Is bigger better?

[robertgiants]

Hey all,
Initially I started looking at a 75 gallon tank thinking that was huge. Once I made the decision of going saltwater and researching more the 75 gallon started not to seem so big after all. People say to start out with FOWLR, because reef tanks are much more difficult to maintain. :thinkhard: then go reef when you understand and are able to keep your existing tank living. Ok, so I started looking at a 125 gallon tank, then 135 gallon, and now 175 gallon. This person said that I could even start a reef tank and that people make them sound much harder than they really are :beatdown: Is it true that the bigger the tank, the easier it is to keep the biological factors normal? Easier to keep fish and reef living? I hear this do to water volume that is greater takes more pollution or whatever it is that destroys a tank to take effect :hmm3: Or much easier to maintain.
If I were to buy a 175 gallon tank, would you suggest a reef tank to start with????? I know it will take more time, but thats a commitment we will take :w00t: what do ya think

thanks

[Condiman]

IMO I think that a bigger tank is better because it will give you more room for error and more room to place things in your tank. The key thing to do before starting a reef aquarium is to do plenty of reasearch and ask plenty of questions (like here for instance). Have you had any aquarium experience in the past or is this your first tank?

[Telco Guy]

Be careful listening to the LFS (Local Fish Store). They may be telling you things just to sell you more stuff. It is true that bigger tank has a larger water volume and therefore more room for error. But, do you have an unlimited budget on this? With a bigger tank, you will need much more light and LR (Live Rock) and LS (Live Sand) to start the tank. That can get really expensive in a 175 Gallon tank. :shock: But, as Condiman says, the key is research. Ask a lot of questions of many different people. Read books and make your decisions based on what you've learned. This will save a lot of money and heart ache in the future.

[Zack]

Ditto on what these guys have said. think it is imporant to research and you came to the right place to ask all yoiur reef related questions. I hope you keep us updated on what you decide. :)

[robertgiants]

thanks guys :D

[crazy_reefing]

If you have the money to spend up front - go for the bigger. It will possibly save you money in the future. Reason being - everyone who starts out small wishes they went bigger causing them to spend more money on a new big tank. That's what happened to me. Also think of what you want to put in the tank some fish can only go into larger tanks others it doesn't matter too much. Another thing to think about is tank placement. The area where you are going to put the tank - does it have the proper support for a large fully stocked tank? Just some more ideas.

[robertgiants]

Would the basement be enough support? I have thought about it and thats why it is going downstairs. I would like it upstairs, but the weight would scare me. The basement is carpeted with cement under it of course.

thanks

[Zack]

I have the same situation to robertgiants. I keep mine downstairs with cement floor and carpting. works great. :D

[robertgiants]

How big is your tank Zack?

[Zack]

i have servel i keep a 50 gallon with a 40 gallon fuge pritty much all together along with some 20 gallon tanks.

[robertgiants]

in all respect Zack, why? :D Im still new at this, and just wondering why you keep so many tanks instead of a big one :razz:

[Zack]

HAHAHA
Well the 50 gallon is the main tank and the 40 gallon is the sump/refugium for it.

The 2 other twnetys i could not give up, i'm a nano reefer. :D

[ATLANTIS]

I had no experience at all with reef or marine fish tanks and bought a 75 gallion main tank inc o/flow weir with 20 gallion sump, Bio ball tower, protein skimmer, UV sterilizer, Atman 337 filter, Teco rc200 chiller/heater and 2800 litres/hour main pump and have had no problems at all with water paramiters or live stock in the tank. I suppose that the most important thing they all say is that DONT rush the cycle, i had live rock only in it for a month and a half to make sure that everything was spot on. after that i put two blue/green chromis as test pilots for 2 weeks then i slowly added stock over a long period not to shock the system. So its not hard you just have to be very patient and use commen sense.

Mick

[MikeS]

your cement floor will be plenty strong. But be sure you pick a level spot to set the tank up on...when a tank is not level, most of the weight and pressure of the water shift to one area of the tank glass...this can lead to leaks or even total stress failure of the tank!
MikeJS

[robertgiants]

thanks Atlantis, that sounds like very good advice :coolbeans:

[mjc]

Robert,

What you will find, if you have not already, is there are many ways to achieve results as you approach this hobby. The info and advice you read are usually based on individually tried and true methods as well as an industry, or aquarium best practice.

Opinions and comments will undoubtedly vary and you may question it's logic (or validity) and the best advice I can give you is to do your own research so you can understand what is it you're trying to achieve and what the expected results should be, paratake an approach or process you feel is appropriate in giving you those results (read: experiment), and above all, have patience, patience, and patience.

/// Marty

[robertgiants]

I really apprectiate that mic. I have been doing a lot of reading, but im also interested of course in a forum such as this to learn from other peoples mistakes. I know its an expensive hobby and dont want to afford any mistakes, thats why Im asking a lot of questions throughout this forum. I dont have anything set up yet, its still in the process. Man though, I bought a 175 gallon tank w/ stand, fiji live rock, base rock, power pumps, crushed coral for bottom of tank, protien skimmer, lighting, canopy, I think I covered it. All for just a simple $4,185. Yeah, you can say its an expensive hobby :D Im looking forward to it though, and one thing that I definately will have is patience, I cant tell you how many people have said that. Im looking in the future as to how the tank will look, and I know it will be a slow process. Thank you for your advice

[mjc]

Robert,

re: "...you can say its an expensive hobby ..."

I tell my clients aquariums are a luxury with no hard return on assets, only intangibles such as the calming effect from viewing or tinkering with their tanks. One person said he's no longer watching television and feels he's saving money from electricity, I quickly reminded him he has three tanks and the electricity he's using to run all three is more than what it takes to run his wide screen TV.

With respect to your crushed coral - some folks dont use it, saying its a nitrate producer and either going to the point of (1) removing it from their tanks or (2) adding layers of finer sand on top. Some folks feel crushed coral is like using bio-balls in the trickle / wet/dry filter, the issue being they're detritus traps. IMO, just be sure to have a few power heads directed low to keep the detritus moving, vacuum it when changing water, and keep tabs on your water parameters.

/// Marty

[robertgiants]

what is detritus?

[mjc]

Detritus is the waste or dead organism produced by your livestock and inhabitants. These include #2 :wink: , uneaten food, dead fish, corals, etc. They're typically the sediment that's laying or gathered on the rocks, substrate or devices within your tank.

[robertgiants]

never mind, I just found out.
rock in small particles or other material broken away from a mass as by the action of water or glacial ice. 2. a rubbing away. So basically rock that rubs away over time and accumulates in the fine pores and hollow shells.

[Paidbychrist0825]

nope. MJC was right. fish wastes and that kinda stuff