snookie Posted August 31, 2012 Report Share Posted August 31, 2012 Please may i have the pros and cons of purchasing an all in one system like red seamax , aquaone etc.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted August 31, 2012 Report Share Posted August 31, 2012 Pros - they are all in one Cons - they are all in one :-? If you want an instant set-up then they are all set to go and many like the sleek look. If something goes wrong, you are only dealing with one company. There may be some aspects you don't like, or you would prefer a specific brand for some of the equipment. Personally I have never bought an all in one as I do not like the look of any of them. I prefer to order to size from a glazier (they used to be a lot cheaper but I have not had a tank made for years so this may no longer be so) and have a solid wood stand made to fit. The all in ones I have seen seem very flimsy to me and I have seen some shockingly weak joints and lack of adequate support in a number of them. You can get good bargains by buying up the equipment piece by piece too. If something goes wrong though, you need to have noted where each came from so you know where to go to complain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yeah-righo Posted August 31, 2012 Report Share Posted August 31, 2012 Im new to Marine and chose AquaOne 400 so I can play around with the system and learn it to have a better understanding of whats what - as apposed to having it automated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raeh1 Posted August 31, 2012 Report Share Posted August 31, 2012 hey greta choice, both the rea sea and aqua ones will give you a great format to learn from and discover what you like before you venture into the large custom builds. Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LYNDYLOO Posted August 31, 2012 Report Share Posted August 31, 2012 I have 3 Aqua One's, an AR 980, AR620T and a AR620 Haven' had any problems with any of these tanks, the only thing I have changed is the in built filter, have removed the in built and put an Aqua One CF1200 external filter on each tank. Would certainly recommend the Aqua One range. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F15hguy Posted August 31, 2012 Report Share Posted August 31, 2012 have used both, the all in ones are great for starting out, but the filters are kinda pathetic and the carbon pads are a money waster. got a 7 year old AR980 at work with no problems so I don't think the build quality is bad. and the modifications of the filter to a external are easy as. My main gripe with them is the lights are normally right at the front so makes planted setup a bit harder (especially when you want tall, light intensive plants as a background.) I'm quite impressed with the new Aqua one nano cubes though, the built in sump filter looks quite good, anyone had any experience with these???? personally I prefer to build myself from a bare glass tank, that way you can get the best equipment for the job, and not stuck to just one brand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matto Posted August 31, 2012 Report Share Posted August 31, 2012 i have had several aquaone tanks and had a few issues with cracks and leaking,i would strongly suggest getting a custom made tank if you are after a reliability Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zev Posted September 1, 2012 Report Share Posted September 1, 2012 Remember we are talking marine here, not freshwater. Pros - allegedly everything you need to have a marine setup out of the box - neat and tidy appearance - the AquaReef does not have a one piece rounded glass front and sides like the RSM 130 and 250 (my pet hate so I am calling this a pro, and it has black silicon and 10mm glass in the 400 model) - the AquaReef has a metal stand clad in a cosmetic cover rather than being made of weetbix mdf, It has a black two inch rim around the base of the tank that is sealed to the glass to stop water getting in between, but (see cons) Cons - you are paying for everything in one go, you cannot buy it bit by bit as finance allows (unless you put it on you Qcard or finance it) - depending on what you wish to have in your tank you may have to upgrade lighting, but they are generally ok for FOLR or softies and fish. Our LFS has a Geisseman 2x MH fiting over their AquaReef 400 as they have acros in the tank, ceiling mounted - something else to run pass the landlord or the missus. - the AquaReef and AquaMarine tanks sit on top of the stand, there is no lip or structure to stop it sliding off in the event of an earthquake, I suspect the RSM may be the same but I have not had a good look at the bottom of one lately. RedSeaMax are available in 130 and 250l the 130D model is an upgraded version of the 130 Red Sea are also doing a 400, 500 and 650l Max S range that should be available in NZ this month. AquaReef come in 400, 300 and 250l AquaMarine 900 is 176l and virtually a converted AquaStart with the bow front and rounded corner glass and a Marisys system shoe horned into the back of it There are probably more, but this is all I can think of at the moment, quite a few people modify