# Help! Tank advice, please! JBJ, Aquacube, Eclipse..



## isuchopper (Nov 30, 2004)

Hi all-

Thanks for your time in advance. I posted a thread a while ago looking for a cheap alternative to expensive acrylic tanks for use as a nano. Well, that fizzeled but luckily my girlfriend wants to buy me a tank for a late Christmans present. But what to get?

Here are my criteria:
1. Cube or hex. Just love 'em.
2. Capacity over 7 gallons. Even up to the Nanocube 24 would be fun.
3. Price under $160. Preferably under $100 though...

Preferences:
1. Viewable from all sides, although a JBJ Nanocube would probably be fine
2. Built-in filtration and lighting would be nice for a small, compact package.
3. Overall, an easy to maintain system is better as I have limited free time at this point. Don't worry, I know 'easy' is a relative term here.

Plans:
1. Low tech, likely no heat. 
2. Plants, fish (likely Whiteclouds- love 'em), and (hopefully) invertabrates. 
3. This will be a decorative piece, so I'm going to try to limit amount of 'stuff' attached via cord or hose. I also need it somewhat mobile as I'm in school and moving is a fact of life.

I would love to hear what people think about the options that are out there: JBJ, AquaCube, Eclipse, Quantum Aquarium (on Drs. Foster and Smith's site), GlassCages acrylic cubes, etc... 

Thanks for all the help.

Mike


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## GMINI (Jun 14, 2004)

Get the nano cube, best package all around, get the 24w version for a lower light/maintence tank, or go for 48w for glosso / stem plants etc. Real lighting, filter, you can hide the heater and even a hagen ladder in the filter area if you want, curved GLASS! I love my 12!


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## supaoopa (Oct 25, 2004)

I would go with a 12 gal nano cube. Not sure if it will lend itself well to being mobile. 


Can't go wrong with an eclipse system six. Lighting is enought for low light plants and easy to move around when half full. 

Have fun deciding.


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## Momotaro (Feb 21, 2003)

JBJ Nanocube. You pick the size.

Built in filter, _GOOD_ lighting! Thats the way to go.

Mike


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## isuchopper (Nov 30, 2004)

*Thanks folks*

Everbody-

Thanks for your input on this. I decided to go with a NanoCube. It may sound stupid, but it looks great and that was one of my main factors for this tank. Now I just have to start a thread to figure out how to decorate it...

Mike


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## Urkevitz (Jan 12, 2004)

I would have chosen the nanocube also roud:


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## GTApuffgal (Feb 7, 2005)

*Nano cube*

Hi all!

I am new around here and have been lurking around trying to pick up a few pointers. I have spent the last few days shopping for the perfect little tank to plant and enjoy a couple of dwarf puffers. I think I've seen all the tanks mentioned in this thread except the "nano-cube." I did a search to no avail. Does anybody have a link so I can check this out???

Much appreciated! And thanks for a fantastic and educational sight.

Kathy (retiring her silk and plastic plants and ready for the real thing!)


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## greenfish (Jul 7, 2004)

Here is a link for you: http://www.jbjlighting.com/


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## GTApuffgal (Feb 7, 2005)

*Nano cube*

Thank you Greenfish!

Man, those are sexy little tanks. I'm going to go check one out tomorrow. 

Kathy


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## figgy (Feb 27, 2005)

*Nanobliss*

Hi,

I've done my first planted tank in a 12 gal nano. I'm lovin' it. I can't seem to post a pic, though....

Figgy


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## isuchopper (Nov 30, 2004)

*planted nanocube*

Figgy-

I'm in the middle of getting my planted nanocube fully fleshed out and I'm loving it, also. Even though there are limitations, I really like the clean, unclutter package. I have the original with only 24 W of light, but things seem to be going well. Are you running the 48 W version?

Mike


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## figgy (Feb 27, 2005)

*Nano 12*

Nope. I started with the regular 24 watt version--it's going so well, I wonder if 48 watts would be too hot to handle! I really like the limitations, it kind of makes me feel like those japanese zen gardeners that have to put in only the most essential stuff to get the effect they want.

Mine has been planted about a month now--I used just eco-complete substrate and have a Hagen CO2 thingey [that's a technical term...] on it. 
It's just started to tilt though, I've gotten a hair algae growth in the last week. I read somewhere that amano shrimp would help [there's also a siamese algae eater and some fire shrimp in there but they're not "into" hair algae, I guess] So I just put four amano in there an they've cleaned off a batch already. We'll see how it goes.

What all's in your nano?

Figs


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## isuchopper (Nov 30, 2004)

Figgy-

The 24 W seems to be doing fine for me, too. I'm still in the middle of planting, so I've got a fair bit to put in, but here's what I've got so far:

Black sand, flourish tabs and petrified wood (ranging from brown to white to red). Dwarf hair grass, corkscrew vals and what I believe to be rotalla with some nice reds. Right now, there are two guppies that will eventually be replaced by a small school of white clouds as soon as I can find a suitable source. I'll post a picture as soon as I find a free place to stick my pics.

I still need my glosso and some moss and I need to figure out a bushy stem plant to put in a couple of spots.

The plants are growing like weeds (which I suppose they are to some people) but I seem to have a black hair algea problem that I'll have to take care of.

The biggest question right now is what to do about invertibrates. Not as many options as salt water, but dwarf crayfish might be a good option. Maybe a clam, too.

Mike


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## figgy (Feb 27, 2005)

*Inverts, etc*

I have [at last roll call] 4 amano and 2 cherry shrimp. They're doing great so far, except for a brief killing spree by my betta [who has since moved elsewhere!]. And I have a little 4-fish school of emerald-eyed rasbora and 1 powder blue dwarf gourami. And 2 dwarf cory cats.

I do have the black hair looking stuff, but the amanos I just put in seem to be working on it. I hope.

It's planted w/ Eco-complete with the usual stuff. There's an awesome 6 inch wood burl tunnel and a single bulb "moonlight" LED. 

Man does it look better than plastic!!!! I can never go back to my "old life"!

Figs


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## glass-gardens.com (Apr 14, 2004)

I've been pricing the 24G Deluxe model, I posted it elsewhere but here seems like a good place as well.

Petsolutions $229, and they stand behind it by handling any warranty claims themselves for the first two months, every one else I talked to said I'd have to deal with JBJ on warranty claims.


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## figgy (Feb 27, 2005)

*'Nother Nano*

I ordered the 6 gallon Nano this week. I sorta couldn't resist it for my desk. No idea what I'll do with it yet. Thinking about a little invert paradise...or those cute teeny puffer fish.

Figs :icon_conf


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