Fellow Reefers I'm in need of some advice. I'm looking to make the change from freshwater to saltwater. I've had a 29g African Cichlid tank for the past 3 years and believe that now I'm ready to make the move to saltwater and looking to put together a reef tank. For the reef ready tank - I'm torn between a 50 and 65 gallon. I chose these tanks due to the limited space I have in my apartment. The location in my apartment where I'm planning to put the tank is about 37 ½ inches long. Cannot go bigger than 36" for the length and 18" for the depth. The 50 gallon is 36 x 18 x18 and the 65 gallon is 36 x 18 x 24. Now, how hard would it be to clean the 65 gallon tank due to the 6 inches in height difference. Also, would I need stronger lighting (for corals) than what I would need on the 50 gallon since its deeper. I'm looking at the T5 lighting systems. Also, will the water quality be different since its deeper. Will I require more power heads for water movement. Please help me decide.
50 Gallon or 65 Gallon
- Thread starter santosnyc
- Start date
Charley Diesing
New member
I would go with a 50 gallon or a 40 gallon breeder. Not the 65.
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Sciencing Daily
I prefer the aesthetics of the shorter tank
RtReef
New member
I can speak from experience on a 65g. If your torn between a 36" 50g or a 36" 65g, then no doubt I would go for a 65g bc you have more volume. More volume of water is slightly more forgiving. 65g is not hard to clean and you can make live rock higher toward the top in some areas and allowing you to have more corals. Lighting will not be an issue either. I had a HO 4x39 T5 that supported every coral except SPS. I recently switched to LED just bc of preference. 65g is a nice size tank is the 36" class. I plan to use my 65g for a sump or a seahorse tank, when I upgrade to a larger tank. Also in a smaller space the 65g will look much larger than a 36" 50g, it will give the impression of a bigger tank than it really is.
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Sciencing Daily
From an aquascaping perspective, the 40/50 breeders are much better when it comes to the finished look.
RtReef
New member
I can say the same thing about 65g.:beer: It's all a matter of preference and how you set your tank up. I personally like the taller look of a 65g compared to the shallower tanks. So with that said...to each their own!
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Sciencing Daily
SneakyPete
I see you
Another vote for 40B. I love the look of mine but possibly more importantly than that, its shallower so that means your lighting options are much more open. It takes a lot more power to reach the bottom of a 65 than it does a 40B.
RtReef
New member
This is true but wouldn't really matter if you are running 4x39 T5 or similar. I was supporting clams on the bottom of my 65g with 4x39 T5. Clams are the most light demanding inhabitant in my tank and did fine under these lights.
Again it all matters on what you want and your preference. I didn't get a 40B or 50g because they look small to me (my opinion)... Go to a local fish store and check out the different sizes.
Don't forget about tanks like Oceanic's 57 gallon "illuminata" which is 36x18x21, taller but still rather rectangular.
I have a 50 gallon breeder and like it. It's shallow enough that a moderately intense light fixture - a 5x39watt T5 Aquactinics in my case - is plenty enough for most coral, yet not too shallow like a 40. I think it's a nice compromise between a 40 and a 65. Have you done an image/video search to compare the two? That'll give you a good feel for each size's aquascaping potential.
Another thing to consider from an aesthetic point of view is that the more rectangular 50 gallon might give you the illusion of a larger tank than the taller 65 which will might look deceptively narrow.
Also, if you like tall corals like gorgonians, a 65 might be better.
In all, I think the 18" front to back might make it difficult to aquascape the 65 in a manner that utilizes the extra height in an aesthetically pleasing manner. If I had the extra cash for a custom tank and stand, I would have gone with a 36x24x24.
I have a 50 gallon breeder and like it. It's shallow enough that a moderately intense light fixture - a 5x39watt T5 Aquactinics in my case - is plenty enough for most coral, yet not too shallow like a 40. I think it's a nice compromise between a 40 and a 65. Have you done an image/video search to compare the two? That'll give you a good feel for each size's aquascaping potential.
Another thing to consider from an aesthetic point of view is that the more rectangular 50 gallon might give you the illusion of a larger tank than the taller 65 which will might look deceptively narrow.
Also, if you like tall corals like gorgonians, a 65 might be better.
In all, I think the 18" front to back might make it difficult to aquascape the 65 in a manner that utilizes the extra height in an aesthetically pleasing manner. If I had the extra cash for a custom tank and stand, I would have gone with a 36x24x24.
Chondro 5
Member
I agree that it might boil down to your height--I'm 6'4" and I wish I would have gone with the 65 instead of the 50 because I could easily reach the bottom of a 24" tall tank with my long arms. My second mistake was not making the stand for my 50 gallon tall enough and I regret it every time I bend down to view my tank.
Toddrtrex
Premium Member
Great last point -- the stand for my 40 breeder isn't high enough (( for me )), and bending over with a bad back sucks.
