I have no experience with a Red Sea Max. Primarily JBJ Nanocubes, but also briefly got to play around with an Oceanic Biocube a while back. I pulled up the RSM specs here – http://www.redseamax.com/redseamax/250Temp/redseamax/Red_Sea_MAX_specs130.html
Right off the bat, I should note that the Ecoxotic System is about 9 gallons smaller at 25 instead of 34. I didn’t know that the RSM had 2 circulation pumps, but that’s an interesting concept – more expense, but an added level of redundency – nice given that pumps are one of the things that tend to fail over time. The “Max Control” system is an interesting approach – something you don’t see on other tanks. As I have the Ecoxotic set up now, I’ve gone all out with an Apex Light controller, the power feeding off a GCFI outlet which is on a Surge Protector to the main outlet…I have a LOT of wires running around and it was a rather daunting task to tame it all when I originally set it up.
On the flipside, I’d have to lump the RSM in as maybe the “Cadalac” of the mainstream “cubes”? The use of fans, the plastic molded hood…those are all things that failed main times over on my JBJ’s. Maybe the quality is better on an RSM, but I wouldn’t assume so. I can safely say I won’t have plastic getting weak and cracking or fans getting noisy, burning out, or even shorting out, as I’ve had in my JBJ Cubes. And if it can happen in the JBJ, it can probably happen in the RSM…the designs are certainly similar.
The biggest standout, bar none, is the LED lighting. It looks like the RSM 130D would set you back maybe $850…but over the next 5 years, how often will you have to change the T5 bulbs, and what will those cost each time you do it? The Panorama on the Ecoxotic tank consumes roughly half the wattage too. So my take, and it’s just an opinion, is that the price difference between the two systems is more than made up for by the anticipated savings in bulbs and power. My perception of higher quality (via different materials) and a lack of fans means that the Ecoxotic probably comes out way ahead in that department.
I’ve had my fair share of “issues” with the Ecoxotic, but nothing that wasn’t resolvable and nothing that required any “additions” or “replacements” from Ecoxotic. No, just a bit of “thinking through the problem” on my end to get the solve. I’ve done a lot of adding on that I have yet to document here, but will do soon (April will be my first chance) – of course, the things I did to the Eco are no different than I may have done to any other tank, and thus dont’ reflect in any way on the Ecoxotic system off the shelf.
Beyond all that, I’m “over” the semi-modernish-futurific designs of the cubes like the RSM. The styling of the Ecoxotic is fundamentally different and frankly, is probably timeless due to simplicity of form. I don’t get the impression that it’s going to look like a beat to crap original Nintendo gaming box in the next 5 years…out of style and falling apart. No, I get the impression that there’s a solid foundation to the Ecoxotic.
Is the Ecoxotic for everyone? Of course not. But Ecoxotic isn’t mass marketing them at the lowest price possible either. So really, comparing the Ecoxotic with the RSM is a bit of apples vs. oranges.
So maybe the best way to settle it is this – would I trade the Ecoxotic for a Red Sea Max 130D? NOPE. Not really sure what I WOULD be willing to trade the Ecoxotic for. It fits. Well.