Thinking of upgrading

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Mickie

Mickie

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Right now I have a 60 gallon...not drilled/no sump etc...hydra HDs, live rock, 3 clowns, a foxface, sand sifting stars....blah blah.

I caught the bug...thinking about upgrading to a bigger tank....maybe around 125 gallons, 6ft long...fish and coral.

Or should I stay the same or close to it gallon wise and focus on a select few fish and a bunch of coral?

I will be getting a drilled tank either way, with a sump/refugium.
 
look into the RSM S series
Then there's the Reefer series

If you got the bug, then you got the bug:)
 
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Funds are not an issue, though I hate spending money, lol...I am willing to.
 
I'd go bigger than a 60 gallon, but I don't know your budget.

Just curious how long have you had your 60 gal and have you been happy with your Hydra's
 
My 60 has been up for 6 months (older tank, scratches...not pretty), and despite a few WiFi issues, my Hydras are amazing.
20170109_123637.jpeg
 
I have a 75 and still content. That said, I've been tearing thru some of these build posts and I know what my 150 is going to look like(one day). I'd say go bigger, I'd hate to see you get another 60 and in 2 years your run ING out of space wishing you went bigger
 
xREEFINaintEZx said:
I have a 75 and still content. That said, I've been tearing thru some of these build posts and I know what my 150 is going to look like(one day). I'd say go bigger, I'd hate to see you get another 60 and in 2 years your run ING out of space wishing you went bigger
Click to expand...
That's my fear as well.
 
Do you want to buy a plug and play system or do you want to buy one part at a time and do all the plumbing and lighting.
 
AS
GoVols said:
Do you want to buy a plug and play system or do you want to buy one part at a time and do all the plumbing and lighting.
Click to expand...
I'll buy whatever is needed separately (sump, new skimmer, plumbing etc etc). We were also thinking of getting a custom made tank stand...something a bit more durable and pretty I've got a guy for that part lol)
 
I have! I've been mulling it over...I should price both options out.
 
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If I went custom then Felix at Reef Savvy would be my choice.
 
Tidal Gardens
There are advantages to a large tank.

Stability. A large volume of water changes more slowly than a small volume. A large tank will move more slowly in reaction to temperature swings, salinity changes and everything else. Marine organisms respond well to stability.

Territory. I have found that fish that are terrors in small tanks are not problems in large tanks. Many reef fish are territorial. A large tank is often larger than their territory. For some odd reason a fish that feels squeezed for space can become a maniac. That same fish in a large tank will have no issues.

Room to swim. This is an issue for active swimming fish like tangs. My tangs are constantly moving. They need room especially width in a tank. I have seen other fish just fool around. Several of my fish routinely and apparently intentionally surf the powerhead. They will approach the base of the powerhead, swim into the jet, and surf the current for about 2' and go back and repeat.

Aquascape. Having depth to your tank is an advantage in aquascapes. You want a gap between your rock and the glass for access for cleaning the glass and to allow water movement. If you set aside 4", front and back, for this purpose, a tank with an 18" depth allows only 10" for the rock. A tank with a 24" depth allows 18" for rock. A tank with a 36" depth allows 24" for rock. As depth increases, your aquascape can be increasingly three dimensional.

Maintenance. A large issue with any task is just getting ready to do it and then putting everything away afterwards. Many tasks take only marginally more time for a large tank as for a small tank.

There a a few areas where size can work against you. If you have a 60 gallon tank, a 50 percent water change is not that hard to do if you have your own RODI and brute trash cans. A 50 percent water change for a 180 is a different story. Having the space for storing 90 gallons of salt water and changing it quickly is more challenging. You tend to end up doing a series of smaller water changes.
 
Most people always want to upgrade and go bigger which is what I'll be doing again once I move back into a house. IF you're content with staying around the same size check out SCA aquariums. They're great tanks. I'm on my second one. Both times I bought the package deal off amazon. You basically just have to add lights, power heads and heaters. I've currently got the 66g.
 
Top Shelf Aquatics
I have a 60 gallon cube that's been set up for a little over a year and I have been contemplating going bigger as well. The only thing holding me back is the fact that I haven't even filled up my cube yet as well at the extra water needed for water changes.

Good luck but overall I say do it, if I was in your position I would be going bigger.
 
I've been running a 65 gallon tank for about a year, and had dreamed of someday upgrading to a 150 - then my LFS listed their used 220 for sale . . .

Don't quite know if it's going to paradise or a boondoggle, but it's in my living room, and the plumbing is dry-fit! Good luck with your decision!

~Bruce
 
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IF YOU HAD TO TAKE A REEFING EXAM, WOULD YOU PASS?

  • Yes!

    Votes: 32 45.7%

  • Not yet, but I have one that I want to buy in mind!

    Votes: 9 12.9%

  • No.

    Votes: 26 37.1%

  • Other (please explain).

    Votes: 3 4.3%
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