Whats the best size tank to start off with?

[WvAquatics]

I'm starting with a 120. Was planning a 40b. But went a little bigger

 

[roxanne1212]

I feel like a 37 gallon is a good starting tank and my husband wants a 55. I guess its not a huge difference but this is my first saltwater tank and want to know what is the best size to start with.

I read an article that said go as big as you can. I’m glad I read that because I was going to start with 20 but I decided to go BIG and purchase a 55. BIG. HA! Now Im going to a Red Sea max 650. . I hope that’s big enough! Lol. If you have the time it requires to keep it clean go big! You won’t regret it! If you work 3 jobs, have 4 kids and operate a horse farm, go smaller .
good luck
Have fun!

 

[BuBBly FiSh]

Bigger is better. Here is why. #1 the bigger the tank the more forgiving. If you make a mistake and YOU WILL you can easily lose everything in a small tank. #2 Cost. Big tanks cost more upfront but then cost you less later. Examples of this are through water changes, stability and of course the impulse purchase you one day WILL MAKE that will require a new large tank. #3 If you like tangs, Angels or any of the best-looking fish they all (ALL) REQUIRE A LARGE TANK. You do not want to make the Tang police angry trust me. #4 Some corals can get big quick. This is where you can get some of your hard-earned money back by fragging. The more room the more coral the more of your hard-earned money you can get back.

 

[Irene]

There is so much negative sentiment here about 55 gallon tanks that I need to add an alternate view. I love my 55 gallon tank and have been able to aquascape it just fine. It fits nicely in the available space (no room for a freestanding tank). I started.it 3 years ago as my first aquarium and still have many or my original fish, snails, clams, etc. and lots of coralline algae. I would go bigger if I could but am very happy with it.

 

[Richard Rowland]

I am still pretty new to saltwater tanks but I started out with a 40g breeder tank for size reasons however it’s easy to clean and water changes are easy as well. I also run a 32g biocube and It constantly give me issues. My 40g runs on pretty cheap parts with the exception of a hang on back refugium and it basically runs itself now.

 

[Sailingeric]

I have a 75 gallon sw tank and I think that is good size. It is big enough you won't out grow it right away and the 6 extra front to back depth inches over 55 gallon is nice.

 

[El_Guapo13]

+1

The best size tank is what suits your goals. Too small and you will quickly run out of room and struggle to keep it clean. Too big, and you find yourself buying equipment and investing in more than you bargained for. Tell us more about what you want to do with it!

+1 on this. Now excuse me while I find something silly to post in this thread, becuse who doesn't enjoy a good giggle?

 

[El_Guapo13]

First, you start with something about this size

Then you upgrade a little bigger as you get more comfortable

And then you go nuts and acting all crazy waving this thing in everyones faces while talking crazy like this

These are the type of tanks you were asking about, right???

 

[BuBBly FiSh]

There is so much negative sentiment here about 55-gallon tanks that I need to add an alternate view. I love my 55-gallon tank and have been able to aquascape it just fine. It fits nicely in the available space (no room for a freestanding tank). I started.it 3 years ago as my first aquarium and still have many of my original fish, snails, clams, etc. and lots of coralline algae. I would go bigger if I could but I am very happy with it.

It is not that we are negative it is that a 55 gallon is a horrible tank because it is way to narrow. Imagine being the poor fish who can't turn around in the tank or the coral that only grew a tad and ended up against the glass that is now covered in algae because you can't get between the glass and the coral. There are so many of us out that who have done this for years and we know these things as FACT.

 

[pdxmonkeyboy]

First tank? Get a used all in one. Keeping the tank looking good takes a pretty deep knowledge base and a decent investment in time.

You may find that it's a huge hassle..

 

[Hemmdog]

40b with a sump is a good tank, mainly for dimensions if you don’t have a ton of space. To really get reefing though I would do a 65-120, if you have a ton of room and money to burn a 180 is good too.
Don’t buy a tank that is too big to light if your budget doesn’t allow for purchase of enough quality lights.
Keep an extra thousand or so in your rainy day fund if something major breaks(pumps, lights, skimmer, tank failure)Better yet, have back ups of these critical components.

