How much difficulty does smaller tank volume add?

[carb850]

I know in SW tanks, water volume is your friend. However, how difficult it is to keep up with smaller tanks with regards to water quality (smaller being 25G-50G)? I was under the impression that it was best to avoid but I'm now beginning to think that it is not all that much more difficult.

Any thoughts?

 

[1package]

I have had several of both. It is not more difficult to have a smaller tank it is easier. Water changes are smaller, cleaning is easier. The downsides to the smaller tank - room temperature is more likely to effect the tank temperature (larger temp swings) salt creep/evaporation is more likely to raise/lower your specific gravity faster in a small tank. The biggest - any contaminant introduced into the tank will have a bigger effect on a smaller system from a PPM stand point, as would any type of dead/decaying livestock.

The problem is with most of us from time to time, we do not keep up with things as closely as we should or use to.

 

[Altpers0na-old]

100% agree

i have a 10 and a 20, the water seems to evap faster in the 10 , which has less light and is covered....

i have not seen much trouble from changing salinity levels... but im sure thats the exception

 

[odoprelude]

For your first salt tank, you really should go as big as you can afford though... the temperature fluctuations alone can cause huge problems with algae blooms, corals not opening... Not to mention anything that has died that you can't get to or something on live rock dying (check live rock for sponges and monitor, nothing worse that a big old dead sponge...gak! the solution to pollution is dilutution.. 55 is what I started with and am still running it 6 years later. (my 125 is still waiting for lights..)

 

[carb850]

Honestly I cannot afford a complete setup of any size at the moment. Anything I get will be built up over time. So the biggest I can afford is really infinite since I'm saving. What I would like to have is...

90G RR
black oak stand (no center brace)
Sunlight Supply Maristar 2-250W MH & T5 fixture
Euro-Reef RC80 skimmer
29G fuge
Iwaki pump
2 Tunze Turbelle powerheads
Reef Keeper 2
Tunze Osmolator
RO/DI unit

What would that run? A guestimate is about $4000. So I could do that but it would easily run into next year before having equipment ready.

Other option is a all-in-one nano tank, or build up a 40 breeder but I would be saving up for those too. I figure even those options would not have me adding water until first of next year.

 

[firefish2020]

Sounds like a great tank for SPS to me, lots of flow and light.
I would save and wait if I were you.

 

[Shikaroka]

I don't have too many problems with my 7 gallon.

The bigger the tank, the more stable, but the more involved the maintenance.

 

[carb850]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9934134#post9934134 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by carb850
Honestly I cannot afford a complete setup of any size at the moment. Anything I get will be built up over time. So the biggest I can afford is really infinite since I'm saving. What I would like to have is...

90G RR
black oak stand (no center brace)
Sunlight Supply Maristar 2-250W MH & T5 fixture
Euro-Reef RC80 skimmer
29G fuge
Iwaki pump
2 Tunze Turbelle powerheads
Reef Keeper 2
Tunze Osmolator
RO/DI unit

What would that run? A guestimate is about $4000. So I could do that but it would easily run into next year before having equipment ready.

Other option is a all-in-one nano tank, or build up a 40 breeder but I would be saving up for those too. I figure even those options would not have me adding water until first of next year.

Wow, I was doing a search trying to find another post when I came across this old one. I was considering a nano tank at the time and justified not doing a larger tank because of the cost involved. My reasoning was that it could take me a year before I setup something like I projected. So, here it is 10 months after this post and my build is looking very similar to the 'dream' system I had at the time. I ended up with the exact same light and ATO.

As for the cost estimate, I decided to quit keeping track and would rather not think about it

 

[Altpers0na]

i think im the only person on here that says start with a small tank..

dont go into it thinking its going to be forever...

lots of the stuff can transition over to a larger tank later...

the problems are more maginified with a small tank, but that is a great way to learn how it all works...

the water change thing is great... with a 10g tank, you can change 10g in a matter of minutes.. try a 100% water changed on a 150g tank, thats a pita...

small tanks have less glass area to clean..

and you might just come out with a nice qt tank when your ready to go bigger..

almost forgot, small tanks are easier on the electric bill... smaller and fewer pumps...