Upgrade to a 75 or a 90?

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glb

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Hi everyone. I'm doing research on getting a bigger tank and I notice that these two sizes have the same footprint but the 90 is taller. I can't and don't want a tank any bigger than this. I plan on growing soft corals and lps only at first, maybe sps in the future. I'll use led lights. For what I want, will led lights be sufficient for the deeper 90g tank? I know everyone says get as big as you can afford. I'm curious about everyone's opinion on this. It's important to get a lot of advice ahead of time!!


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12g Nanoreef. Zooanthids, Ricordia, Star Polyps, Acans and two clownfish. CF Lighting, 75% actinic blue, 25% 10,000k white.
 
Not much diference in the 2 as you know, it really doens't matter which you get. LEDs today will penetrate both tanks with no issues, and even SPS, people don't usually put them in the sand, so you'd position them higher in the tank anyways. All your call.
 
I would say a Deep Sea Aquatics 105 gallon, 48 x 24 x 21" tall, but since you dont want to go any bigger thatn a 90, I vote the 75.
 
Go with the shallower tank it is easier to do maintence and aquascape


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Thanks everyone!


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12g Nanoreef. Zooanthids, Ricordia, Star Polyps, Acans and two clownfish. CF Lighting, 75% actinic blue, 25% 10,000k white.
 
Also lighting is not as much if a issue
I have a 150 that is 48" wide 30 deep
Sucks can't even reach the sandbed


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Id do a 4x2x2 120 gal. not much difference in size but a heck of a lot of difference in water volume. But you did say no bigger then a 90. Id go 90 if that was the case...I read somewhere that the best fight against pollution was dilution.. Made since to me.
 
Id do a 4x2x2 120 gal. not much difference in size but a heck of a lot of difference in water volume. But you did say no bigger then a 90. Id go 90 if that was the case...I read somewhere that the best fight against pollution was dilution.. Made since to me.

I agree with you there. But I'm used to a 12g nano so anything I get is going to seem huge!


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12g Nanoreef. Zooanthids, Ricordia, Star Polyps, Acans and two clownfish. CF Lighting, 75% actinic blue, 25% 10,000k white.
 
It's all about what you want to keep in the tank... I started with a 30gal, upgraded to a 75, and then got a 90. Finally found a tank that's right for me. IMHO, if you go with a 75, you'll always say to yourself, "why didn't I just go with the 90?"
 
Having come from a 75 I always kicked myself for passing on the 90. But then again I always kicked myself for not going with the 120 either.
 
the way i look at it is in length. a 75,90 and standard 120 are all 4' so the lights should be the same and a skimmer is close also. where you will take the hit is water changes and rock etc.. but i think it would be worth it to be able to have more fish. i have a 75 and its packed. working on a 7' 210 gal now so im kinda in the same boat about the change to something bigger...terrified and excited at the same time.
 
My main concern with going bigger than a 90 is maintenance. Water changes, cost of supplements, etc. I'll maintain the tank myself so I don't want it to become so much of a hassle/cost that I don't enjoy it. I've read that everyone has a 'sweet spot' when it comes to the right size tank. The 120 is tempting! Are my concerns valid?


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12g Nanoreef. Zooanthids, Ricordia, Star Polyps, Acans and two clownfish. CF Lighting, 75% actinic blue, 25% 10,000k white.
 
i would say do the 120 if you can. that extra 6" of width is nice. if not go for the 90. a 75 is nice but with a 24" tall tank you have a lot more options at creating real estate for coral placement.
 
The 120 is your best option for scaping. Its deeper front to back and gives you more room for scaping. Also 24 gallons to equal out 20% for the 120 isn't that much difference than 15 gallons for a 75. I'm basing these numbers on display volume alone since not all sumps are created equal. The depth from to top bottom of a 120 isn't much different than a 75. 75s are 20" or 21" if I remember correctly and a 120 is 24".
 
I think you all are changing my mind to a 120! How big of a sump would I need for that size tank?


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12g Nanoreef. Zooanthids, Ricordia, Star Polyps, Acans and two clownfish. CF Lighting, 75% actinic blue, 25% 10,000k white.
 
Definitely go for the 120. Your really only talking about an additional 4g of water during a water change and the extra 6" you gain in depth perception will really help when it comes to aquascaping. Scaping a 55 and making it not look like a rock wall is nearly impossible. the 75 & 90 are a little easier at 18" front to back, but when you add the extra 6 for the 120g, you open up a whole new realm of scaping.

Just my $.02

I started with a 90, bought a 120, built a stand and canopy for it, and as soon as I set the tank on the stand in my garage, I knew that a 120 was just not long enough. So I traded the tank, stand and Canopy for a 180. Now that's a nice dimension.
 
I think you all are changing my mind to a 120! How big of a sump would I need for that size tank?


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12g Nanoreef. Zooanthids, Ricordia, Star Polyps, Acans and two clownfish. CF Lighting, 75% actinic blue, 25% 10,000k white.
You stuff in what you can get into the stand. Any size sump is better than no sump.
 
I would go with the 90 if its between the 75 and 90, the extra volume counts. Its only a couple inches taller and is still easy to maintain and lights will penetrate fine. I had a 90 for 13 years before building my current 100G which is 60" long.

The 120 would be an excellent choice too, the extra front to back size makes a huge difference in how you can do your rockwork!
 

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