... I had it throughout college and had issues with it every time I set it up. We recently set it up again and have had a lot of issues with it again. ...
Does anyone have any thoughts as to what would be best for beginners? ...
Welcome to the group.
You see how your have had issues every time you tried to set up a system. The current system you have, for what it is, really isn't that bad. In fact, many have set up tanks much smaller. Now I'm not trying to beat up on you, but this tends to tell me that you are making major errors when your set up the system and/or when you try to run the system.
Getting another, larger, tank isn't going to solve anything. Your going to need to become a lot more knowledgeable about SW systems. That way you have a fighting chance of getting things right. I have posted this before, but it's worth repeating. It is the best advice I can give you when your starting out.
DaveK's Standard Lecture #1 – Advice for people new to the hobby
The very first thing you want to do, before you spend any money on equipment or livestock, is get yourself a few good books on state of the art reef systems. Then read and study them, so you have some idea about what your are doing.
Here are two to start with -
The Conscientious Marine Aquarist by Robert Fenner
The New Marine Aquarium by Michael Paleta <---This book has an especially good section on fish suited to someone starting off in the hobby.
A note on the books. You can often find used copies at much lower prices at places like Amazon. In most cases these are going to be as good as new copies, especially when your first learning.
This is information that you can not easily obtain from the net. While it's out there, it's all over the place, and there is a massive volume of information. There is also a lot of bad information out there.
Once you get that done, plan or rethink your system. What do you want to keep? Do you have the necessary equipment? Do you have the knowledge to keep the livestock you want? Do you have the time to dedicate to keeping a system and it's livestock?
Many salt water fish, corals and inverts often have very specific requirements. Some are extremely difficult to keep alive, even if you do everything right. Before you get anything, research it, and be sure it will work out in your system.
Lastly, you will find that most LFS people are clueless when it comes to SW systems. Verify their advice, until they prove otherwise.
End of standard Lecture.
I would recommend that you first try again with the system you have, before you spend money on another one. Keep the stocking, especially fish, very light.
If you still want to upgrade, I'd go with the Red Sea tank. The JBJ system your looking at, as supplied by a major vendor, seems to load you up with way too much 3rd rate junk,
I also wouldn't recommend the fish "aquatic life pack" because it contains way too many fish for a 65 fal tank. The list is 20 fish, and you should only be putting about 10 to 12 small fish in that size tank. In addition the mix of fish selected is going to cause problems, as some are not very compatible.