I would recommend either a 65 or 75 gallon reef ready tank as a starter. Join a local reef club they will be able to provide you with a lot of great information and maybe even provide you with some help setting it up.
What size tank would you recommend for a beginner?
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Techie_
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It's the only thing I hate about my tank.
MikeyAl
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Same here on my first. It was a drilled tank which was nice but, you are right about the scaping. And trying to clean the glass with the right fit was always am adventure. I was going to go 75, but the cost difference to go 90 was fairly insignificant. . Happy I switched
Techie_
Active Member
For sure on the 4 foot 90, the 5 foot seems like it could potentially have issues front to back.
Neptune1707
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Also one other huge thing I did that will save u so much aggravation with Algae....use RO/DI water. I bought a 4 stage unit and use it to mix all my salt water and for top off water! All my previous experiences I used Chicago tap water...which has some of highest quality tap water in the nation...but to no avail....I would get random algae blooms and cyano outbreaks. Again, been using RO/DI in my new tank with live rock from old 92g tank and what algae was on the rock is gone!!!
So much depends on this. If you have rules imposed by room mates, or landlord, you have to take that into account. I'm sure I'm just repeating others since this is page 2 somewhere, but it never hurts to have information reiterated and validated by others when trying to make your decision.
Many would suggest if you are serious about the hobby, start with the tank you want within what you can afford and fit into the space you have. While this isn't a cheap hobby, it is more expensive if you are upgrading to a bigger size a few times before landing on a system you will actually keep up for a while. I personally jumped from a 30 (tank cracked) to 55 to 90 (wanted an upgrade in size and wanted to sump system). On top of the 90 I have a fish only system for fish I don't want to risk in a reef, as well as my old 55 was turned into a freshwater tank for my wife.
Old stuff can be reused and sold, but you will rarely get your money back out of things, especially anything purchased new.
So that is my first suggestion, but what you want, not what is just suggested if it differs.
The next thing to consider is that smaller is not easier with fish tanks. A tank is an artificially recreated ecosystem so until you reach a certain point the system is much more difficult to keep stable. Overall I think the smallest size I would suggest would be a 40 breeder. I think the 20 gallon tanks are also a good beginner option, but you ned to be aware that if you have more than a few small fish it will get difficult to keep up with the waste going into the water.
Many would suggest if you are serious about the hobby, start with the tank you want within what you can afford and fit into the space you have. While this isn't a cheap hobby, it is more expensive if you are upgrading to a bigger size a few times before landing on a system you will actually keep up for a while. I personally jumped from a 30 (tank cracked) to 55 to 90 (wanted an upgrade in size and wanted to sump system). On top of the 90 I have a fish only system for fish I don't want to risk in a reef, as well as my old 55 was turned into a freshwater tank for my wife.
Old stuff can be reused and sold, but you will rarely get your money back out of things, especially anything purchased new.
So that is my first suggestion, but what you want, not what is just suggested if it differs.
The next thing to consider is that smaller is not easier with fish tanks. A tank is an artificially recreated ecosystem so until you reach a certain point the system is much more difficult to keep stable. Overall I think the smallest size I would suggest would be a 40 breeder. I think the 20 gallon tanks are also a good beginner option, but you ned to be aware that if you have more than a few small fish it will get difficult to keep up with the waste going into the water.
tjnorthdakota
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I would go with a 55 or 65 reef ready. I started out with a standard 90 and switched to a reef ready 55 after a heater cooked the 90 from not being watched by a controller. Learned that mistake, I put together the 90 and ran the tank with expensive stuff in it(coral and fish)and trusted cheap equipment, ultimately it ended in disaster. my advice, buy whatever size tank you can afford to buy quality equipment for because you will have a better experience with it.
Kershaw
Valuable Member
+1
Bigger tank makes things easier while learning. How ever cost is a limiting factor. Example my first tank was a used 180. The guy I got it from said to add water as it evaporates. So I did, I ADDed saltwater for over 3 weeks. Didn't lose anything caught my mistake and lowered it back to normal. A very stupid mistake, thank god for people on these sites to tell me what's right!! Good luck don't get discouraged. Most rewording hobby I have ever had
cb684
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I would say a 100-300 gallon... if it wasn't for the price you pay for your mistakes as a beginner (ok, maybe not a 300 gallon). These prices add up fast, and are much bigger if you have a large system. Let's say, if you decide to switch your skimmer, or lights that could get expensive (although expensive is a relative term). Larger systems tend to be a little more forgiving, but only in the sense that problems take a little longer to reach the disaster level. Once there, a crash is a crash and dealing with that in a large system is more difficult and cost more (in general) than in a small system.
Now, I think I would try to stay as far as I could from plug-and-play. It will limit the things you can try.
As I write this, I start to realize that all that is true, but only if you would like to experiment with your tank and is a hands on type of person. If you want a a nice looking tank to look at with minimum intervention, than forget what I wrote. Other people will likely be able to help you more than I can. Good luck!
Now, I think I would try to stay as far as I could from plug-and-play. It will limit the things you can try.
As I write this, I start to realize that all that is true, but only if you would like to experiment with your tank and is a hands on type of person. If you want a a nice looking tank to look at with minimum intervention, than forget what I wrote. Other people will likely be able to help you more than I can. Good luck!
jamie callard
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taller is not always better as taller equals less light penetration to the bottom that can affect what corals or clams your able to keep and even some inverts
