My lighting for new tank?

[Milhouse]

Right now I'm having a dilly of a pickle. I can't decide on tank size. I have 3 tanks that I'm looking at. Two Oceanics, one AGA. I need help deciding. I know bigger is better and I want the bigger tank, but I just don't like something about it. Here are the options. 37g: 24.5" x 18.5" x 21" 50g: 30.5" x 18.5" x 21" 46bowfront AGA: 36X16X21. Dimension wise I love the 50 Oceanic. The problem is that the stand they offer for it is kinda crappy.....it's also the cheapest overall. The 37g Oceanic has a great stand and it's a great looking tank. The AGA is a bowfront and I don't know if I really LOVE bowfronts(I have a 7g AGA bowfront and I like it well enough). Now what makes this trickier is that I want to use the lighting I already have. I have a 24" pendant with a 175w MH and two 32w PC's. I know the 24x24 rule for MH's but I've had this pendant over my old 30" 29gal and it looked and worked perfectly fine. Any other suggestions on tank sizes? Right now I'm leaning towards the 46 bow or the 37. I just like the way those tanks look better. The only thing I really don't like about the bow is that it lacks the depth of the other two tanks. I wanted something deeper, not longer....that and it's 36 inches long, might be too long for the light.

[Entropy]

75G AGA prefereably reef ready :D

48" is a great length and perfect for two metal halides + 4 foot VHO actinics. 20" is a great depth and 18" is enough width to aquascape nicely. It gives you a lot more flexability and water to work with for stability. That is what I would suggest.

Out of the three you listed though I would choose the 37 oceanic because at the end of the day if you are not happy with the look of your tank you are not going to have a good time maintaining it. Being excited to see your tank is what it is all about so take your time and choose wisely!

[dougchambers]

I have to agree with Rich... I think you would be much happier with a 75RR. The size is easier to keep stable and it's a better fit for a pair of MH with VHO Actinics.

Of course... I'm a little biased based on our setup.

Given your list though, the 37 Oceanic would be my preference. Do a search for Bowfront tanks. They have some marginal press problems with leaking over time.

-Doug