Help me decide

The sca pnp system will still need an auto top off, I use the smart micro ato and it works great and very easy to setup. Depending on the type of coral you want to keep, you will probably want another mp10 or powerhead of your choice.

 

The Red Sea tank appears to ny an all in one tank with no sump, which will limit you on skimmer choices, I prefer a tank with a sump in the cabinet just for the extra water volume and more equipment choices, that being said there are plenty of people out there have had great success with aio tanks.

 

Yes, that is my understanding also about RS E-series having the sump and skimmer. We sell the RS Nano, Clear-for-Life (Advance Aqua Tanks) and Innovative Marine so we are not familiar with the PNP. Both look like they have good lighting brands:0) If you are gone a lot and have someone watch your tank, ease for them might be a consideration/very helpful. Having controllability while gone via cellphone is nice. Availability of replacement parts, accessability and other things should be factored into your decision as you know. Hope to have an AIO some day! Good luck!

MAX® E-Series Rear Sump The MAX® E-Series aquariums are divided into 2 parts – Aquarium and the Rear Sump that discretely houses all of the filtration and circulation systems. The MAX® E-Series sumps contain multistage filtration consisting of a REEF-SPEC® protein skimmer, activated carbon and mechanical filter materials. The sump has dedicated space available for additional chemical filter media as well as the addition of a chiller.

MAX® E-Series Protein Skimmer The heart of the filtration system is the protein skimmer. The MSK 900 skimmer implements Red Sea’s REEF-SPEC® criteria for SPS corals, passing the entire volume of the aquarium water through the skimmer at least 3 times per hour and with a 3 to 1 water to air ratio. The design of MAX® E skimmers is not affected by the regular fluctuation in the water level of the rear sump due to evaporation and has an adjustable outlet gate to maintain the optimal skimmate consistency which will vary according to actual water conditions. The new skimmer pump and impellor run cooler and quieter than before and the built in silencer on the air intake does a great job of eliminating skimmer noise.

 

All in one

 

A tank with an acrylic wall in the back that creates a “sump” in the back where the return pump is located and you can put other equipment like a heater. These types of tanks do not have a sump in the cabinet under the tank.