Have you ever regretted a bigger tank?

[melev]

When things go wrong and it costs a lot to correct it, that's when you might appreciate a smaller system.

 

[sdcosta]

I hope not, I'm currently going from 180 to a 300 alot of the equipment I've been accumulating over time so it's not too much of a burden when it comes to cost. I have alot of tangs and consider them family.. would like to keep them long term.

 

[mort]

For me it's nice to stay small enough to notice the little things. The bigger you go, the more likely it is that you'll stock larger animals. That's fine if you like them more but you can lose out on the little interactions of things like pistol shrimp goby pairs.

I once did the maintenance for a guy with a 16x6x4ft tank and he was pretty bored with his large fish. The tank would have been far to expensive to move over to a coral reef so we added a couple of 2ft reef cubes to it and added some small stuff which would have been food in the main tank. His passion for the hobby came back.

 

[danreefman]

I guess it's all how much you have in the bank. If house was payed off with at least 5 mill chilling in my bank. I'd do at least a 1000 foot addition. 200 sf for filtration room and the rest Reef. And at least 2 hours a day set aside to dive in.

All boils down to money. Cause when tank takes hold of your personal life your done.
Example: say your into designer frags. Look in your tank on your way to work in the morning, and notice a 500, a 300, and a piece you just payed 800 for are rtning. Do you fiddle and end up taking the day off only to irritate the corals more and kill em faster? Lose a days wages and year off your life from the stress? Or do you just go to work prey for the best, and focus on your job, which made all this possible in the first place? ( this is pretty much only possible if the funds are not an issue). This doesn't mean if you have a little money you can buy an animal with the thought if I kill it I'll just buy another. It just makes it so the fish tank doesn't destroy your life.

If your 500 dollar pump goes out and you don't have a back up. Are you ready to buy a new one no questions. Or are you going to jump on the phone with the company and tell them how bad they are and get them to send a new one. Meanwhile your tank has zero circulation for 3 days. Everything will be dead.

I guess on the short in my opinion, it all boils down to money. This hobby is very addictive. It can hold you back.

Thinking about downsizing from 190 to a 60. 190 is small but Electric bill is around 700-800 per month. Which I'm figuring tank is about half that. Can I afford it? Yes. But I can invest the extra saving to build my dream tank later in life.

Sorry for long write up full of cons. This is really a hobby people should think a lot more about before diving in. As I said, it's very addicting. Basically a drug (Mind controlling substance).

I would get out all together a come back. A little fearful I might not ever get my gems back again. Just want to hang onto a few.

Figure on setting up for a year as well. Just fine tuning and figuring out your happy spot.

 

[Coralreefer1]

The only time I regret it is when I first buy it and set it up, and when I move and have to break everything down and transfer everything.

 

[Bruce Burnett]

I don't regret going to 300 gallon but do regret going so deep that I can't reach the bottom in the back. I have thought about going smaller and I have thought about going bigger. Budget keeps me from going bigger since I am on fixed income. Would need more light, new stand and tank everything else I have would easily handle a 500 gallon tank. What I really need is a frag tank for trimmings to sell to help pay the expenses. Going smaller would cut the cost and give me more choices for placement or let me have room for more tanks but would still have cost of tank, stand, sump. If the climate was more moderate here I would convert half my garage into a fish room but not when it can get over 120 during the summer. I just redid my system as it had become overgrown in just three years starting with little frags mostly two monti caps and a chalice were taking over. I have two duncans one started as two heads one one three I could frag those and get 50 plus frags with two heads from each. I purchased a leather toadstool a year ago was about the size of my thumb now it is almost a foot across. So depending on the corals you could have a tank overgrown in less than three years. My maintaince is clean glass when needed, check check magnesium, alk and calcium about every two weeks and feed tank 2-4 times a day. No water changes. Just don't get bored and let the tank go. I did and getting caught back up on everything I decided to redo all the rock work. Lost most of my sps but none of the lps. My fault for not getting tank back in balance first was upset with myself but then realised I get to start over. I don't buy expensive corals as I have seen frags costing $500 and then a few years later selling under $50. I try to keep mine under $40 as most of my frags were $10-15.

