Ideal Tank Size

[zak.payne]

I'm back with trying to decide what the "ideal" tank size would be for someone's first tank. I have all the equipment decided on and now it's just the tank. My original thought was going with a 34 gallon AIO from Cadlights. I know the larger the tank, the slower any crisis will be...but I also know additional costs come with larger tanks (more water, rock, fish, etc.).

The other option is the 70 gallon Artisan II 2015 from Cadlights. This one made the running because I love the stand design and how it would look in my house.

Or are there other tanks people would recommend? I see a lot of talk on the Innovative Marine Nuvo series as well.

Any input is greatly appreciated!

 

[toothybugs]

I would go with the 70. My first "real" tank was a 75 and it was a nice balance between "big enough" and "manageable" with equipment costs not too dissimilar to the 40 I am running now. I'd jump to a 75, 90, or 120 in a second if I could.

 

[scooter31707]

I agree.. I would try and get a 75 or 90

 

[zak.payne]

The only other size they have is 100. But that seems overkill to me.

 

[wicz101]

The only other size they have is 100. But that seems overkill to me.

I think you be surprised how quick a 100g tank seem really small, based on fish and coral spacing. Also maintance is pretty much the same until you get up in the 200 gallon range, and even then having a daily/weekly/monthly routine is one of the most important things.

 

[scooter31707]

I also recommend to get the biggest you can afford and support. I see it all the time, hobbyist starting out get a small tank and 6-9 months down the road they want a bigger tank.

 

[ericarenee]

The ideal size is the Barrier reef...

with that said i would go with the biggest your wallet can afford.Or something very small and cheap to see for sure you want in the hobby. The issue with say a 70 gallon tank. Your suck with its semi expensive equipment when you upgrade as non can handle even a 125 and the stuff for 125 is prob much more then the 70 can deal with.. So IF you are not sure your in the hobby for long run. like a 20 g nano .(this is more trouble then a 250) but cheaper .... Then make the big Leap

 

[FSUwxman]

The solution to pollution is dilution. I learned this the hard way with my first tank of 35 gallons years ago. The larger the tank you can afford the better. It is LESS constant work from my experience. It also allows for an occasional small error where a smaller tank may not recover from such an error (over dose, over feed, etc).

 

[mmittlesteadt]

I have a 40 Breeder which is ideal for it's size. If I had the room for a longer tank, it would be the 75 gallon hands down. I only had room for a three foot long tank in my living room, but my sump is a 65 gallon in the basement so I have lots of total water volume.

My vote based on your choices would be the 75.

 

[thegrun]

I agree that your choice of fish should factor into your decision. You can have a beautiful 34 gallon reef tank but you will be limited on the fish you can keep. 70 gallons gives you a few more options, but you really need to jump to a 120 gallon tank for tangs and even then there are only a few that do well in a 120. Obviously initial costs come into play with lighting being the single most expensive item. For maintenance there really isn't much of a time or cost difference between a 34 gallon system and 120 gallon system, but the initial costs are large.

 

[zak.payne]

I have no intention of wanting tangs or anything like that for this go around. I know I want to be in the hobby (been helping my dad with his tank for years now) and now that I have the space it's the time to act. I really am content with clowns, gobies, etc. and a handful of coral. So the 34 gallon is somewhat where I am leaning currently.

 

[toothybugs]

If you go with carpet nems or any clown other than an ocellaris pair you will be happier with the 70...

(I'll admit I have my bias through longing. Not ashamed to admit I wish I had a bigger tank than my 40.)

 

[zak.payne]

Good to think about. I'm really just thinking the basics for this (acans, zoas, LPS) and maybe get into SPS once the tank has been established. I'm putting two Kessil A160s on it so the lighting will be capable of growing them if I choose.

 

[Ian14]

My first reef tank was a 220.. lol. A bit over kill and i bit off more than I could chew initially. a 100 gallon tank would be fine. A nice first tank IMO would be a 75-120 gallon if you can afford it.

 

[Pigpen17]

I would go with a 75-90 if I started again. The fish you can keep opens right up at 75g. Not that I don't like my 56, but there are a lot of fish I like that just won't fit. As far as recommended tank sizes for fish it seems like it breaks down to fish for a 30g, 75g, and 125.

 

[sctip]

My first reef tank was a 75, if you like the way the 70 looks and it fits in your house I would have to lean towards that one as the one for you.

 

[cincyjim]

I have a 75g and love it. The only drawback is that I wish it was deeper.

 

[A sea K]

I think people should start with a smallish tank first go round. Its fairly cheap and not as hard (or expensive) to correct mistakes and it is a given that mistakes will be made while learning. Probably the best choice IMO would be a 40 breeder.

My first tank was a 65, next was a 210, now I'm down to 30. I still find ways to improve with each new system I set-up and my newest 30 gal is no exception. I think the ideal size for a modest system in an off the shelf tank would be the Deep Blue 80 gal, I really like the dimensions on that tank.

 

[LuciDog]

I have a 30, a 90 and a 120. And if I could, I'd be up in the 200 mark. The 120 just seems a tad small for what I want.

 

[DavidinGA]

The solution to pollution is dilution. I learned this the hard way with my first tank of 35 gallons years ago. The larger the tank you can afford the better. It is LESS constant work from my experience. It also allows for an occasional small error where a smaller tank may not recover from such an error (over dose, over feed, etc).

Excellent advice.


Back to the question at hand... I'll just say my 210gal seems too small and I need to upgrade. Go as big as possible imo...