IM Nuvo 50 VS.....Help!

[Chase361]

Hey guys! Happy Friday. I'm kinda trying to figure out my next move here. I currently have a 75 Gal drilled with a 20 Gallon long sump. I've had it up for little over a year. I also have a 65 Gallon Seashorse tank that I've had up a little longer. Before these I had a 40 Gal Aquatop AIO. I haven't really dabbled in Coral but I REALLY want to. (I have 2 Hydra 32's lighting a FOLR tank ARGH SMH......) I'm feeling like I need to regroup, bring it in and downsize so I can learn Coral and dosing and get into all that in the hobby. (My end game tank is a Water box peninsula) I feel like I got down keeping the fish alive and knowing I'll take care of the tank. So I'm going back and forth between the 50 AIO and the EXT. Issues is its a small stand so a small sump is all you can stick in there. Plus its Aluminum stand so I'm guessing its hard to mount and get other things in there. With the AIO I'm not sure how to go about nutrition export? I've seen this CAD lights Nano skimmer on some Water box AIO's but are they popular with IM 50's?
I know to get the intank media baskets and don't use the filter socks lol. I have 30-36" of width to work with and I'm wanting as much swimming room for my fish so I figured lagoon will do that rather then wasting room with a taller tank where fish don't really swim anyway......Any input or idea are appreciated even if there are other tanks that come to mind or gear.

 

[JumboShrimp]

Yes, if going the IM AIO route, add the second media basket and ditch the socks for cheap and easy filter floss.

 

[Chase361]

That's what I figured. I'm wondering if the IM one fits better or the sale as the intank one. I'm one of those weird ppl that will care that they dont match.

 

[Acros]

I have thought about this in some length (I always daydream of a tank upgrade, as most of us do). Here are my conclusions:

If you are approaching 3ft length, it is better to go with a sump in stand system. This will allow more flexibility when it comes to equipment and will give you more space in the display (which otherwise would be used by the aio chambers). The disadvantage is that you will have to compromise on ATO and dosing container size.

The advantage of an aio system is its simplicity. You don’t have to worry about plumbing. In a small system, you can get away with smaller protein skimmers or even no protein skimmer. However, the back cambers are a pain to keep clean. Plus, the light spilling into those chambers will promote stuff to grow in there.

In your particular situation, I recommend looking at Red Sea 300xl. It is a beautiful tank.

If you consider 4ft+ length, then it is a no-brainer - go for a sump in stand system. 3ft is where both could work, but having a sump will give you more flexibility.

 

[muzikalmatt]

I have the IM Nuvo Fusion 40 AIO and I absolutely love it. While I certainly agree with some of the AIO issues and concerns @jamesdomini4 mentioned in his post above, I don't think those are necessarily deal breakers.

For filtration/equipment in the rear chambers, I run the following:

• inTank filter floss caddy in chamber 1
• inTank refugium basket w/ chaeto in chamber 2 (IM Chaetomax refugium light on back wall)
• Eheim 150W Jager heater and Tunze Osmolator 3155 ATO in chamber 3 (center return chamber)
• IM Ghost Skimmer in chamber 4
• inTank media basket w/ filter floss, chemi-pure blue, ROWAphos in chamber 5

Despite some spotty reviews, my IM Ghost skimmer does a pretty good job after the initial break-in period. The refugium also does well although it requires some attention as it can get gunked up over time if not cleaned. I typically run chemi-pure blue 24/7 but only run GFO when phosphates creep up on me. Maintenance is fairly simple. I change filter floss twice a week, empty/clean the skimmer cup once a week, and do weekly 10-15% water changes.

I was glad I went the AIO route for my first tank to learn the basics of reef tank husbandry, nutrient management, etc and I didn't have the added complexity of a sump and plumbing to worry about.

 

[Chase361]

Both of you guys! Thank you for taking the time out of your day to write out such a long response I appreciate it so much! I do agree with you @jamesdomini4 and I agree with you @muzikalmatt and thats why I'm finding this so dang hard of a decision. lol The area I have to work with is next to my couch to the left and the walkway into my kitchen on the right and the wall length is exactly 30". (IM 50 is 30" wide so perfect) so having the AIO container in the stand would be ideal due to a 3 year old but I also thought getting a thin one and putting it behind the tank.....
This might sound stupid but one thing that is bothering me is the Aio comes with a screen top the EXT does not.....I have a blue spot Jaw and firefish ext so a top is required. Ive heard making those and having it fit around my AI light mount would be a PITA no? I know this might sound crazy this being one of my top5 pro's of going AIO but I don't want a nice aquarium then this Jank lid on top lol

 

[muzikalmatt]

