What is the right tank size for my space (and lack of skill)?

[newreeferontheblock]

Hey all - been lurking for a while and have decided to take the plunge but am struggling to pick the right tank! The best space we have in our home for the tank is 60" wide and around 18.5" deep (pictured). (Note - I will relocated the outlet):

• This seems to be too shallow for any of the AIO's I have found larger than 20 or 30 gallons and I was hoping to go bigger from a stability perspective
• A standard 55 would fit perfectly - give me 5 inches in the back and inches on each side to work - but after all the hate it gets on the forum for being challenging as a reef tank I am not sure
• A 40 gallon breeder would also fit, but would be basically flush with the wall in the back which has me concerned about the logistics of getting on lighting, filtration, etc. This is in our living room so I need to make it look nice (e.g., will want to hide cords)

It is an external plaster wall - so no options to go back... and given it is my first tank, I don't know if I am ready to make the modifications to the cabinet that would be required to plumb a sump in. What would you all recommend?

 

[RocketEngineer]

I recommend you find a different location because a countertop on regular cabinets is not structurally strong enough to support a tank of any reasonable size. Sorry.

 

[newreeferontheblock]

Appreciate the info - it is easy to underestimate how heavy these things can get filled with water. Honestly, there is no other spot (we don't have a large house) except maybe upstairs but that creates a whole different set of logistical challenges. What are my options - can I re-enforce the shelf?

 

[lopez052308]

Have you looked at water boxes? Really nice tanks.

 

[Gedxin]

If you've got the money, just go for a custom tank size that fits your space, there's a few companies on here that can ship and are 'reasonably' priced.

I think with some reinforcement wood work you could probably continue to use that cabinet.

 

[xsnys]

Do you have pictures of the inside of the cabinets? I think that'll be the deciding factor.

 

[newreeferontheblock]

Absolutely - please see below (it is currently being used to hold some liquor)

Outside view to orient

Top left corner - the wood goes around the frame of the cabinet - currently no cross beam in the middle

vertical support - there is also currently not one of these in the middle of the shelf only the two sides:

If it matters this is above the basement, joists run perpendicular to the shelf and are almost even with the two vertical supports but it seems not quite. The are spaced 18" center to center so there are 4 over the span of this area of the shelf (however this unit continues both to the right and the left of this center area to cover much of this wall)

 

[lopez052308]

Do you have some what of a budget?

 

[srobertb]

Hey all - been lurking for a while and have decided to take the plunge but am struggling to pick the right tank! The best space we have in our home for the tank is 60" wide and around 18.5" deep (pictured). (Note - I will relocated the outlet):

• This seems to be too shallow for any of the AIO's I have found larger than 20 or 30 gallons and I was hoping to go bigger from a stability perspective
• A standard 55 would fit perfectly - give me 5 inches in the back and inches on each side to work - but after all the hate it gets on the forum for being challenging as a reef tank I am not sure
• A 40 gallon breeder would also fit, but would be basically flush with the wall in the back which has me concerned about the logistics of getting on lighting, filtration, etc. This is in our living room so I need to make it look nice (e.g., will want to hide cords)

It is an external plaster wall - so no options to go back... and given it is my first tank, I don't know if I am ready to make the modifications to the cabinet that would be required to plumb a sump in. What would you all recommend?

55g are difficult for a reef tank. You need to keep fish on the smaller size due to the severe lack of depth. Also difficult to rock scape. Great for FW. Awful for SW.

I think a 75 g standard would fit? They make a kit for 40/75g off the shelf tanks that turns them into AIO’s. If you’re handy enough to move that outlet, you’ll have ZERO issues grabbing a tube of aquarium silicone from Lowe’s and installing the easy baffles.

As someone who has run a lot of AIO’s: the key is simplicity. Don’t worry about skimmers or anything complicated.

 

[newreeferontheblock]

Have you looked at water boxes? Really nice tanks.

They are - I really like their 50 AIO but a bit too deep (19.5) it would overhang the cabinet a bit

Do you have some what of a budget?

I don't want to spend more than say 1.5k on gear. That being said, I don't want to spend more just because something is "better", it needs to be better enough to justify the price for a beginner like me.

