Thinking of going BIGGER

[Billowed]

I have had a 24G nano for around 11 years. Bought around 7 fish 4 of them died right after I got them (who knows). But my chromis, clown, and some other fish have all lived for those 11 years. I had luck with coral for the first 4 years but they started to die off and never got back into it ($$$). Recently, my tank started leaking pretty fast. Ruined my super expensive MDF stand. Already long story short, did emergency maneuvers, but my tank crashed pretty hard. Hundreds of bristle worms and 10s of copepods died. I have lost the chromis and that other fish (forget name). Only my clown left. Tank seems sort of stable. Doing daily water changes.

Toying with going big now. Either a reefer 350 or 425XL. I will start slow. Only 1 Hydra 26 for now but will get another later (6 months?). Probably get 2 more fish and 1 coral (as a test and $$$ saver). Maybe add a coral every month after that. Is the 425XL worth the extra $300?

Feel free to set me straight or recommend anything. But I can't spend too much money. I figure this will be a work in progress over years.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Reefers are excellent tanks and in time I will condense two tanks to go into a reefer system. I do not know of one person with a reefer series that is not having success. Lighting will be an Important addition to this system. It seems those with kessils, Radions or Hydra units have the best coral success.

 

[ndrwater]

For my $300, I would get the 425XL. Bigger is always better in my opinion... Plus.. if you got 11 years out if a nano, the bigger xl may last you 400-500 years..

 

[Billowed]

After much thinking, I have decided to go with the 350. I wanted to make the 425 work even though it was 300 more than the 1649 I already wasn’t plannimg to spend. I measured the space it will go and the 425 just would have poked out too much. My wife would have hated the unatural placement. The 350 will sit almost flush.

I was hoping for some applicable Labor Day sales...but none to be had it looks like.

Going to get the 350, hydra 26 and a return pump. Vectra M1???

I will buy more sand and rock local. Anything else that I just have to have? I have ro/di and salt