blackwater
Active Member
just would like to hear what everyone thinks about tank sizes. i know bigger is better but what size is ideal? looking for measurements as well as water volume.
best/ideal reef tank size
- Thread starter blackwater
- Start date
Seriously though. Bigger meens more stable, but also more costly and more labor req to keep it up and running. The best size IMHO is the size you have time to maintain, can afford to get good(not cheap) equipment and materials for...and the size required to keep the animals u want to keep. THats always a wildcard. You can keep corals in a 20g if you want, but a Tang might not do too well. YOu have to decide what you want to keep, THEN make sure you can afford the equipment requred, and adjust one way or another.
Tru2nr
Well-Known Member
Its about money and space availability though...if you start small and have room you'll want to go bigger...i started with 10g then 20g then 55g now 75g and ive debating upgrading again but gonna wait to handle some things
...My names Alex...and I'm a house-watering-aholic
...My names Alex...and I'm a house-watering-aholic
blackwater
Active Member
75g sounds like a good size. now with being 4 feet long could a tang be happy in that? ive read 6feet long is ideal for tangs.
i think the 48x18 is a good starter size for a reef.....smaller than that and it can be a little less forgiving IMO. now i've seen some incredible small tanks so don't get me wrong. I had a 90 for a while and it was great but i found myself looking for more room and the 48x24x24 120g tank fits me just fine. you can do tangs in a 4 foot tank, 6 foot is preferable though. I have one in mine and won't get another because they just get too big and messy
blackwater
Active Member
what kind of hight is good? 24inch seams to be pretty common.
blackwater
Active Member
i just found a 90gallon tank with stand for real cheap. not sure how long or deep or tall it is, still waiting for a email back about it. what s the thoughts on a 90g. i'll post the measurements when i get them. gota feeling if i want this tank i will have to move on it fast. the price is really low.
Like many other areas of this hobby, there are no hard fast rules when it comes to tank size selection. You can make a case for almost any size tank as a first tank. Every size has good points and bad points.
The larger 4 foot long tanks from about 70 gal up are nice, but then you have the issues of the total investment, and they are a lot of work to initially set up. Anything larger would also have similar issues, but on a larger scale.
The mid size tanks from about 30 to 65 gal are a bit easier to set up. For example a 30 gal tank can be moved areound by one person. You'll need 2 people for anything larger. The cost to set tme up is also a lot less, since you can stick to hang on tank filters and skimmers. The downside is that you do have some limitations. Tangs are juat about out of the question, as are the large angels, and other large fish.
Small tanks from about 10 gal to about 25 gal can be real gems, but have even more limitations due to size. That 20 gal tank by the time you add live rock and live sand is only going to hold about 15 gal of water. You need to be very careful so that you don't overstock the tank.
Even smaller tanks can be done, but since they are small, a mistake that would be not too much a problem in a large tank becomes a disaster in a very small tank.
In all cases planning is key. Just about the worst thing you can do is go out and start buying equipment and livestock without having some idea where your going with the tank. If your new to the hobby, it never hurts to ask on RS about your plans. You may save yourself a lot of time effort and money.
The larger 4 foot long tanks from about 70 gal up are nice, but then you have the issues of the total investment, and they are a lot of work to initially set up. Anything larger would also have similar issues, but on a larger scale.
The mid size tanks from about 30 to 65 gal are a bit easier to set up. For example a 30 gal tank can be moved areound by one person. You'll need 2 people for anything larger. The cost to set tme up is also a lot less, since you can stick to hang on tank filters and skimmers. The downside is that you do have some limitations. Tangs are juat about out of the question, as are the large angels, and other large fish.
Small tanks from about 10 gal to about 25 gal can be real gems, but have even more limitations due to size. That 20 gal tank by the time you add live rock and live sand is only going to hold about 15 gal of water. You need to be very careful so that you don't overstock the tank.
Even smaller tanks can be done, but since they are small, a mistake that would be not too much a problem in a large tank becomes a disaster in a very small tank.
In all cases planning is key. Just about the worst thing you can do is go out and start buying equipment and livestock without having some idea where your going with the tank. If your new to the hobby, it never hurts to ask on RS about your plans. You may save yourself a lot of time effort and money.
blackwater
Active Member
love it...lol. but at this time and the near future i can't afford one that big. under 100g is doable though.
blackwater
Active Member
well i new when setting up my 29g that i would be limited and also knew i would be upgrading from it. as for direction i would like to eventually have a mixed reef with fish. this would be done in the next tank(debating on keeping the 29 as fish only). if the 90g is in good shape i may buy it and slowly start buying equipment for it. that tank would be the one i sump and create a mixed reef in. once set up and cycled i would re-home the live stock from the 29g to it, and maybe use it as the sump.
BLADEYAMAHA
Well-Known Member
The 125 is nice.
TylerHaworth
Active Member
I feel a 75 was an excellent starter tank with the perfect compromise of size, but there is also something to be said about the AIO systems such as the RSM...
48x24 120 gallons are the most aesthetically pleasing of the "non-gigantic" tanks to me, and anything above 120 I think one should just go as large as possible.
Best starting tank: 75 gallon or 30'ish AIO
Best medium/large: 48x24 120 gallon
Best large: As big as you can fit/afford
These are, of course, my opinion.
48x24 120 gallons are the most aesthetically pleasing of the "non-gigantic" tanks to me, and anything above 120 I think one should just go as large as possible.
Best starting tank: 75 gallon or 30'ish AIO
Best medium/large: 48x24 120 gallon
Best large: As big as you can fit/afford
These are, of course, my opinion.
Jetbkk
Member
I agree with what everyone is saying here. I would say be careful about getting something tall, like a 30" as I'm having a lot of trouble arranging things on the sand bed with that height. For fish length is more important than height. However with a tall tank you can stack more corals.. I also think that if you put a small tank in a place where you actually have a lot of room, you are going to find pretty quickly that you'd like a bigger tank! So try to anticipate the future as well as the present.
tommyboynj
Member
I love my 75. I think the 4ft tanks are ideal. You could start with a 75, then do a 120 for upgrade and use a lot of the same equipment ( which is what I'm about to do). Either that or just screw it and get the 250 from the start ;-)
Willie McDaries
Well-Known Member
IMO,a 75 is an ideal starter tank big enough to be a bit more forgiving to a rookie,small enough to be affordable(with careful planning)and they make a beautiful display that will fit into most homes comfortably
blackwater
Active Member
I found a 75 for $100 just gotta go look at. Still waiting to see if the 90 is still for sale. Thanx for all the imput. Ideas for upgrade are always welcome. Still not sure if this upgrade is a go yet....still thinking things through.
.....wet floors make me angry
.....wet floors make me angry
