Is bigger better?

[02ruben]

Hi everyone I'm new to marines and can't wait to get started I have keep tropical fish and have now moved on to saltwater. Is it better to have a big tank as the water stays more stable or a smaller tank? Any help would be appriciated And what would you place in your sump other than a protein skimmer

 

[dallas reefer]

Bigger is always better.

Get the most you can with the money you got. It's worth it. And yes it's more stable.

 

[02ruben]

Thanks dallas reefer I'm not rushing so dont mind buying the tank first and then adding the other parts bit by bit what's a good recommend size

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Welcome to R2R!

What kind of space do you have? I would say if you can start with like a 55 or even a 75g. If you can do bigger, do it. I started with a 75g and loved it!

 

[flatlander]

I think there should be two great first tank options. 1. 93g 30x30 tank. Pros: easy to light with one halide. Con: no tangs.
2. 120g 48x24. Pro: awesome size for small tang or two, lots of depth for aquascaping. Con: 2 halides.

I would avoid anything with less than a 2' depth(front to back) as it will present more challenges to scape. Gl.

 

[Raggamuffin]

just to go against the grain here...

The all in one nanos they have out now are VERY easy to take care of fish only or reef. Also 40 breeders are another excellent choice for reef tanks with great nano dimensions as well as leaving enough space under it for decent sized sump.

Both those options are great for the cash straped just getting into the hobby. Now going with the grain for a bit; 75 and 90 gallon tanks are both excellent beginner tanks because the gear to set them up is comparitively cheap in the reefing world and if you decide it is not for you then you are not out a ton of money.

If you possitive this is something you want to dedicate 10+ years to then right out of the box I suggest going as big as you can and in ALL cases buy the best equipment you can.

 

[bkoppes]

Expect $25-$75 per gallon if you do things right. Maybe that will help you decide.

 

[02ruben]

Thanks everyone. Well I have space for 6x2x2 and easily more. I wanted a fluvial profile 1000 tank which is set up for tropical but when I asked my local marine store they said it would be better to get a tank with a sump in the bottom as with that model you would have to hang the protein skimmer on the back which isn't as good. So they showed me some custom tanks which where really nice so I am quite happy to buy the tank and then the pumps skimmer etc when funds allow But I was thinking more along the lines of a 5x2x2? As a start

 

[02ruben]

And also I wanted to know what's a good size as I don't wanna buy everything and then only have room for a few fish and coral and have to increase the size if that makes sense thanks again for everyone help

 

[Loki]

I assume you mean feet when you say 6x2x2. A 180 gallon tank is 6x2x2. A 120 gallon tank is 4x2x2(all dimensions in feet). I have a 120 gallon tank and love the dimensions of it. I could put just about any fish I want in it. And as for coral. I would imagine if there comes a time when I have too much to fit in this tank I will start another.

 

[02ruben]

Yes sorry I meant feet in them dimensions. I have seen a really nice 48 inch by 24 x24 but it can be an 18inch deep is it better to go deeper or if it's slightly shallower is that better for the corals etc as the light doesn't have so far to go. Sorry for asking so many questions but I wanna get everything right before jumping in and making mistakes

 

[Loki]

That depends on your preference. I have talked to people that will not have a tank that is less than 30 inches. I like shorter tanks. My last tank I could not reach the bottom of the tank with my arm and was unhappy with it. As for the corals you can place them on rocks at the height that they like. The distance from front to back is very important as well.

My last tank was tall and narrow. It being narrow left little room for aquascaping and the height was difficult to reach the bottom.

No need to apologize for the questions. We have all asked them and if not then we learned the hard way.

 

[02ruben]

Ok thanks so I have seen two tanks one which is 48 x 24 x 24 inchs or 48 x 30 x 24 it's worth going for the 30 deep as it gives you more room. For scaping and it doesn't matter to much to me about price as I would rather save up and buy the best components for the job in stages. Is there a ratio of kilos of live rock to water volume? As in 10 kilos of rock to 100 gallons etc or is it a case of the more the better? Thanks again for all the help

 

[dallas reefer]

1-2lbs (.5-1kg)/ gallon. Depends on what you will stock it with. Predator tanks could use way less. Reef, more.

