Need Help Picking Out Tank

[nickdoman]

Hey guys thank for the help i got another question what size tanlk should i go for a 50 gallon 75 gallon or 120 gallon its my first saltwater tank thanks for the help!!

 

[mathman]

I would suggest getting what you can afford but I have recently discovered the neccessity of having a hospital tank!



Good luck!

 

[tyvex]

hey
generally the bigger volume the better, so as mr B said, the biggest you can afford really. it is an expense to start with, a typical system will cost on average around £20 per gallon
what i would suggest is when it comes to dimension, go for wider than taller, the reason being, its best to have as large a surface area as poss, so basically a tank say 4 foot long x 2 foot wide x 3 ft high would have the same capacity as a tank 4ft long x 3ft wide x 2ft high, but the second option gives more surface area than tank one, which would give you more stocking capacity
space is another consideration, a typical 120 gall tank would be 5ft x 2ft x 2ft
big in itself, then the stand and then the hood or lights, i have this size tank in a fairly large room and it still dominates a good area.
weight is yet another important factor, i cant remember what weight i worked my tank out to be, but its bloody heavy, if you live in an upstairs flat, or plan to have the tank upstairs, then just be wary.
there is a mod from another forum i know, who got the builders in to put extra supporting walls and a few other building works to support his (i think)
250 gall tank
anywho, if i think of anything else i'll get back to you
big is beautiful
stay fluffy
ty

 

[Peculiar Clown]

From what I have read on this and other forums, most people seem to suggest that the bigger the tank, the easier it is to maintain with regard to water quality etc. I'm also planning a new tank and I plan to get the biggest I can afford (probably 5ft).

 

[Great Lakes]

Hmmm. I used to be of the thoughts that you should start out as big as you can.

It is completely 100% true that the bigger a marine system is, the more stable it is.

However, it gets REAL expensive!!!!!

IF you have an unlimited amount of funds that you are willing to spend on your tank, great! Get the 120, or bigger. The very best way to get a great system if you have the money is to buy a complete used system for a fraction of the cost.

The largest tank I would recommend anymore for the average Joe to start with would be around the 75 gallon range. This size gives you a 4ft long tank with the respective size stand to be able to put sumps and skimmers underneath with some ease. Some would argue that a 90 gallon has the same footprint, but the extra heigth will give you additional water. I would argue that the 75 gallon is not as tall, therefore your lighting requirements will be easier to meet without resorting to expensive solutions. It also depends on your location. Big city = ease of finding livestock. A rural area such as where I am can make things tiring at times.. B)

 

[whacky]

As al have said the bigger the water volume the better this doesnt have to be all in the main tank though you could have a 50gal show tank then 150 gal in sumps etc.

IMO the biggest you want to go as a beginner is 100gal generally because in the uk im not sure where you are the cost increases dramatically,

as already said go for width rather than height if you are going to use flouros the max depth is 2ft, along with the stocking issues a wide tank gives more variety to aquascaping.

if you can tell us a bit more about what you would like in your system then we could help more, for example if there is a particular fish you want we can advise around that

 

[Great Lakes]

Good Point Whacky, What you want can really determine tank size also. I wanted a Mermaid, but you need a 20,000 gallon tank for that.

 

[Peculiar Clown]

LOL Nice one GL.

 

[whacky]

LOL trust GL