Three Bears Aquarium Decisions: What is the right size aquarium for you?

[Peace River]

Three Bears Aquarium Decisions: What is the right size aquarium for you?

300-gallon tanks, Pico tanks, midsized tanks, what size is right for you? Sometimes choosing a tank can feel like something out of the children’s story about Goldilocks and the Three Bears. As Goldilocks tries out the porridge, chairs, and bed, she decides what size is best for her. Bigger tanks may not always be better, micro tanks may not fit you, or midsized tanks may not be the right size for you. Of course, tanks of all sizes could be an option (I mean, can you really have too many tanks?). What is the best size aquarium for you and why? Please share your story in the discussion thread!

Photo by @Takaki1980

 

[vetteguy53081]

This will be a tough question as everyone has a favorite size, a wish size and many have weight and space restrictions and these are the beauty of the hobby- You can have a swimming pool of fish and coral or a 4 gallon pico and make a creation out of any size

 

[Gumbies R Us]

If I had the space for one I would get a Large or monster size tank, but I don't think my little town house is ready for a tank that size. So nano is just the perfect size for me!!

 

[1ocean]

Had a 140, went to 300 last Jan. and now Vetteguy inspired me to go 600...so if all goes well after this house addition and then another garage addition for fish room...BOOM..600 peninsula build...so 300 will become fish only mostly and 600 the reef..

 

[herozero]

Depends on the room but really depends on who’s taking care of it: me-shallow, someone else-deep.

 

[Kathy Floyd]

I wish I could afford a monster tank. I am going to upgrade soon to a 65G.

 

[squidarcher]

I started with a 13.5, hated it, then moved to a 75. I love the 75 but I’ve been having issues with the tank itself (strainer) and plumbing and I want a redo, so I’m going for the greatest tank I could possibly have, space+money+effort wise. Money is important for me lol. I’m getting an IM 150 Lagoon! I love shallow tanks but honestly at some point I would love a shallow 6x3 TABLE reef tank, at least 300 gallons. Just something different about tanks that size.

 

[Ranjib]

I like all, but I have to fixate on one, it’s likely be a pico , due to ease of maintenance

 

[Slocke]

Part of me wants a big tank so I can have big fish but big tanks are so expensive to fill with coral.

I like having a big FOWLR with a smaller coral tank.

 

[HawkeyeDJ]

Nano 24g is where I am. Space, cost, and time commitments are the limiting factors. This tank is giving me just enough satisfaction and challenges without breaking the bank or eating up all my free time.

 

[unchaotic]

I'm all over the place. I love cubes of almost any size and my NUVO 40 is probably my most "successful" tank.

As far as standard tanks go, I don't really care for them until you hit 90g. I hate my standard 60g, I just feel like any under 90 are too skinny. I will be upgrading to a 125g with plans to eventually get a 200g (possibly a NUVO 200 EXT).

I have a 95g that doesn't necessarily fit into my plans anymore, but it's a wave front and it just looks so cool I can't bring myself to sell it.

I've also been trying to cut apart a 55g Aqueon to build a custom frag tank with the glass but they have NO silicone gap in them at all ... glass on glass joints are making it difficult.

 

[AtlantiCat]

I really love the aesthetic of a smaller tank. There's something about being able to create a miniature world for tiny creatures that is simply very appealing. I can enjoy every individual crittur, fish, and plant/alga as well as the tank as a whole. It's like having a little TV just for me that plays the fish/invert/plant channel any time I want it.

 

[shakacuz]

nano to mid size is my range. my limit probably being 125g. there gets a point where a tank is just too big and even if corals and fish activity can fill it in, it just becomes overwhelmingly too much for the eyes, in my opinion..

 

[o2manyfish]

I've been in my house for almost 30 years. I started with a 125g for 6 years, then a 360 for a year, then a 400 for 20 years, then a 560 for 18 months and finally a 750g (120x48x30t) four months ago. With the wife's permission we have definitely installed the largest tank our current home will comfortably hold. To go bigger we need to win a lottery ticket and get a bigger house..... And I don't buy too many lotto tickets.

Dave B

 

[shwareefer]

My standard 90 was a great tank. I like the 65 tall too.

 

[tania]

Climate change is real. So I don't want to add to the problem. A small tank is sufficient for my enjoyment while not running so much electricity and wasting resources.

 

[flashsmith]

I currently have a 170 and an 80 gallon. I think smaller tanks really limit you in this hobby as far as livestock and coral selection. I have had smaller tanks but being stuck with clowns gobies and other nano type fish and smaller corals just didn't appeal to me. I get bigger tanks cost more to stock etc... But you don't have to fill it up on day 1.

 

[acesfull44]

I thought about this quite a bit with my recent upgrade in building my new house. Going from 150g to 310g was my best guess at being able to address all of my wants/needs moving forward (at least for the time being). Mostly what I like about the upgrade is going from a 4' long tank to an 8' long tank, so I was/will be able to add several "bigger" fish thanks to the swimming space provided by the new length.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Had a 140, went to 300 last Jan. and now Vetteguy inspired me to go 600...so if all goes well after this house addition and then another garage addition for fish room...BOOM..600 peninsula build...so 300 will become fish only mostly and 600 the reef..

My next tank is a 1500g. Just set up a 400g until repairs done and Move confirmed

 

[Fishkins88]

I wish I could afford a monster tank. I am going to upgrade soon to a 65G.

I too am looking in the 60 gallon range as my sol o tank. Just out of curiosity what brand / model are you considering. I have been thinking about the new aquean 60 gallon breeder. I am on the lookout for a 60 gallon cube as an alternative.