Which Tank to get

Payne Train · Mar 20, 2020

Hello all - I am wanting to start my second reef tank. I’ve been out of the game for a few years with my first tank being a bio cube 29.
My question is this - I’ve been doing a bit of research as to what would be a good setup for a reasonable amount of money.
ive kinda landed on the JBJ 65. Does anyone have any advise on this set up or would you steer me in another direction. I’m wanting something in the 65 gal range, I really don’t want to go any smaller
Thanks ahead of time !

Tony616 · Mar 20, 2020

Go with the biggest you could afford

I would go for the 125.

Payne Train · Mar 20, 2020

My struggle is that I am used to an All In One type of tank and I have never used an actual below the tank sump. That part makes me nervous.

PatW · Mar 20, 2020

Actually a sump is really easy to work with. I was in fresh water and some marine years ago. Sumps are a bit scary because you have an over flow in the display that drains down to the sump and a return pump in the sump to pump water back up.

Sumps are great. You can put all sorts of things into them. I have filter socks to remove unsightly particulate from the water. I have chaeto algae under a strong light to remove excess nitrates and phosphates. I have a skimmer to remove macromolecules and wastes. I have a heater. I have fans that come on to keep the temperature stable. And I have an auto top off to keep salinity dialed in.. And I have dosing pumps to keep ALK and Ca stable. oh, and I have a reactor to run water through activated charcoal. Not one bit of it is visible. The display does not have any visible apparatus except for my powerheads that are low profile.

Sumps make life much easier. If you are worried, the local fish store can set things up for you for a pretty modest amount.

Dolelo96 · Mar 20, 2020

Definitely go for one with a sump. When I went from my Fusion 40 gallon AIO to a Red Sea Reefer 425xl. My LFS helped me set it up and explained everything along the way.

Payne Train · Mar 20, 2020

I have used/done the basics with the bio cube all in one . (The sump is built into the back of the tank with a false wall)
I did mod it a bit with different media stands, Carson, rust, rubble, etc.
I just don’t have any experience with a tank that has a overflow leading into a sump .

Im assuming it’s all very similar to the “all in one” type sumps/tanks - with the main difference being that the sump is below in the stand rather than behind a false wall.

is the plumbing difficult to get used to ?

Payne Train · Mar 20, 2020

How large of a sump for a 90 ish gal tank ? Any suggestions

PatW · Mar 21, 2020

I would suggest a 120 if you are going with a 4’ tank. That means about a 3’ sump. If you want a DIY a 30 breeder. You can do the baffles out of glass panes held in place with silicon caulk. It can look messy but who cares? You want a relatively low height because you need overhead room in your stand so you can reach in and access the sump. Or you can pay more and get an acrylic sump.