getting close to ordering the tank advice please ....

[Carl C]

trying to decide between
24h x 72 L x 30D (210g)

and

24h x 72 L x 24D (167g)

its going behind a couch ; the dist between couch and wall is 48" and it needs to be away from wall 5" so dist from back of couch will either be 13" or 19" the swing on the cabinet doors is about 21" so ill have to push couch to work underneath (either way, and that not a big deal) i really love the idea of the extra 6" in depth but also dont want it to look weird or "too big"

 

[ihavecrabs]

Best decision I ever made was doing with a 30" deep (front to back). So much swimming and coral growing room

Mine is a 60" long x 30 deep x 20 tall but is also built into the wall so look-wise, I can't comment.

If your tank is going to be 5" away from the wall, you can also gain room with either the 24" or 30" deep tank by going with a shadow overflow. Great way to get extra room in the tank.

 

[xaflatoonx]

i say - change the spot and go 72 x 36 x 24 : )

the wider/deeper the better - it just looks so much more amazing.

plus - more room to play with your rockwork.

 

[Maacc]

I would go 30" deep as well. I love my 187, 60x30x24.

 

[xaflatoonx]

i say - change the spot also - because even though you think moving the couch every time to work under the tank is not a big deal - eventually it will be.
more work goes UNDER the thank than in the tank.
Its so frequent - you will eventually get annoyed with it.

 

[Greybeard]

The difference between a 18" wide tank, like a 75, and a 24" wide tank, like a 120, is HUGE.
The difference between a 24" wide tank, and a 30" wide tank is even more so.

When I designed my tank, I nearly decided to loose that last 6" of width, and go with a non-custom tank. Would have saved a bundle. I'm SOOOO happy I didn't.

 

[dutch27]

That extra 6" would make a big difference. That said, when I had a 120g, I couldn't reach the back of the tank, so I'm guessing that 30" will be tough to work with, without some grabber tools or long arms. Granted, I'm kind of short, lol. IMO, if it's an option, go with a shorter tank, around 18" high opposed to 24". Less demands on lighting for corals, makes the back of the tank reachable, and most fish care more about the footprint than the height.

 

[Greybeard]

...when I had a 120g, I couldn't reach the back of the tank...

Some people don't seem to mind this aspect. I've seen people that like tall stands, so that the tank is on eye level when you're standing. Looks great, gives you lots of room under the tank, but you need a step ladder to get into it. Same problem with really tall tanks. Neat look, but you need a snorkel to reach the bottom. For many, maintenance doesn't appear to have much impact on design. For others, myself included, it's critical.

I designed my new system (a year ago, now) with easy maintenance high in the priority list. It's 30" wide, but only 18" tall, and set up peninsula style, so I can walk all the way around it. Open top, with ceiling mounted lights... easy access. Sump is in a closet behind the tank, with the top of the sump being about waist high. No more working on my knees to service the tank for me, thanks.

All up to the individual aquarist.... there's nothing _wrong_ with making a tank hard to maintain, and ignoring maintenance when designing a system can allow some killer looking setups, but IMHO, it's not worth it.

 

[PatW]

The extra depth really give you far more room to get creative with your reef scaping. Since you need a gap between the rock and the glass, the extra 6” of depth will give you surprisingly more room to fool around with your rock.

 

[Bj’s Reef]

I would go with the 30 inch as well. You will enjoy the depth when you start aquascaping.

 

[scott11106]

trying to decide between
24h x 72 L x 30D (210g)

and

24h x 72 L x 24D (167g)

its going behind a couch ; the dist between couch and wall is 48" and it needs to be away from wall 5" so dist from back of couch will either be 13" or 19" the swing on the cabinet doors is about 21" so ill have to push couch to work underneath (either way, and that not a big deal) i really love the idea of the extra 6" in depth but also dont want it to look weird or "too big"

always go with the largest size you can fit, you will kick yourself later if you dont. definitely 24x72x30, mine is 36 wide and i love the way it gives room to aquascape

 

[BZOFIQ]

Go deeper front to back. My new build calls for 32" wide

 

[Carl C]

Best decision I ever made was doing with a 30" deep (front to back). So much swimming and coral growing room

Mine is a 60" long x 30 deep x 20 tall but is also built into the wall so look-wise, I can't comment.

