What do you guys think?

[Trylobyte]

Soooo, I setup a 20 gallon long and spent all this money on getting the HOB refugium, HOB reef octopus 100 skimmer, the duetto ATO & surface skimmer and now that it's up and running I HATE seeing the equipment (lol I know). There is nothing wrong with the tank and I placed a black background so the stuff "blends" in as much as possible but it just bugs me. The tank is new so there is nothing pulling away from the equipment other than a pair of clowns (oce) so once corals start going in it could be a different story.

But as I sit here staring at it, I am thinking I should just get one of those Fusion AIO 20 gallons that look pretty sleek and wouldn't have that equipment being seen. And eventually I plan to convert my 50 gallon into a saltwater which all that equipment could go on and since it would be more spaced out would be less noticeable, just can't bring myself to getting rid of the 8 year old community in there when I am so new to saltwater and want to make sure I can do it first.

So my question is, would you guys switch the tank so you didn't have to see all that equipment?

 

[mrlavalamp]

Hang on overflow and sump?

I know its less than ideal to hob an overflow but it is the only solution I know of when you cannot empty the tank to drill it.

Then all your existing equipment can just go down into the sump.

Hang the hob equipment on baffles inside the sump.

 

[SDK]

If it makes you happy, switch it. I got back into the hobby again with a 20g AIO and had it presentable enough to look good in my living room.

 

[Trylobyte]

Hang on overflow and sump?

I know its less than ideal to hob an overflow but it is the only solution I know of when you cannot empty the tank to drill it.

Then all your existing equipment can just go down into the sump.

Hang the hob equipment on baffles inside the sump.

I thought of this, but I have a few problems

• The cheapest prefabbed sump is near or more than the cost of the AIO tank
• My stand has a middle divider making it impossible to even put a 10 gallon down there
• If I built a stand that could employ a 10 gallon, I have no idea where to buy baffles, and the cost of kits + return pump + overflow box would cost more than the AIO tank
• The skimmer actually is taller than my tank. The stand I have perfectly fits the tank and allows the skimmer to hang down below and level out on the backside of the stand

 

[mrlavalamp]

Sounds like the new AIO is your best bet.

Keep the 20 as a qt!

 

[Trylobyte]

*bump*

 

[Aquavaj]

What about something like this?

AIO Box All-In-One Kit 4th Gen - 20 Gallon Long - Fiji Cube

 

[nasotang]

I feel ya. Sometimes it’s nice to have a clean setup without seeing all the gadgets we place on/in the tank. Tanks without sumps require more work to maintain salinity with constant addition of water to counter evaporation. Are you using an ATO or doser to replace water?

The AIO would be the cleaner route but you may need to replace some of your gear if they don’t fit in the compartments.

 

[Trylobyte]

What about something like this?

AIO Box All-In-One Kit 4th Gen - 20 Gallon Long - Fiji Cube

I actually like that idea, but I can't seem to find replacement socks even on their site for it? I would like to at least have 5 so I can change and just wash the majority at once. Have you used this yourself?

 

[Trylobyte]

I feel ya. Sometimes it’s nice to have a clean setup without seeing all the gadgets we place on/in the tank. Tanks without sumps require more work to maintain salinity with constant addition of water to counter evaporation. Are you using an ATO or doser to replace water?

The AIO would be the cleaner route but you may need to replace some of your gear if they don’t fit in the compartments.

Yea I am currently running the Duetto ATO & surface skimmer. It runs from a sensor (completly plug & play) and I use the largest rubbermaid cereal container that I drilled holes in for the tubing and pump power filled with RO/DI. Also yea, I wouldn't be able to use the Reef Octopus 100 HOB skimmer ( $200+ gone) on either the new AIO or using the fiji cube kit that @Aquavaj listed above. They do make a skimmer for it but it would be another $150, and I could continue to use the ATO part of the duetto, just not the surface skimmer (but I would have overflows into socks and media caddy so no need)

 

[nasotang]

The AIO route sounds good then to get you the clean look. If you start out slow with easy to keep softies and limited fish you wouldn’t need a big skimmer. Use the doser to top off and keep up with the water changes. Some good lighting to bring out the colors of the corals would likely be next on your shopping list.

 

[Trylobyte]

The AIO route sounds good then to get you the clean look. If you start out slow with easy to keep softies and limited fish you wouldn’t need a big skimmer. Use the doser to top off and keep up with the water changes. Some good lighting to bring out the colors of the corals would likely be next on your shopping list.

I have the "Orbit Marine IC LED" along with their "e-flux wavemakers" that I can control everything on their app via Bluetooth. I know those definitely won't grow SPS, but should be enough for softies & LPS without trouble. I was also thinking that maybe I wouldn't need a skimmer at all, as I could probably rig one of the back chambers to still house the chaeto and use my tunze refugium light for nutrient export as well as keep on weekly WC's. I only planned on keep my pair of clowns, either a yellow watchman goby or neon blue goby, and maybe an orchid dotty back along with my CUC. So I don't think the load would be to much without a skimmer but I wouldn't mind advice on that lol.