 

[mkwarner77]

i started with a 46, but figure out how much you are willing to spend on the initial setup. whatever you decide I'd recommend something with at least 20" depth

 

[KenRexford]

I started with a 6-ft 125 about 16 years ago. I still have that size. Love it. Here's why:

1. Smallest water volume to have tang police only mildly disgusted with me for having coveted tangs.

2. AI Primes in a single row works. T5 hybrid without extensions.

3. Most important. Thin enough to sit against wall without encroaching too much into the room. Also, lines up better with standard furniture beside it, like my bookshelf, as well as the ato. Happy wife, happy reef life.

4. I can barely reach the bottom back of the tank from the front and behind the tank along the wall in the middle. Deeper and not likely, IMO.

 

[Reef-junky]

If you don’t want to spend a lot of money then a 40 breeder other wise at least a 75. You will like the extra width of a 40 breeder vs a 55.

 

[fish farmer]

I've had a 38, 55, 65 and down to a 29. If I started over I would go with a 40 breeder or 75 gallon...I'm in this for the corals not so much the fish and those two sizes are best for aquascaping and large footprint under a stand for a sump and equipment. If you want tangs, rabbitfish, bigger fish you really should be going for something over 100 gallons.


Also a smaller tank with grow out quicker that a huge tank....so it will look fuller sooner so you will feel more satisfied in the hobby.

 

[Tyler White]

I would say whatever size you can have at least a 50% water change amount of water on standby at any time.
I have your standard 32 gallon brute trash can that i store my mixed salt water in and i wouldn't feel comfortable getting a tank over 60 gallons.

 

[madweazl]

My personal opinion is that the width of the tank is one of the most important criteria for a reef tank. I like the tanks to have a width that is half the length. For a small tank, that would be the 40g at 36x18. For a medium size tank, it would be the 120g at 48x24 (the 80g "frag" tank is also nice with a 48x24 footprint but not as tall; awesome dimension in my opinion and a better option for a reef than a 75g). For a large tank, 36" width works well up to 96" length.

The width provides a few advantages. First, it allows you to create an aquascape that gives a sense of depth; things can be clearly set in the fore and background (looking through water kills your sense of depth so you need to exaggerate everything). Next, it allows for far more surface area when it comes to placing corals so they aren't stuck one on top of the other. Lastly, it allows you to pull the rock work off the back wall of the tank. This makes it so the fish can swim, unobstructed, around the entirety of the tank. This further enhances the sense of depth but also makes maintenance easier on the back side.

 

[Dana Riddle]

Back in the late 80's, there was a rule of thumb that a reef aquarium would cost about $300 per linear foot to stock, but back them you could get an large Acropora colony for less than $100. So, research which corals you'd like to keep. Same goes with fishes. As mentioned in earlier posts, tangs (and many other fishes) should have a large aquarium. Decide which ones you want to keep, and do due diligence (Live Aquaria comes to mind - their site has recommendations as to tank size for particular species. Other sites probably do as well.) Lighting options range from ~$100 to $1,000 per 2 linear feet (up to 24" depth.) A skimmer isn't absolutely necessary (I'll ruffle some feathers here, but I've seen some wonderful skimmer-less reef tanks.) I strongly recommend starting with live rock. Bottom line - Do your research. As the old saying goes "Failure to plan is a plan for failure." But it here on R2R - a good start!

 

[Medic58]

I would say 120 48x48x24 it’s just big enough to let your imagination run wild. Be advised bigger tanks are a lot of work and a lot of money to maintain. I myself have a 90 and it perfect for my situation. But I think 120 is the way to go.

 

[Admann]

If I had it to do all over again, I would have skipped the AIOs and bought at least a 75 gal. After a 28 and a 45 AIO I will be starting my 100 with a Triton 34 sump. Build thread soon.I spent more money on marginally performing equipment designed for these smaller tanks. Don't think I did not enjoy the tanks I did. It made me learn a great many valuable lessons, reef keeping and economic.