First tank

Paul O'Rourke · May 23, 2013

Hi,

I have always wanted to set a marine tank up and now I am finally in a position to do so! I am going to build bit by bit to make sure I've got something decent to look at! As I have read on numerous sites it's easier to control (water wise) if you have a bigger tank. What is a decent first tank size to go for? My main aim long term is to breed and I can see that will be a challenge but I'm not goin to run before I can walk!

I'm not a big fan of the thought of having a tank with everything built in as I'd like to learn the proper way with sump, skimmer pumps etc... I'm not goin crazy with fish either after a suitable cycle. Probably a few clowns. Any additional advise would be appreciated.

Many thanks,

Paul

Reefing Madness · May 23, 2013

Sounds like you've done your homework.
I'd start out with a 75g drilled tank. As with drilled or Reef Ready tanks, you sleep better at night knowing your sump won't overflow because of an electrial failure.
:bigsmile::bigsmile:

Softylover · May 23, 2013

Reefing Madness said:
Sounds like you've done your homework.
I'd start out with a 75g drilled tank. As with drilled or Reef Ready tanks, you sleep better at night knowing your sump won't overflow because of an electrial failure.
:bigsmile::bigsmile:

I would agree. Stay away from a 55, 75 is wider and allows room for multiple options for sump and is a good volume to learn on. Also easy to find stuff for

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Paul O'Rourke · May 24, 2013

thank you very much!!

SeahorseKeeper · May 24, 2013

Welcome to R2R!! I agree that the 75 would be a great starter tank!

AZDesertRat · May 24, 2013

The 75 would be the smallest I would recommend. A 90G has the same exact footprint only a few inches taller for better viewing in my opinion without being too deep for maintenance.
I opted for a Lee Mar 100G this time around, its 60" long rather than 48" long for more swim room and a little out of the ordinary. If I had to do it over again I would have gone with the 120G, it is the same 60" long but is 24" front to back versus 18" for all those mentioned so far. The extra 6" makes a huge difference when it comes to rock work and scaping, you have so much more room to work with and nothing has to lean against the back.

Zero Nitrates · May 24, 2013

I really like the 75 I have started with. It's a great size.

Gladfelter · May 24, 2013

If your going to do a 75 you might as well do a 90...but then again if your gonna do a 90 you might as well do a 120 gallon. And that is one of the best sizes out there

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Softylover · May 24, 2013

Gladfelter said:
If your going to do a 75 you might as well do a 90...but then again if your gonna do a 90 you might as well do a 120 gallon. And that is one of the best sizes out there

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Cute

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c_healy · May 24, 2013

Reefing Madness said:
Sounds like you've done your homework.
I'd start out with a 75g drilled tank. As with drilled or Reef Ready tanks, you sleep better at night knowing your sump won't overflow because of an electrial failure.
:bigsmile::bigsmile:

My diy hob overflow won't flood my house if I have an electrical failure. It will only siphon water until the tank drops below the level of my stand pipe. Which there is plenty of extra room in the sump to accommodate such a failure.

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Gladfelter · May 24, 2013

Softylover said:
Cute

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Lol that's the thought process that landed me with my 125. If I coulda found a 180 that would have been my tank lol

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Paul O'Rourke · May 25, 2013

Thanks for the opinions! depending on the size I eventually go with I have read that you should buy a skimmer which is capable of handling more larger tanks than your actually using... Is this correct?

Softylover · May 25, 2013

Paul O'Rourke said:
Thanks for the opinions! depending on the size I eventually go with I have read that you should buy a skimmer which is capable of handling more larger tanks than your actually using... Is this correct?

Typically yes, I've found that reef octopus Skimmers tend to be true to the size they say

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glb · May 25, 2013

I started with a 12g nano due to space and money constraints. It's more difficult to keep the parameters constant but I just love it.

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12g Nanoreef. Zooanthids, Ricordia, Star Polyps and two clownfish.