What size tank would you recommend for a beginner?

[pablue]

I agree with everyone on here that says a 30 gallon or even bigger is better for a beginner to start off with. this is just because there is more water to buffer the mistakes that will be made. But, with all that said it all depends of you! if your someone who doesn't mind investing about 15min a day into your tank then you'll be fine with a small tank. I started with a 30, had it for a year and lost it to red slime that i thought i had control over, clearly i didn't!! No matter the size i would say that there are three things that need to be followed for any size take. 1.) water changes every week on a schedule that is like a religion!!! 2.) flow is the most important thing about your tank!! don't blast it all apart with to much and never go into a fight under gunned. 3.) Let things do there thing man! you can't control it all and sometimes patients and some time for a balance to form is all that is need.

And whatever you do, have fun!!!! if your not enjoying it, then there is no sense in doing it!!

 

[WesF]

60g cube is a good size to start with. Enough volume to keep parameters stable and the 24x24 footprint allows you get you get away with a smaller, single light fixture

 

[Reef Pets]

Large as you can go because like everyone else, you will be ready to upgrade in no time. Why not do it right the first time..

 

[scott021467]

I would say start out with the largest tank you can afford. You need to factor out what your budget and space is and go from there. I started in a 50 gallon with a 20 gallon sump. 2 years layer I moved and went into a 90 gallon. My system is about 6 months old and while I am very happy with it I always am looking forward to my next step.

 

[NanaReefer]

40 Breeder gets my vote.

 

[Uwharrie]

I am new to reefing. Going about 6 months now with a Biocube 29. It's a great starter size. Got it used with lots of upgrades. Still not cheap to outfit and stock but cheaper than what a big tank would be. My next build is going to be a 4.2 pico.

 

[Bruce Burnett]

I will say research, figure out what you want to keep for live stock, how much you can spend, then start shopping around for pricing. Take your time don't rush anything. I had been in fresh water first but started saltwater with a 90 Gallon acrylic all in one, back then it was good but so much more is available today. I went to a 180 gallon then a 240 gallon display. What you are going to keep is really important in your decisions for size, lighting, time to spend and cost as they can range $25-$100 per gallon to setup. The rock and live stock becomes a bigger percentage of the cost as you go bigger. Don't forget on going cost of water changes, power, food, salt and other supplements. If one does not mind the cost Red Sea does make some nice looking systems with some options with everything or where you supply lights and skimmer.

 

[ajones2n]

40b

 

[Kershaw]

If you ever want a tang or an angle fish. Go big

 

[taricha_94]

Thanks guys. I'm definitely going to be doing some more research. I'd really like to go big it's just space and cost that are swaying me the other way, but I'm sure I'll eventually want to upgrade anyway. I'm favoring the 40 breeder right now a) because I have one and b) I might be able to make room for it. I work at a LFS and so I'm comparing all the tank sizes we have there (the 25% discount doesn't hurt either). I still don't know what I want to do as far as livestock though. Definitely not something too big. My coworkers are also giving me lots of tips.

 

[kuora4]

I agree with most of the posts, the smaller the tank the more difficult it is to keep up cristal clear parameters. Then again, a huge tank will increase the cost exponentially and who knows, maybe you wont even like all the commitment, so 30-50G tank would be the best for starters. Dont forget you need a sump on top of that.