Tank Advice for this newbie

Hello all...I am new to the hobby and have been researching for a few months on how to get started, etc. I want a nano-reef tank and pretty much decided on the biocube 29 gal. The owner of my LFS has now offered me the nanocube 28 gal HQI with stand for $399. Now I think the difference between the bio and nano is the nano has 2 power heads a wave maker and a protein skimmer. Any suggestions out there? Should I be concerned with water temp on a 28gal with HQI lighting? Will I need a chiller in the near future? Am I better off with the biocube? Any help for this newbie would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!!

 

Well, if you REALLY want to know what your better off with:
Get a plain tank and build your system. If you were to get a 20 gallon long, and do all the equipment to match a biocube, you would be out about $100, and that is with all new stuff. Building your own system will always be cheaper, and be a far superior way to do it.
If its your first tank, you really ought to think about going bigger. Small tanks are much more challenging then big tanks, which stay more stable and things happen a lot more slowly. A good first tank would be in the 55-75 gallon range. If you're willing to spend $400 on a set up now, you can easily grab a nice reef set-up in that size off of craigslist.
Just something to keep in mind.
As for the two systems you mentioned. There are too many variables to answer your question. What is the wattage of the light? How far off is it from the surface? Is it a enclosed system? What temp do you keep your house at?
I would say, dont get caught up on the flow/power heads of either. Neither one is really adequate for a reef and will need to be modded and/or added on to anyways.

 

i agree with Pack. biocubes and the like are tempting because of the "plug and play" factor. however, a couple months down the line you might find that something isnt quite meeting your needs and you're kind of trapped. speaking as a CraigsList king, piecing together your tank is much more fulfilling and cheaper. if something isn't quite right, sell it and buy bigger. i vote, take the time and figure out what you really want and start from scratch.

 

i would vote you get a bigger system used as it is more forgiving to the newbie's you can get one of those for cheap. with what you will need most of lights skimmer sometimes rock.