What size should my new tank build be? (1 Viewer)

[Reefahholic]

Nothing crazy. I wanna go small. Smaller than 75/G.

Something with one light fixture, small skimmer, two powerheads, etc.

Maybe like a rimless 40/B or larger.

Help me decide if you’ve seen a smaller dope tank lately. I want to do Acropora only. Mostly stags and a few classics like red planet, etc.

 

[Cody]

Welcome back

 

[Reefahholic]

Welcome back

It will be after Covid. I might get some rock and put it on the broiler. One part of me says go small and the other part says get 120/G.

 

[Tenny]

It will be after Covid. I might get some rock and put it on the broiler. One part of me says go small and the other part says get 120/G.

I think the 100-120 is the sweetspot in tank size. Enough room to play around, but not massive enough you need to go crazy with support. The only real "issue" is lighting. It's big enough you really should have two fixtures if LED.

 

[steveb]

maybe something like this

90 Gallon Starfire Cube Tank With Center Overflow 36x24x24 12mm

www.scaquariums.com

use a 36" 2x75W LED 8x39W T5 LED WIFI Powermodule - ATI

 

[PicassoClown]

Whatever you decide, I’m finding that I really prefer peninsulas over lagoon or cubes. It just seems easier to aquascape and provides a less cramped look overall. More like a natural reef IMO. If you can find a 40 peninsula, I’d go for it!

 

[PorpoiseHork]

If you're thinking of a 75g, trust me, go with a 120g instead. Depending on where you are going to put it you can with internal drain, or as a peninsula with the external overflow on one end instead of the back. As @PicassoClown said, a peninsula tank would give you more options for scaping if you are able to view it from all sides. I wish I would have done that instead of the 75. a 120 just offers so much more real estate, and if you go rimless.

As for lighting, the best single LED fixture option for either a 40b or a 75/120 would be hands down a Reef Breeders Photon V2+. They come in multiple sizes including 36" and 48" and are fantastic lights. I was shocked when I learned that they use the same LED diodes as AI used for the Hydra 26 HD's. Light coverage area is amazing with them because how of the LED's are spaced out. Probably the closest one can get to T5 coverage in a single LED fixture. You can mount them with the included tank stand mounting arms or suspend it. They have a 2 year warranty and Logan is awesome when it comes to support for it. I ran one for nearly 2 years and they grow coral like crazy, produce wonderful color pop and are easily configured for any color spectrum you desire. The only down side is getting the channels set correctly can be a bit of a challenge at first, but you can use similar settings as the Hydra's to get the right spectrum then adjust the power per channel numbers where you want them with a PAR meter.

For a skimmer I'd recommend a Simplicity Skimmer either the DC120 or 240DC depending on the tank size. I have the 120DC and that thing is an absolute beast for its size. Mine never ceases to impress at how much it will pull out. They run about 1/2 the price compared to comparable brands and are very reliable, relatively quiet if you have them in a cabinet or modify the intake silencer. Being a DC pump, you have a high level of control over the pump speed as well as air intake. My only complaint with it is it can send off a fair bit of micro bubbles from time to time because of how the outlet is setup. I have toyed with the idea of modifying it so the outlet is closer to the surface instead at the base.

 

[Reefahholic]

maybe something like this

90 Gallon Starfire Cube Tank With Center Overflow 36x24x24 12mm

www.scaquariums.com

use a 36" 2x75W LED 8x39W T5 LED WIFI Powermodule - ATI

That is very nice little tank!

 

[Reefahholic]

You guys have some great ideas. Tough decisions!

 

[Reefahholic]

I feel like I can live with something like this are maybe larger. Definitely not bigger than 120/G though. I’m trying to stay between 40 - 90/G I think.

 

[RR-MAN]

Since you dismantle and sell your tank quick get a small Red Sea or AIO...nothing custom....

It will give you a chance to enjoy the hobby. Keep it simple. [emoji4][emoji106]

 

[Reefahholic]

Since you dismantle and sell your tank quick get a small Red Sea or AIO...nothing custom....

It will give you a chance to enjoy the hobby. Keep it simple. [emoji4][emoji106]

I'd love to have an AIO. It's hard to find them cheap. When I build them, I can do all the work and get them cheaper.

