Restarting a reef tank: best aquarium

[Anonymous]

I just knocked down a 7 year old 55 gallon reef tank, which had pretty much tanked. I have 2 tangs (blue and purple) and a mated pair of maroons that I need to house in the new one.

I live in a very small place, which was why I had the 55 in the first instance. Someone pointed out to me that a 75 has almost the same footprint but is much better in terms of width.

So I need to buy a new aquarium.

I think I prefer acrylic, due to weight, earthquakes, children, etc. I know the arguments against, but my 55 was acrylic (Tru Vu) and it isn't badly scratched after 7 years of hard use and 3 little kids. I scratched it more yesterday than in 7 years of maintenance.

But I don't want to be dogmatic. My main point is to get a tank I will be happy with until I move into a bigger house. (With a bigger house requiring a $700K cash outlay, that might be awhile.)

I'd be interested also in non-box looking tanks, if anyone has any pictures or links.

 

[fungia]

the 75 gallon standard tank is the same width and height as your old 55 but it is about 6 inches wider, a good thing. it looks better and it is easier to aquascape.

i dont like non-box tanks because they are harder to clean. i did not like my hex front for this reason. for bowfront you cant use magnets, plus the curved front isnt the best for viewing imo. i also think they waste space if you are concerned about foot print because the areas that are curved and angled take up doesnt do you any good. not sure if that made any sense

 

[Anonymous]

Instead of acrylic, you might try getting a 75 gallon glass with eurobracing.

Also, I had an old Oceanic 110 gallon that was 60" long x 18" deep and had a glass center brace. Oh how I wish I had that tank now.

Peace,

Chip

 

[bleedingthought]

I have a 75G glass Oceanic and I love it. The huge center brace sometimes gets annoying with water hitting it, but it is tougher than anything else I've seen!

But while you're at it, why don't you go with a 4 foot 90G tank? 48x18x25". Or even a 4 foot 120G? 48x24x25" (My top choice in tanks!). They're all pretty close but can make a world of difference in possibilites for you!

 

[Anonymous]

I pick up my 58 from glass cages tomorrow. I REALLY like the dimensions. 36 x 18 x 21. if you can find one to see before you buy, check it out. It will be my last tank until I buy a place.

If you're set on a 4' tank, go with either a 75 or a 120. with the 90 you gain height (which means stronger lights)but not the depth. with the 120 you get both added height and depth over a 75.

B

 

[pcardone]

I have a 80gal tall tank. The small footprint is nice in my living room.I can get away with one 250w mlh. plus you can build a deep reef wall with large rocks. The deep tank is hard to work on, and the small stand makes for a small sump and tight quarters. If I had to do it again, I wouldn't go smaller than 120-150.

 

[Anonymous]

I have a 75G glass Oceanic and I love it. The huge center brace sometimes gets annoying with water hitting it, but it is tougher than anything else I've seen!

But while you're at it, why don't you go with a 4 foot 90G tank? 48x18x25". Or even a 4 foot 120G? 48x24x25" (My top choice in tanks!). They're all pretty close but can make a world of difference in possibilites for you!

Thanks, but unfortunately many of those possibilities will wind me up in divorce court.

Right now I am having trouble getting the old bag to agree to letting me replace the tank.

I will look at all the sizes in the shop before I grab something. The main thing is it has to be comparatively flat against the wall, because the only place this fits is in our dining area.

Here is how it looked before the tank tanked:

I find it heartbreaking to look at such photos.

 

[Anonymous]

another (sorry about the bubbles)

 

[Anonymous]

Nice looking tank, wg. Cute chillin's too - her hair is incredible.

 

[Anonymous]

That's 3 years ago. The tank is now sitting on edge at the side of the garage with a pile of rotting sand in it ready for me to hose it out. Almost everything you see there is either dead or a small shadow of its former self, apart from the fish, thanks to aiptasia.

Andy, get rid of your aiptasia. I'm not kidding.

The tank at its peak looked quite a bit better than that. I will see if I can find a picture.

My 3 year old son now looks almost like my then 3 year old daughter (same hair, but a bit more trimmed).

 

[Anonymous]

That's 3 years ago. The tank is now sitting on edge at the side of the garage with a pile of rotting sand in it ready for me to hose it out. Almost everything you see there is either dead or a small shadow of its former self, apart from the fish, thanks to aiptasia.

Andy, get rid of your aiptasia. I'm not kidding.

The tank at its peak looked quite a bit better than that. I will see if I can find a picture.

My 3 year old son now looks almost like my then 3 year old daughter (same hair, but a bit more trimmed).

They are trapped in a 5 g with a perk and some nice rock. I have been starving them out and they are almost gone. I do not have any in my reef tank but it still needs lenty of work. I think I will take it down after the summer and regroup. Maybe a nice old fashoned tank for Lark and a nice clam lagoon for me.

Let's see a pic of Mikey.

 

[Anonymous]

If you can swing it the 90 would be a nice tank. Same footprint as a 75 and not much more cash outlay. I would not do the 110x the 30 tall by 18 wide is a PITA. The 110x was my first tank I hated the 18 width.

 

[Anonymous]

Aren't 75s 18" wide too?

I like the dims of a 40 breeder and it is 18" wide - of is it 16" wide?

 

[Anonymous]

Aren't 75s 18" wide too?

I like the dims of a 40 breeder and it is 18" wide - of is it 16" wide?

Yes 75, 90 and 110x all have the 48x18 footprint Only difference id the height. IIRC the heights that corraspond are 20, 24 and 30.

 

[Anonymous]

The first pic is to get a sense of the space constraints I have. The tank could be a little longer than 48", but what you see here is the kids chairs pushed up against the front of a 55 gal aquarium with enough space behind it for a refugium (aiptasia breeding ground, never again) and skimmer and so on. I did not have a sump (doubtless another part of the problem). I'd like to use the 55gal or similar as a sump this time.

 

[bleedingthought]

If you can go a little longer, want to keep it fairly short, and have it at a decent depth then you could go with a 125 tall which is 60x18x25". 5 feet instead of 4. But that's only if you want to go that big though.

Again, I do love the dimensions of my 75G. I have two 55s and they don't even compare just because of the extra 6 inches of depth. But just like Wazz said, for a couple of extra bucks, I'd go a little bigger. My next tank (hopefully, either a 120G like I mentioned before or a 150G that is 60x24x24") will more than likely come from http://www.glasscages.com.

 

[Anonymous]

Could you put a 90 g wedge tank in the corner and avoid the table all together?

http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/msub10 ... cher54.htm

 

[Anonymous]

That looks pretty darn nice. I think I could put it where you see the iMac.

 

[Anonymous]

That's the corner I had in mind from the pic. That one is a 54 g there are some in the 100 = range with bow fronts and flat fronts.

A sump is a must though - otherwise it wonf fit as snugly X the wall.

 

[Anonymous]

If you look very closely at that picture, on the far right edge, you see a hint of what is a countertop.

My nefarious plan is to put another tank there, maybe a 40 breeder, as a refugium/mangrove swamp, which would look really nice in the kitchen (heh heh) and have a sump under the tank that pumps into the refugium which then drains into the main aquarium.