55 or 85 gallon?

[Mjl714]

I have not heard cubes over 45 gallons are more likely to suffer blow outs.

So changing more water sounds like more maintenance to me. Or will I have to do fewer water changes in general because the tank will be more stable?

The 55 gallon is 24x24x24. The 85 is 36x24x24. I'm guessing that with the 85, I will need 2 kessils instead of the 1 I was going to get with the 55. Or could I get a 2 ft led light? I'm not sure about water flow, but I'd imagine I'd need more powerheads too.

The 55 really will fit better giving me more room to access the sump. However, the cabinet has hardly any space for storing anything so I'm concerned about adding things like dosing pumps.

Someone told me cubes over 45 gallons were more prone to blow outs. Have you all heard this?

 

[trainbob]

Looking at your picture I am much older than you and to lessen the work load I do one gallon a day. Very easy and takes less than 10 minutes . One gallon of water much easier to carry than 7 gallons of water And the tank looks great

 

[Uzidaisies]

Three gallons more water change a week should not factor in to this decision.

well what if she only has one five gallon bucket? Then she can only mix 5 gallons a day.

 

[Danroo]

It all sounds like a big deal to me, but I've never done this before! I hope the routine quickly becomes no big deal!

You can always add bio pallets (for nitrates) and gfo (for phosphates). Have to dose cal, magnesium and alkalinity. Or just set up a mixing station and run plumbing through it so you can open valves and get the water mixed in and drained out.

 

[Chrisv.]

well what if she only has one five gallon bucket? Then she can only mix 5 gallons a day.

She's about to spend thousands in a reef tank. How much does a bucket cost?

 

[Uzidaisies]

She's about to spend thousands in a reef tank. How much does a bucket cost?

was a joke.

 

[Chrisv.]

was a joke.

Fair! Some things are lost on the internet... Oops.

 

[Uzidaisies]

Fair! Some things are lost on the internet... Oops.

It wasn’t a very good joke anyway haha

 

[Obsessed with fish]

You may or may not know, but uneaten fish food turns into ammonia when it breaks down. The bigger the tank the less you need to worry about this becasue the ammonia can spread out more.

 

[kittenbritches]

Honestly, I would get the one you like aesthetically in your space. January is right around the corner and this gives you time to space out and really research your major purchases, how you plan to stock, etc. You can get creative with a lot of your equipment placement.

Getting something you don't like as much just because you can get it now doesn't sound like a great idea IMHO.

Dream Build =/= Bigger

Do what you think you'll be happiest with.

 

[Seachelle]

She's about to spend thousands in a reef tank. How much does a bucket cost?

This is funny! I can afford another 5 gallon bucket. My issue is that I don't really have a good place to keep a large garbage can to do water changes in. We are clearing out a closet that has my water heater in it and my husband is thinking of plumbing the RODI I'm going to get into it so i can keep a can in there. IDK how well that will work. But yes, my initial idea was to just hook the RODI up to my shower nozzle and pump my water into 5 gallon buckets.

 

[Seachelle]

Looking at your picture I am much older than you and to lessen the work load I do one gallon a day. Very easy and takes less than 10 minutes . One gallon of water much easier to carry than 7 gallons of water And the tank looks great

This is a great idea! Thanks!

 

[Uzidaisies]

Have we touched on what kind of fish you hope to keep in the future?

 

[James_O]

I would honestly go with the 85g. Even though it may be bigger, it’s actually easier to maintain. The bigger the volume, the more stable the parameters will be. It also provides more room for livestock.

 

[Seachelle]

Honestly, I would get the one you like aesthetically in your space. January is right around the corner and this gives you time to space out and really research your major purchases, how you plan to stock, etc. You can get creative with a lot of your equipment placement.

Getting something you don't like as much just because you can get it now doesn't sound like a great idea IMHO.

Dream Build =/= Bigger

Do what you think you'll be happiest with.

This was kind of my thought, but everyone has said go with the 85, and now I'm thinking if it's better for the fish/corals, maybe that should be more of a consideration than aesthetics?

 

[Jeffcb]

Honestly, I would get the one you like aesthetically in your space. January is right around the corner and this gives you time to space out and really research your major purchases, how you plan to stock, etc. You can get creative with a lot of your equipment placement.

Getting something you don't like as much just because you can get it now doesn't sound like a great idea IMHO.

Dream Build =/= Bigger

Do what you think you'll be happiest with.

What she said.

 

[Seachelle]

Have we touched on what kind of fish you hope to keep in the future?

I haven't mentioned it. I've been looking primarily at smaller fish since I had a smaller tank in mind. Clowns, firefish, gobies and blennies mostly. But I'd be thrillled to get a small tang or angelfish if the tank allowed for it.

 

[Seachelle]

You may or may not know, but uneaten fish food turns into ammonia when it breaks down. The bigger the tank the less you need to worry about this becasue the ammonia can spread out more.

Good point!

 

[JayA]

Personally I would wait until January to get the one you really like. I would hate to have you look at the 85 gallon whose look you really don't enjoy.

 

[kittenbritches]

This was kind of my thought, but everyone has said go with the 85, and now I'm thinking if it's better for the fish/corals, maybe that should be more of a consideration than aesthetics?

I think most people who have been in the hobby a while always want more. More space, more corals, more (or bigger) fish. Some will also say they wish they had gone with a bigger tank to start — something that I considered a lot before committing to just a 40-gallon tank.

I personally wouldn't want something I didn't like as much, or rushed into. As far as stability goes, yes, more water volume = greater stability, but I see just as many people with big tanks fighting algae blooms as those with mid-sized aquariums.

Do you have the space in your home to mix large portions of water at once? To store the mixing bins? I like that if I need to, I can handle a 50% water change in one Brute can. In the early months of your tank, you may need to do bigger water changes from time to time as parameters swing.

Your corals don't care about size — they need stable parameters, light, and flow. If you were planning on a 55g, you probably weren't planning on a bunch of fish that wouldn't be appropriately sized for your tank.

The voices in the crowd are always going to be loud. Just consider what you think will make you happy, what you have the space for, and what you have the energy for. That's what matters. Either way, I think you'll have an awesome tank and I'm excited to see what you do with it!