What is the best size reef tank in your opinion??

Otago

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1500 x 900 x 600 (mm) is my sweet spot, I haven't had bigger but I felt this was the top for my budget and the time I was willing to put into cleaning and maintenance. Much bigger and I was into the next larger size of equipment and that got expensive quickly, much smaller and the equipment didn't scale down in price much either.
 

vlangel

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There is another factor beside space and budget and that is the type of reef you want to keep. An SPS and acro reef might be better with shallow height but more length and width than say a tank that has finger/tree leathers or LPS or macroalgae. Softies and LPS can flourish with less par so can do well in deeper/higher tanks. And finally one needs to take into consideration how they like to view their tank. The lagoon shallow tanks are perfect for top down viewing. Tall tank are good for front tank viewing.
 

areefer01

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What is the best size tank in your opinion?

There is no best, that is for sports. Honestly.

Tank size is a bit difficult and some may not want to hear the answer. In my opinion the correct size "TO START" is something between the 10 and 50 gallon range. The reason is rather simple and somewhat selfish.

  • Tank is affordable
  • Does not require massive lighting
  • Does not require massive supplies be it additives, salt mix, rock, sand, or other chemicals
  • Does not require massive livestock investment
  • Does not require a lot of equipment

Initial investment isn't that high and we are learning to keep saltwater. My point is that if this is our first saltwater tank we must learn to maintain proper water chemistry and parameters. Something in this display range gives us a great platform to learn. Not only water chemistry but also how to handle problems. There isn't going to be a lot of stock to do harm if we make a mistake.

While my suggestion isn't going to allow a lot of the more common animals that suck us in there are still plenty to choose from in the nano to small display space. Do a search on any nano fish and you will be surprised. Pgymy angelfish, dwarf angels, few damsels, gobies, and more. All will have color pop and spunky personalities.

I know I am going against the grain but my opinion is rather, well, blunt. Learn to walk and if the hobbyist sticks with it, has success, then they will be in it for the long haul. Learn a bit from the mistakes that are sure to happen, clean up what you don't like, redirect focus on what you do, then plan the upgrade or new display.

Easy as riding a bike.
 

Ben's Pico Reefing

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For me it would be the size I can easily manage and take care of consistently and can afford.

Doesn't matter how big or small if you can't maintain or afford to have someone take care of the maintenance and needs.

You may end up limiting what you can have, but you can be more successful with what you do have.
 

ChrisfromBrick

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4 feet- you can start to keep tangs (small ones only) and any wrasse in existence. 18" of width is kind of narrow imo but totally fine- 20-22 is what I like. Height- I like to be able to put my entire arm in the tank with a long glove or not and be able to touch the sand.... 21"

Big fan of length across both for fish swimming as well as viewing of the corals. Of course id love to have a 6 foot tank but I just can't afford it and dont want to deal with the upkeep.
 

BigAl07

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It depends on your budget, space, stocking desires, and many other factors. Going strictly from an aesthetics perspective having a tank that's either 120g (4’ x 2’ x 2’) or even 240g (4’ x 4’ x 2’) tend to be some the most Eye Pleasing setups.

For me, I have long loved the 120g (4’ x 2’ x 2’) even thought I had the space and budget for bigger I was after the "eye pleasing" ratio (4’ x 2’ x 2’).

Ultimately BEAUTY is in the eye of the beholder so the perfect size for you may be well outside of what others find most pleasing.
 

TacticalBacon

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There is no best, that is for sports. Honestly.

Tank size is a bit difficult and some may not want to hear the answer. In my opinion the correct size "TO START" is something between the 10 and 50 gallon range. The reason is rather simple and somewhat selfish.

  • Tank is affordable
  • Does not require massive lighting
  • Does not require massive supplies be it additives, salt mix, rock, sand, or other chemicals
  • Does not require massive livestock investment
  • Does not require a lot of equipment

Initial investment isn't that high and we are learning to keep saltwater. My point is that if this is our first saltwater tank we must learn to maintain proper water chemistry and parameters. Something in this display range gives us a great platform to learn. Not only water chemistry but also how to handle problems. There isn't going to be a lot of stock to do harm if we make a mistake.

While my suggestion isn't going to allow a lot of the more common animals that suck us in there are still plenty to choose from in the nano to small display space. Do a search on any nano fish and you will be surprised. Pgymy angelfish, dwarf angels, few damsels, gobies, and more. All will have color pop and spunky personalities.

I know I am going against the grain but my opinion is rather, well, blunt. Learn to walk and if the hobbyist sticks with it, has success, then they will be in it for the long haul. Learn a bit from the mistakes that are sure to happen, clean up what you don't like, redirect focus on what you do, then plan the upgrade or new display.

Easy as riding a bike.
Great point. I am doing just that. For me a 43g cube with a sump. Learning all the skimmer, fuge, flow, and lighting.
Along with rockscape and corals.

Will upgrade when I have learned enough to feel confident in a much larger expensive set up.
 

oliver1812

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In my opinion, a 72" tank is ideal. 125/150/180 depending on budget. Gives you lots of options for fish and later upgrades changes. The max size that is able to be maintained on a reasonable budget. Jumping to 220-300 is a big cost step in a lot of ways.
Yea the maint cost sneaks up on you. I moved up to a 300gal a few months ago and I am running through salt. Even running Reef Crystals it’s a maint cost that I kinda ignored until i couldn’t.
 

X-37B

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Yea the maint cost sneaks up on you. I moved up to a 300gal a few months ago and I am running through salt. Even running Reef Crystals it’s a maint cost that I kinda ignored until i couldn’t.
5% every 2-3 months has worked well for me in my 9 month old 150. Imo, no need for weekly.
Something to consider if you have everything else in order. I have gone as long as 18 months in my old 120.
I have done 1 10%, after the first month and then the above.
20250113_105405.jpg
 

cobraz

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Love the 4' long 120 Gallon tanks... 24" wide, 24" tall with a nice volume in a manageable space.
Downside...your up to your arm pit to work on the sand bed.
Plenty of room for sump, skimmer etc.
 

oliver1812

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5% every 2-3 months has worked well for me in my 9 month old 150. Imo, no need for weekly.
Something to consider if you have everything else in order. I have gone as long as 18 months in my old 120.
I have done 1 10%, after the first month and then the above.
20250113_105405.jpg
I have the IM INT240 with the 75gal sump along with the IM EXT200 with the 75gal sump. And it’s funny you mention that schedule, i literally just had that conversation with a local reefer about extending my water change schedule. My trident keeps things stable, coral and fish look good, I did add some algae to help uptake some Nitrates and phosphates. Things are doing great and flourishing. That’s all I needed to hear to extend my schedule.
 

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