If your tank is going to be 5" away from the wall, you can also gain room with either the 24" or 30" deep tank by going with a shadow overflow. Great way to get extra room in the tank.

So I consulted my wife , and she was not as enthused with 24h x 72 L x 30D (210g) or 24h x 72 L x 24D (167g) so we agreed on a new spot in the same room and new dimensions so now its going to be H24x48Lx30D (139g) ; thanks for the advice on going 30D also ill research "shadow overflow" not sure what that is , thanks again Carl

 

[Carl C]

Go deeper front to back. My new build calls for 32" wide

wow 32" wide ; sounds GREAT

 

[Carl C]

always go with the largest size you can fit, you will kick yourself later if you dont. definitely 24x72x30, mine is 36 wide and i love the way it gives room to aquascape

So I consulted my wife , and she was not as enthused with 24h x 72 L x 30D (210g) or 24h x 72 L x 24D (167g) so we agreed on a new spot in the same room and new dimensions so now its going to be H24x48Lx30D (139g) ; thanks for your help

 

[Carl C]

always go with the largest size you can fit, you will kick yourself later if you dont. definitely 24x72x30, mine is 36 wide and i love the way it gives room to aquascape

with all the great advice i am definitely going to go as deep as possible
So I consulted my wife , and she was not as enthused with 24h x 72 L x 30D (210g) or 24h x 72 L x 24D (167g) so we agreed on a new spot in the same room and new dimensions so now its going to be H24x48Lx30D (139g) ;

 

[Carl C]

I would go with the 30 inch as well. You will enjoy the depth when you start aquascaping.

thanks tigerhawk !
So I consulted my wife , and she was not as enthused with 24h x 72 L x 30D (210g) or 24h x 72 L x 24D (167g) so we agreed on a new spot in the same room and new dimensions so now its going to be H24x48Lx30D (139g) ;

 

[Carl C]

The extra depth really give you far more room to get creative with your reef scaping. Since you need a gap between the rock and the glass, the extra 6” of depth will give you surprisingly more room to fool around with your rock.

So I consulted my wife , and she was not as enthused with 24h x 72 L x 30D (210g) or 24h x 72 L x 24D (167g) so we agreed on a new spot in the same room and new dimensions so now its going to be H24x48Lx30D (139g) ; thanks Pat !!

 

[Carl C]

Some people don't seem to mind this aspect. I've seen people that like tall stands, so that the tank is on eye level when you're standing. Looks great, gives you lots of room under the tank, but you need a step ladder to get into it. Same problem with really tall tanks. Neat look, but you need a snorkel to reach the bottom. For many, maintenance doesn't appear to have much impact on design. For others, myself included, it's critical.

I designed my new system (a year ago, now) with easy maintenance high in the priority list. It's 30" wide, but only 18" tall, and set up peninsula style, so I can walk all the way around it. Open top, with ceiling mounted lights... easy access. Sump is in a closet behind the tank, with the top of the sump being about waist high. No more working on my knees to service the tank for me, thanks.

All up to the individual aquarist.... there's nothing _wrong_ with making a tank hard to maintain, and ignoring maintenance when designing a system can allow some killer looking setups, but IMHO, it's not worth it.

THANKS GREYBEARD !!! love to see that tank ! sounds awesome !!
So I consulted my wife , and she was not as enthused with 24h x 72 L x 30D (210g) or 24h x 72 L x 24D (167g) so we agreed on a new spot in the same room and new dimensions so now its going to be H24x48Lx30D (139g) ;

 

[Carl C]

That extra 6" would make a big difference. That said, when I had a 120g, I couldn't reach the back of the tank, so I'm guessing that 30" will be tough to work with, without some grabber tools or long arms. Granted, I'm kind of short, lol. IMO, if it's an option, go with a shorter tank, around 18" high opposed to 24". Less demands on lighting for corals, makes the back of the tank reachable, and most fish care more about the footprint than the height.

thanks Dutch !! yea was thinking maybe going 30" on height too but thanks to your post and some other advice, ill stick with 24 ;;
So I consulted my wife , and she was not as enthused with 24h x 72 L x 30D (210g) or 24h x 72 L x 24D (167g) so we agreed on a new spot in the same room and new dimensions so now its going to be H24x48Lx30D (139g) ;