48x24x24 Or 60x18x18

[@ombomb]

Am starting to plan an upgrade and am thinking about tank sizes.

I'd like to be able to keep one the smaller tangs, would 4 foot be long enough for an adult bristletooth tang or would it prefer a longer tank with slightly less volume.

No other fish that I have in mind are a concen size wise.

 

[ReefKing]

Am starting to plan an upgrade and am thinking about tank sizes.

I'd like to be able to keep one the smaller tangs, would 4 foot be long enough for an adult bristletooth tang or would it prefer a longer tank with slightly less volume.

No other fish that I have in mind are a concen size wise.

are you going with corals, because depth and light dont go together. If not go for the longer. Tangs love to swim around.

 

[@ombomb]

It will be a reef tank.

Lighting will be metal halides.

 

[Danno]

I would go with 60x18x18 just for the simple reason of light penatration. I'm not sure how much 6 inches would affect the lights but that would be my input on the matter. The only thing that goes against the longer tank is that there will be more evaporation, and it will be a small volume due to sand.

 

[@ombomb]

The only thing that goes against the longer tank is that there will be more evaporation, and it will be a small volume due to sand.

not really sure what you mean... the 48x24x24 has a larger surface area than the 60x18x18.

small volume due to sand...?

The benefit I seen in the 4 foot tank is different aquascaping options.

 

[Danno]

Sorry...brain fart. You're right.

 

[andywg]

For light you are in an interesting quandry.

Generally a 4x2x2 will be lit by 2x250wMH (sometimes 400W)

A 6x18" will need 3 x150WMH (sometimes 250W).

So you wouldn't need such large MH, but you would want an extra one, unless you had one end of the tank darker.

The 4 foot will allow better aquascaping back to front, but you have the length with the 6 foot.

Why not just get a 6x2x2? There's not a great deal of difference in price, and you can always start off with less LR and stock lighter. Or, go in between (like I did due to concerns about a 150 gallon in the upstairs bedroom) and get a tank 5 feet long, only 18 inches tall, but 2 foot front to back.

 

[@ombomb]

Why not just get a 6x2x2?

trying to walk the fine line between cost and space while still getting it approved by the girlfriend...

also am slightly concerned that a 6x2x2 will be too big for the room it's going in

this does also lead to another question though... where's the best place to look for bargains on MHs?

 

[@ombomb]

looks like DIYing is the best option on the MH front...

Couple of these, custom canopy and we should be fine.

 

[ReefKing]

The only thing that goes against the longer tank is that there will be more evaporation, and it will be a small volume due to sand.

not really sure what you mean... the 48x24x24 has a larger surface area than the 60x18x18.

small volume due to sand...?

The benefit I seen in the 4 foot tank is different aquascaping options.

You would loose alot of the light spectrum in just 6 in. of water.

 

[SkiFletch]

and get a tank 5 feet long, only 18 inches tall, but 2 foot front to back.

That's a fantastic idea if you ask me. Best of all worlds

4x2x2 (120g) are actually the one of the worst tanks for weight displacement on floorboards. Great aquascaping options, but not so good for weight displacement. Longer tanks actually displace much better with the larger footpring surface area.

 

[@ombomb]

That's a good point Ski.

This is all for a house I'm moving into in a couple of weeks, so will need to investigate the weight side further once we're in. Meanwhile I'll start working on the girl friend...