55g are difficult for a reef tank. You need to keep fish on the smaller size due to the severe lack of depth. Also difficult to rock scape. Great for FW. Awful for SW.

I think a 75 g standard would fit? They make a kit for 40/75g off the shelf tanks that turns them into AIO’s. If you’re handy enough to move that outlet, you’ll have ZERO issues grabbing a tube of aquarium silicone from Lowe’s and installing the easy baffles.

As someone who has run a lot of AIO’s: the key is simplicity. Don’t worry about skimmers or anything complicated.

Interesting. So according to the Petco website it is 19.5" which is too big, but according to the aqueon website it is 18.5 which would just fit. I do like those AIO kits - even if it is for the 40, that alleviates the need for a bunch of stuff behind it

 

[vadryn]

I have a 90g in an alcove (think built-in book shelf area) over the stairs that has run into a lot of the same challenges you will be dealing with. The 90g is 48" wide, 18.5" deep and 24" Tall.

My recommendations - go as big as you can for the space. Bigger tanks are more stable and more forgiving with rock-scaping, livestock etc. You can totally reinforce that shelf if you are concerned.

Will you be doing a sump? I didn't and I can elaborate on the challenges that adds. You'll be setting the display flush to the back wall, so HOB isn't an option. You will have access to the sides, which helps. There are different ways to tackle filtration. How do you want to handle nutrient export?

What's above your tank area? Cabinet? A way to mount lights?

What's behind your tank area? Can you modify that wall to allow for wiring/plumbing?

Here's pic of my 90g before my recent updates/upgrades. Happy to share what I've done and learned if it's relatable to where you are going with your build.

 

[Rick's Reviews]

Hey all - been lurking for a while and have decided to take the plunge but am struggling to pick the right tank! The best space we have in our home for the tank is 60" wide and around 18.5" deep (pictured). (Note - I will relocated the outlet):

• This seems to be too shallow for any of the AIO's I have found larger than 20 or 30 gallons and I was hoping to go bigger from a stability perspective
• A standard 55 would fit perfectly - give me 5 inches in the back and inches on each side to work - but after all the hate it gets on the forum for being challenging as a reef tank I am not sure
• A 40 gallon breeder would also fit, but would be basically flush with the wall in the back which has me concerned about the logistics of getting on lighting, filtration, etc. This is in our living room so I need to make it look nice (e.g., will want to hide cords)

It is an external plaster wall - so no options to go back... and given it is my first tank, I don't know if I am ready to make the modifications to the cabinet that would be required to plumb a sump in. What would you all recommend?

I myself was restricted to size I had available for my aquriam in my lounge.

I would DISREGARD the current fitted units as these I believe are kitchen units that will struggle to hold 20 cans tinned beans... Nevermind a 30 40 50gallon fish tank for years

I think these fitted units are causing an hindrance to your decision making of having a beautiful aquarium in the space available

I would then shop for/ find a suitable aquarium size with stand that would fit this space, you need a proper stand to not only evenly support weight of water but also aquascape/ rocks and sand (if adding) which also adds considerable weight


This is just my thoughts, sorry, I tried to keep it short

 

[Rick's Reviews]

I myself was restricted to size I had available for my aquriam in my lounge.

I would DISREGARD the current fitted units as these I believe are kitchen units that will struggle to hold 20 cans tinned beans... Nevermind a 30 40 50gallon fish tank for years

I think these fitted units are causing an hindrance to your decision making of having a beautiful aquarium in the space available

I would then shop for/ find a suitable aquarium size with stand that would fit this space, you need a proper stand to not only evenly support weight of water but also aquascape/ rocks and sand (if adding) which also adds considerable weight


This is just my thoughts, sorry, I tried to keep it short

Just for reference I have 45g fluvel , 16" deep (front to back) 39" wide, 22" top to bottom , I added pics but please note the size/thickness of stand

Hope this helps

 

[C4ctus99]

Can you rip out the whole cabinet and just build a stand in its place? With a drill and a skill saw you can use the design of @RocketEngineer in its place. You can even add that extra 1-2” if you need it so the tank doesn’t overhang.

If not, provided the base is solid you can nock the countertop off and replace the flimsy top frame with 2x4s and paint them white. Throw on some 3/4” plywood if you want a top and paint everything white to match with outdoor paint.

