Arguments for many small tanks vs one large one

[HawaiianReef]

Im new to the hobby, at about 1.5 years. I ended up with multiple tanks, small to mid. Not what I intended, but I've been searching local ads and finding systems opposed to equipment for their added live stock and price point advantages. Again, not the way to go for everybody, especially newbies. Used systems is a crap shoot. And moving them is the worst way to get into the hobby because time does become a factor. I've encountered all kinds of algae, cyano, flat worms, fireworms, aiptasias. I lost a 33g long pest tank that had a ton of mushrooms to an exploded circulation pump. Another tote full of mixed coral and thousands of bristle starfish from a heater. So, the stress factor goes way up on grabbing someone elses system and learning on the fly.
As I said, this is not what I want to end up with. Multiple tanks are a lot more work and actually cost more to set up and maintain than the same water volume of one large display tank.
The only reason I chose this route is budget. I find I usually end up breaking even, or in most cases, profit off these systems once I keep what I want, then sell the rest. Kinda like an aquarium chop shop.
After 1.5 yrs. I have well over 10k of equipment and 2 months ago I just added back every cent I have spent for the hobby. Kinda cool, but also stressful to make it happen. It would be easier to work overtime and just buy what you want new. But I like the challenges and the feeling of overcoming the problems that plague these old systems. To each his own I guess.

David

 

[HawaiianReef]

Kimberly-
You definitely have an eye for aquascaping. Beautiful tanks!
I really like the sand "ramp" on the left. Cool idea

 

[Kimberely]

Kimberly-
You definitely have an eye for aquascaping. Beautiful tanks!

Thank you! My diamond goby built the ramp. Lol

 

[Rcpilot]

I think having multiple small tanks allows less possibilities. Yes, you can have a certain species specific tank, but you are also limited a lot by what you can keep due to the tank size.

Fwiw, I have a 93 cube and a 180. I thought because a regular 90 gallon tank was a nice size and amount of water, that a 93 cube would be sufficient and take up less space. Dumb logic, lol.

I will never have another cube again. When my 180 is completely finished (because I've been piecing it together) I will dump the cube as fast as possible. If no one wants it, it's getting tossed. Not even something I would save in storage for future use. The cube is too small, even being 90+ gallons, for fish (unless you keep mostly 2-3 inch fish).

Bigger tanks do not necessarily equate to more automation either, though it is preferable. They definitely are way more expensive. Just the glass box and stand are a few grand, even for off the shelf tanks. I had spent almost 5 grand on my cube, without an Apex, and then had to spend it again with the 180 because all of the equipment is to small.

I can certainly understand the expenses related to a bigger tank. The 180 cost me $1,500 because I bought it new. The stand for this behemoth is going to cost me at least $1,000. Add another $400--$700 for a sump. Toss in $800--$1,000 for dry rock. Another $400 for sand. Don't forget the lights -- black boxes for $500 or Kessills for a couple thousand..... Add an APEX and accessories for another $1,500. Plumbing and return pumps is another $500--$750

I'd say minimum $5,000 for a tank this size -- and up to about $7k or even $8k if you want to go nuts.

Then we need to buy all those fleshy LPS corals that we love so much.

Definitely need to win the lotto.

 

[SciGuy2]

I like one largish display tank and a few species specific smallish systems.

 

[Amps Reef Life]

BOTH, when I lived in an apartment I had three tanks. 85 gallon, 43 gallon and a 36 gallon. I live in a house now and I have a 180 built into the wall. I love that tank and spend a ton of time looking at it. The tank is viewable from the kitchen and dining room and living room. My wife and I sit down for dinner every night and watch the tank while we eat. I loved my three tanks in the apartment as I could have a little bit of everything. My thoughts when I was building my 180 is this is it. This will be the tank that meets all my wants and needs. WRONG I am building my third tank is the house right now. One is never enough. My wife has a 65 gallon. I have the 180 in the wall and in my office I am currently building out an 80 gallon shallow SPS only tank. I will say the smaller tanks 120 and under are easier to work on and manage by that I mean just daily maintenance and moving frags around or fixing frags that have fallen over. I always want more. My big tank is a mixed reef with a ton of fish. My wife's tank is all about small nano fish and LPS. MY office tank will be all about SPS. The only fish I will keep are ones with a job for that tank. I will be starting a build thread once I have some decent photos. Again my vote is both I love having options and different tanks. My wife and I have already discussed plans for the future house. Something like a 300 to 400 gallon tank with just fish and maybe some simple corals and then a 100 gallon on the side for a reef tank. We love everything about the hobby. FISH, CORALs the people we meet and the community.

