How large of an aqauarium would you have?

[WVNed]

Between the 240 and the 75 I have all I can handle. I have no desire for a tank bigger than this.
Well I do, but it wont happen. I would love to have a 72x24x24 where the 75 is sitting that matched the other tank...

 

[PeterC99]

Im the saint- Not married and need no-one's permission LOL.

Hope you don’t Mind if the rest of us live vicariously through you!

 

[Dunc]

Planet Aquarium has 96” tanks for sale.

 

[Be102]

Im the saint- Not married and need no-one's permission LOL.

I’m like you…. Should I just skip ahead to the 3000 gallons now?!

 

[LuisPerez711]

I am planning on upgrading my 65 gallon reef tank and transferring everything to my basement where I can then have a much larger fish tank. I currently have a lot of room to work with but was wondering how large is too large.. I want something that is a rectangle but that is also easy to reach inside of it. I plan on having it a few feet off of the wall in my cement basement. I just am unsure if having a 7 foot long tank is insane or not... what size tank is able to have a lot of fish but that is still manageable?

You also have to take into consideration the type of equipment needed for larger systems and the utilities to run them. Long tanks usually mean much larger powerheads to move water around. More rock and sand to fill out the void and keep the system stable. Bigger protein skimmer, and reactors to keep nutrients in check. Large return pump or multiple pumps to feed water to all that is needed. More light fixtures to give light to the beauty that is your tank. And ontop of all that, the cost in electricity and water to keep it going. The cost of chemicals to keep the elements in check. The cost of salt for regular or emergency water changes.

I would do some research on this forum and look at some members build threads that are similar in size to what you are considering. Look at the equipment used and the time needed to set it up. See if it's really for you. Problems are multiplied greatly in larger systems as well.

The best size tank is the one that you will keep for many years to come. For some it's a 40g cube and for others it's a 4,000g monster tank. No shame in a beautiful small tank if that's all that you can accommodate at this time. The hobby is a beautiful hobby regardless of size.

If money, time, and patience is of no concern, then I'd go as big as the space would allow.

 

[DrZoidburg]

I always liked the idea of a 10 ft x 3ft x 2ft +/- tall. If I got it id want 12 x 4 x 2 after.

 

[PeterC99]

I’m like you…. Should I just skip ahead to the 3000 gallons now?!

Go for it!

While the rest of us are trying to save the marriage, we can take comfort as you guys live the dream!

 

[Acros]

I have seen people mention on r2r that 6ft is the perfect length. The reasoning is that you can’t accommodate many more varieties of fish in a 7ft or 8ft tank that you can’t house in a 6ft tank. The added maintenance is not worth it.

If it was me, I would go for a 72” long, 30-36” wide, 20” high tank.

 

[Be102]

I have seen people mention on r2r that 6ft is the perfect length. The reasoning is that you can’t accommodate many more varieties of fish in a 7ft or 8ft tank that you can’t house in a 6ft tank. The added maintenance is not worth it.

If it was me, I would go for a 72” long, 30-36” wide, 20” high tank.

These are the types of comments I was looking for... are there any restrictions from a 20' high tank? sounds kinda short but also sounds perfect for maintenance..

 

[DrZoidburg]

You might have some super light levels going that short. You could plan for it though. Alternately would be cheaper cause the glass wouldn't have to be as thick.

 

[vetteguy53081]

These are the types of comments I was looking for... are there any restrictions from a 20' high tank? sounds kinda short but also sounds perfect for maintenance..

Weight distribution

 

[vetteguy53081]

You also have to take into consideration the type of equipment needed for larger systems and the utilities to run them. Long tanks usually mean much larger powerheads to move water around. More rock and sand to fill out the void and keep the system stable. Bigger protein skimmer, and reactors to keep nutrients in check. Large return pump or multiple pumps to feed water to all that is needed. More light fixtures to give light to the beauty that is your tank. And ontop of all that, the cost in electricity and water to keep it going. The cost of chemicals to keep the elements in check. The cost of salt for regular or emergency water changes.