I haven't looked in a while though...maybe it will equal out this time. Plumbing and building the stands cost a lot of money.

I might look into RS this time and see what they have. I think if I can get it from a LFS then I could save on a lot of shipping.

 

[PorpoiseHork]

I feel like I can live with something like this are maybe larger. Definitely not bigger than 120/G though. I’m trying to stay between 40 - 90/G I think.

That 90 cube is a nice smaller tank with a footprint that will allow it to be placed nearly anywhere. I still say if you are looking to go with a 4' tank then the 120 is the way to go over a 75/90g. The extra 6" of width would make a huge difference in options for a your scape compared to the 18" width of a 75/90g.

Another thing you can look into is adding a SCWD Wavemaker device to the return. I first saw one of these in use at Moody Garden's QT center and was fascinated with it. It's a mechanical gate valve that will automatically redirect flow between the two outlets changing the flow characteristics in the tank. When I asked them about it and how reliable it is, they said they had been using them for a few years and never had an issue with them. I want to add one of these to my tank, and probably will once I get around to putting in the larger sump since I'll be doing some re-plumbing.

 

[reeftopia]

700 gallon, haha

 

[decimal]

i dont know if gallons are the best way to approach that. i would look at size and shape first. then the gallon size works itself out. if i had to stay under 120, i would go to 48Wx24Wx18T but that depends on the stand too. i would not want taller than 18 just becasue its a pain in the arse to do anything on the bottom of the tank if it is too tall. but thats just mho

also, speaking from personal experience, don't for a moment fool yourself thinking you're going to be able to make reefing "cheaper" by downsizing tanks. you might save 300 for every 2k you spend. so it's a little cheaper but it's still reefing lmao

 

[Reefahholic]

That 90 cube is a nice smaller tank with a footprint that will allow it to be placed nearly anywhere. I still say if you are looking to go with a 4' tank then the 120 is the way to go over a 75/90g. The extra 6" of width would make a huge difference in options for a your scape compared to the 18" width of a 75/90g.

Another thing you can look into is adding a SCWD Wavemaker device to the return. I first saw one of these in use at Moody Garden's QT center and was fascinated with it. It's a mechanical gate valve that will automatically redirect flow between the two outlets changing the flow characteristics in the tank. When I asked them about it and how reliable it is, they said they had been using them for a few years and never had an issue with them. I want to add one of these to my tank, and probably will once I get around to putting in the larger sump since I'll be doing some re-plumbing.

I’d really love a 120. It’s a perfect tank for me. I’ve had a 105/G which is very close. After this recent 75/G build I hated the height. The 105/G was only 21” tall as well. They were great for getting my hands into the tank, but delivering the flow properly was very difficult. 24” tall is perfect to work in and deliver flow.

I could also work with the 24” tall 90/G cube. I really don’t need length. I just want the 24” depth and 24” height.

 

[Reefahholic]

700 gallon, haha

Everybody that goes 700+ goes back to 300-500.

 

[Reefahholic]

i dont know if gallons are the best way to approach that. i would look at size and shape first. then the gallon size works itself out. if i had to stay under 120, i would go to 48Wx24Wx18T but that depends on the stand too. i would not want taller than 18 just becasue its a pain in the arse to do anything on the bottom of the tank if it is too tall. but thats just mho

also, speaking from personal experience, don't for a moment fool yourself thinking you're going to be able to make reefing "cheaper" by downsizing tanks. you might save 300 for every 2k you spend. so it's a little cheaper but it's still reefing lmao

No doubt Reefing is a money pit. You always try to make the tank better in search for better growth.

I think at this point I’ve seen what gets results over the years and I’ve tried about everything there is to try. The funny thing is that it really comes down to keep thing tank stable and as simple as possible combined with patience.

I think this tank will be a super simple build if there is such a thing in Reefing.

I’m thinking...
Light
Heater
Rerun pump
Wave makers
CaRx
Skimmer

That’s about it. No controller. No other crazy equipment.

 

[reeftopia]

I would have loved to bring my 700 indoor where I would have used it as a peninsula. Vote was 2 to 1 wife and girlfriend both said no. Since when
does wife get to have that kind of split.

 

[SCUBAFreaky]

Vote was 2 to 1 wife and girlfriend both said no.

Interesting.