Looking to get get into reef keeping

[Madadoor]

Hi everyone,

I have been lurking around here and studying the ins and outs of saltwater reef tanks for about the the past 6 months. I have been trying to nail down what tank I should start with and the obvious advice I have picked up is that I should buy the largest tank I can. I'm under no illusion this is a cheap hobby but the outlay for a decent bigger tank and all the other things I would need from the get go is a lot to get my head (and wife) around so lately I have come to the conclusion that perhaps I should start off with a nano with the intention of buying a larger tank in a years time and then use the nano as a quarantine later down the line. This would allow me procure some of the necessary equipment over a longer period of time while also getting me into the hobby gaining valuable hands on experience. I know that nano tanks can be difficult for beginners and that is why they are not recommended but maybe this could also be a positive in that I can make mistakes now and learn as much as I can before I go big? I have not read many people recommend this as a pathway into the hobby so I would love to hear your thoughts? Thanks!

 

[Aqua Man]

Welcome and glad you joined us! Smaller tanks are just less forgiving. Salinity being one of them.
love my small tanks, I have a 20 tall and a 20 long.

 

[JoshO]

There's 2 ways of looking at this really!
Do you want to be able to set something up that you'll keep for years, but be at risk of losing interest early on and losing a lot of money.
Or spend less on a nano and and upgrade a few years later if you're enjoying the hobby and wanting a new challenge, but end up spending more overall.
Personally I'd go for the 2nd especially if you're new to the hobby. It gives you the chance to see what's involved without breaking the bank (too much). The equipment you'd gain from the smaller build can be used, as you said, as a QT or as a frag tank!

 

[Birr83]

This was my thought process. You want to see if your gonna fail or lose interest without committing a sizable investment, Right? I went with a 13 Gallon nano to start with and already planning an upgrade less than a year wet. Good luck with your choices and welcome to R2R.

 

[fish farmer]

There's 2 ways of looking at this really!
Do you want to be able to set something up that you'll keep for years, but be at risk of losing interest early on and losing a lot of money.
Or spend less on a nano and and upgrade a few years later if you're enjoying the hobby and wanting a new challenge, but end up spending more overall.
Personally I'd go for the 2nd especially if you're new to the hobby. It gives you the chance to see what's involved without breaking the bank (too much). The equipment you'd gain from the smaller build can be used, as you said, as a QT or as a frag tank!

I agree with this. I really dislike the "biggest you can afford" especially if this is brand new to you. Do you have any fish keeping experience?

I'd go with something around 30 to 50 gallons with a sump(my personal preference). With a sump you can get a larger skimmer which could transfer to a larger tank down the line and have space for chaeto and other gizmos if that is needed.

I started with a 38, upgraged to a 55, then a 65 and back down to a 29. Being able to manage a decent water change in one bucket is a really nice feature for a smaller tank.

Another thought, many smaller tanks are run more bare bones with less equipment which can make them cheaper, but need more manual care, like manual dosing, etc. There are no rules, if you want to set up a doser, ATO, algae reactor, sump on a nano go for it....I did.

 

[Reefnman2]

Welcome to R2R, good luck!

 

[R.Weller]

Welcome! Make sure your are familiar with the care requirements for whatever livestock you decide & build the nano for that. It's hard not to deviate from the plan when at your LFS of choice, but I think this is a great option. We partnered with our LFS, & told them our plans to eventually upgrade from the beginning. They have made a decent profit over the years helping us stick to the plan & buy when the time was right.

We started with a 60, moved to 220 & now at 300gal. Many of the original components are reused or retooled now.

 

[lapin]

I would go with the smaller tank. AIO are a really good option for a first tank. Low dollar first investment. You will need to pay more attention to cleaning and water changes than with a larger tank but its time vs money trade off.
There is also the creatures factor. Small tanks = small fish and not as many. Inverts can be fun to watch and make up for some of the reduced fish options.
There is plenty of help and pictures here to help you pick what you want your tank to be like.

All In One Aquariums (AIO)

Discuss All In One aquariums like Red Sea, JBJ, Innovative Marine, Coralife, etc. AIO aquariums come with most everything you need to set up a saltwater aquarium in one package.

www.reef2reef.com

oh and Howdy

 

[ahiggins]

Biggest mistake I made when I first got into the hobby was cheating out on lights. Next one was buying a nano to start with-not for the inconsistency, but the space. I quickly realized that the fish/coral I wanted to keep were too big for my tank. I would save and buy what you planned on buying “in a years time”. Don’t get impatient lol
I would say, at least a 40 gallon to start with. That allows most fish and has lots of room for rock scape.
good luck and have fun!