 

[ajorcutt]

Absolutely - please see below (it is currently being used to hold some liquor)

Outside view to orient

Top left corner - the wood goes around the frame of the cabinet - currently no cross beam in the middle

vertical support - there is also currently not one of these in the middle of the shelf only the two sides:

If it matters this is above the basement, joists run perpendicular to the shelf and are almost even with the two vertical supports but it seems not quite. The are spaced 18" center to center so there are 4 over the span of this area of the shelf (however this unit continues both to the right and the left of this center area to cover much of this wall)

Based on my experiences, going with the biggest tank your area allows would work. I've always built my own cabinetry and usually over build it. Better too much structure than not enough. If you're wanting to keep this cabinet, you'll need reinforcement unless your setting a small tank on it. I would add 2x4 framing around the top, inside of the cabinet along with a 2x4 cross beam in the middle. Then add vertical 2x4's in each corner and under the center cross beam at back and front of cabinet for the new top framing to rest on. You'll lose a little cabinet space but saltwater weighs approx. 8.5 lbs per gallon and sand/rock are in the 12 lb per gallon displacement range so a 55 gal tank will be in that 475 lb. neighborhood. The 2x4s should handle stuff if you go with a little bigger tank.
Like I said before, this is based on my experiences so others might have different ideas. Take all of them and use what works best for you. Good luck!

 

[newreeferontheblock]

Thanks everyone -

For a bit of context (that I probably should have provided in the first post) the area in the photograph where I want to put the tank is just the middle section of this built in cabinet and shelving structure that spans most of the the living / dining room wall - removing it is probably a 5 figure renovation, so reinforcement it is!

My current plan is to go with either a 40 or 60 breeder with an AIO kit to help alleviate the fact that there wont be much clearance in the back and give it a bit of a cleaner look. After checking some measurements it seems like between that and space on the sides I should be ok - with some room to grow with new equipment as needed. There is a shelf above that I plan on hanging lights from the underside of.

The reinforcement plan I had in mind is pretty close to what @ajorcutt outlined - build a "frame" of 2x4s on the inside of the cabinet at the ends and middle to transfer the weight down to the base. For the top, I actually want the tank to start up a bit higher, so I was going to build a "deck" that I can put over the whole top in the middle section with vertical crosses in the middle at the two sides of the tank. I actually put together a more detailed post on it in the DIY section here: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/a...reinforcement-and-support-for-my-tank.971969/

 

[Indymann99]

You can easily reinforce the cabinet to support a 40g or 60g. You said you have a basement below. Do you have room in the basement to put your sump? A basement sump gives you much better sump access and you can make the sump as big as practical (a 60g sump would not be out of the question) could hold all equipment and have room for LR/media giving you more options for aqua scape of the DT. If you have a drain in the basement close to where the sump would be, then you can do WC out of the sump. If room for RODI and mix tank having it next to the sump is a bonus and means not hauling buckets through the living room for WC. Planning for maint is key.

 

[X-37B]

Hey all - been lurking for a while and have decided to take the plunge but am struggling to pick the right tank! The best space we have in our home for the tank is 60" wide and around 18.5" deep (pictured). (Note - I will relocated the outlet):

• This seems to be too shallow for any of the AIO's I have found larger than 20 or 30 gallons and I was hoping to go bigger from a stability perspective
• A standard 55 would fit perfectly - give me 5 inches in the back and inches on each side to work - but after all the hate it gets on the forum for being challenging as a reef tank I am not sure
• A 40 gallon breeder would also fit, but would be basically flush with the wall in the back which has me concerned about the logistics of getting on lighting, filtration, etc. This is in our living room so I need to make it look nice (e.g., will want to hide cords)

It is an external plaster wall - so no options to go back... and given it is my first tank, I don't know if I am ready to make the modifications to the cabinet that would be required to plumb a sump in. What would you all recommend?

For a first tank you could go with a 20g nano cube aio at 18x18x18.
Learn how to keep a tank stable with this simple system and you will be happy and hooked for life, lol.
Get an ato installed below to keep specific gravity stable.
Have a plan!
Start with a few pieces of live rock and some simple corals.
Get a quality light like 16hds.
This is what you can do with a 20g nano cube once you practice the basics of reef keeping.
Just leep it simple!