Okay, here's that quick review (with pictures) of the Aqueon Evolve 4.
The first thing that I noticed when I took this aquarium out of the box is how sleek it looks; the overall design & shape looks great, and the acrylic front with rounded corners really helps to complete the look. The outside dimensions are 10.5" x 10.5" x 11.5" (LxWxH), and I find this nearly cube-shaped design to be quite pleasing.
As you'll notice, the LEDs on the light are pretty bright; it has 20 white LEDs and two blue LEDs. I would have liked for there to be more blue LEDs, but I can always add on a couple at a pretty low cost. The Evolve 2 has the same light as this model, and the Evolve 8 has a larger light (30 white LEDs and 5 blue LEDs). Based on my phone conversation with an Aqueon employee in regards to the light specs, I'd say that I should be able to grow corals that need low to moderate lighting (mainly softies and LPS) with no trouble at all.
The built-in sump is a great touch, and it has many possibilities. The first chamber is supposed to be for a medium Aqueon filter cartridge, but it can easily be accommodate other media such as filter sponge, carbon, bio media, Purigen, and so on. It should be noted that the first chamber is not as deep as the actual aquarium; it's actually about two-thirds the height. The second chamber houses the pump and also can be used for housing the heater and other equipment provided that it is small enough. In my case, I'm using a 25 watt Eheim Jager heater, and it fits with a little bit of extra space to spare. The pump operates at about 98 gph, so there is really no need for a powerhead in most cases. The pump is nearly silent when it is turned; I had to listen pretty closely to hear it and even then it was a low vibration sound. It's also worth noting that the overall filtration system is super quiet and is pretty much unnoticeable in even the quietest room.
Now then, on to the cons of this aquarium besides what I already mentioned. Other than what I mentioned already, there are only two minor things that I would change about this aquarium. The first change would be to have the blue LEDs and white LEDs on separate plugs rather than on the same plug; you can manually switch from all the LEDs on to just the blue LEDs on for at night. My second change is in regards to the black part on the back and rear portions of the acrylic; it's not black acrylic rather its a stick-on background of some sort.
Based on my initial review, I find this aquarium to be a great buy and well worth the money; on a scale of one to ten (with ten being the best), I would rate this aquarium as a nine. I certainly would buy one again if I wanted another nano aquarium.
P.S.-- Did I mention that it was only $49.99 (normally $84.99) before shipping fees?
Lol nice steal, I would personally just do a freshwater set up, just because I've heard people having problems with small tanks, however I know you can get it done based on your knowledge of reef aquariums. Also If I was smart, at this lfs in Connecticut they had a tank I'd say about 6 gallon cube, with eco tech leds....filled with corals clams and minitaure chromis and cardinal fish...looked amazing!
I'll go head on to the thread now lol.