New Rimless Cube help

[Camps23]

  As some of you know I recently sold my complete 140g custom miracles setup. Davesolo29 picked up the system and parted some out to fellow forum members. Its nice to see the tank stay local on here. My original plan was to get out completely or at least take a year or so off. I have two young kids and a job that takes up 99% of my time.
  After only a month or so I have decided to get back in but keep it very simple. I have always wanted a rimless cube and decided that's what I will get. I now have the option to pickup a 34g Solana AIO tank (20x20x20) or a starphire miracles 25g
cube (18x18x18) with glassholes.com overflow. Both tanks are in great shape. At first it was a no brainer for me as I love the Solana's but slowly I started worrying about the limited options for skimmers and such in a sumpless system like the Solana's.
  I was hoping some of you on here can help me out if you have ran an AIO setup before. How did it perform ? With the 25g system I would be able to run a better skimmer and if issues arise down the road I could run a reactor with biopellets or other such media. Keep in mind I'm trying to stay simple.
  I guess another extremely important fact is I will be just housing 2 designer clowns and 2 or 3 other small fish like a helfrichi firefish. Coral wise I will be sticking to LPS and softies. I don't plan on overstocking just adding enough coral to make some colors pop.
  Lighting for this setup will be strictly LED. So far I'm thinking of going with the maxspect razor for the Solana and the AI nano for the 25g cube.

Let me know everyone's opinion......

Thanks

 

[davesolo29]

Hey Ryan,

I think if you are planning on keeping it simple, with a low bioload, its a no brainer.
Go with the 34g AIO solana.
I think they are a pretty slick looking system.
Hell,  if you find you have issues later, im sure that there are just as many mods for it as there are for the biocubes.  But,, if its simple you wont need to worry about that.

Going with the drilled tank it almost sounds already that you not planning simple tho.  lol

 

[Camps23]

Hey Dave,
You of all people should know it always starts out simple but never ends up that way
I just want to know how well these AIO systems run. Im just worried that keeping it simple may
come back to haunt me when I start having issues with the small stock skimmer in the Solana and such.
I was just thinking if I had a sump the setup and maintenance would be easier. Also easier to
setup ATO and such.
Never ran a setup without a sump....it scares me lol

 

[Petercar (RIP Dec 2017)]

Harley runs tank without a sump