Nautilus tank, every Aspire generation explained

Few tanks have lived through so many market cycles without changing their name. The Nautilus tank from Aspire appeared in 2014, and British shops still list several versions side by side, from the Nautilus 3 to the GT II, without ever saying what separates them. The clearest way through is to read the line in order, noting what changed from one generation to the next and what never moved at all.

The Nautilus tank, a mouth to lung design refined since 2014

The Nautilus tank is a range of clearomisers designed by Aspire for mouth to lung vaping, the tight draw where vapour is held in the mouth before it is inhaled. The first model dates from 2014, and the series now runs to more than ten variants.

What ties those versions together is one part, the coil. Most generations accept the same family of heads, the BVC coils, so a coil bought for a Nautilus 2 still fits a Nautilus 3, which Aspire lists as compatible with every coil in the series.

2014, the original Nautilus and the Nautilus Mini

Two models opened the line and set its conventions, with a visible Pyrex tank, an airflow ring under the base and a vertical coil sitting at the bottom. They also shared bottom filling, which every later generation dropped.

The 5 ml original and its coils rated in volts

Aspire describes a stainless steel and Pyrex tank holding 5 ml, which it presented as the best atomiser released so far in 2014. You filled it by unscrewing the base, which had to take the coil with it, and the airflow was set by a ring with four positions.

The coils supplied were rated at 1.6 and 1.8 ohm, with a working range given in volts, 3.3 to 4.2 V for the first and 4.2 to 5 V for the second. The same product page calls them BDC, for Bottom Dual Coil, in one place and BVC in another, a sign that the acronym had not yet settled.

The Nautilus Mini, the same layout in 2 ml

The Nautilus Mini took the same principle down to 2 ml and a 19 mm diameter, with a 1.8 ohm BVC coil, a four port airflow and bottom filling. BVC stands for Bottom Vertical Coil, a vertical coil placed at the base of the tank. It is what sets the line apart within the wider family tree of the atomiser.

2016 and 2017, the Nautilus X and the Nautilus 2 move to top filling

The Nautilus X, released in June 2016, is a side branch. It moved both the airflow and the filling to the top, held 2 ml with an optional 4 ml kit, and swapped the BVC for U-Tech coils of 1.5 ohm (14 to 20 W) and 1.8 ohm (12 to 16 W).

Those U-Tech heads are missing from the compatibility lists of the recent Nautilus tanks, which makes the X a cousin rather than a link in the main line.

The Nautilus 2 arrived early in 2017, presented as the successor to the Mini. It grew to a 22 mm diameter, came in anodised aluminium or stainless steel and kept a 2 ml capacity. The real break was filling, now done from the top by unscrewing the top cap.

The airflow became five holes of increasing size, grouped at the base. The 1.8 ohm BVC coil (10 to 14 W) stayed in the box, joined by a new 0.7 ohm value (18 to 23 W), the first sub ohm coil in the line.

From the 2S to the 3S, the Nautilus tank opens up without dropping the BVC

The following generations widened the draw towards restricted direct to lung vaping and made coil changes simpler, without breaking compatibility.

The Nautilus 2S and a looser draw

Launched in 2018, the Nautilus 2S came in 2.6 ml and 2 ml versions, the smaller one built for markets that cap tank size. Its cap unscrews a few turns, then pushes aside to reveal the filling slot. Aspire added a 0.4 ohm BVC coil for restricted direct to lung vaping and a 0.7 ohm mesh coil sold separately.

The Nautilus 3 and coil changes with a full tank

The Nautilus 3 appeared in 2021. Aspire quotes 24 mm by 48.5 mm including the drip tip, 4 ml or 2 ml depending on the version, a sliding top cap and seven airflow holes from 0.8 to 3 mm. The coil now pushes into place instead of screwing in, and a valve shuts off the liquid during the swap, so the coil can be changed with a full tank.

British retailers list the Nautilus 3 as a 2 ml tank, which is the most UK rules allow for a refillable tank. The 4 ml version is meant for other markets.

The Nautilus 3S and 3SR, two variations on one base

The 3S, at 24 mm by 53.5 mm, holds 3.75 ml with its metal honeycomb tube, or 4 ml with a glass tube, and its product page highlights 1 ohm and 0.3 ohm mesh coils. The 3SR opens with a press on the top cap and takes three interchangeable tubes.

Nautilus GT and GT II, the Taifun chapter

The Nautilus GT appeared early in 2020, the result of a collaboration between Aspire and Taifun. It takes Nautilus coils, BVC and mesh alike, offers five airflow settings and holds 3 ml in its standard form.

The GT II, which Aspire presents as the latest step in the series, measures 24.8 mm by 57 mm including the drip tip. It holds 4.5 ml, or 2 ml in the TPD version, is adjusted by a ring at the base and ships with a 0.3 ohm mesh coil and a 1.8 ohm BVC coil.

