why AIO?

nstd · Feb 10, 2021

with most waterbox with sump being back ordered, I'm looking into the water box 65.4 or maybe the jbj65. my question are what are the pros and cons of having an aio vs sump in the cabinet? are AIO noisier with the skimmer in the back? are AIO skimmers not as efficient? which one is better waterbox 65 or jbj65?

Thanks for helping.

1guydude · Feb 10, 2021

More maintence. Ease of maintence. Equipment choices. Most people with aio are in apartments or smaller areas where the tank is.
Im not a fan of aio unless the aio compartment is reasonably big or equally sized compared to thr display.
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kpoj9 · Feb 10, 2021

AIO are better for beginners, less maintenance and folks on a budget. Sumps give you more flexibility to run different equipment, better filtration and you can hide your gear in the cabinet. But they are typically more expensive. I think you can definitely get creative with either. I’ve seen some pretty elaborate AIO setups. In terms of skimmers... sumps offer much better options but I haven’t had any noise issues in my AIO. I’m a huge fan of Waterbox although I’ve never owned one. I’ve actually been considering upgrading to their 65g as well. Would like to know what you decide?

newfly · Feb 21, 2021

I went with the AIO route mostly because its less risk of flooding and plumbing leak. You do give up DT real estate.

Its all self contained in the aquarium. As for equipment, yes, you're restricted with the skimmer. I would like a larger skimmer, but so far pretty happy with tunze 9004 DC.

The best part of AIO is you have the space in the bottom of the cabinet. i setup my mixing station in the cabinet for easy water change.

350DRVR · Feb 25, 2021

AIO like it says is a self contained unit that for many works for where they live. Adding a cabinet and sump makes it much easier to care for the tank and usually allows for larger volume tanks as well. In my opinion a tank with matching cabinet and sump just looks much nicer. The big issues is the space needed. I’ll eventually be getting back into a larger WaterBox system with cabinet and sump. For now while we remodel the AIO works as the 25 peninsula fits on a room devider shelf we have in our entry way. takes up less space and easier as everything is in one easy to maintain system.