Big or Small? Picking Out Your First Reef Tank

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

This thread is for the general discussion of the Article Big or Small? Picking Out Your First Reef Tank. Please add to the discussion here.

 

[Chef Mateo]

I went small for my first tank, wish I went big, already trying to upgrade.

So I would suggest bigger is better but also depends on budget and space.

 

[vlangel]

Since I have been keeping a reef for 20+ years, I have had small, big-ish and some in between. I started out with a 40 gallon XH because it was a FW tank originally and we had it in the wall. It seemed enormous in 1986 when we bought it, which is funny now. Then I upgraded to a 90 gallon and it was going to be the last tank I ever bought, LOL. Then I added another tank, 125 gallon in our basement gameroom. However my mother in law who lived with us became confined to bed and her care forced me to sell both tanks and downsize to a 36 gallon bowfront. I added a 30 gallon seahorse tank and had the 36g and the 30g plumbed together for a while. I enjoyed those tanks but when I was not a caregiver anymore I chose a 56 gallon column aquarium. That was 4 years ago and I still love it for my display tank in our livingroom. I have since plumbed the 30 gallon (fuge) and an old 20 gallon long (sump) in our basement directly under the display. The 56 gallon is big enough to house 16 smallish fish, but not be overwhelming to keep clean. It's also a nice size for our livingroom without taking up too much space

 

[Auquanut]

I started out with a 29 gallon biocube. Within a year, I had upgraded to a 6' 125. While I tend to think bigger is better, I gotta say that the biocube allowed me to get accustomed to reef keeping and become certain it was something I could/wanted to do for the long haul before I spent the time and cost of the larger tank.

 

[Everything Aquatics]

I have a 20 cube as my first tank because its cheaper and fits in my space. I would love to have a bigger tank though.

 

[Super Fly]

same here, started w 60 cube then 93 cube now wishing I had a 180...

 

[NeonRabbit221B]

Small... Less investment upfront and most issues can be contained by choosing easier livestock. I have an evo 13.5 and love it. The lid keeps down evap so I ran WC only and manual top off for about 6 months. The larger the tank, the more expensive the lighting, pumps and initial setup will be.

 

[Mar344]

Still planning my first build. My new build will be 230 gal. I did have a 30 gal bio cube 15 years ago.

With the cost of this hobby I feel it makes the most sense to buy things once and get what you want the first time. If you have any doubts or concerns with getting into the hobby. A small starter tank may make more sense since the upfront cost is less. Best advice I received is the most expensive thing is buying things twice.

 

[Miller535]

When I got into the hobby 10 years ago I was told you should never go small with a saltwater tank, ideally 75+ gallons. While larger tanks are more stable, they are only stable if you know what you are doing, or have someone with expeience to help you. If someone who wanted to get into the hobby asked me, I would tell them go small. Go small like 10-30 gallons. Get a couple of super hardy fish like clowns and some super simple softies and see how it goes. If for no other reason then most people who get into this hobby get out of it as fast as they got into it. And at least they didn't waste a bunch of money. That way they only invested a few hundred dollars, instead of thousands. Also I think a lot of the time that people leave the hobby is because they try to go to big too fast, and buy fish and corals that take some experience. So when those fish and corals don't do well, they get discouraged and leave. Chances of being successfully with clowns and some mushrooms and zoas, is much higher.

 

[Triple.T]

Started with a 26g bowfront November last year. Upgraded last month to a PA 105g reef. This should be it for awhile. I say go with what you can afford and what makes you happy!

 

[Miller535]

Also while a larger tank is considered to be more stable. Once out of whack, it's much harder and more expensive to get a large aquarium back into equilibrium then a small one.

 

[Pedal Dangit]

MEDIUM SIZE IMO a 40 breeder with 20 long sump is a perfect starter reef tank size. not too big, not too small. water changes don't break the bank. enough water volume to be stable. can still have some fish in there. I would recommend.

you can pick up cheap tanks at petco dollar gallon sales. if you have DIY skills, you can save a lot by plumbing and drilling yourself,