What Size

[dbowma]

What size do you suggest for a newbie to reef tanks?I know I can read to learn whats what.But with child on the way I know the bigger the more $$$$ so what size do you think????

[demonsp]

29 to 55 gallon are great starters with the 29 great for a refugium later. But the cost to setup a 75 isnt to much compared to buying all new equipment for a larger tank later.

What do you want from this tank, fish only or fish and coral?

[Swanwillow]

my first tank that was full blown reef was a 29. It gave me a good handle on how to maintain a reef/saltwater tank. Best size? maybe not, but that doesn't matter. What matters is that you tried it, and if you liked it thats GREAT!

[Norward]

love my 29g: not too big, not too small. But if you go bigger, do at least 75g (better width than 55g).

[atvdave]

I was always told never do a saltwater tank less than 75gal. But you see here on RC there are many saltwater & reefers who do very well with less.

For a newbie I'd go with the 75 or more dew to it's easer to maintain your water conditions.

When you get more experience you can do smaller more dedicated tanks.

[saltymight]

I started with 55 and it went fine like many people will say its like a demanding gf or wife.

[Acillaton]

Biggest tank you can afford. Bigger tank= more stabile parameters.

[saltymight]

Well since you are about to have a kid Think about how much you can afford it gets pretty expensive my 30 gallon was a bout 400-500

[prickles]

craigslist!! buy a used tank. you can get a nice 125 for $800-1000 including everything; fish, corals, live rock, sand, water. Smaller will be cheaper but you should go with space/budget constraints, not a size parameter. The maintenance doesn't cost too much more for bigger. It's the buying corals that costs. I still spend about $250-$500/wk on new stuff. I can't imagine if I bought a "new" tank.

[steven_dean17]

The tank is the cheap part, look at all the other equipment cost(skimmer, lights,ect.) before you decide on the actual size of tank. If you have a new baby comming you'll need to buy a diaper genie and a good set of ear plugs.

[matasw]

Originally posted by Acillaton
Biggest tank you can afford. Bigger tank= more stabile parameters.

I agree. I started w/ a 20 and it was a PITA

[uscharalph]

Craigslist

[Mavrk]

Originally posted by Acillaton
Biggest tank you can afford. Bigger tank= more stabile parameters.

Agreed. Bigger tanks mean more volume to dilute any problems that may occur. A sump will add even more water to the equation, so I would recommend that as well.

I started with a 55 gallon and loved it at the time. I would not go smaller than that for a first tank. My latest tank is a 90 and I like this even more. A 90 is just a tall 75.

Eventually you will probably want to go bigger, so keep that in mind.

[nanoguy]

Just go get yourself a 29 gallon Oceanic Bio Cube and play with it to see if you really like the hobby. Almost everything you need to get started is already in the box. Most starter corals will do well in these tanks as long as you do regular water changes. I think it's the most cost effective way to learn about the hobby. It's not too expensive and if you decide to upgrade to something nicer you can just keep it as a quarantine tank or something. Yes, a tank with a higher water volume equates to more stable perimeters which in return will produce healthier livestock but your initial cost to setup a 55 gallon plus tank will be much higher. I've seen too many people drop a lot of $$$ on a tank setup and then walk away from the hobby within a year just because they realized that keeping a healthy/good looking reef setup requires a lot more husbandry then they are willing to provide.

[jccash]

You should be able to pick up a 65, 90 or higher gal tank used with lights, stand, PS, sump for a good price. Try and find a drilled tank. JC

[conjuay]

If you do the craigslist thing (I did) be mindful that the previous owner MIGHT have used medications in the tank, especially if they had a fish only set-up. I had a slight panic attack this week when I had several crabs and a mantis shrimp die.

If your Craigslist tank is listed as a "REEF" tank, you are probably safe. If you find a bargain and it has a treasure chest or a pirate's ship as part of the display... be careful.
Ask questions, ask them enthusiastically, not apprehensively. People love to talk, you'll find out a lot.

Actually that's why I like fish; people never shut up.

[ejrabekoff]

The bigger, the better. Measure the size of the area where it will be, and buy the biggets tank possible. If you are worried about cost, I would say a 55g. As a general rule, rule, never go smaller than 55g for a beginner tank. You will save a lot of fish by having an adequately sized tank. It will help with bufferning, and will be a much more stable environment.

[Zestay]

id reccomend a 40 breeder over a 55 gallon tank any day of the week. thats me though. the 55 gallon has such a small foot print. and 4 foot lights are expensive compared to 3 foot lights. id get a 40 breeder and a 30 gallon standard as a sump. give yah right around 60 gallons of water ( the sumps arent suppose to be full yah know ) enough to keep stable, a decent sized tank, and a 40 breeder is only about 90 bux new.

[reefergeorge]

I started with a nano cube 12 dx, and still love it. I have had more problems with my 90 than my 12 has ever had.
You will quickly want a larger system no mater what size you get.