Thinking about adding another aquarium? Then you should know this...

[Gtinnel]

I look at it like having kids. The first one is the most expensive and then after that the next ones aren't as bad. However my wife doesn't want me to get more than the 1 that I have. I'd like to have 2 tanks, with a frag of each coral that I have in both tanks, so if one tank crashes I still have every coral.

 

[Sharkbait19]

I have only one saltwater tank, but four freshwater tanks.

 

[Bleakborn]

For Saltwater; I have two frogfish tanks a 20gal and a 10 gallon, a 20 gallon long Frag tank, a 40 gallon breeder Mangrove tank and my 40 gallon cube Main Reef tank.

I also have a 30 gallon freshwater planted tank, a 10 gallon feeder shrimp tank and a 10 gallon planted cherry shrimp tank.

That is not including my 3 Snakes tanks, Beareded Dragon tank, Painted Turtle Pond, Sulcata Tortoise pen, Pixie frog, Firebelly toads paludarium and my 10 dart frogs Vivariums

That said I am planning on downsizing, the electric bill is a little nuts! I kind of want to combine the two 40 gallons reefs into a larger reef, like a 60 gallon cube or maybe larger, but tracking down a tank locally has been pretty hard. (living two hours away from the nearest fish store)

But I would tell someone is to do what makes you happy without ticking your significant other off

 

[Coastie Reefer]

Today I was thinking about how many of us have more than one saltwater reef aquarium and if it's actually a good idea or not. The thought of a brand new tank, with new equipment and a new "clean slate" does seem quite attractive. More coral, more fish, more fun right? Is it a good idea? Today I want to hear from all of you crazies who have more than one aquarium.

1. What would you say to someone who is thinking of setting up a second aquarium?

2. What is one PRO and one CON to setting up a second saltwater tank?


image via @Coastie Reefer

BWHAHAHAHAHA... David you picked an addict. I'm literally having a slab poured today to upgrade from this 8x16 shack to a 25.5x40 Shack 2.0!!!

 

[Oregon Grown Reef]

Don't worry about buying more equipment and plumb them together. (coming from a guy who has 3 tanks plumbed separately)

Set up a qt tank for corals/inverts so you don't have to worry about parasites infecting the system. Dip those corals for a good month or more. A simple coral qt could be some live rock rubble and using the old water from water changes on the main system.

 

[Scott Ulrich]

You need to turn at least one of those FW into SW to make it more fair...

Or add 3 more salt water tanks to make it fair lol

It feels like my 125g salt water tank has cost more than all my others combined and takes more work too

Three others are a 55g mbuna, 55g Amazon:angel/tetra/cory, 60g indoor turtle pond, and 20g African clawed frog. My wife says if I get any more I'll have to charge admission lol

 

[malacoda]

I would say, "Me too."

Am actually in the process now.

My main tank is a 4' long 65g. Before we moved last year, in addition to the 65g in the living room, I also had a 24g in my home office.

I miss having that extra 'life' in my new home office ... and am getting ready to set up a 10g on my desk.

Pro: You already have most of the need support equipment/supplies (test kits, water making equipment, foods, etc.).

Con: While it doesn't necessarily double the amount of time, it does add extra time to your tank maintenance routine.

 

[Andreas' Reef]

I would say "nothing good comes fast in this hobby"

Pro: Having a reef aquarium can teach you a lot about biology and it is amazing to look at.

Con: It is a lot of work, which can be good for someone looking for a challenge.

 

[stanleo]

I have my 120 with most of the bells and whistles, Apex, dosing pump, skimmer, sump, refugium. I do water tests and water changes like clockwork. And I have a 20 gallon that is just a heater, powerhead and filter that I never test and infrequent water changes (though I try to do a 50% change weekly.

I like having the second for problem critters that I buy on impulse or that hitchhike on coral like my giant spotted hermit crab that ate half a sand sifting star fish or the gorilla crab that came in on an acro. I don't like having it because of the extra salt that I have to go through.

