i am looking for a tank like this one

[93GTCANADA]

i have found these on ebay i want to know what u guys think.

http://i24.ebayimg.com/04/i/05/3e/9b/7e_1.JPG


http://i12.ebayimg.com/02/i/05/3d/8b/ac_1.JPG


now here is the info is this a good starting setup or i will to change alot of things. i like the light setup and the look of the tank. this is what i am looking for. everyones opinion is welcomed.

20 Gallon Acrylic M-Tank Complete Nano Reef Aquarium System

System includes: (brand-new in box)  

   * Acrylic tank:
         o Style & material: Bow front, built-in protein skimmer chamber and filtration chamber, domestic 1/4" cell cast acrylic
         o Capacity & dimension: 20 gallon, 21"L x 14 1/2"W x 15 7/8" H
   * Lighting fixture (Finnex):
         o Wattage & type: 36W x 2, straight pin power compact
         o Hood: Powder coated aluminum, polished reflector, PC lens
         o Lighting control: Independent light control for dawn/dust effect
         o Bulbs: One 36W daylight 7100k bulb & one 36W actinic blue (03) bulb
         o Venting: Fan cooled
         o Dimension: 19"L x 8 2/3"W x 3 1/4"H  
   * Protein skimmer:
         o Type and rating: Venturi-driven, rated 60 gallon
         o Power head: 211 gph  
   * Filtration:
         o Type: Built-in wet/dry filter
         o Rain trays: 4 layers of rain tray dripping system
         o Filtration material: Ceramic bio ring, fine and coarse filtration sponge,
         o Water return pump: 343 gph  
   * Live stock, sand, rock not included
   * Warranty: 6 months for accessories, 1 year for tank
   * No local pick up available
   * Flat shipping rate for continental U.S. only

[Julie]

I've had no experience with nano tanks, but from what I have read on the forum lately is they have a bad reputation for cracking due to structural weakness.

Julie

[kennyman]

Very cool. A trickle filter built-in to the back of the actual tank! I dont like acrylic myself, had one once and it got all cloudy. But alot of people seem to use them these days.

Have you tried to figure the volume of the useable aquarium space? I think the 20g includes the filtration area in the back portion. If its 14.5" W minus the filter unit it may be rather narrow. But it is super cool!

[93GTCANADA]

im not sure what exactly you are saying because i know nothing about aquariums yet lol. i am as green as they come to this hobby. but i have been reading for a solide 2 weeks anything that as to do with sw. what a trickle filter. the reason i liked those tanks is because everythign is already setup in the back of it.

[Mettle]

From my understanding for a good sw set-up you'd most likely be ripping half that stuff in the back out, anyway. What I would suggest doing is keeping an eye out for a cheap power filter and customizing that. It's long, but read this thread on Reef Central for some amazing ideas:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=553708

[Julie]

93 - did you find a good book on sw?

Mettle - that cube is cool!!

Julie

[redbelly]

if you are new to the hobby and especially new to sw i would not recomend a nano set up. they are very suseptable to parameter swing and are much harder to keep from my understanding.

[Mettle]

if you are new to the hobby and especially new to sw i would not recomend a nano set up. they are very suseptable to parameter swing and are much harder to keep from my understanding.

www.nano-reef.com

FILLED with tons of people who whom which a nano set-up was their first and in many cases still is their only sw set-up.

Nanos do need a stricter maitenance schedule. But if you're at all dedicated then it's definitely doable. Do the reading and see what you can find out. If you're well researched and are willing to spend the $$$ on a nano set-up (still very expensive!) then go for it.

[Julie]

Smaller tanks have less room for mistakes.
e.g.  My water out of the tap is ph 7.  After aeration water is 7.5-8.
The PH scale is x10.   So if I change 2 gallons of water in a 3 gallon tank with unaerated water, it's unlikely any sensitive fish would survive this big and quick of a swing.

Julie

[Mettle]

But. With a salt water nano you're not going to be changing right out of the tap. If you're smart, you'll probably just be buying distilled water from the store. Then, you're going to have to have a separate container going to pre-mix salt and make sure the temps are the same. This usually requires a powerhead and/or some type of airstone to keep it going. So in this case, it should even out.

Less room for mistakes, yes. I basically said that. Except in a more glass-half-full type of way. 'Stricter maitenance schedule.' Which will include lots of water testing.

A while ago people said that salt water tanks below 55 gallons were unthinkable. I've recently seen a 0.75 gallon salt water set-up. It's all possible. It just takes different amounts of dedication and persistance and also knowing that you won't be able to cram a ton of stuff into a smaller set-up. There are, I would wager, hundreds of nano set-ups popping up every month and many of those people enjoy great success if they do things right. The problems come with impatience and rushing things.

[Julie]

What if you're too frugal to buy distilled water or don't feel like lugging around 40 pound jugs.

Julie

[Mettle]

What if you're too frugal to buy distilled water or don't feel like lugging around 40 pound jugs.

Julie

Than honestly salt water is not for you. If you're not willing/able to make the financial commitment in all aspects than stick with fresh water, which is financially more lenient.

[redbelly]

its up to the individual if they want to go with a nano setup. however most people with experience in the hobby will advice that you dont start with a nano.
there is so much work and so little room for error it would be very easy to befome discouraged. what heppens when you spend $500 and the tank crashed and you loose all your live stock?
larger sw tanks have more space for error and things to go wrong. i have had a couple problems arise with my tank, most of them beyond my control. like the breaker tripping to the room with my tank twice while out of town. skimmer, lights and power heads were all off for several day. in a 33g that meant some nice algae when i got home, but i dont think you would be so lucky in a nano set up.
I would like to see a show of hands here of the people in the fw hobby that have purchased a 10g tank and been perfectly happy with that set up. who didnt want to get a bigger tank?
well the same applies to sw, but to set up another tank will be another huge investment. save the cash and the head aches and go larger.

[Julie]

RB:  Do you think a 20g would be a safe size to start with?

Julie

[AdamR]

One more reason to go bigger:

If you could have 10 fish in your fresh water tank you can now only have 1 in the same tank when you switch to salt water.   Numbers may not be exact but you get the idea.

This is one of the other reasons why sumps are used more in salt water, increase the volume so you can get a couple more fish.

[93GTCANADA]

i didnt find a book but i have been on alot of websites. including nano reefs, aquarium pro, aquaria, many internet sites etc... whats the smallest you guys think i should go. 30 gal ?

[AdamR]

Check this link out - .75 gallon, yes POINT 75

http://www.aquariacanada.com./forums/showthread.php?t=8218&page=2&pp=20

Small can be done, just easier if bigger.

[93GTCANADA]

i know her tanks are beautiful i really like her 10 g. i want to do that but with a bit bigger tank. how do u guys find the nano 24 g

[gator]

Wow - those nano tanks are incredible!   Unless I missed it, she didn't give andy info re filtration, skimming, etc.   It would be very interesting to here her maintainance procedures.

[Mettle]

i know her tanks are beautiful i really like her 10 g. i want to do that but with a bit bigger tank. how do u guys find the nano 24 g[/quote

It's the one most likely to crack on you.