'd get into a 60ish. Still love my 40 though. Easy to fill with coral lol

I love the IM 25 but it's really shallow and corals on the top third of the tank will likely run out of vertical room soon. That's why leaning towards the Waterbox or IM 40.

 

[VintageReefer]

Do you like this?
It’s made by current USA and is 83g, measures 48x20x20 and is roughly same price (some of those you linked require a $300 shipping charge) but you need to provide a return pump. Current will include a dc return pump at a discount if you bundle it in

1600$ shipped but…
It ships from CA and they are willing to take 10% off if they are shipping within the same state. And If you pick it up…they give a substantial discount

The dc return pump is $200 and I believe they will include it for $150 if you buy it with the tank at the same time

If you can fit a 48” tank…this is the deal of the year.

 

[KK's Reef]

Do you like this?
It’s made by current USA and is 83g, measures 48x20x20 and is roughly same price (some of those you linked require a $300 shipping charge) but you need to provide a return pump. Current will include a dc return pump at a discount if you bundle it in

1600$ shipped but…
It ships from CA and they are willing to take 10% off if they are shipping within the same state. And If you pick it up…they give a substantial discount

The dc return pump is $200 and I believe they will include it for $150 if you buy it with the tank at the same time

If you can fit a 48” tank…this is the deal of the year.

Nice tank, but looking for something with a smaller footprint and an AIO.

 

[rsaylor3]

I’ve had the Fusion Pro 2 40 for coming up on one year. I love it and have no regrets! I moved down from a Red Sea Reefer 300XL and have not looked back or missed the larger sump.

I try to keep things simple and easy with this tank. No skimmer, weekly water changes (well now it tends to be every other week ) small refugium, u/v, filter floss changed every few days.

Started with Tampa Bay Saltwater live rock and also seeded with my old tank.

Love this tank and setup! I would be more than happy to answer and specific questions you have.

 

[KK's Reef]

I’ve had the Fusion Pro 2 40 for coming up on one year. I love it and have no regrets! I moved down from a Red Sea Reefer 300XL and have not looked back or missed the larger sump.

I try to keep things simple and easy with this tank. No skimmer, weekly water changes (well now it tends to be every other week ) small refugium, u/v, filter floss changed every few days.

Started with Tampa Bay Saltwater live rock and also seeded with my old tank.

Love this tank and setup! I would be more than happy to answer and specific questions you have.

How do you like the dimensions (does it feel cube-y)?

What are you using for the UV?

 

[rsaylor3]

Not really cuby. I’m lucky as I have topshelf aquatics and WWC close by, as well as many other fish stores. I looked at so many of the AIO systems before finally selecting this one. I love that it’s so much taller than most of the others, while staying smallish at 40 gallons total.

It gives me the size I like for the corals that I wanted or still want and the number of fish I was after. I also have it on a peice of furniture, that I added bracing to. This size tank allowed for this. Neither my wife or I are big fans of the stands that most tanks come with. I wanted more eye level when in the chairs or sofas and didn’t want glare from the lights impeding my view, so I went with the AI blades and couldn’t be happier!

Really a great size tank for what I wanted and from having several smaller and one larger, I learned what I wanted and enjoyed and this works for me! Haven’t eyeballed a new tank yet

I’m just using the drop in u/v from Innovative Marine.

 

[Acros]

As a current IM25 owner, I would suggest IM40.

Lighting is harder in a shallow tank like the IM25, but can be solved. The real struggle is flow (when keeping acros in IM25). There is just not enough height to set wave makers such that all corals get good indirect flow. Some will always get too much flow and some won’t get enough.

 

[rsaylor3]

To help get the feel of the tank better. I love looking down from the sides. I have it positioned so that we can look from the front or either side.

 

[jhadaway117]

I just set my waterbox 35.2 up and there are two things I don’t like about it. One, it’s not as wide as I would’ve liked it from front to back. The AIO chambers take up more room than I was expecting. Two, the stand looks great, but regardless of how tight I made sure the screws were, it still has a little side to side creep. Apparently this is common with there aluminum framed stands. Other than that, it’s honestly a well made quality tank and looks great.

 

[KK's Reef]

As a current IM25 owner, I would suggest IM40.

Lighting is harder in a shallow tank like the IM25, but can be solved. The real struggle is flow (when keeping acros in IM25). There is just not enough height to set wave makers such that all corals get good indirect flow. Some will always get too much flow and some won’t get enough.

Thought about this too. Same problem as I have now. Acros get enough light, but still 200 PAR on the sand.

 

[KK's Reef]

I just set my waterbox 35.2 up and there are two things I don’t like about it. One, it’s not as wide as I would’ve liked it from front to back. The AIO chambers take up more room than I was expecting. Two, the stand looks great, but regardless of how tight I made sure the screws were, it still has a little side to side creep. Apparently this is common with there aluminum framed stands. Other than that, it’s honestly a well made quality tank and looks great.

Front to back is the same for the 35.2, IM 25, and IM 40. The extra volume comes from the height for the IMs.

I heard about the play on the Waterbox stands, but it does look sleeker than the IM stand.

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

I am a big fan of the tanks footprint. out of the four tanks I have three share that footprint. I have an IM40 (ext) RS170 and a IM25 (ext) my fourth tank is an IM30L aio. If I were to chose one tank it would be the IM40. Since you are going with the AIO you will limit your display visually. Personally my hardest tank is my 30L AIO, I just do not feel they have proper flow, and the aio part takes so much out of the display. When I had my 10g aio it was fine anything bigger than a 20, probably not a fan. BTW if you wanted a cabinet style for the IM's you can use a Red Sea stand which is what I did on the 40g.
It's a mess, because I was in the middle of installing the 25g frag tank

 

[KK's Reef]

I am a big fan of the tanks footprint. out of the four tanks I have three share that footprint. I have an IM40 (ext) RS170 and a IM25 (ext) my fourth tank is an IM30L aio. If I were to chose one tank it would be the IM40. Since you are going with the AIO you will limit your display visually. Personally my hardest tank is my 30L AIO, I just do not feel they have proper flow, and the aio part takes so much out of the display. When I had my 10g aio it was fine anything bigger than a 20, probably not a fan. BTW if you wanted a cabinet style for the IM's you can use a Red Sea stand which is what I did on the 40g.
It's a mess, because I was in the middle of installing the 25g frag tank

I don't mind the AIO part taking up space on nanos. When I have the space for a bigger tank, I'll consider external plumbing. I just don't want to have to mess with a sump in the cabinet.

I hadn't thought about the Red Sea stands... I'll check it out.

 

[BillFish Coral Lover]

I have the IM 25 Lagoon and wish I had bought the 40. The 25 is just so short. I suggest against it.

 

[KK's Reef]

I have the IM 25 Lagoon and wish I had bought the 40. The 25 is just so short. I suggest against it.

That's my concern too. The dimensions look great, and the tank looks slick when it's empty. But once it's scaped and livestock is in, it'll look small right away.

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

That's my concern too. The dimensions look great, and the tank looks slick when it's empty. But once it's scaped and livestock is in, it'll look small right away.

I think as long as you scape for the 25g as a tidepool style tank you will not be disappointed. But for me it is about the footprint, so you are good whichever you chose as long as you scape for it.