JBJ Nano Cubes?

[jencheung]

I was wondering if I could get some opinions here. I'm trying to decide which tank to get and would appreciate any feedback you might have. It's going to start out being FOWLR with the idea of one day adding mushrooms, zoos, feather dusters or maybe a soft coral like a leather of some kind. Here are the two options:

1. The JBJ 24g Nano Cube Deluxe. If I went with this tank I would add a skimmer (probably an AquaC Remora Nano) and an additional powerhead (probably a Maxijet 900). It comes with 2 36-watt 50/50 CF lights. Would that be enough light for the soft corals that I'm interested in? Does anyone have experience with this tank? It is a fan-cooled hood, but would those lights affect the temperature of the water?

2. The JBJ 28g HQI Nano Cube. This option comes with a skimmer and additional powerheads so I won't need those. It also comes with 150 watt metal halide lighting. I suspect that I'll have to buy a chiller with this option (especially as the stand that is made for this tank comes with a compartment for a chiller).

While generally there's a bigger-is-better rule, in this case I wonder if it's overkill for what I want. I really don't want to be out the extra expense of the chiller, but the larger tank does come with the additional hardware that I'd have to get separately for the 24g. Pricing wise, they aren't that different (for the 28g alone or the 24g with the powerhead and skimmer) unless I have to get a chiller. I guess the big question here is one of lighting - will the lighting on the 24g be enough to support the soft corals I'm interested in?

Oh, and for anyone who has a 24g cube out there, what's your opinion on the stand? From the measurements it seems like the tank sits a bit too low for easy viewing without bending over to see into the tank while the stand for the 28g is higher but I can never judge those things without seeing them so any opinions on this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much!!

 

[nycsicktank]

if you dont want a chiller, you can make your own DIY FAN out of cpu fans. im not sure how this willl help with your tank size though.

 

[taytayz707]

I had a 24 gallon JBJ cube before I upgraded to the 65. Good unit, advice with this system though is to add another powerhead. I added a smaller one on the other side..forgot what the gph was...and the corals did a lot better. With this unit you can pretty much house almost anything, except for really demanding SPS corals. I kept a birdsnest in it and it grew just fine, that's about the equivalent of a soft coral lighting need. With this unit you do not need a chiller, little tip...if you get the HQI and if the water gets too warm, place a plastic bottle in the freezer with water and place it into the back when the tank gets too hot. My friend does this and it works just fine. As for the skimmer, I never had a skimmer on it, as long as you make sure you do water changes every week there should not be a problem. But with such small a tank, a once a week water change is a necessity. The stand on this unit is very sturdy..although you have to put it together yourself. the cabinet underneath it has a nice hinge and there is enough room for what you want to store under it. The hieght of the stand is lower, only because of the narrow dimensions...I'd rather have it sturdy than wobbly. Good luck with the decision, either one is a good cube.

 

[jencheung]

Thanks for the info taytayz! That's just the kind of response I was hoping to get! I was hoping the lighting in the 24g would be enough for the soft corals I want. I was planning to get an additional powerhead anyway - the cube runs 290 gph and the powerhead runs 230 gph. So total that'll be about x21. Hopefully that'll be enough to keep everyone happy. I've got a 10 gallon FO at the moment that I'm upgrading to this tank so I definitely know about regular water changes on small tanks! So I think I'm going to go ahead and get the 24g. And while I do wish the stand was taller it's definitely better to have it sturdy. I think I just wanted to hear from someone who had actually seen it. So thanks! I'm so excited! I'll have to start up another thread to figure out what to stock it with now!