 

[Dcole12]

Welcome R2R! Glad you made a post! I personally just started my first tank back in October 19'. I started with a 46 gallon bow front. I think this was a perfect size.. I personally think when you have a 20 gallon your parameters can swing a lot faster.. such as salinity. My tank parameters have stayed extremely the last 6 months I have had it. There has been no big change in it. The 50 gallon also allows you to keep a lot more type of fish in it than a 20 gallon, but that is definitely preference on the type of fish. If you have any questions about my setup, please feel free to reach out! I think with my entire build (not including tank and stand) on the filtration/lights/rocks/sand/wave makers. I think I spent around $500-550.. Maybe a little more.

 

[Indytraveler83]

Welcome!

I'm not usually part of the "bigger is better" crowd, as very large tanks can be a sizable investment, and mistakes are costly.

However, a nano tank has unique challenges with keeping water parameters stable that are simply not part of the experience of a larger tank. Also, if that system is too small, it won't suffice as a quarentine for your larger system in the future. You may also quickly find that you run out of room for livestock before you've really even began.

Personally I think "medium" sized tanks are the way to go for first timers. 40 gallon systems for instance can stay fairly stable, can support a reasonable amount of livestock, and won't be as expensive as trying to go huge.

 

[Rudzbrewski]

Welcome! You sound like you’re exactly in the place I was a few months back when I decided to jump in. I did decide to go the nano route that I plan to convert into my QT tank once my larger DT time comes. So far it’s been a positive experience with lots of learning and figuring out how I want my DT build to go. My build thread has all the details on my thought process and decision making from the beginning, but happy to discuss more. The only thing I would do different is start with a 20 or 29 just for more livestock options in the short term. Originally the tank was going on my desk, so it had to be only a 10 gallon. It wound up on a stand that could accommodate a 20 or 29. Going slow, doing your research, and embracing the process will allow you to be successful with either route.

 

[Madadoor]

Welcome! You sound like you’re exactly in the place I was a few months back when I decided to jump in. I did decide to go the nano route that I plan to convert into my QT tank once my larger DT time comes. So far it’s been a positive experience with lots of learning and figuring out how I want my DT build to go. My build thread has all the details on my thought process and decision making from the beginning, but happy to discuss more. The only thing I would do different is start with a 20 or 29 just for more livestock options in the short term. Originally the tank was going on my desk, so it had to be only a 10 gallon. It wound up on a stand that could accommodate a 20 or 29. Going slow, doing your research, and embracing the process will allow you to be successful with either route.

Thanks for your input. Your build thread is looking awesome and is pretty much how I picture my progression in the hobby. I even have the same plan to move into a Reefer 350 or 450. I'll be keeping an eye on your build thread going forward. Look forward to the updates!

 

[Rudzbrewski]

Thanks for your input. Your build thread is looking awesome and is pretty much how I picture my progression in the hobby. I even have the same plan to move into a Reefer 350 or 450. I'll be keeping an eye on your build thread going forward. Look forward to the updates!

The nano tank has really been the perfect way to get acquainted with the hobby without spending thousands and making costly mistakes. I’ve learned a lot and also been able to figure certain things out for a larger system slowly. I’m just about to get to the addition of livestock on a regular (but slow) basis, so we will see if I am able to continue maintaining stable parameters once more variables are introduced. I can say that it is easy to see how fast you run out of real estate in a nano as I’ve been planning more and more, but by then I’ll hopefully be upgrading.

 

[RiversideReefer]

many great points made here in regards to starting with a bigger tank first, however i think the important thing is your budget. i just started my first tank (45 gallon) and i am spending wayyyyyy more money than i had originally intended. definitely do alot of research as far as all the equipment you're going to need to get. $400 to $600+ for a good light, especially if you have to get two for a wider tank, to me is insane but its what the live stock requires to thrive...not to mention a RODI unit which can easily run $200-$400.

i get that starting with a bigger tank is more forgiving, however if you can manage to run a smaller tank then you'd be equipped with the right tools/knowledge to EASILY take care of a bigger tank... plus you get to enjoy having a reef tank sooner.