Tank Size

[cornishlass]

I have had a read of the forum and it seems there is a conflicting opinion on what would be a good starter tank size? I have always wanted a marine set up, but I said we would wait until we move house, so I have time to save and learn more about keeping it.

So first question what is a nice size tank? I don’t want a huge tank that will take up half the room, as unless we get a home with monster of a lounge I have to consider we have 5 dogs and a Parrot to think about also. But I don’t want a tiny tank where I am very limited as to what fish i can keep and that will also be harder to keep.

My first silly thought was I want all the nemo fish, I now know this wont happen due to their size, I also love puffer fish but I don’t want just a single puffer I would like a verity of fish so a puffer may be out of the question also.

I have seen a few marine tanks for sale and am I correct that they are just deeper than a standard fish tank so you can have a better rock formation?

 

[HappyGeorge]

Well to keep Nemo and his Dad (don't tell the kids but if you get 2 that like to hang about together and one's bigger it's more likely Nemo and his fat wife) is not too much of a chore as they don't need a huge tank I think most would say 120-150 litres would be fine. Your problem would be Dory, she is a Regal Blue Tang and they love to swim fast, gliding in long uninterrupted patterns, I have seen some arguments on sites that people shouldn't keep them in anything less than 6 ft tanks Personally I wouldn't put one in my 3 foot. Don't know squat about puffers think they are fairly specialist, true starfish are iffy, cleaner shrimp are awesome by far the most entertainment in my nano cube at the moment. To be honest as for the rest of the cast Sea turtles are probably a no unless you get some really, really good powerheads, sharks can be a bit iffy when it comes to cleaning the glass and whales require quite a deep tank at least 4ft. Think a stuffed seagull on the top with a sensor that shouts "mine mine mine" whenever someone gets close would be a nice touch though.
Only a beginner myself hope this helps............well some of it.

 

[cornishlass]

lol, thanks, I just loved the look of the tank in the dentist when I first saw it. As for the seagull our parrot fills that roll well lol, and he is white so I can always pretend

 

[seffieuk]

to the salty side of the forum

Your clowns are a good start, so require a tank of a least 20 gallons, I would be happier if they were in 25/30 gallons.

So, tanks for these two fish:

Juwel 125 or bigger
Boyu 550
d & D 28 gallon
River reef - not sure if there is a big one?!

Then you need to consider corals, and you will want them believe me, so you have to think of lights, T5 are good for many corals that a startet might buy.

Then you need to think live rock - the bigger the tank the more expensive, think anywhere from £5 a kilo to £13

Regal, in a tank no smaller than a five footer

Another thought, how are you going to get your water, make your own or buy?

Just a few thinks for you to mullover

SEffie x

 

[ben1987]

one thing i would say is, i prefer the looks of a tank with a front to back dimension of atleast the same as its top to bottom. preferably bigger. i dont like long narrow tanks as its far easier to scape a bigger footprint

 

[Yuma]

Seffie brings up the most important piece of the puzzle in my opinion. What do you really want to keep in it? Certain species of fish, like the ones mentioned, require more swimming room and therefore smaller just isn't adequate to keep them happy, stress and ultimately disease free.

The piece follows closely behind and that is budget. Larger tanks tank GENERALLY require more cash up front to get everything you need and get it up and running. Live Rock alone can be a determining factor. I think you could make an argument that the continued operations between size of tanks is somewhat nominal. Honestly you're looking at the difference in a few gallons of water on water changes (plus salt) and maybe some additional costs with more lights....also something I think in the scheme of things is probably nominal. Just thinking about the water changes (you'll have to convert to metric) but consider this. 30 gallon tank, 10% water change is 3 gallons. 60 gallon is only 6 gallons per change. 3 Gallons of water isn't a huge difference for water or salt, but would definitely add up over time.

Finally, I think the most important factor that has to take all of these into consideration is water volume. Water volume plays a huge role in saltwater tanks in that water quality is VERY important, especially when you start keeping some corals. Big difference between 30 and 60 gallons. Best example I saw was, imagine a drop of red food coloring in glass of water. Turns water at least pink if not read. Now imagine that same drop of food coloring in a 30 gallon trash can....probably won't even add a tint to the water. What that means is that with more water volume, the changes that happen, and they will happen, in your tank have far less impact with the additional water volume. You can also add water volume by running a sump as well, so there certainly are available options.

All that being said, there are lots and lots of people out there keeping nano reefs of 10, 20, even 30 gallons and doing it very successfully, but they are VERY diligent with their water parameters as even a small change can be a big swing in the ecosystem. My local club is actually running a 2.5 gallon PICO contest over the next few months. Will be very interesting to watch that take shape.

All that being said...now to address your question specifically. In the US, they sell a 40 gallon "breeder tank" and that is the most common recommendation that I have seen. It's generally shorter and wider than the regular 40 gallon and provides enough water volume to add some stability but is small enough that it doesn't get overwhelming. I would say anything in this range is an excellent starter tank, but keep in mind what I've said above, and if you can swing it, starting with something slightly bigger is only going to help with the stability of the system.

Hope that helps,

 

[cornishlass]

Wonderful thanks, lots to think about