Long Tanks, Pro's and Con's

NeverlosT · Dec 15, 2017

Hi All,

We are discussing a new large tank to go along a wall. Proposed original dimensions are 96x30x27 but are considering going a foot longer.

Pros:
Bigger tank!
Fits along more of the wall
More swimming room and more room for scaping

Cons:
more money (requires 3/4" glass), need more lighting.
difficult to get good flow? I have heard a lot about this, What do you think???
Need more sump room for more drain down on power outage.

The tank will be an SPS high energy reef. I am interested in folks opinions on long tanks and flow. Our current tank is a big cube so it is much different.

Thanks for your input! IF you have any other pro's or con's please comment with them.

Oldreefer44 · Dec 15, 2017

IMO flow should not be an issue. There are several pumps out there that can handle it. You could also put one on each end and one in the back center. I have a 72" tank and run 2 gyres on 40% in a sps dominant tank.

Blue Tang Clan · Dec 15, 2017

I don't anyone ever regrets too much length; however, tanks that are too tall are sometimes very challenging to clean.

I'm not sure if you'd really need more lighting. Do you plan to have corals at the very edges? 6" of no light directly above on each end is nothing. Get two 48" fixtures and you're good to go.