Aquarium Size

[Cleo642]

What is the best size aquarium to start with? I know they say the bigger the better. 90, 125, 180, 240 gallons? Lol. The bigger they are, the higher they cost.

 

[Eckolancer]

I would say 90 is good and not to big. Too big for first tank can cause you to ignore things that may not show up for a few months. I tell everyone I know 60-100 gallon when starting out. After that you can scale up or down.

 

[Cleo642]

I would say 90 is good and not to big. Too big for first tank can cause you to ignore things that may not show up for a few months. I tell everyone I know 60-100 gallon when starting out. After that you can scale up or down.

Thank you, plus a 200+ gallon probably is allot to handle.

 

[fishboy15]

I had a 75 gallon for my first tank and it was perfect, I think over 100 is too big for your first tank. A lot can go wrong in a small tank but if you have a lot of stuff in a big tank, a lot of stuff can go bad in a short time also and you will lose a lot more such as livestock and coral

 

[LetItReef]

A 40B or 75 but I have a standard 29g:
Since I do not have a RO/DI unit because of the waste water. I am using Distilled water by the gallon-sealed and no issues so far.
It does not take up much of my time on maintenance and for the $ overall isn't too expensive.

 

[maroun.c]

I've had an 83, 150 and now a 400. I would say the 150 is a graet tank size even for starters as it simply isn't a much more investment than a 90 in terms of equipment or running cost. It also allows for a bigger fish selection, is more forgiving in terms of stability and a tank size that can allow you to go longer before you really need to upgrade.

 

[Cleo642]

I've had an 83, 150 and now a 400. I would say the 150 is a graet tank size even for starters as it simply isn't a much more investment than a 90 in terms of equipment or running cost. It also allows for a bigger fish selection, is more forgiving in terms of stability and a tank size that can allow you to go longer before you really need to upgrade.

I am considering a 120 or 150 high. As long as its the 48 inch length.

 

[haleyf1024]

I would say 125. I got a biocube 29 as a first tank, that only lasted 3 months before I upgraded. If you go with a 125, or even 110, you can get the 5 footer and have more options when it comes to larger fish like tangs and angels.

 

[SCMatt]

IMO its all relative to how much empty wall space you have.

 

[maroun.c]

I am considering a 120 or 150 high. As long as its the 48 inch length.

Mine was a custom made 5.5 ft long one.

 

[maroun.c]

IMO its all relative to how much empty wall space you have.

Well that and how full your wallet is

 

[hig789]

My vote would be a 75. I had a 90 a few years ago and a 75 is just so much easier to light all the way to the bottom.

 

[eric3316]

I think it comes down to your budget, your space available, and how much time and energy you are willing to put into it.

For example, if you can afford a 300 gallon tank, have the money to spend for everything you need for it and are willing to put in the hours to maintain it, you can learn how to do all that just like you would learn how to maintain a 75 gallon tank. Just on a larger scale.

Larger tanks allow for larger fish, more fish and more corals. So depending on what you want and how much livestock you want to keep that is something to consider as well.

I don't think there is a one size fits all tank for beginners. Way to many variables to consider.

 

[d2mini]

I agree that 75-90 is great for a first tank.
Not so big that you struggle with it financially or skip/skimp on things due to cost.
Overall, just not so overwhelming.

I got into the hobby with a 150g setup by my LFS. It was financially too big for me to properly stock and just too overwhelming. Needless to say the tank didn't do well, i got discouraged and decided to get out of the hobby.
A few years later I decided to get back in but start small. Best decision I ever made. I found a 46 bow, built my own stand, set it up completely on my own (with help from the forums) and really used it as a great learning experience.
This tank ended up having crazy algae issues (dinos). But I had now had it for about a year and a half and learned so much in this time that I new I could handle a larger tank.
That's when I upgraded to a fully custom walk around 135g cube tank. This tank ended up being the poster child for Ecotech's Radions.
Then after a couple years we decided to move, so I sold off the cube and started a new build in the new house... a 200g 7' semi-built-in tank with separate fish room behind it in the garage. Again, taking and using all that I've learned from past experience.
After a couple years, I had the misfortune of the tank getting very scratched. And I had learned what was working well in the fish room and what could use improvement. So I tore the whole thing down, put all live stock in holding, got a new tank and completely rebuilt the fish room to what it is today.
And who knows what the future holds for my next setup!

So if you are still reading, my point is that starting "small" is what I would recommend so that you can really get a good taste for the hobby and have a size tank that really lets you learn the hobby without getting discouraged and adding to the statistic that say the average hobbyists drops out at around 18 months. If you do stay in the hobby, chances are extremely high that you will want to upgrade at some point. Even if you start with a big tank, you'll probably end up changing equipment multiple times and this just gets more and more expensive the larger you go, making more sense to cut your teeth on the smaller stuff. Also, I'd much rather have a kickass smaller tank, than a so-so larger tank.

 

[Cleo642]

Well,

I agree that 75-90 is great for a first tank.
Not so big that you struggle with it financially or skip/skimp on things due to cost.
Overall, just not so overwhelming.

I got into the hobby with a 150g setup by my LFS. It was financially too big for me to properly stock and just too overwhelming. Needless to say the tank didn't do well, i got discouraged and decided to get out of the hobby.
A few years later I decided to get back in but start small. Best decision I ever made. I found a 46 bow, built my own stand, set it up completely on my own (with help from the forums) and really used it as a great learning experience.
This tank ended up having crazy algae issues (dinos). But I had now had it for about a year and a half and learned so much in this time that I new I could handle a larger tank.
That's when I upgraded to a fully custom walk around 135g cube tank. This tank ended up being the poster child for Ecotech's Radions.
Then after a couple years we decided to move, so I sold off the cube and started a new build in the new house... a 200g 7' semi-built-in tank with separate fish room behind it in the garage. Again, taking and using all that I've learned from past experience.
After a couple years, I had the misfortune of the tank getting very scratched. And I had learned what was working well in the fish room and what could use improvement. So I tore the whole thing down, put all live stock in holding, got a new tank and completely rebuilt the fish room to what it is today.
And who knows what the future holds for my next setup!