Rock helps with filtration. As does sand.

Also....keep in mind that the sump needs to be purchased early on as well. Preferably with the tank. (IMO) that way you can place it IN the stand BEFORE you place the tank on the stand. Other wise a lot of unnecessary moving will take place. I know first hand.

I wanted to change my Berlin 200 on my 175 bow, and I can't now because the tank is against the wall. And to place a LARGER sump needed to be done from the back with the large opening.

So take that for what it's worth and plan accordingly.

 

[dallas reefer]

Oh yeah. More rock is not necessarily better. Better to start with the lower end of the equation and work your way up.

Take a moment to look at some other tanks to get an idea.

Also, welcome to the sickness!! LoL

 

[02ruben]

Thanks again everyone didn't think about that Dallas reefer. The tank comes with stand lid and also sump included with pipe work and then you add your lights and skimmer etc so it has the basic components then you add the bits you want to use after. Which is something else I need to research (so get ready for millions more questions people) thanks for welcoming me and being so helpful. No about the skimmers is it worth getting the biggest one you can and I mean say it's rated for a 200 gallon tank for example is worth getting a 400 gallon one instead so it's not working as hard? Hope this makes sense

 

[shred5]

Hi everyone I'm new to marines and can't wait to get started I have keep tropical fish and have now moved on to saltwater. Is it better to have a big tank as the water stays more stable or a smaller tank? Any help would be appriciated And what would you place in your sump other than a protein skimmer

I say no its not. Most of the people I know who have dropped out of the hobby went big. While tiny can be hard too I think midsized tanks are best. The thing is eventually most people will experience a crash or have a semi crash if you are in the hobby long enough and the expense from losses can be great. Might be something you did or just a simple power outage. While big tanks are more stable when something goes wrong its harder to bring back. It can require a massive water change that may not even be possible in a emergency.

Medium size tanks to me are easier to manage and dont suck up your life..

 

[BHHOWARD]

Ok thanks so I have seen two tanks one which is 48 x 24 x 24 inchs or 48 x 30 x 24 it's worth going for the 30 deep as it gives you more room. For scaping and it doesn't matter to much to me about price as I would rather save up and buy the best components for the job in stages. Is there a ratio of kilos of live rock to water volume? As in 10 kilos of rock to 100 gallons etc or is it a case of the more the better? Thanks again for all the help

Having a 120 ( 4' X 2' X 2'), I wish I had purchased a tank that was larger front-to-back. I find that horizontal space, particularly on the sand bed it a premium. The room foot-print of 30" front-to-back in not much more than 24" front-to-back.

Once you get to 24 inches tall, I don't think there is a great impact on aquascaping, but there is a large impact on lighting.

As far as a ratio of pounds-of-rock to gallons, it will depend on the bio-load you place on the tank. If you look at some tanks, such as Sonny's Sonny's Rimless Shallow Reef 2.0, it is possible to support a tank with a minimum amount of live rock.

 

[02ruben]

Ok thanks guys I'll look at a larger tank front to back before buying. I really want a tank with lots of different fish and coral as well so I will have to do lots of research into community and reef friendly fish. But thanks again for all the help. Shred5 what would you class as a mid size tank? I was looking at nano style tanks but thought I would get a bigger one so if I want to add more stuff later then I wouldn't have to start again

 

[Raggamuffin]

Just to put a stop the live rock to gallons BS everybody is spewing...... there is NO set number/ratio/equation until you pick out what rock you want! In a 75g tank for example you may want 150lbs of tampa bay saltwater rock and that wont look like much, but 150 pounds of tonga may look way over crowded and 150 lbs of BRS pukani or marco rocks wouldn't even come close to fitting in the tank if you just dumped it in and didn't add sand or water, you would like need 3 75g tanks for that ammount! Wait till you are ready for rocks, pick a few diffrent kinds then specifically ask how they look in seperate threads so you can stop the argueing between folks, something like "If I get the type from this company what can I expect?" you may also want to be decided on what kind of formations you want in your tank, islands, minimal, rock wall, and so on before you ask so you can get specific and ask "I want this and this in this size tank this rocks in this formation of this type of rock; what would you suggest for poundage?" and you will be getting some pretty dang good and specific advice!