How long do reef tanks last?

Aquajeep · Jul 20, 2020

I always had standard 20-30g tanks . My first actual reef tank i got was i think 2004 a 72 gallon bowfront. Its been shut down built up 4 times modified soo many times and still goin. Middle brace melted years ago from hot halides i replaced it with diamond plate . Shes a beast ;-p time for an upgrade tho as i am getting worried.

BillFish Coral Lover · Jul 21, 2020

Judging by what I see here there are a lot of people ot there who can better afford this hobby than I!
It's like how long does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop? Three! Nope, I'm at 12 years on my first and only reef and finally looking to change - downsize - and not by choice!

Those who can, keep doing! At least we're can all gawk and maybe you can save some species for repopulation later!

Paul B · Jul 21, 2020

I think glass lasts as long as the skill of the person who assembled it and the quality of the silicone.
The corals should last forever as they are immortal and can keep growing. (mine don't)

The fish should live as long as their perceived lifespan which varies greatly between species but since this hobby started in the US in 1971 (It started earlier in Europe) we have figured out pretty much how long fish can live.

My last glass in my last house was up continuously for 40 years. As far as I can tell, it still has water in it but it was very scratched so I left it in my last home and moved the contents here where I put it in a new glass all in one day.

Victor_C3 · Jul 21, 2020

Moves and other major life events have always caused me to take my systems down. My first tank was up about 9 months before I had to relocate, my second system made just over 2 years before I had to tear that one down, and my current system has been wet since February.

I’m living in a second floor apartment right now and my 3’ long 115 gallon tank is the biggest I’m willing to put in it. I don’t see myself moving before 2028.

Doctorgori · Jul 21, 2020

paraletho said:
Average is probably 2-4 years.
......Well built tank carefully maintained but as they say nothing is forever.

.... abridged quote

I’d wager those statement more true than not

psychobilly07 said:
My 125g is lil over 8 and Im starting to get nervous about something happening

Nice tank, 8years is badge worthy. I’m calling you expert!

In the off chance If there is a murderer, if your tank dies, my 1st suspect: the “sand” (street Name “The D.S.B”)

Cassian · Jul 21, 2020

I find it interesting that the average is so short. I think if a reef is cared for properly it could last a very long time. In terms of tank life, I haven’t seen anyone mention acrylic tanks. I’ve heard they last much longer than glass. Therefore a reef could theoretically last up to 50 years yes? I’ve heard thats the life span of an acrylic tank. Not sure about the plumbing though

Paul B · Jul 21, 2020

Acrylic tanks could last forever but they get very scratched as they age.

Even my glass tank was very scratched and glass is much harder.

alton · Jul 21, 2020

For me my 200 Original Oceanic went from 1999 to 2009. Everything went into a 300DD. 2016 I down sized to a 180, then got bored and went with a 8' x 30" depth x 25" tall 310 from Planet. Now on setting up my bosses tank in 2000 which was a 5' x 18" x 29" tall original Oceanic with 3/4" glass with no bracing. It was taken down this year and the clownfish and anemone with with the tank was sold. The amazing thing was my bosses daughter who was the interior decorator did not want an aquarium stand so she paid the furniture company $1,000's for this pretty piece of furniture. I told them it had to hold 2,000 pounds. When filling up this tank for the first time at 80% full, the stand starting cracking, by the time we emptied the tank it cracked three more times. When empty there was a half inch gap on left side between tank and stand. So the tank had flexed down and then back up and did not crack or leak. Twenty years later it is now being taken down and moved with never a leak. Like I said Amazing!

Kscope · Jul 21, 2020

1. On average how long do you think that a reef tank lasts before it's upgraded, crashed or just shut down?
Upgrading and shutdown obviously depends on cash flow , desire and dedication. Crashing is due to experience along with desire and dedication. Testing, cleaning, water changes and dosing. It doesn't happen on its own.

2. What's the longest you've ever had the same reef system set up? (without an upgrade to bigger and without a total crash or shut down). I have had Fowlr tanks for 10-15 years. My current reef is 8 years old

rknapp · Jul 21, 2020

My first 90 gallon softie tank was up from 1995 to 2014 with lots of upgrades in that time around and behind the tank (lights, sump, fuse, CaR, etc.) but the core corals and rock stayed in place. Transferred all the contents to a new CTC 160 in 2014, then eventually took it down for a week last summer to completely clean it out as my mushroom colony had overtaken almost everything which was driving me nuts.

Now about 1 year into a complete restart as a mixed reef but still have two colonies from the original softy groups from back in ‘95 in the new tank. Been an experience restarting using dry rock, first new LPS/SPS frags only in for about a month. But only thing that will make me take it down will be moving.

Reeferstin · Jul 21, 2020

revhtree said:
Happy Monday friends! Hope you had a good weekend and here's to a great week ahead!

I wanted to kick off the week with a question that I've thought about before and wanted to get your input. How long do reef tanks last? Ok obviously this is a loaded question with many answers and variables but let's talk "on average." So do me a favor and answer the following questions.

1. On average how long do you think that a reef tank lasts before it's upgraded, crashed or just shut down?

2. What's the longest you've ever had the same reef system set up? (without an upgrade to bigger and without a total crash or shut down)

My best friend has a 150 gallon reef that is 21 years old never crashed never leaked been through many hurricanes and for irma it lasted over 2 weeks with no power , he has a absolute forest of leathers im talking the entire tank is full of it, i have been trying to buy a rock from him for almost a year every time he does water changes which is maybe once every 6 months i take his water and dump it straight into my tank

mindme · Jul 22, 2020

I move a good bit and often times from 1 side of the country to the other. Moving a larger tank is basically impossible, especially in terms of keeping things alive. So after having to sell/give everything away a couple of times I no longer do larger tanks. Now I stick to tanks under 30 gallons.

In my last move, which was cross country again, I took everything from my 20gallon and put them in 5 gallon buckets. The rocks, the sand, the coral and the fish. Then I drilled out some holes in the lids and ran air tubing with an airstone in each. My SUV has a plug in and I bought a pump that would run full time. AC inside kept things at a good temp. Everything lived in what was about 8 days in those buckets, taking them into my rooms at night(got weird looks explaining to the clerks I'm checking in with fish).

But then they didn't go back into the same 20 gallon when they got here. While checking out one of the new LFS looking for a new/better stand before I filled it back up, I saw they had a 25g cube w/ stand for more than half off. So I bought that the day I moved in, set it up and put all the livestock etc from the previous tank in it.

To me it's still the same reef despite being moved and getting a new tank, and it's going on over 2 years. But I guess in terms of how long it's been as it sits now, then it's only been about 8 months since I upgraded the lights, about a year since the new tank. Or 2 weeks I guess since I recently replaced the sandbed from black sand to white, and had to remove everything to get all the old sand out.