# Best Nano tank?



## quietace (Jan 6, 2013)

Hi everyone,
ive been looking into nano tanks lately and was wondering the best one for the money? My LFS has both the fluval EBI and Flora on sale for 50 bucks a piece, but i heard the equiptment isnt the best? What about do-aqua or ADA? Anything else, other companies?


----------



## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Your options are endless. In order to get some decent answers, you may want to provide a price point, volume and what you want to keep in the tank.

$50 is a great brice for the Ebi. That's cheap enough that you could sell the stuff from the kit you don't want and end up with a decent setup.


----------



## quietace (Jan 6, 2013)

somewhatshocked said:


> Your options are endless. In order to get some decent answers, you may want to provide a price point, volume and what you want to keep in the tank.
> 
> 
> I was looking about 200 for tank and lights and filter. Around 8-12 gallons and was hoping to keep CRS. Hope that helps.


----------



## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

If you want to keep Crystal Red Shrimp, I'd get the Ebi, sell the internal filter and buy an AquaClear 20 or 30 filter and a bag of ADA Aquasoil Amazonia (ditch the Fluval Shrimp Stratum).

Or, if you want to go even cheaper? Pick up a nice 10gal tank, glass top, AquaClear filter, Finnex FugeRay, ADA Aquasoil.

You can do a lot with $200, really. Could get an ADA tank, Mr. Aqua cube, Fluval kit. Tons of options. Just do some research and check out the hundreds of tank journals here on the forum.


----------



## Jarek Strzechowski (Feb 7, 2013)

The best all around option would be a mr. aqua 11.4 gallon rectangle. It gives you the option of space in a smaller tank with good viewing dimensions, but it all depends on what you want. The 11.4g mr aqua rec would be more if you're into amano style though.


----------



## Couesfanatic (Sep 28, 2009)

I'd do a ADA Mini M, Finnex LED and a eheim 2211. That would put you around $200. Or you could drop the eheim and do the zoo med 501 and save you $40.

Go with an ADA tank or similar, that imo makes the biggest quality difference. Light and filter can change.


----------



## sarahspins (Sep 24, 2012)

I'm not a fan of the EBI.. I have one, I found it was just too deep to work with easily, and I personally hated the lack of clarity in the glass... I always felt like the tank looked dirty, even when it wasn't (and I really don't like the FSS either, but that's another issue). I moved on to a low iron schuber wright tank and different substrate for my shrimp and I'm much happier with it.

I have two of the zoomed 501's - they work great and they are cheap but honestly I like the Finnex 360 better.. I think it's easier to customize the media, and the extra 16gph seems like much more.

Personally, for about $150 shipped I'd get the 9g schuber wright + finnex 360 + ray 2 LED set


----------



## CPDzeke (Jan 4, 2013)

Three letters. ADA
Eheim 2211 or aqua clear 20 
Finnex LED or make one
Paintball co2


----------



## bluestems (Feb 7, 2012)

Couesfanatic said:


> Go with an ADA tank or similar, that imo makes the biggest quality difference. Light and filter can change.


+1 :smile:


----------



## quietace (Jan 6, 2013)

Thanks everyone!


----------



## d2creative (Jan 24, 2013)

Starphire glass, 75gph pump, nice LED lamp, integrated concealed filter area, sponge and media included, room for a heater back there, removable glass top, 8 gallons. $160.
http://www.cadlights.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=46&products_id=228

I recently got the 4g and have been pretty happy with it. If you are looking for all-in-one, this one is hard to beat.


----------



## xiaoxiy (Dec 18, 2012)

Those CAD aquariums look pretty sweet. Any idea on how they compare to the Nuvo 8 Gallon?


----------



## d2creative (Jan 24, 2013)

I think the nuvo is missing the starphire glass, has a weaker light, and it's more expensive. Not sure what the advantage is. There's almost no reviews on the CAD but it looks like they fixed the one negative point that kept popping up which was the removable filter area. Now it's all sealed up tight and cemented in there. Not much of any drawbacks now as long as they keep up with quality control.


----------



## xiaoxiy (Dec 18, 2012)

Over at the reefing forums, I kept digging up threads with contradictory information about CAD tanks. Some threads went on and on about how CAD customer service/workmanship wasn't the best, while others say they had a great experience with it. 

I'm trying to figure out how I would run CO2 with the CAD tank (with a NUVO, I could just use an in-line atomizer like oldpunk does).


----------



## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Those reef threads were about the old version of the CAD tanks, I've discovered. When they used cheap plastic inserts, the manufacturing process was hit or miss.

The new version seems to be getting high marks and the ones I've seen lately are way nicer than the Ebi and other AIO tanks I've had. For the amount of what you get - regardless of manufacturer - it's pretty cheap.

With a CAD, you could do something in-line with a hose from the pump to the outflow. Since the tank is so small, it might even be easily just to place a diffuser under/beside the pump intake in the rear chamber.


----------



## d2creative (Jan 24, 2013)

I'm unfamiliar with CO2 and the Nuvo tank. 
What is the difference in the tank that makes the nuvo easier to run CO2?


----------



## xiaoxiy (Dec 18, 2012)

There's tubing in between the return outlet and the valve, making it easier to install an in-line CO2 atomizer or reactor. I'm under the assumption that the CAD tank's pump outlet directly sticks out of the acrylic backing.


----------



## d2creative (Jan 24, 2013)

Ah, yes you are correct. There is a hole in the back wall. The pumps lays right up against the hole and the outlet screws into the pump through the hole from inside the display portion of the tank.

Here's a couple pics...


----------



## xiaoxiy (Dec 18, 2012)

Damn. That star fire glass looks pretty awesome.

That light isn't dimmable is it? I remember reading on reefbuilders that it was, but it didn't say anything about dimming on the CAD website.


----------



## d2creative (Jan 24, 2013)

No, there are no dimming controls. Just on or off.


----------



## Green_Flash (Apr 15, 2012)

12g long is another option.


----------

