Successful IM tank?

Fence13 · Nov 19, 2017

So I'm having trouble finding long term, successful, tank builds for Innovative Marine tanks. Can you run a successful, thriving reef tank with IM using their skimmer, reactor, and media rack? I'd prefer not to do 50% water changes every week if I buy one. Thoughts? Comments? Am I crazy or just missing something?

EriksOasis · Nov 19, 2017

I don’t have an innovative marine all in one but I do have the jbj45 all in one which is comparable. I run the stock media basket with filter floss and matrix biological media with a tunze 9004 dc skimmer. My tank has been running for a year very successfully. I’ve been going the dosing method with no water change in three weeks and parameters are near perfect. You by no means would have to do 50% water change a week.

icedgxe · Nov 19, 2017

I feel like my Nuvo 10 has been pretty successful. It had been up almost two years now. 2 gal water changes weekly, change filter floss twice a week (when I remember both times), chemi pure blue nano (one packet) changes monthly, and marinepure spheres filling second chamber. That’s it. I upgrade the return pump to a Tunze silence. No skimmer, no powerhead.

Dsnakes · Nov 19, 2017

I have an IM Nuvo 20. I started out changing 5g a week. Now I change about 3-5g once a month when I make time. Probably not ideal, but everything is doing well.

Pair of Snowflake clowns
1 serpent starfish
1 emerald crab
4 hermits
Lots of LPS
A few SPS

Corals are growin well, would be better with more water changes or if I start dosing soon. I plan to get a doser shortly. It's a nice tank. I would like to get the 30l or one of the lagoon styles.

toybox22 · Nov 19, 2017

I'd say it's possible. Having the rear chamber can be a little tough when you want to get certain equipment. But I love my IM40. I'll definitely get a tank with a sump next though.

1 year difference.

Bob Escher · Nov 19, 2017

I started with a JBJ 45 Gallon which is also a AIO I had a Coralvue skimmer but I then added a overflow and sump I still have a INtank basket on one side that I have matrix in but everything goes down into my sump

Fence13 · Nov 19, 2017

So pleased with all the replies! I'm glad that people are having success with an AIO. Plus it's good to see the success stories with some of these tanks. Not trying to sell IM or JBJ but people sometimes think of them as a stepping stone, and that's not what I'm looking for if I decide to go that route. I'm actually splitting up a 75g into two smaller tanks (I know, it's almost sacrilegious around here to go to a smaller size).

icedgxe said:
change filter floss twice a week (when I remember both times)

I have this struggle with filter socks so I completely understand your troubles.

Dsnakes said:
I have an IM Nuvo 20. I started out changing 5g a week. Now I change about 3-5g once a month when I make time. Probably not ideal, but everything is doing well.

I've seen fewer frags in a frag tank! Zoas and LPS like water "a little dirty" so it seems like your method is working for the corals you want to keep.

toybox22 said:
I'd say it's possible. Having the rear chamber can be a little tough when you want to get certain equipment. But I love my IM40. I'll definitely get a tank with a sump next though.

1 year difference.

The growth on those plates are nice. Do you keep a lot of fish here too or is it all for the coral?

EriksOasis · Nov 19, 2017

I love the all in one style! If I was to get another tank it would t be a huge tank but another all in one in a different location of the house.

Dsnakes · Nov 19, 2017

EriksOasis said:
I love the all in one style! If I was to get another tank it would t be a huge tank but another all in one in a different location of the house.

I just realized IM makes a 60 and 80g.

EriksOasis · Nov 19, 2017

Yes the shallow reef series. I was looking into them as well for the future. Also my diy side thought you could just about make your own with any size tank you wanted really.

Fence13 · Nov 19, 2017

Dsnakes said:
I just realized IM makes a 60 and 80g.

My only problem with the SR-60 and SR-80 is that they don't tell you the actual display volume. I think the 60 gives you about 40 - 50 gallons of display tank.

Coley · Nov 19, 2017

I have the IM 80SR. Love mine!

Fence13 · Nov 19, 2017

Coley said:
I have the IM 80SR. Love mine!

How long have you had it up and running? What do you use? Pics or it didn't happen

ReefersDirect · Nov 19, 2017

Here is a very poor picture of one of my employee's Drop Off tanks. Its been running for a while now. Used to house SPS but we found that really annoying to keep up with so she switched over to a mixed reef. This one is fine with a weekly waterchange

flowflezy · Nov 21, 2017

Nice tank

LetItReef · Nov 21, 2017

Dsnakes said:
I just realized IM makes a 60 and 80g.

And SR 120

Fence13 · Nov 21, 2017

ReefersDirect said:
Here is a very poor picture of one of my employee's Drop Off tanks. Its been running for a while now. Used to house SPS but we found that really annoying to keep up with so she switched over to a mixed reef. This one is fine with a weekly waterchange

What's the lighting on this? It looks very custom (in a very nice way)

Tuffyyyyy · Nov 21, 2017

Fence13 said:
My only problem with the SR-60 and SR-80 is that they don't tell you the actual display volume. I think the 60 gives you about 40 - 50 gallons of display tank.

That seems about right. Not comparable but I have an IM40 and I think the total water volume is around 30 gallons. If I could do it again I’d go with an IM50 Lagoon.

I’ve had my IM40 running for 11 months now. The biggest problem I’m having with my is that I’d like to run a refugium but every time I try something new it just doesn’t work. Because of that I feel like my nitrates will never be low enough for acros.

Reef Builders had a video on YouTube a few months ago with a guy running an IM30 for like 5 or 6 years and it was absolutely beautiful.