How Big is Too Big to Start?

[Tstead_504]

Have been researching for well over a year on the subject of creating a saltwater aquarium. I have been planning to build a 60x30x27 eurobraced tank. When I first introduced myself someone said "thats a lot of tank to start with". And then a good friend of mine who is into freshwater said the same thing. My LFS said bigger is better, which the though process I have been working with hence starting my first tank of 210 gallons with another 70-90 gallons of support. Do you I am being to ambitious for my first tank or that maybe, just maybe the pessimists might be right?

Insight anybody?

 

[mrukus]

everyone advised to go as big as I could so I went with a 75. the cost of the supporting equipment quickly shot up and it turned into a big gamble if I will even stay with it and like it. I have really become obsessed And wish I could have gone bigger. Just don't forget the skimmer, lighting, power bill. It's all alot more than you would initially think. If money isn't that much of a concern and you feel pretty stoked about it I would say go for it. Another plus to a tank that big is you can do pretty much anything you want. I realized after I fell in love with a porky puffer there is no way I could keep him in a 75 for too long

 

[deerhunter06]

only reason ppl say that Is the smaller the tank the more evident problems can be. I started with a 30 then went to a 55 then went to a 120 and I think that's as big as I need. Theres nothing wrong with going with 210 you are going to have a ton of evaporation and the bigger the tank the more expensive things are like reactors and skimmers. Just being prepared for what you are up against is half the battle though. good luck

 

[cope413]

One of the main reasons people advise to go as big as you can when you start - aside from being able to get the livestock you want - is that larger tanks are generally easier to maintain stability with.

In a 30g tank, with live rock, sand, and whatever else, chances are your total water volume is closer to 22g. Let's just say you lose 1g of water to evaporation. That's about a 5% swing. If you were to lose 2g in a short period of time (a 10% change) without being aware of it and remedying the situation, that could easily be enough to stress out and possibly kill livestock.

Another scenario with a smaller tank is a water change. If you were to make a batch of water that was off in salinity, either high or low, you could change the parameters enough to cause stress. A 5g WC on a 22g tank represents a big % - and you'll come to discover that nothing we keep in our tanks does well with sudden, drastic changes.

Cost is obviously a factor, but 210 isn't too ambitious provided you are properly setup to begin with. If you can afford good (doesn't have to be top of the line, but it definitely shouldn't be bargain basement) equipment for a 210, then there's no reason you shouldn't start with that size.

 

[SeahorseKeeper]

I think the 210 is a reasonable tank to start with. I know I started with a smaller tank and I want to keep upgrading. I would have saved a bunch of money by starting with a larger tank.

 

[Mike in CT]

You also have to think if 50 gallon water changes are something you want to be doing if the need arises.
I have a 75 and I want to go bigger, but I would have to have an easy water change setup cause lugging water around gets old. I would say start reasonably smaller, then after a year or 2 and you still have the bug you can transfer all you learn into a bigger tank. You can probably transfer most of your equipment if you choose wisely. Me 2 cents
Good luck!

 

[mcarroll]

You tank should be as big as possible without exceeding your ability to take care of it in terms of time and money.

Your livestock list, on the other hand, should be as small as possible and grow slowly until you are very comfortable seeing and addressing changes in the tank such as decreasing alkalinity or increasing nutrients.

 

[Briguy350]

if you have the money than i guess go as big as you can. but if i think a 75 or 90 gallon is a perfect size to start your investment. because it is a definite investment and only gets higher the bigger tank you go. i went from 25 to 36 to 75 to 90. i love the size of the 90 for my house. its not the biggest house so it looks big! it really taught me a lot about plumbing a tank and gave me experience. but if you have to $$$ do what you can afford but buy quality stuff. its cheaper to start off with a 75 gallon and buy a huge oversize skimmer and upgrade later than throw down 5k on 210 with proper equipment. just saying. start where you can afford equipment wise and upgrade tank size from there. size doesn't matter when it comes to reef tanks! HeHe, quality first!

 

[CastAway]

My first tank, started in March of 2014, is 60x28x24 and 150g. Total system is approximately 210g. I confess, there was something a little unsettling about all that water on day one. I was not prepared for the noise either. For me however, it's a good trade off, the stability of a larger system vs cost. I believe the general rule of thumb is, go as big as you can afford for a greater chance of success and ease. Best of luck Tstead. Geaux Tigers!

 

[anarchy]

I think the reason people say not to start so big is for the fact that you might spend all the money for that 210 and in 2 months decide you don't like the hobby as much as you thought you would. Me on the other hand I say if you can afford all the equipment then buy the 210. This hobby is so addicting

 

[saltyphish]

Exactly! Smaller Aquariums allows you to get your feet wet while not forking out lots of money and realizing you don't like the hobby. If the hobby is a hit with you then you will definitely want to have a bigger tank. I would go with a 40g breeder or similar size that way if you like it and want to go bigger you have a nice frag tank already

I think the reason people say not to start so big is for the fact that you might spend all the money for that 210 and in 2 months decide you don't like the hobby as much as you thought you would. Me on the other hand I say if you can afford all the equipment then buy the 210. This hobby is so addicting

 

[jsrnec]

I started with a little 40 gallon cube, then went to a 125 gallon, now I am in the process of building a 300 gallon in wall setup. The 40 was just way to small and the 125 was great for getting my feet wet in the hobby. So like everyone else, bigger is better.

 

[anarchy]

I actually went a different direction. Started with a 120 then broke down into a 27 cube not RR then to 29 drilled on the back. Then deep blue 30 and drilled my 27. Upgraded the 27 to the 93. Now the final outcome is deep blue 30 and 93 sharing stand and sump and the 27 cube softie tank. Dimensions are what I focus on. I love cubes lol