Should i go bigger?

[Zone1090]

Been in the hobby 5 months with a biocube jr 14g. 14g seem too confining. Have a opportunity to pick up a used fuji cube 81 gallon complete with all the extra goodies.i believe is a 2021 model.
If I go bigger what responsibilities do I need to look at? Need help deciding im in the fence!

 

[Gsponi]

Bigger is better. You will go bigger in future trust me. Bigger Reef are more stabil. But you need more fish and more Corals to get a nice bioload. I upgraded from a 200L no Sumpm Tank to a 440L Sump Tank and i added all my Coral to my new tank. I started with new sand new Rock, but bevause i added a lot of Corals i never had any Cycling. ( i have a ton of Snails could be also the reason)

 

[ScottF]

I recently upgraded my 15g to a 90g. I also have a 250g. One thing to consider when going from really small to a medium large upgrade like that is all of the "ugly stage" fun.

I did not keep my sand. I did move over my rock though. I also took some rock from the sump of my 250g. I used some dry marco rock as well.

My sand bed didn't seem to care that I had established rock. I went through a couple of rounds of uglies. I couldn't kill the lights because I had all of my corals and BTAs from the old tank in there.

Just something to think about. In the end I'm glad that I upgraded that tank. I'm just not a tiny tank type of person.

 

[Zone1090]

How many fish and what kinds would you suggest?
Looking forward to having a proper sump with all the equipment.
Will have to get some more live rock and sand.
What questions should I be asking about used tank?

 

[Gsponi]

How many fish and what kinds would you suggest?
Looking forward to having a proper sump with all the equipment.
Will have to get some more live rock and sand.
What questions should I be asking about used tank?

Depens on fish. 2x clown 2x damsel blennys, kaudernis, and some smaller fish are okey i thing. and 2-3 shrimps.

Silicon of the Aquarium, scratches, Ore what do you mean with the last questions

 

[Gsponi]

How many fish and what kinds would you suggest?
Looking forward to having a proper sump with all the equipment.
Will have to get some more live rock and sand.
What questions should I be asking about used tank?

i have 105 G tank

I have
2 Clowns
2 Dascyllus aruanus
1 Mandarinfish ( male jumped out now i have jumpguard)
1 Gobiodon histrio (is really small)
1 mitras blenny ( love it)
1 bicolor blenny ( not 100% reef save)
2 kauderni
2 peppermint shrimp
2 fire shrimp
1 sand shifting seastar
1 urchin
3 mithrax crabs
100+ little trochus turbos and other snails

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Going to a bigger tank is well worth it!

 

[ScottF]

The amount of fish depends on your filtration and aquascape. The more nutrients that you exporting and places for fish to hide, the more fish you can have.

My 250 gallon tank has a roller mat, a skimmer, a refugium, a sulfur denitrator, GFO reactor and automatic water changes. I built my aquascape to have a bunch of places for the fish to hide and feel safe. I have a ton of large fish in that tank, but with the amount of filtration I have in that tank, I could probably use it as a toilet and barely see the nutrients go up.

 

[Zone1090]

The amount of fish depends on your filtration and aquascape. The more nutrients that you exporting and places for fish to hide, the more fish you can have.

My 250 gallon tank has a roller mat, a skimmer, a refugium, a sulfur denitrator, GFO reactor and automatic water changes. I built my aquascape to have a bunch of places for the fish to hide and feel safe. I have a ton of large fish in that tank, but with the amount of filtration I have in that tank, I could probably use it as a toilet and barely see the nutrients go up.

How about a picture?

 

[Zone1090]

I recently upgraded my 15g to a 90g. I also have a 250g. One thing to consider when going from really small to a medium large upgrade like that is all of the "ugly stage" fun.

I did not keep my sand. I did move over my rock though. I also took some rock from the sump of my 250g. I used some dry marco rock as well.

My sand bed didn't seem to care that I had established rock. I went through a couple of rounds of uglies. I couldn't kill the lights because I had all of my corals and BTAs from the old tank in there.

