Would a 36g tall bowfront make a good reef tank?

[glb]

I've had this tank for years and am wondering if it would make a good reef tank. I've never used medications in it. I've heard tall tanks can be a hassle to move things around, more difficulty with 02 exchanged, etc. would I be better off with a 40g breeder? I've had a 12g nano for 5 years so I'm familiar with SW tanks, but I want to add another one. Any thoughts?

 

[vlangel]

I have this tank as a reef tank and I love it. The only downside is you need to scrub the front glass instead of using a metal scraper. I thought it was wonderful to aquascape though.

 

[vlangel]

Here is a pic of my tank.

 

[NanaReefer]

It actually depends on the corals you plan on keeping and the lighting you'll be using. Especially for corals at/near the bottom. Light has to be strong enough to reach the bottom. Or you'll wind up with a bunch of brown looking corals [emoji6]

 

[glb]

Here is a pic of my tank.

Beautiful tank!

 

[glb]

It actually depends on the corals you plan on keeping and the lighting you'll be using. Especially for corals at/near the bottom. Light has to be strong enough to reach the bottom. Or you'll wind up with a bunch of brown looking corals [emoji6]

I'll be using leds and will probably start with soft corals and LPS. Yes, the depth was a concern for me too, but it is a really pretty tank.

 

[vlangel]

I have a 4 bulb T5 fixture and it has been pretty good for my corals. I do have a dsb so that makes the tank shallower.
Thanks glib for the kind words!

 

[glb]

Are t5's expensive to run?

 

[vlangel]

I am not sure about the electricity, it is more than leds though. Also I replace the bulbs every year (technically it should be every 9 months) and the bulbs are $10-$20 each. So I guess the answer to your question is yes. The fixture is cheaper than an led fixture though, 'so pay now or pay later'.