The Nautilus tank coil family

The compatibility lists Aspire publishes for the 3SR and the GT II rebuild the whole family. Seven Nautilus references appear on them, each with the wattage range the manufacturer recommends.

Reference	Value	Recommended wattage
Nautilus BVC	1.6 ohm	7 to 11 W
Nautilus BVC	1.8 ohm	10 to 14 W
Nautilus 2	0.7 ohm	18 to 23 W
Nautilus 2S	0.4 ohm	23 to 28 W
Nautilus 2S Mesh	0.7 ohm	20 to 25 W
Nautilus Mesh	1 ohm	13 to 15 W
Nautilus Mesh	0.3 ohm	23 to 28 W

Power equals the voltage squared divided by the resistance, so the 4.2 to 5 V of the 1.8 ohm BVC coil gives roughly 9.8 to 13.9 W, which is the 10 to 14 W range printed today. The 3.3 to 4.2 V of the 1.6 ohm coil likewise gives roughly 6.8 to 11 W, the current 7 to 11 W.

Every Nautilus generation in one table

The table brings together data from Aspire and the specialist press, and a missing year means no two sources agree on one. A range read version by version is easier to place, as the Zeus clearomiser also shows.

Generation	Year	Capacity	Filling	Reference coils
Nautilus	2014	5 ml	From the bottom	BVC 1.6 and 1.8 ohm
Nautilus Mini	Not established	2 ml	From the bottom	BVC 1.8 ohm
Nautilus X	2016	2 ml, 4 ml with kit	From the top	U-Tech 1.5 and 1.8 ohm
Nautilus 2	2017	2 ml	From the top, screw cap	BVC 1.8 and 0.7 ohm
Nautilus 2S	2018	2.6 ml or 2 ml	From the top, push cap	BVC 0.4 and 1.8 ohm
Nautilus GT	2020	3 ml	From the top	Mesh 0.7 ohm, BVC 1.6 ohm
Nautilus 3	2021	4 ml or 2 ml	From the top, sliding cap	BVC 1.8 ohm, mesh 0.7 ohm
Nautilus 3S	Not established	3.75 ml or 4 ml	From the top, sliding cap	Mesh 1 and 0.3 ohm
Nautilus GT II	Not established	4.5 ml or 2 ml	From the top	Mesh 0.3 ohm, BVC 1.8 ohm

Filling moved to the top in 2016 and never went back, and the coils went from 1.8 to 0.3 ohm without losing the original BVC.

FAQ

Five questions come up whenever a Nautilus changes hands or changes mod. The answers rely on the manufacturer’s specifications and on UK rules.

Which mod suits a Nautilus tank?

The Nautilus 3 screws onto a 510 connection, the standard on the vast majority of mods. Diameter matters more, around 24 mm for the 3 series and nearly 25 mm for the GT II, to compare with the top plate of the mod for a flush fit. No coil in the family goes above 28 W according to Aspire, so a modest mod is enough.

Which drip tip fits a Nautilus?

The Nautilus 3S, 3SR and GT II take a 510 drip tip, which opens up a wide choice of mouthpieces. A narrow bore suits the tight draw of the 1.6 and 1.8 ohm coils, while a wider bore works better with the 0.3 and 0.4 ohm values used for restricted direct to lung vaping.

Is a Nautilus a sensible first tank?

Yes, provided a tight draw is what you want. The 1.6 and 1.8 ohm coils run at low wattage without complex settings, and top filling on recent generations keeps handling to a minimum. The 0.3 and 0.4 ohm values aim at a looser draw instead.

Why do British shops sell the 2 ml versions?

UK rules cap refillable tanks at 2 ml and nicotine e-liquid at 20 mg/ml, sold in refill bottles of no more than 10 ml. Aspire therefore produces a 2 ml version of most recent models, labelled TPD, alongside standard versions of 4 or 4.5 ml meant for other markets. That is why the same name can show two capacities in reviews.

How can I tell which generation a second hand Nautilus is?

Filling gives the first clue. From the bottom, it is an original Nautilus or a Mini, the first holding 5 ml and the second 2 ml. From the top with a cap that unscrews and lifts the whole body, it is a Nautilus 2, and with a sliding cap, a Nautilus 3 or 3S. The base then confirms it, with five airflow holes on the 2 and seven on the 3 and 3S.

What the Nautilus tank line says about mouth to lung vaping

From 2014 to the GT II, the Nautilus changed almost everything, materials, capacity, filling and airflow, while keeping a vertical coil at the base and values built for a tight draw. The family stretched towards mesh and sub ohm coils without breaking compatibility, the same logic that once made the interchangeable coil standard, as the story of Kangertech shows.

Working out the generation, then checking which heads it accepts, remains the best way to read any Nautilus tank bought today, new or second hand. The same range logic runs through other manufacturers that shaped the history of vaping hardware.

Editorial content for adult readers only. Vaping products are not for sale to anyone under 18 in the UK. Nicotine containing e-liquids contain nicotine, a substance that causes addiction. This article is not a buying recommendation.