their all in one systems by upgrading skimmers and flow, but you are limited to what you can fit in the cabinet or under the hood and the amount of money you are allowed to spend out of your wallet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F15hguy Posted September 1, 2012 Report Share Posted September 1, 2012 If we are talking marine, then it is a lot easier in the long run to go custom glass, probably cheaper as you don't have to modify as much to get things added to it. plus you can do a lot to a tank after you get it as well i.e. drill holes for sump/ filter fixtures, upgrade lighting to go for more intensity or LED fittings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snookie Posted September 1, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 1, 2012 Remember we are talking marine here, not freshwater. Pros - allegedly everything you need to have a marine setup out of the box - neat and tidy appearance - the AquaReef does not have a one piece rounded glass front and sides like the RSM 130 and 250 (my pet hate so I am calling this a pro, and it has black silicon and 10mm glass in the 400 model) - the AquaReef has a metal stand clad in a cosmetic cover rather than being made of weetbix mdf, It has a black two inch rim around the base of the tank that is sealed to the glass to stop water getting in between, but (see cons) Cons - you are paying for everything in one go, you cannot buy it bit by bit as finance allows (unless you put it on you Qcard or finance it) - depending on what you wish to have in your tank you may have to upgrade lighting, but they are generally ok for FOLR or softies and fish. Our LFS has a Geisseman 2x MH fiting over their AquaReef 400 as they have acros in the tank, ceiling mounted - something else to run pass the landlord or the missus. - the AquaReef and AquaMarine tanks sit on top of the stand, there is no lip or structure to stop it sliding off in the event of an earthquake, I suspect the RSM may be the same but I have not had a good look at the bottom of one lately. RedSeaMax are available in 130 and 250l the 130D model is an upgraded version of the 130 Red Sea are also doing a 400, 500 and 650l Max S range that should be available in NZ this month. AquaReef come in 400, 300 and 250l AquaMarine 900 is 176l and virtually a converted AquaStart with the bow front and rounded corner glass and a Marisys system shoe horned into the back of it There are probably more, but this is all I can think of at the moment, quite a few people modify their all in one systems by upgrading skimmers and flow, but you are limited to what you can fit in the cabinet or under the hood and the amount of money you are allowed to spend out of your wallet. thanks for the input :thup: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted September 1, 2012 Report Share Posted September 1, 2012 Also whole setups that aren't all in ones probably go for a similar price semi frequently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jono.damo Posted September 28, 2012 Report Share Posted September 28, 2012 We had a Juwel tank setup that we had converted and had it going for 7 months but did get very expensive with all the changes being made to it all the time. If you have the money to buy an all in one setup that's the best way to go especially if your just beginning. We now have the Aqua reef 400 and very pleased, we made a couple of changes to it including: 1. Position of sump put it hard over to the right. 2. Upgraded skimmer to "Reef Octopus" in sump which did require removing some of the internal glass to make it fit. 3. Added 2 more lights 54W T5's using the GLO setup And that's about it and very happy with how it's going. Good luck!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Posted September 28, 2012 Report Share Posted September 28, 2012 I don't have an all in one marine, I did up a Juwel tank instead. However, I think if you like the look from one of those all in ones then go for it. Lots of people use them and you get results without having to put in a lot of effort. I wouldn't get one if you wanted hard corals though as you'll end up changing the lighting. In saying that, if it is your own house, you can plumb up and build in a custom tank / sump arrangement that can look a lot better and probably work out bigger and cheaper. - the AquaReef and AquaMarine tanks sit on top of the stand, there is no lip or structure to stop it sliding off in the event of an earthquake, I suspect the RSM may be the same but I have not had a good look at the bottom of one lately. From personal experience, I'd call that a huge pro. Every tank I had on a lipped stand went over in the Feb quake. Every tank that was on a flat base (no lip) slid but stayed up. However, the smaller (say 6.0 or less) quakes do move my flat base tanks and I pretty much have to empty them to move them back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F15hguy Posted September 28, 2012 Report Share Posted September 28, 2012 isn't most of the fun in tinkering and playing around with a system Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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