Best tank set up for a noobie

[reeftanknoobie]

Hello all,

I am trying to do as much research before I make a purchase as possible. There are so many contradicting opinions on sizes, styles, etc. I would like to know opinions on a good starter tank. I know the smaller they are the harder they are to maintain but I really don't want to start with a 60 gal plus tank either. I have looked at several all inclusive tanks such as the biocube, red sea, etc. Anyways, I would like to know what you guys have had success with!

Thanks so Much!

 

[CC13]

Hello all,

I am trying to do as much research before I make a purchase as possible. There are so many contradicting opinions on sizes, styles, etc. I would like to know opinions on a good starter tank. I know the smaller they are the harder they are to maintain but I really don't want to start with a 60 gal plus tank either. I have looked at several all inclusive tanks such as the biocube, red sea, etc. Anyways, I would like to know what you guys have had success with!

Thanks so Much!

My first ever tank was a 220 gallon reef and I loved it. I learned a ton, made mistakes and read as much as I could. I found a larger tank easier but that is personal opinion.

I would work out what your budget is because the size of the tank also directly impacts the amount on money you will be spending on equipment and sort of base it from there.

 

[5altkreep]

40 gallon breeder tank. It has a good footprint for aquascaping and wont break the bank when it comes time for lighting. That being said... how sure are you that you wont want a bigger tank later? ( most of us do lol)
I started with a 28g biocube. Then i upgraded to a 75, and now im at a 6' 125g tank... it would have been cheaper to just start bigger.

 

[cracker]

Hello RE ! & Welcome to R2R . Just starting out? Your question is a good one. All the differing advice & recommendations can be too much for us beginners ! I call it " info overload" .
1 how much can You spend? this hobby can get very expensive. You WILL spend a lot more than You think now .
2 How much room do You have to setup up a tank?
3 will You be where You are for a while? A smaller tank is a lot easier to move if necessary.
Read all ya can & take note of what makes sense to You & go that direction. You will find R2R is a great source for great answers for your questions as You go along. You are gonna have fun ,Good Luck!

 

[Halal Hotdog]

I don't agree with the mentality that larger is easier. In my opinion a great starter is a JBJ 28. It is an all in one system, so having a watery mess won't be possible unless you add an ATO. Start small and work your way up. Everything for a smaller tank is less expensive initially and if you decide bigger is better than going all in with a larger tank . Starting with a larger tank, the only way to do it predictably well will involve a relatively larger investment. With a smaller tank you can get the same high end equipment, but up-front cost will be a lot lower.

 

[Jason boles]

One huge factor for me is that I live in an apartment, and while not impossible it is very inconvenient to setup and RODI unit.

So I have a 15 gallon. I can get two 5 gallon jugs of water, one salt, one regular and it last about a month. I would love a 40 or 50 gallon, but I can’t stomach lugging the water around.

My vote would’ve be at least 40 ish if you can have a unit. If not go smaller.

I personally have found my AIO very easy, but I can’t wait to live in a house and get a huge tank! I am glad I have had time to look at 100s of build plans, and am just now understanding the plumbing and how it all works.

 

[CC13]

I don't agree with the mentality that larger is easier. In my opinion a great starter is a JBJ 28. It is an all in one system, so having a watery mess won't be possible unless you add an ATO. Start small and work your way up. Everything for a smaller tank is less expensive initially and if you decide bigger is better than going all in with a larger tank . Starting with a larger tank, the only way to do it predictably well will involve a relatively larger investment. With a smaller tank you can get the same high end equipment, but up-front cost will be a lot lower.

I meant it was easier with a large system to overdose or cause a crash due to simple thing like over-feeding, salt mix didn't have to be bang on with salinity or temperature, ect.

 

[Jekyl]

Hello all,

I am trying to do as much research before I make a purchase as possible. There are so many contradicting opinions on sizes, styles, etc. I would like to know opinions on a good starter tank. I know the smaller they are the harder they are to maintain but I really don't want to start with a 60 gal plus tank either. I have looked at several all inclusive tanks such as the biocube, red sea, etc. Anyways, I would like to know what you guys have had success with!

Thanks so Much!

What kind of price range and what are you looking for in the tank? Corals? Fish only? Softies and lps? Sps? All makes a large difference in setup

 

[Halal Hotdog]

I meant it was easier with a large system to overdose or cause a crash due to simple thing like over-feeding, salt mix didn't have to be bang on with salinity or temperature, ect.

You're right, it is much more difficult to destabilize a larger tank. Personally I am eyeing a 500 gallon circular tank. My smallest was a JBJ 28 when I was still in school. Tons of fun with little headache. That has become my go to recommendation for people starting off.

 

[CJS80]

Hello RE ! & Welcome to R2R . Just starting out? Your question is a good one. All the differing advice & recommendations can be too much for us beginners ! I call it " info overload" .
1 how much can You spend? this hobby can get very expensive. You WILL spend a lot more than You think now .
2 How much room do You have to setup up a tank?
3 will You be where You are for a while? A smaller tank is a lot easier to move if necessary.
Read all ya can & take note of what makes sense to You & go that direction. You will find R2R is a great source for great answers for your questions as You go along. You are gonna have fun ,Good Luck!

