Tank size for a reef tank

[Surffish]

Would i be better with a 46 bow front , 55 gallon or a 75 gallon tank I have pleanty of room for any of the tanks. Also is it necessarity to use metal hilite lights on any of these's tanks with live rock installed

These questions may sound stupid but I'm new and this is getting addicting Want to do what's right for the tanks
thanks

 

[viper12775]

you need to get the biggest tank you can afford the more water the better it will dilute all the impurities in the water makeing it more stable i have a 46 bow front and i like it but you cant do much with it and unless you will be keeping stoney corals you wount need metal halides go with vho's or compact floressents i prefer the compacts

 

[viper12775]

you need to get the biggest tank you can afford the more water the better it will dilute all the impurities in the water makeing it more stable i have a 46 bow front and i like it but you cant do much with it and unless you will be keeping stoney corals you wount need metal halides go with vho's or compact floressents i prefer the compacts

 

[Anonymous]

I have a 46 bow and do not like it. You are limited on lighting and filtration methods.

Go for the largest tank you can afford and get one reef ready (Drilled) and use a sump. If you dont you WILL be upgrading shortly.

I have had mine for over a year and a half and I am upgrading to a 58 Reef Ready. (All I can fit in my condo).
_________________
Hydrocodone Rehab Forum

 

[Anonymous]

fwiw-

i'll play devil's advocate here :lol: and say you don't necessarily have to go with the biggest tank.i've kept a range of different sizes-from 14-75 gal.s.each was different,but equally rewarding, in it's own way.

the larger the tank,the more money involved-for equipment, upkeep, stocking.

you should first decide on what you really want to keep,and then make a decision as to which size is most appropriate.

the logic of 'the biggest is best' is usually recommended because of the dissemination of the idea that a larger water volume allows for more 'corrective time' in the event of a mistake.imho-if the mistake is gonna be made, the tank size is not the issue-learning to not make the mistake first, is.

if you learn first, and take your time-even a 20gal. 'micro-reef' can be an amazing thing to own. :wink: it just limits you as to the variety and size of the organisms you can keep.(but the same can also be said of the 75, when compared to a 360 :wink: )

hth

good luck

 

[GLD]

what would be the dimensions of your (realistic) dream tank? I am more interested in its height and width than in its length. Everybody seems to want a longer tank, but I am curious to know people's preferences re depth (front-to-back) and height.

Thanks.

 

[ReefLion]

Surffish, I would strongly recommend the 75 gallon among those three. As others have noted, bowfronts have some limitations with lighting due to the odd shape. The 75 is the same length and height as the 55, but it has significantly greater depth. In a reef tank, this really helps with aquascaping.

A 75 IMO is a great size starter tank. I strongly agree that any tank you get should be predrilled with internal overflows.

Lighting is determined by the corals you want to keep. On a 75 you could probably get away with PC or VHO if you avoided SPS corals, anemones, and most clams. You would still be able to choose among lots of LPS, soft corals, and probably derasa or squamosa clams, although these inhabitants would probably also benefit from metal halides. You should really think about what you want to eventually keep before you buy lights.

Tim

 

[Enkidu]

Another option would be to go EVEN BIGGER, to a 90 gal. When I bought my 75 I could have gone with a 90 for $50 more (maybe not even that much, I can't remember) but I didn't. I really wish I had. The 90 is the same width (48") and depth (18") but is a full 4" higher (24").

Getting a taller tank pretty much only costs you the extra money for the tank itself. Sure, you might opt to buy more rock into it in order to get your rock structure closer to the surface, but if you're like me and have an over-abundance of rock, all it takes is spacing it out a little more. Four inches of extra height isn't going to affect your lighting at all (concerning depth of light penetration), especially since you're probably going to want to have a DSB that is several inches thick anyway. One other concern might be the need for increased water turn over going from 75 to 90 gal., but I don't really think its too big a deal; you might want to run 1 more maxijet, or maybe not.

Of course, my next tank will be a 120-180, so this might just be my quest for larger tanks expressing itself.

Just my $0.02

 

[fishfarmer]

I'll say first figure what you want to keep with regard to lighting. Then figure if you can spend x amount for lighting on the largest tank tank(75). The smaller the tank the cheaper your lighting should be, but canopy space can be tight. Smaller tanks can be less work with regards to water changes and water topoff needs.

I started with a 38 gal, same dimensions as the 46 minus the bow. If I had gone with the 46 bow from the beginning, I probably wouldn't have a 55 now. I though alot about getting the 75 gal since it's just a little bigger than the 55, but I would have had to upgrade the lighting and my water topoff needs would be greater. I figured I couldn't meet the needs of the bigger tank because of limited space and money. 55's are a pain to aquascape compared to say a 50 gal or the 75 gal, but it can be done.

A big minus when it come to small tanks is, can you find SMALL corals to put in them. MY LFS rarely sells small frags, so my 38 gal filled up quickly with fist sized colonies.