Just something to think about. In the end I'm glad that I upgraded that tank. I'm just not a tiny tank type of person.

How about a picture?

 

[ScottF]

How about a picture?

Sorry about the reflections. It's very sunny today in Miami.

 

[ScottF]

Most of those rocks with corals on them across the front are actually little fish lean-tos. I glued together small pieces of flat machined marco base rock to make it look like they are just rocks in the sand, but fish can swim in under them.

All of the rock structures have caves and swim throughs.

Edit:
My male blue throat trigger lives under that rock in the middle that is half orange zoas and half panodora chalice. My female blue throat trigger lives in the mouth of the demon head that I made out of marco rock.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Been in the hobby 5 months with a biocube jr 14g. 14g seem too confining. Have a opportunity to pick up a used fuji cube 81 gallon complete with all the extra goodies.i believe is a 2021 model.
If I go bigger what responsibilities do I need to look at? Need help deciding im in the fence!

Running only large tanks, consider space and budget and you will use more salt, additives and yet have room for more livestock and coral.

 

[Zone1090]

Sorry about the reflections. It's very sunny today in Miami.

Very nice! How old is it? I look at yours and then I looked at my biocube 14g....ugggg!
What dimension are your tank. Can I put tangs and the fish with the nose in the fuji cube I think its 36×26×23?

 

[ScottF]

Very nice! How old is it? I look at yours and then I looked at my biocube 14g....ugggg!
What dimension are your tank. Can I put tangs and the fish with the nose in the fuji cube I think its 36×26×23?

You could do some tangs that don't get huge or need a ton of space to swim. Tomini tangs are great algae eaters and they don't get huge. You're probably OK putting yellow or purple tangs in a three foot tank.

I'm guessing that you mean my copperband butterfly when you say fish with the long nose. They can be difficult to acclimate to aquarium life. They tend to not want to eat. You may get lucky and get one that eats like a champ, but that is maybe one in five. You often have to keep it alive with more specialized food until you get it weened onto frozen.

I wouldn't feel great putting a lot of the other tangs in a three footer. If you have a lid I highly recommend a midas blenny. They are easy to keep, have a ton of personality and are cool looking, but they like to jump out of the tank.

Flame hawkfish are another one of my favorites. They also have a ton of personality. Like to sit on a rock and watch you with their big hawkfish eyes. Just sit there and judge you. Super cool fish. They can eat small ornamental shrimp though.

If you are going to have a sand bed, you could get a pistol shrimp and watchman goby. They pair up and live together an a little cave that the shrimp builds in the sand.

 

[ScottF]

Very nice! How old is it? I look at yours and then I looked at my biocube 14g....ugggg!
What dimension are your tank. Can I put tangs and the fish with the nose in the fuji cube I think its 36×26×23?

I forgot to answer your other questions. It's 83x27x26 and about a year and a half old.

 

[Boehmtown]

Been in the hobby 5 months with a biocube jr 14g. 14g seem too confining. Have a opportunity to pick up a used fuji cube 81 gallon complete with all the extra goodies.i believe is a 2021 model.
If I go bigger what responsibilities do I need to look at? Need help deciding im in the fence!

There is definitely a point where the costs for everything become so much more impactful. 81 gallons is perfect. I'd say the lines around 120. Much bigger than that the costs get like spreadsheet level to even know what you're even spending anymore.

 

[ScottF]

There is definitely a point where the costs for everything become so much more impactful. 81 gallons is perfect. I'd say the lines around 120. Much bigger than that the costs get like spreadsheet level to even know what you're even spending anymore.

Yeah. My 250g is vastly more work and $$$ than my 90g.

 

[winzig]

Bigger is better. You will go bigger in future trust me. Bigger Reef are more stabil. But you need more fish and more Corals to get a nice bioload. I upgraded from a 200L no Sumpm Tank to a 440L Sump Tank and i added all my Coral to my new tank. I started with new sand new Rock, but bevause i added a lot of Corals i never had any Cycling. ( i have a ton of Snails could be also the reason)

100%