The only thing I would add to this is: what type of fish do you want? You can but it isn't wise to try to put a fish, like a yellow tang, in a 28 gallon cube. Fish can out grow a small tank quick.

 

[PugsAndFish]

I started with a 10 gallon tank to test the waters. I know that smaller is harder but I was diligent with my water changes each week and all of my corals, mostly zoanthids, hammers, mushrooms, acans, did well. I just dripped kalkwasser. I did test more often but water changes were soooo easy. Making RODI was so quick because I would just need a gallon. I live in an apartment so I need to take out my RODI unit from my closet every time I make water so being able to put it away after making only a gallon was a plus for me.

I upgraded to a 45 gallon. I guess it's a bit easier but I don't think it's so drastic. I do water changes every other week but maintenance takes much longer because making water is a lot longer. If you have a permanent water station, I guess it'll be a lot easier. I want a big tank like a 120 but I don't even want to think about the maintenance.

If you're on a budget, I recommend a 40B with just HOB equipment. I think there's even like a AIO package that you can hide stuff if you want.

In the end, there's always room for bigger and more stability. A 120 seems massive to me but if I have a 120, I would tell myself I need a 180 for more room and stability. I think people will tell you to go bigger always even if you have a 1000 gallon lol. I think a 40 is a good balance from my experience so far. Maintenance is manageable. There are some swings (e.g. Temperature wavers 1 degree or alk drops a little bit more than you want) but you can adjust quickly and corals have been ok

 

[Zohar78]

40 breeders are solid, what i started with in salt water. the reason why alot of people like the 40 breeders is because, there not super expensive and has good dimensions for aquascaping. its 48x18x16 tall, whereas a 55gal is 48 by 12 by 21 or taller. i personally think and should have went with a 75 or 90. similar dimensions as a 40 but 4ft.. plus if you smart and patience about gear purchase, you could possible use some gear from the 75 to move to a 125 down the road. thus saving some money down the road. also the 75, would allow a couple fish species thats not suppose to be in the 40b.

 

[lapin]

Welcome or Howdy as they say in Texas
Cracker has some good points. Money, time, rent, own ect..
Any tank is easy to maintain if you hire someone to do it. That being said it really depends on what you expect out of your tank.
Do you want a mixed reef? A bunch of colorful softies swaying in the current? Just a pair of clowns or tangs and angels? Some of this will dictate what size tank will work as a minimum size.
Since you are just starting and dont know if you will stay with it or not, I would get a med size tank that is popular. If you go to sell it, it will be easier since stands and equipment will be easy for anyone to switch out. Like a new car. The minute its off the lot it, loses value.
If you are a tech person and like to mess with stuff, then go with something that has a lot of bells and whistles. If not, keep it simple.
Take your time and which ever you chose it will be just fine.

 

[Zohar78]

hmm.. may be a good time to be patient and wait for a good deal. tax time. about every industry is affected by people using tax money to buy something and little bit later deciding not.. I know urges are hard to resist, but this may be a good time to catch a deal on a used tank. or keep dropping by the local fish store and see if they get any used tanks for a heck of deal.

 

[Flatlandreefer]

Bigger is more stable but that doesn't mean that a big tank is a necessity. My one suggestion would be to avoid an all in one tank(I started with with one) and get a tank that is plumbed for a sump. The extra sump volume on a smaller tank will add a lot of stability and will make maintenance a lot easier as well as giving you a lot more options for equipment.

One other consideration is matching your tank to your lighting budget. If you want leds going wider than a 24 inch tank means double the light budget etc.

 

[scott11106]

get the largest tank that will fit your space and budget. As long as those two items are covered you will always want more water volume for more fish/inverts/coral

 

[Neo Jeo]

+1 Get a big tank, I got a 120g almost got a 90g and I WISH I got a 180-220g now. I really do want a bigger tank!

 

[scott11106]

no doubt, i have a 300 with 100g sump and i wish i would have filled the wall and got the 400, but too late now

 

[Neo Jeo]

no doubt, i have a 300 with 100g sump and i wish i would have filled the wall and got the 400, but too late now

That's a big tank! a 400g one day would be super cool. It has to be $ to run tho

 

[Huff747]

My personal opinion is there's no way we can give you the right answer

I started with a 40 breeder because I had one laying around. Even though some of the fish that attracted me to a saltwater tank wouldn't work in 40 and I really wanted a bigger tank I figured it would be a good way to get my feet wet. But pretty much as soon as it was up and running I was looking for a bigger tank. I now have a 40 breeder and a 125 and 2 tanks seems like more than double the work of just one. So now I'm looking for an even bigger tank to try and combine the inhabitants from the 40 and the 125 into one tank and then I can take them down and just maintain one tank.

I feel like there are good things that came out of having the 40 gallon that I was able to incorporate into the 125, and I feel like I learned on each of those tanks to make another upgrade even better. I found a few things that were useless and others that worked.

And I feel like there are bad things that came out of not going as big as I knew I wanted from the beginning, most of those are centered around how much $ I've spent to keep 2 tanks running as well as some livestock that I probably wouldn't have gone with if I had started with the size I wanted.

Short version - I don't think there's a silver bullet and what probably matters more is what you truly want and can afford. If your entire reason to want a saltwater tank is to have a hippo tang and you have the personality where you won't be satisfied til you have one probably best not to start with a tiny tank.