 

[LegendaryCG]

I have 3 and I’d rather have one tank to be honest.. too much effort keeping multiple independents. Having a spare tank can come in super handy if something goes drastically wrong though.

 

[thepotoo]

I have only one reef tank but 20 freshwater tanks. The reef is approximately the same time and money as all 20 freshwater tanks. I don't know how people have time for more than one reef!

 

[AJsReef]

Take a true consideration of how much time you're willing to spend on additional set ups, they aren't always less work.

Pro - Can keep different species with different demands, more variety
Cons - Time investment "issues", either more overall time in hobby or less time spent on display

 

[DaddyFish]

Not counting QT, I currently have three tanks; a 215-gal and two 90-gal.

1. What would you say to someone who is thinking of setting up a second aquarium?

2. What is one PRO and one CON to setting up a second saltwater tank?

1. Do a lot of pre-planning and give careful thought to what you want to try with the second tank. Look carefully at what equipment makes sense to duplicate. Keeping water parameters closely matched between the tanks is a MUST. You will inevitably find yourself moving livestock from one to the other.

2.
PRO - It's nice to have options for managing your livestock. I enjoy having a FOWLR predator tank and a straight Reef. If you're a gear head like me, you can try new things and get real comparison data between old and new.

CON - In many ways it is twice the work, twice the water testing, twice the cleaning, twice the feedings (even autofeeders must be recharged and refilled and watched). Automation helps a lot, but complacency will yield double the disaster.

 

[UkiahTheTurtle]

I have a 20 gallon reef and a 3 freshwater tanks I would like another reef but my parents won’t let me

 

[zalick]

1. It’s a great idea.

2. pro: you can have a dedicated invert/coral QT that doesn’t need medication. You can have a dedicated fish QT. You can have a second DT and keep stuff not compatible in your DT. More fun!

Con: more equipment. More expense. More maintenance. More RO water/salt.

 

[Bo.]

I'd say congrats on setting up a QT tank!

 

[ultraArcite]

1. What would you say to someone who is thinking of setting up a second aquarium?

Make a plan before you start buying anything. I highly recommend "Reef Journal" by Albert Ulrich III. It helps you narrow focus and define your plan.

2. What is one PRO and one CON to setting up a second saltwater tank?

Pro: You should have at least a QT/Hospital tank at all times... Assuming this means outside of that... You have a place to put fish or coral if you experience an emergency in your main tank.

Con: It's more work and money to maintain two tanks than one tank.

 

[HJ99]

Just getting started the last 6 months but we have the 180 with 90 g basement sump and a 55g for QT/observation. We also have a pond that I built in the 80s with 35 large goldfish. My wife counted them the other day. LOL

 

[Greybeard]

Back in the day... I had a 240g in wall mixed reef in the family room, a 60g tank with a dogface puffer in one of my daughter's rooms, a half dozen tanks varying from 15 to 40 gallons in my seahorse breeding system... and it burned me out. Too much maintenance, too much work, too much expense...

Following a heart breaking round of GBD and a total wipeout of my seahorse herd, I shut down the seahorse tanks. Over the next few months, family illness caused me to neglect my mixed reef. By the time I caught back up, watermelon mushrooms, finding they really liked the dirty water, exploded in population and wiped out virtually every other coral in the tank. What wasn't covered with mushrooms was covered with Grape Caulerpa, which had gone sexual in the refugeum.

So... I shut down the reef.

A power outage while I was away, and we lost the puffer. Shut down that tank.

I was 'out' of the hobby for over a decade.

Never again.

I have 1 tank. It's not huge, about 150g total volume. Don't want more. Just fine with what I've got.

 

[Schraufabagel]

I'm currently setting up my first saltwater tank. But I have 3 freshwater tanks. I'd say definitely invest in what you love! Multiple tanks give you options to keep livestock that normally wouldn't be able to live together.