Both of you guys! Thank you for taking the time out of your day to write out such a long response I appreciate it so much! I do agree with you @jamesdomini4 and I agree with you @muzikalmatt and thats why I'm finding this so dang hard of a decision. lol The area I have to work with is next to my couch to the left and the walkway into my kitchen on the right and the wall length is exactly 30". (IM 50 is 30" wide so perfect) so having the AIO container in the stand would be ideal due to a 3 year old but I also thought getting a thin one and putting it behind the tank.....
This might sound stupid but one thing that is bothering me is the AIo comes with a screen top the EXT does not due.....I have a blue spot Jaw and firefish ext so a top is required. Ive heard making thoes and having it fit around my AI light mount would be a PITA no? I know this might sound crazy this being one of my top5 pro's of going AIO but I dont want a nice aquarium then this Jank lid on top lol

It's definitely a tough decision as there are pros and cons to both. I will say the lids on the IM tanks are great. They have little cutouts in each corner for running cables out of the tank (which I didn't realize for like the first several months haha) and they generally look pretty good for mesh top lids.

I have a custom stand but it's basically the same size as the stock IM stands and you can fit quite a bit in them, including an ATO container. I'm just using a 5 gallon Home Depot bucket which is usually good for about a week. Here's a picture of underneath my stand.

 

[Acros]

If you are limited by 30” length, a large ATO reservoir sounds very appealing to me. IM50 AIO is a really good tank and can accommodate some decent size skimmer,

 

[Chase361]

So on the sump side I’m looking at this. It’s a Fiji cube 12

Fiji-12 Advanced Reef Sump - 2nd Gen

Fiji Cube sumps are characterized by truly unique design features and a clean, elegant design. When it comes to sumps, it they all operate on pretty similar designs and layouts, so choice can really come down to the fine details. Fiji Cube has incorporated some innovative and interesting...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

This is only 14” wide so I can definitely get a An ATO in there next to it BUTTTTTT if I go with the 20 I can have a Refugium but with it being 20” I’d have to put the ATO behind the tank!

Fiji-20 Advanced Reef Sump - 2nd Gen

Fiji Cube sumps are characterized by truly unique design features and a clean, elegant design. When it comes to sumps, it they all operate on pretty similar designs and layouts, so choice can really come down to the fine details. Fiji Cube has incorporated some innovative and interesting...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

ARGHHHHH opinions plz lol

 

[Midrats]

I love my EXT. The full 30"x 24" footprint is really nice. I also like not being beholden to the confines of the back chamber. I have a Fiji Cube 20 sump in the stand and there's plenty of room. It's right in the middle of the stand with a few inches to spare on either side. If you pushed it all the way to one side you could fit an ATO resevoir under there. My tank is in a corner so I have my reservoir in the space behind the tank.

 

[Midrats]

The shelf is nice.

 

[TheWB]

I have a Lagoon 50 AIO and it’s been great. I also have the Cadlights skimmer you referenced and it’s a beast, hands down the best skimmer for an AIO. The rear chambers are big enough to have some good equipment choices and the In-Tank caddy and tower fit better than the IM ones do. Its pretty easy to add Mounting solutions inside the cabinet or use the shelf that comes with the stand to hold a controller board. I have an apex and other things mounted to a board I attached to one of the side panels.

While either the AIO or the ext would be great choices the fact that you mentioned the end game is a water box peninsula leads me to recommend getting the AIO. If you’re going to upgrade soon anyway then it makes sense to me to not invest as much in the smaller system If it’s going to be a temporary learning situation for corals. Hope this helps.

 

[Chase361]

Oh wow! PERFECT! hmmmmm yeah I bet if I push it to the left I can get some sort of ATO jug in there.

@TheWB Seeeee this makes absolute Sense too me too. I will probably keep the system and move it into my office when I get the WB but your right. Keeping it Simple makes sense to me.

 

[TheWB]

Oh wow! PERFECT! hmmmmm yeah I bet if I push it to the left I can get some sort of ATO jug in there.

@TheWB Seeeee this makes absolute Sense too me too. I will probably keep the system and move it into my office when I get the WB but your right. Keeping it Simple makes sense to me.

It could become a real nice nem or frag tank in the office once you upgrade. If I get to keep mine when I eventually upgrade I’m going to get two yellow striped maroon clowns and leave my rainbow bubble tip nem in there with them and that will be it. Maroons wouldn’t tolerate anything else in there with them anyway.

 

[Chase361]

WELLLLLL the EXT are on back order till end of April sooooo AIO it is. Just put my order in for the AIO. So I am now apart of the AIO Fam I guess lol.

 

[Chase361]

I had a Maroon in my 75 and he was a freaking TERRORIEST!!!!!! Bit my hand when ever I had to sick my hands in there. Actually caught him cause of how much he wanted to bite me lol

 

[TheWB]

I had a Maroon in my 75 and he was a freaking TERRORIEST!!!!!! Bit my hand when ever I had to sick my hands in there. Actually caught him cause of how much he wanted to bite me lol

That’s funny. They can be, and usually are, mean. On the other hand there’s one so tame at one of my LFS’s that you can pet it. Stick your hand in and it snuggles right up.