Is there such thing as “tank regret”?

[dvgyfresh]

I had it when I moved my 8ft 400g into my basement! I was like OMG this is too big!

Tank goals tho

 

[mistergray]

I ripped through 20/39/55/75/90 annually when I started out. The equipment costs leaping from a 90 to 180-220 is what made me stop. Eventually though it'll happen.

Wooooow! You really went through tanks.

 

[mistergray]

I regret, not having a proper house that can hold a 300g aquarium.
I regret having to abonden my old reef tank.
Life happens.

Facts!!!

 

[mudjawd]

I bought a 20g AIO cube. I gave it a good thought and then decided for a tank that was smaller as water changes etc would be easy. I live in a rented 2 bedroom Condo so I think this was the best bet for me. If I buy my own house then I’ll get a 75g tank.

 

[dvgyfresh]

Facts!!!

Apartment life woes, I’m only comfortable with 40 gallon being the biggest and I wish I got an AIO but it is what it is

 

[mistergray]

I had it when I moved my 8ft 400g into my basement! I was like OMG this is too big!

Lol! You pretty much had a Shamu sized tank in your house. #jealousysetsin Lol!!!!

 

[Calm Blue Ocean]

Lol!!! Did I read that right!? You regretted one tank and then got a other tank and then hated that and now want another one!?! You make me feel so much better.

lol I wouldn't say I hate the current tank (I definitely hated the first one, though) but for all the trouble of starting over I wish I'd done more. For all the ease of the AIO I do wish I had a sump for added flexibility and I wish I'd gone bigger. Seems every time I see a fish I'd really like my tank is too small. Oh well. It's a nice tank. Just wish I'd had to guts to go all in instead of playing it safe.

 

[jassermd]

I wish I wouldn't have listened to the advice from my LFS... I had them install and set up my 280g (given it's size, I couldn't do it alone and TBH, I was scared I'd screw something up). Now I'm dealing with the regret of not doing it myself and having to redo so much of what they did that had I done it myself, I would have been much better off. Oh, and that's not to mention that they never quarantined the fish and introduced ich as well as numerous critters on the corals I bought from them. I learned so much on what not to do from them.

Live and learn...

 

[Puffthefish]

I love my AIO Biocube but I’m wishing I started off larger. I love the whole AIO type of tank setup. Of course it’s too late to get a new tank now with how much I invested in my 32g. Just curious if this is normal. Under no circumstance am I interested in managing two tanks; getting a second tank is out of the question. I’m starting to wish I started with at least a 75 gallon.

Started back up with a 39 after being out of the hobby for 15 years. I used to have a 150 and am now wishing I bought another 150. I loved that tank

 

[Double monti 61]

Buying a tank is like buying a fishing pole you can buy the best you can but it does not mean you will catch more fish.

 

[reefinatl]

Wooooow! You really went through tanks.

Pretty much annually upgraded for 5 or 6 years. Now that was back in college so I was pretty much doing simultaneous move and upgrade at the same time but yeah. Learned basics on the 20/29. Found a 55g for cheap got it and hated how narrow it was. Found a 75 that was drilled and learned about setting up sumps, then found a 90g reef ready that I ran for about 18 months before a cross country move hit. Carried that sucker with around the country after college for 8ish years and just set it back up this winter. Immediately started eyeballing a 180g but I'm gonna sit tight for a couple years.

The aquarium itself is the cheapest part of this hobby if you stick to marineland and aqueon. I say go bigger if you want but stay away from stuff like AIO specific upgrades you can't move to a new setup.

 

[Sea_Shanty_Corals]

Keep a running note of things that you wish you'd done / done differently as you run your system. That way your next tank build starts to take shape over the course of months / years - and it's already more thought out than if you just sat down for a weekend and tried to plan it.

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

No regrets! Lifes not about that yo. Lol
-d

 

[Sea_Shanty_Corals]

No regrets! Lifes not about that yo. Lol
-d

*ragrets

 

[Kfactor]

I just got my new tank going not that long ago and wish I went bigger lol

 

[mistergray]

Welll, this could have been r2rs question of the day

Right! Lol!

 

[mehaffydr]

I started with a 58, then upgraded to a 225 and my new tank is 1100 gallons. I don't really have any regrets right now but in a couple years I'll want to upgrade. The only regret I had was buying an acrylic tank for the 225. Glass is way easier to keep clean.

 

[Kris 2020]

I think there will always be a “better tank” for most people. Whether it me bigger or smaller or whatever...I really loved my AIO setup and had it for years, it was 39 gallons and easy enough to maintain. It was a good tank for learning the ins and outs. i ended up going bigger after some years with it because I wanted a sump, I got tired of seeing the top of the skimmer cup and trying to hang gfo reactors off it etc.

I guess the only advice I have is be happy with what you have and utilize it fully. And when you’ve outgrown it, move on to something different. I spent years planning the tank I have now...don’t be in a rush.

 

[ClownWrangler]

Under no circumstance am I interested in managing two tanks; getting a second tank is out of the question. I’m starting to wish I started with at least a 75 gallon.

That will change when you realize you want two things that cant go in the same tank. I started off with a 29 gallon, intended on upgrading to a 90 gallon, but now I have 2 20 gallons and 4 10 gallons. No regrets, just a lot of different clown fish pairs and nems that I would not be able to keep together in a larger tank.

 

[ClownWrangler]

Make all your mistakes and learn with the smaller tank while saving up for your dream tank. A few years down the road, it will likely be different than what you imagine now.