 

[Leslie Tabor]

Go big or go home. LOL.

This is my life motto! Lol I went from 120 gal to 380 gal and while I have had a few issues and getting myself a system/accustomed to larger water changes, I don't regret a thing. Ok, one thing, I went to 30" tall...now I need a snorkel! However, it has kept me from messing in the tank as much, so now I just enjoy the tank more. Go big or go home!!

 

[Troy V]

This is my life motto! Lol I went from 120 gal to 380 gal and while I have had a few issues and getting myself a system/accustomed to larger water changes, I don't regret a thing. Ok, one thing, I went to 30" tall...now I need a snorkel! However, it has kept me from messing in the tank as much, so now I just enjoy the tank more. Go big or go home!!

Totally agree about the height. It does take some getting used to.
My tank/stand is the same height as I. I love when viewing the tank everything is at eye level. I feel like I am a part of their world. Similar to Diving.

 

[scchase]

I'll let you know when I finish getting my 1100g going, rock went in yesterday that has been curing for the past 4 years.

 

[alanbetiger]

When things go wrong and it costs a lot to correct it, that's when you might appreciate a smaller system.

This +++++
Depending on your finances and expendable income. I added lighting from a previous system's lights that now don't work after 7 years. So to redo the lighting is gonna be the same cost as the 350 gallon tank... fun times. I don't regret it, but my wife sure does regret allowing it haha.

 

[alton]

In almost 28 years I went from 135 to 200 then 300 and finally 180. The 300 was great for large coral and fish but what fell or broke in the back stayed in the back since it was 36” deep and 27” tall. I can reach everything in the 180. Except for lighting not much cost difference between a 135 and 300.

 

[Sarah24!]

Hello,

I started with a 125 and it was a nice size tank and loved it but grow out of it to fast. I then upgraded to my 240 which is 34 inches tall and is a nightmare to clean. The hindsight of this is I should have .......................... (fill in the blank too many too list). My tank normally does better with out me messing with it.

The larger the tank does seem to be more stable, yet when a major Colony dies lol then but open spot. Not to mention more to dose and maintain but not overly. I love the 240 size and have a 425 coming as well. In all honesty I’m super excited but I’m completely overwhelmed right now.

I can barely take care of my 240 simply because of my work schedule as is. It’s extremely exhausting to work a 24 hour shift and have motivation enough to even make a bowl of cereal. As some of my friends think gosh your lazy or make excuses, those of us who have to work a lot other things suffer.

I would never suggest a tank that one can’t manage on their own. Living on my own etc, doing full house stuff, food, work, chores, is exhausting. My new tank may be done mid December from being built. With that said I have of the stuff
To get it running and it’s awfullt expensive but it’s normal. Moving my 240 or merging them I will not do, because my 240 has been doing well, despite some minor set backs of some corals dying which is normal (but still hard on me). But if I’m truly honest with myself, I simply don’t have the energy and or extra time to spend on it.

Yes I will set it Up, just not at the moment as much as I want to. There comes a time where one has to realize they can only do so much with the time allowed. Setting up my larger tank would be irresponsible of me to do. Then maintaining a 240 with a 425 would be insane. Yes I could always hire someone and do automation, but I still have to spend time double checking them, and they are getting paid and or suppose to do that anyway, so why waste the time and money?

The larger tanks I have found are not that much harder if anything easier than small tanks. Except me where I drown daily cleaning the glass.

 

[Leslie Tabor]

Totally agree about the height. It does take some getting used to.
My tank/stand is the same height as I. I love when viewing the tank everything is at eye level. I feel like I am a part of their world. Similar to Diving.

Mine too! It is amazing! My fish swim right up to my face! Lol

 

[Robert Vacchiano]

Upgraded from a 150 to 300 gallon deep demension about 7 years ago .Just had my second failure on the tank .Three hundred gallons of saltwater does not go well with hard wood floors