UNS 90LA Penninsula Dual AIO Aquarium – Initial Review

When I downsize my reef tank I will be moving to a Ultum Nature Systems (UNS) 90LA Peninsula. This tank is roughly 90cm x 30cm x 30cm and holds around 81 liters so its on the larger end of what is considered as a nano tank. This tank can be used for freshwater out the box or as a reef tank with a few accessories.

My tank isn’t wet yet but I can share my initial thoughts after unpacking.

With an RRP of £300 this is a more premium tank than most others at this size and it shows.

Mitered Corners

Like all UNS tanks (most cost much more) it comes with mitered corners instead of the standard corners that are butted together at 90 degrees. This means that the silicon seal is much less visible, making the view more seamless. A clear silicon would have made the corners even less visible but the black silicon is very neat unlike lots of the cheaper tank I have seen, I’m looking at you AquaOne.

Glass Clarity

Going from a much older tank with glass that has a green tint makes this glass look VERY clear. It is immediately clear that this is high quality 8mm low iron glass. I cant wait to get some corals in here to see how they look! When looking through the tank its easy to forget the glass is there at all.

Glass lid

Shortly after I bought the tank Charterhouse aquatics started to stock the genuine UNS glass lids. For me, a lid is essential to prevent jumpers. The lid is made from the same quality glass as the rest of the tank and comes with several plastic clips that sit on the rim of the tank. There is a small 3-4mm gap all around the edge. Having a small gap around all edges makes it quite difficult to remove. This is especially true given that it’s glass instead of perspex. A small cutout on one or two edges would have made it easier to take off. It would also allow for attaching light fixtures to the glass rim.

AIO Chambers

The tank has 3 chambers. UNS sells various accessories that fit in these chambers. This includes a filter sock kit, skimmer, small refugium with light, media chamber kit, and an ATO that sits on top. The chambers are separated from the rest of the tank by black glass. You can only see inside the chambers by looking from above. The water height in the middle chamber can be adjusted by sliding a glass baffle up/down and held in place by a small thumb screw. There is a black glass lid to sit on top of the chambers, perfect for hiding all the ugly bits.

What’s in the box

In short, not much.

• Small adjustable return pump with a bit of clear flexible tubing to connect to the pump and the return nozzle.
• Coarse filter sponge that fits neatly in the first chamber
• 2 small bio blocks with a riser to sit them on, these fit in the second chamber
• Foam leveling mat

Conclusion

You really do get what you pay for with this tank. Sure, there are cheaper tanks out there that hold a similar amount of water but you wont find another one that is built to this standard. Charterhouse Aquatics are one of only a few UK suppliers and their support was very helpful arranging delivery and answering my long list of questions before I ordered. I cant wait to start moving across to the UNS 90LA.

I’m currently waiting for the official accessories to arrive in the UK. I have the ATO and filter sock kit on order.