Opinions

[tank o tang]

I have a tough decision as I will be breaking down one of my fowlr tanks. My 180gal will become my reef then I will have to decide which is better to keep running as my fowlr.

156gal 5'x24"x24"
or
125gal 6'x18"x24"

I look at both tanks and having a hard time deciding weather I prefer the extra foot of length or the 6" of depth.

 

[scolley]

Are you putting one - the one that isn't the FOWLR - under your 180 as a sump? If so, I'd go with the sump that has the best horizontal footprint - the 156g. Having a foot of space on one end in a stand is much easier utilized IMO, than the extra 6" across the length that the 125g provides.

And even if you weren't putting one as the 180g's sump, I'd use the 125 as the FOWLR anyway. The human eye more comfortably scans visual scenes from side to side then scanning up and down, just as fish swim more readily horizontally than vertically. IMO the 125g is more suitable to how fish behave, and better shaped for viewing by the human species too.

My 2 cents.

 

[Wheel of Time]

For a reef tank Id go for the extra depth, but since it will be a FOWLR, I agree with Scolley. But heck, it is all personal preference.

When are you thinking of making the swap of the 180 into the reef tank?

 

[tank o tang]

The 125 makes most sense since it is already where the keeper would have to go. Finishing my basement has been a very slow process but eventually my plans are to get another 180 and put it down there as my fowlr. 3 big tanks are beginning to be a bit much (electric, maintenance, food, etc.) for me. Not to mention with the extra space I may set up a nano frag tank. Good thing is that I don't have to part with many fish as my other systems can handle them. The fish that Ihave to decide about are my tiny stars and stripes puffer (awsome personality), pinktail trigger (great looking fish but has become the boss of my 180 and very aggresive. gets along fine with my inverts, and coral but I don't want to take the chances with my clam.) and my porc puffer which will be going into the 125. All the other fish in this tank are small and reef safe so they can stay. I won't be using the tank as a sump until I get a 180 down my basement that will have a tiny fishroom behind it and a central sump for the reef and fowlr. As for when I'm going to get it all done is unkown. I am one of those people the wake up and just decide to get it done. I still have to build a canopy for my 180 so it can house my mh's. Right now I'm still using the aga oak canopy but it dosent have the height for mh's or the tank access like I would like it. Another day another project. lol