So if you are still reading, my point is that starting "small" is what I would recommend so that you can really get a good taste for the hobby and have a size tank that really lets you learn the hobby without getting discouraged and adding to the statistic that say the average hobbyists drops out at around 18 months. If you do stay in the hobby, chances are extremely high that you will want to upgrade at some point. Even if you start with a big tank, you'll probably end up changing equipment multiple times and this just gets more and more expensive the larger you go, making more sense to cut your teeth on the smaller stuff. Also, I'd much rather have a kickass smaller tank, than a so-so
Well, i had freshwater tanks for years, even a discus for a while, so I have experience with keeping tanks.
Also, I just graduated from community college with my Process Technology degree, and now I have some interviews lined up. So, hopefully soon I will have an paying, steady job. So I will be able a decent sized tank. I decided to with a 150 gallon high (48*24*30) reef ready.
Her my list of basic equipment and livestock.

 

[Cleo642]

I agree that 75-90 is great for a first tank.
Not so big that you struggle with it financially or skip/skimp on things due to cost.
Overall, just not so overwhelming.

I got into the hobby with a 150g setup by my LFS. It was financially too big for me to properly stock and just too overwhelming. Needless to say the tank didn't do well, i got discouraged and decided to get out of the hobby.
A few years later I decided to get back in but start small. Best decision I ever made. I found a 46 bow, built my own stand, set it up completely on my own (with help from the forums) and really used it as a great learning experience.
This tank ended up having crazy algae issues (dinos). But I had now had it for about a year and a half and learned so much in this time that I new I could handle a larger tank.
That's when I upgraded to a fully custom walk around 135g cube tank. This tank ended up being the poster child for Ecotech's Radions.
Then after a couple years we decided to move, so I sold off the cube and started a new build in the new house... a 200g 7' semi-built-in tank with separate fish room behind it in the garage. Again, taking and using all that I've learned from past experience.
After a couple years, I had the misfortune of the tank getting very scratched. And I had learned what was working well in the fish room and what could use improvement. So I tore the whole thing down, put all live stock in holding, got a new tank and completely rebuilt the fish room to what it is today.
And who knows what the future holds for my next setup!

So if you are still reading, my point is that starting "small" is what I would recommend so that you can really get a good taste for the hobby and have a size tank that really lets you learn the hobby without getting discouraged and adding to the statistic that say the average hobbyists drops out at around 18 months. If you do stay in the hobby, chances are extremely high that you will want to upgrade at some point. Even if you start with a big tank, you'll probably end up changing equipment multiple times and this just gets more and more expensive the larger you go, making more sense to cut your teeth on the smaller stuff. Also, I'd much rather have a kickass smaller tank, than a so-so larger tank.

 

[Cleo642]

I agree that 75-90 is great for a first tank.
Not so big that you struggle with it financially or skip/skimp on things due to cost.
Overall, just not so overwhelming.

I got into the hobby with a 150g setup by my LFS. It was financially too big for me to properly stock and just too overwhelming. Needless to say the tank didn't do well, i got discouraged and decided to get out of the hobby.
A few years later I decided to get back in but start small. Best decision I ever made. I found a 46 bow, built my own stand, set it up completely on my own (with help from the forums) and really used it as a great learning experience.
This tank ended up having crazy algae issues (dinos). But I had now had it for about a year and a half and learned so much in this time that I new I could handle a larger tank.
That's when I upgraded to a fully custom walk around 135g cube tank. This tank ended up being the poster child for Ecotech's Radions.
Then after a couple years we decided to move, so I sold off the cube and started a new build in the new house... a 200g 7' semi-built-in tank with separate fish room behind it in the garage. Again, taking and using all that I've learned from past experience.
After a couple years, I had the misfortune of the tank getting very scratched. And I had learned what was working well in the fish room and what could use improvement. So I tore the whole thing down, put all live stock in holding, got a new tank and completely rebuilt the fish room to what it is today.
And who knows what the future holds for my next setup!

So if you are still reading, my point is that starting "small" is what I would recommend so that you can really get a good taste for the hobby and have a size tank that really lets you learn the hobby without getting discouraged and adding to the statistic that say the average hobbyists drops out at around 18 months. If you do stay in the hobby, chances are extremely high that you will want to upgrade at some point. Even if you start with a big tank, you'll probably end up changing equipment multiple times and this just gets more and more expensive the larger you go, making more sense to cut your teeth on the smaller stuff. Also, I'd much rather have a kickass smaller tank, than a so-so larger tank.

 

[Reefing Madness]

Go big, and get it right the first time. this way you get the fish and the coral you want.
The bigger tanks don't go through all the elements as fast as a smaller tank does, easier to maintain a big tank if you ask me. Not so much fussin around with them.

 

[Cleo642]

Go big, and get it right the first time. this way you get the fish and the coral you want.
The bigger tanks don't go through all the elements as fast as a smaller tank does, easier to maintain a big tank if you ask me. Not so much fussin around with them.

This is a list of equipment I have decided to go with and a 150 gallon high reef ready tank.

 

[Reefing Madness]

I don't much care for the 150g tall tanks, I've owned one, and cleaning that extra depth is a pain in the butt.