I would do some research on this forum and look at some members build threads that are similar in size to what you are considering. Look at the equipment used and the time needed to set it up. See if it's really for you. Problems are multiplied greatly in larger systems as well.

The best size tank is the one that you will keep for many years to come. For some it's a 40g cube and for others it's a 4,000g monster tank. No shame in a beautiful small tank if that's all that you can accommodate at this time. The hobby is a beautiful hobby regardless of size.

If money, time, and patience is of no concern, then I'd go as big as the space would allow.

With my 19ft 660g, I run UV, skimmer, chiller, CA REACTOR, scrubber, reeflo hammerhead gold pump, apex full unit with 3 WAV pumps and dosed. Maybe an extra $50/mo on electric bill plus I have 2 other tanks

 

[Be102]

Weight distribution

are wood stands able to handle weight from a 300+ gallon tank..? I built my current stand with 2x4s and 2x6s and it was built with an intention to upgrade to a 120 gallon.. 48x24....

Would I be able to build a stand that provided support as well as the ability to the bottom easily?

 

[Be102]

With my 19ft 660g, I run UV, skimmer, chiller, CA REACTOR, scrubber, reeflo hammerhead gold pump, apex full unit with 3 WAV pumps and dosed. Maybe an extra $50/mo on electric bill plus I have 2 other tanks

I currently have a pretty expensive tank as it stands now... a 65 gallon w a lifereef overflow. a triggersystem sump... life reef protein skimmer and two varios v6 ( i think) pumps... one for skimmer one for return.. I also have a profilux which is monitoring everything but would be put more to use with an upgrade... I am running an atlantik v4 as my lighting system as well..


I wonder if i could use the same sump or would just upgrade to a larger sump and keep this tank running along side the new tank...

 

[dwair]

I would go metal stand

 

[DrZoidburg]

Which trigger it might be ok to reuse.

 

[Be102]

Which trigger it might be ok to reuse.

https://www.marinedepot.com/marine-depot-elite-sump-by-trigger-systems-36-inch the 36 inch version.

 

[albano]

Luv my 500g tank…6’x5’..: fish luv it even more!

 

[LuisPerez711]

With my 19ft 660g, I run UV, skimmer, chiller, CA REACTOR, scrubber, reeflo hammerhead gold pump, apex full unit with 3 WAV pumps and dosed. Maybe an extra $50/mo on electric bill plus I have 2 other tanks

I have a 120g with 3 MP40s, a Varios 8, Nyos 160, 2 Radion G4 Pro at 70%, 48" Aquatic Life T5 fixture running 2 hours a day, and a orange label Apex. During the summer I run a window A/C unit and I have two 150 watt heaters for the winter months. My electric bill went up $30 a month.

I live in Los Angeles, CA so everything is more expensive out here anyways. It might not sound like a lot now but it does add up fast if you're not frugal with your purchases.

Again, some consider their tank like a car purchase and spend 30k to set it up and pay it off in 5 years. That's cool if that's what you want. I just like to keep all costs in mind when looking at an upgrade.

It's sad to see a lot of reefers leave the hobby after 6 to 9 months because they didnt realize the cost in time, money, or both. I fell into that trap 7 years ago when I purchased my 150g mega system lol spent a fortune and broke it down after 18 months. It was hard to let it go.

 

[Acros]

These are the types of comments I was looking for... are there any restrictions from a 20' high tank? sounds kinda short but also sounds perfect for maintenance..

Not sure if there are any disadvantages. 20” high sounds a lot better when it comes to maintenance. Can’t imagine it being a big challenge for light or weight distribution compared to 24” high tanks.

I love reefbum’s new tank.

FWIW, I have only had nano tanks and currently have an IM 25 lagoon. My next upgrade would be IM 100 EXT. Anything above 4ft feels too big a jump for me.

I prefer the look of 6ft long tanks in a peninsula style. They don’t looks as nice to me pushed against a well.