# What is best -all in one- freshwater nano tank?



## blazer (Aug 17, 2007)

Howdy,

I'm looking to start a nano tank that WILL grow plants.

I made the mistake of buying an eclipse 5 gallon tank and thought it would be bright enough to grow. 

It has since been returned. 

I just purchased the 6 gallon 18w jbj nano. 
Does anyone have this tank?

Thanks


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## Royal Soul (Sep 2, 2007)

dont have this tank but heard many negative things about jbj. your best bet i say is aquapod or best oceanic.


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## DaleJr08 (May 28, 2006)

I have the 12 gallon and I love it. Its a great set-up. It comes with everything you need expect the heater. Its a nice size shape for planting in. I wouldnt change a thing about it. It also looks pretty cool IMO

John


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## Yoshi (Apr 5, 2007)

I have a 6G Nano-Cube from JBJ and have never had problems with it, in fact, I own 2 of them w/zero complaints! These tanks are pretty nice all-in-one setups with decent enough lighting to grow plants. If you ever wanted to upgrade the lights, visit: http://nanotuners.com/ and buy a 18W upgrade kit. I upgraded to the 3x18W kit since my 6G is a SW reef setup, but 2x18W should be more than enough for a FW planted setup to grow most of the plants you want. Good luck!


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## jaybugg13 (Sep 4, 2007)

Depending on what you would like to keep and what lighting requirements you have I would look at one of the tanks from Nanocustoms.com. The upgraded lighting and cooling options are wonderful. As far as a specific make or model..I have had the nano cube and aqua pod and can really say that the aquapod served me better for a multitude of reasons, mostly to do with cooling and ease of use. Good luck.


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

any additional lighting can be sunlight.. it's free.


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## Yoshi (Apr 5, 2007)

mistergreen said:


> any additional lighting can be sunlight.. it's free.


That made me LOL, I forgot about the sun! :hihi:


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## alohamonte (Jul 25, 2006)

*all in one*

I have the 2.5 gal Mini Bow tank... I upgraded the light (no modifications) using a CF 14w 5500k instead of the 15w heat lamp that comes with it... grows plants all day long. i also upgraded the filter, but that's not a requirement. tank is like $25-30 and light bulb is around $10-12.


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## PineyMike (Mar 22, 2006)

I have a 12 gal. Nano Cube DX. It has more than enough light. Almost too much. I absolutely love it and I plan to get rid of my 30 gal. tank to get more Nano Cubes. You won't even need a heater since they run warm anyway. I've never had a heater in mine. The temp ranges from 78-79.5 F depending on the lights on or off. My room temp is a constant 72F with the air conditioner on.


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## blazer (Aug 17, 2007)

I got the oceanic 8 gallon bio cube ($150.00)...It was cost a little more than the JBJ 6 (114.00) but the 2 extra gallons and the total capacity of 32W vs 18w was a seller.


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## Fenton2 (Aug 13, 2007)

Honestly, if you really look at what they entail, I really don't recognize any points of differentiation between the three main nanocube manufacturers. They're all pretty much the same, the only difference being the lighting--but that's a regular versus deluxe issue, not a brand issue. I think all 3 of them would make decent planted tanks, though i've only used them for reefs.

I am pretty new on the planted side of things, but I think the relative value of the built in sump they have in the back is less valuable with FW than it is with SW. As a consequence, if I were nano shopping I'd save money by getting something like the Finnex 8G nano, which is $60 for tank and light. As a fan of open tops, I like the look a bit better and it's easier on the budget. Just my two cents.


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## jaybugg13 (Sep 4, 2007)

One of the big things with all those tanks is the heat factor though. Another option would be to order just the replactment tank from nano tuners.com 40-50 bucks, and then figure out your own lighting that allows for more air flow and cooling options.


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## jrh (Sep 9, 2007)

I have the AquaPod 12 G, and it runs HOT HOT HOT, as in 86 degrees in a 78 degree room with just the pump and one of the two lights going. I've since done the following:

1. removed the ribs in all the air vents over the lights and the ballast to increase air flow
2. installed a second fan
3. replaced the stock pump with a 9W MaxiJet

Now it's only 80 degrees, which is fine. I had no idea I'd have to do so much work just to make it useable, though.


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## eklikewhoa (Aug 29, 2006)

I love my NC12g DX!!


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## Kolkri (Dec 9, 2006)

I have the 6g JBJ and hate the water pump that is in that thing and the fan is loud. Shut it down after 6 months. Now it sits in storage collecting dust. I hate it cause it cost so dang much but that water pump just never worked right. 
If I can find a small pump that would fit in that spot I'd set it back up.


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## BiscuitSlayer (Apr 1, 2005)

Kolkri said:


> I have the 6g JBJ and hate the water pump that is in that thing and the fan is loud. Shut it down after 6 months. Now it sits in storage collecting dust. I hate it cause it cost so dang much but that water pump just never worked right.
> If I can find a small pump that would fit in that spot I'd set it back up.


Kolkri, just sent you a PM.


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## chacal (Nov 21, 2003)

I'm in the same boat, though I'm looking for a ~10-15 gallon unit. I hadn't seen the Oceanic Biocube 14, though that looks really appealing. To anyone who's seen or used it, how would the lightning be for a planted tank? Looks like it has 48w over 14 gallons, one 10,000k bulb, one actinic. Do either/both have to be removed to grow freshwater plants? Would light this high absolutely require CO2, or could you get away with just using excel?

I'm looking to get back into the hobby, before I moved cross country I gave a kid my modded eclipse 6 (it had 13 watts over it, but it was still pretty low light). Any advice would be appreciated.


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## druxboyz (Aug 3, 2004)

i got the Tom Deco 3g from bigalsonline for 50 bucks. It comes with 7400k and 1400k bulb of 13watts. I assume thats good enough for most plants. Its pretty bright. The price is decent also. Only downside is that it seems to be plastic.


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## dirkgent001 (Nov 20, 2007)

For me, I'd rather just get a tank sperate from the lighting/filtration..etc. I also thought about getting a nano cube, but I realize I don't like the cube form factor as much as the standard wide rectangle. Now i'm on the lookout for something similiar to the 6.6 gallon "bookshelf" style tank. I like the "mini 20 long" look it has, but I've heard the quality of it is not as good. Would love a glass tank with its footprint..


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## Urkevitz (Jan 12, 2004)

I like the biocube but one of the fans is loud as hell. I switched the bulbs around and only run one bulb anyway so the fans are always off.

It could easily be fixed but I have never gotten to it.


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