 

[Breadman03]

My dream is a 5-600 gallon main display with a frag tank connected to the same sump, periodic separate QT's as needed, and maybe a clownfish breeding setup. The breeding would be a lot of work, but I'd like to try sometime.

 

[Elegance Coral]

I have two large systems. A 400 gallon coral system in what I call my fish room, and a 300 gallon clownfish system in what was once the wife's dinning room.
The 400 gallon coral system is a 300 gallon tank, with a 100 gallon sump.
The clownfish system is comprised of 3, 33long tanks, divided up for pairs of clowns, 4, 40 breeders divided in half for larger pairs, and a 40 breeder sump. This system is still growing.

 

[Rcpilot]

I have two large systems. A 400 gallon coral system in what I call my fish room, and a 300 gallon clownfish system in what was once the wife's dinning room.
The 400 gallon coral system is a 300 gallon tank, with a 100 gallon sump.
The clownfish system is comprised of 3, 33long tanks, divided up for pairs of clowns, 4, 40 breeders divided in half for larger pairs, and a 40 breeder sump. This system is still growing.

You're still married?

Mine would say, "Tanks or me... who's leaving?"

 

[Decat]

Hi everyone,
I'm curious to know what your personal opinions about each since some days I'll end up drooling over the monster tanks, but then when someone has a handful of smaller systems those are all pretty amazing too.
I could see the appeal of both really and how some people just may not be able to have one or the other, thinking especially of those monster systems.
Of course with the larger system brings bigger fish, more automation, and the opportunity for less work. Then with the smaller tanks gives room for more variety, such as a tank with only one specific sort of thing, you could still have fish that may not get along just in separate systems. I'm not strictly talking nano tanks here either though I guess that varies with your definition of nano.

Personally as much as I would love to have one of those big tanks 125+ I know it's not exactly a realistic dream at this point in my life, I'm still in school, still living at home, and babysitting cash will only get you so far. So to me it sounds a lot more realistic to have multiple more mid size systems, or a bunch of smaller displays plumbed together, those customs tanks are big bucks after all. What are your preferences?

I have 1 large display at 120 gallons, but I also knew I would want some smaller fish and corals that would not do well around some of the larger predator fish, SO..... I designed that system with a small display built into the 50 gallon sump below the main display. The smaller display in the sump is about 13 gallons:


But as I continued seeing a few fish and invertebrates that I knew wouldn't work in either of those, I found a BioCube on Craigslist for free and set that up as a Damsel and Tube Anemone display tank:


But still when I saw the Black Storm clownfish, I knew I needed another small system for the smaller more expensive fish and coral, so I bought a Fluval Evo fast forward to 2:45 in this video:


And since I have decided that having 2 quarantines is a NECESSITY, I gave up on only having one large tank even though that was my desire to start. I have had tanks on and off since I was a little kid and I have never been able to have just one system up and running since college. I had 3-5 tanks all through my 5 years in college, and I was living on $700 a month, haha. I still don't know how I did that.

 

[HawaiianReef]

The problem with this hobby is addiction. It's really difficult when you start out, and when you feel a huge accomplishment, you discover at least twice as many more things to learn. You can never master it completely and I think thats the allure of it, it challenges us. So when one tank is running... You gotta get another. That's probably why reefers in general, seem to be humble and respectful to others in the community. They understand the trials it takes to get a tank going. In Any size.

 

[nmqtrhrse]

I started with 1 30 gallon and loved it so much that I duplicated it exactly as far as equipment. I now have 2 and they sit next to each other. I love have 2 separate systems as the fish don't fight with each other and I can have different corals in each one that are compatible. I will eventually get a larger tank and sell these 2 but for now I am really enjoying the separation. It doesn't take me any additional time to service both tanks.

 

[HawaiianReef]

I started out wanting a tank in my living room, and hang my old surfboard on the wall above it. I was very ignorant of the hobby and gave myself a $200 budget for a used system. A year and half later and have empty tanks stored on the side of the house, Im planning a qt station with 4 tanks, I have 7 tanks running and planning my 125g build for a winter project.... And that surfboard still isn't hanging in my livingroom...;Bored

To me, testing all the tanks is the worst part..