I am trying to decide between two tanks. One is an 89 gallon: 3'x2'x2'; or a 135 gallon: 40"x26"x30". I am thinking of the 135. Any comments about the dimensions? I can do proper lighting and everything, so lighting wouldn't be an issue for me. The reason I would opt for a higher tank is: a) I don't have the room for a longer tank; and b) I want to have a nice gradual change of corals from SPS to LPS to softies, which with a deeper tank I could do better without running out of room. I have seen a deeper tank set up really awesome and am wanting a bigger challenge than my 54. I am going to have an overflow centered at one end with two returns in the overfow to alternate either with a SCWD ( which I already have) or a different type of control for two pumps or a switching valve controlled by a control timing relay I can pick up at my wholesale (electrical). Then I know I would definately want a fuge, probably a 30, with a 15 gal sump.
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Decisions!
- Thread starter qwiksilver
- Start date
I don't know Taz. Being that many reefers including myself keep reefs as small as 7 gallons (or smaller) without any problems, I find it difficult to use the "bigger is better" arguement these days. That was more for old school, undergravel or power filter driven tanks IMO. My 7 gallon nano was one of the most trouble free, easily maintined tanks I've ever had.
As far as his tank options go, the larger size in this case isn't really going to put him over the top with any particular species I can think of. In other words, I can't think of a fish he can put in the 40" tank that won't live in the 36" tank as well. It's more a question of real estate than gallonage. If he was talking 36" vs 72", well then all sorts of options open up. :wink:
Jim
As far as his tank options go, the larger size in this case isn't really going to put him over the top with any particular species I can think of. In other words, I can't think of a fish he can put in the 40" tank that won't live in the 36" tank as well. It's more a question of real estate than gallonage. If he was talking 36" vs 72", well then all sorts of options open up. :wink:
Jim
tazdevil":1f7sury3 said:If you can afford it, bigger is better. Less fluctuations, and happen more gradually. Also, greater flexibility in inhabitants. Only negative to bigger (as long as the floor can support it that is) is the additional costs.
There are other issues too, at least with the dimentions listed.
The bigger one is significantly *deeper* which isn't necessarily better when it ocmes to getting light to things that need it.
I'd say wider is almost always bettter, and longer is if you can afford/fit it, but deeper depends on what you plan on keepking. ANd I guess wider woudl become an issue in really wide cases unless you very carefully arranged your lights.
Though, if it were me, I'd still go with the 135.
Well, I want my SPS's up top, and given I have a 400 MH with HO T5's Actinics I think the light will be enough for SPS up top. I don't want to go for the full tank of SPS, don't care for it that much. Underneath their level, probably 12-18" down I would have LPS and some higher light demanding softies, and then the lower half would be softies and gorgonians and cupcorals etc., the lower light loving sp. I am also prepared to add another 400 if one isn't doing the job, but like I said, I am not after a tank of SPS, and the ones I have will go in an appropriate place.... right under the halide like they are in my 54 gallon. Basically I am taking my current 54 (36"x18"x20") and making the footprint on it a bit bigger and adding 10" of height. The corals I have in my 54 are doing great with the 400W MH 20,000K Hamilton bulb (fixture and ballast DIY) and actinics. But, like most of us, a bigger tank would be sweet, and I want to custom a bigger one to fit on a specific wall in our apartment. So, I can't go longer, or I would, and one day down the line in maybe 10 or 15 years I want to upgrade to a really large tank (6'x6'x3'- I think that's about an 800gallon). But, until then this 135 would give me more options than I have now. My question though is if you think I could stick a tang (I was thinking a Regal or Kole) in my tank (40"x26"x30") ?
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