Best tank size

[Snausy]

Hey all, due to a delay in the making of my new tank I have an opportunity to change the size/dimensions and I wanted to get your input!

The tank I originally ordered was a 240gallon 96"x24"x24".

Do you like more length as opposed to a 72" tank with 36" H and D? There are lots of options and I can't make up my mind.

Fist, should it be 6ft long or 8ft long. Second would you just stay with 24" x 24" or is there a signifigant improvement with more hight say...36" high? Or would you go with the extra inches in depth to the wall?

I'll put up a poll but I'd like some comments from people who have tanks that are big and wish they had more in certain areas and why. I want to make the RIGHT choice the first time so it's a tank for many years to come.

Thanks for all your input!

[flameangel88]

I prefer a wider tank so bigger fish have more room to turn and shorter height uses less energy to light.

I like L=96", W=36" and H=either 24 or 30".

Btw--how much was the 96x24x24 you got quoted for? Thanks.

[Recty]

I went with the 96" x 36" x 24', although I'm assuming that's a typo because a 24 foot tall tank would be pretty hard to work on :) Not to mention it would hold a little more than 4000 gallons.

Whatever gives you the widest and longest tank is the best. Height seems pretty non critical for most fish and 24" is more than enough. The biggest thing they will appreciate is the 8 foot swimming room with 3 foot of turning space, hence I think the 96" x 36" x whatever would be your best bet.

[techigirl78]

Would 96"x36"x30" be a possible option? I chose 96"x30"x30" as the other wasn't an option. I think a 24" high tank for something that long would just seem off balance. Though 30" deep is about the max I would go in height due to maintenance.

[reefer334]

I voted wrong!!!

I meant to vote for the 96x30x30,not the 96x24x36.

[johno4]

I agree with what the others said. 8'L x 3'W, I dont think the hight is as important. I would probably do which ever the price is best for but at least 2' high.

[Snausy]

I do believe 96" X 36" X 30" is an option. Yep it's called the U400L.

400 gallons! lol that a little more than I was thinking but if I'm going to go big I might as well go big! I'll have to get a quote on that one.

96"x30"x30" is 330 gallons.

96" x "36" x 24" is 350 gallons.

Keep em coming!

btw I'm going to buy from *******...the original tank was 1300 then with the two trapazoid overflows and plumbing it ended up around 1700. Acrylic isn't cheap but I wouldn't go glass with this size of a tank.

[DamnPepShrimp]

I voted for the 96x36x24. Wider is better, a fish will use the 6" width more then height, sure viewing 6" more in height would be better, but it's whats better for the fish. If you can do a 96x36x30, that would be ideal!

[Juice It]

Height doesn't seem to be your limiting factor so on a tank that is 96inches wide looks wise the taller the better. A 3 foot tall 8 foot wide tank looks way better than a 2 foot to me.

[Snausy]

Yes I agree...8 feet long and only 2 feet tall looks like a long thin tank when I look at them. The three foot looks much better.

It's down to 96" x 36" x 30 or 36"...depending on the cost. 30" tall would be fine but 36" tall would be better as long as it isn't that much more expensive. Unfortunately I didn't include either in the poll. LOL sorry.

Thanks for all the input it was much appreciated. I agree with all of you that the distance from the front of the tank to the back should at least be 36". That is plenty of room for my fish, especially the dogface.

[lesleybird]

When you get more than 30 inches high you will not be able to reach the bottom to move the rocks around without sticking your head in the tank! So in my book the 36 high is out as is the 24 tall because it is too short looking for the length. You need at least 30 wide if you want to keep large angelfish like a Queen or Emporer that may get to 18 inches long. The 96 inches is better than the 72 in the length if you have room as large fish like to swim the length back and forth all day long. If the tank is glass they get really heavy the bigger that you get so sometimes acrylic can be better if the tank gets to like 300 gallons or more. So this is why I voted 96 by 30 by 30. I think the tank that is 36 inches wide is over kill when 30 should be plenty wide for even most really big fish plus 36 inches wide may not fit through some doors if you move. Good luck! Lesley

[Patrick12]

Width over depth all day long. You will be able to make some killer aquascapes that way and provide great swimming room and room for coral colony growth.

[Eel Freak]

Totally agree with Patrick12. I have been stuck with 12" wide tanks for most of the hobby and have NEVER been able to get a good looking aquascape. However, when I got my 125, I finally got REAL close to a nice-looking aquascape. My vote: 96" x 36" x 30" or 24"

[Hogfish77]

Easily the 96x36x24! I do not want to have to stick my head into the water to aquascape,etc. for anything higher than 24".:smokin:

[LisaD]

I have a 210. I often wish it was longer, wider, and shallower. :)

I'm in the 96 x 36 x 24 camp.

1) length and width are the most important dimensions for most fish.

2) I think 24" depth is perfectly acceptable for the fish. also, for ease of working in the tank, I think it's ideal. I am 5'5", so even the height of my 210 is a challenge.

I wouldn't worry too much about the dimensions of the tank for aesthetics. Your tank will look gorgeous, because you will have very happy, healthy fish.

What are you going to stock in this big boy? I am guessing you will have a S&S puffer and niger trigger, at the very least. :)

[Snausy]

lol as you know Lisa the stocking options are ever-changing in the tank and in the mind! ;)

I'm going to move my Dogface and Harlequin Tusk in there and then add fish that will work nicely with them. A couple angels, an eel maybe....who knows I'm not even going there yet. I just want to get the tank and the stand out of the way first. LOL I'm sure you can all help me with choosing good fish options when I get to that point in another thread! :)

I'm 6"3" so I don't mind a bit of extra depth...but maybe 36" is a bit much. 30" deep might be just about right. I cut out 96" x 36" x 30" out of wrapping paper and that size looks pretty dang good to me. HUGE compared to my 100g tank I have now. Most of my friends/family think the 100 is really big and I'm nuts for going bigger.

While the 96" x 36" x 24" option clearly is the favorite I'm thinking most of you wouldn't mind 6" more in depth.

It's definately down to:

96" x 30" x 30" or
96" x 36" x 30"

probably the former if the latter costs signifigantly more.

Glad I can find like-minded fish nuts here to consult with! My family thinks I'm crazy! :)

[lesleybird]

Hi, I got my tank custom from Deep Sea Aquatics that is run by a guy that used to be a master builder at Oceanic and now has his own company. These are glass that gets too heavy in the 300 gallon range. The tank that I have is a standard 6 foot long and 2 feet wide which normally comes in 180 gallon that is 24 inches tall that looked to short to me. The 215 gallon was 29 inches deep or there abouts......I'm a 5 ft. 4 inch female and I measured my arm reach and it was 26 inches so I ordered my tank 26 inches and this looks better than the shorter 24 inch. I did not get the 29 inch because I could not touch bottom with my arm. The 26 inch looks good for my 6 foot long tank but since you are 6ft. 4 you could probably touch bottom with the 30 inch which would look in good balance with the 8 foot length. My tank is only 24 inches wide which is the standard width in most 6 foot tanks. It is wide enough except where the overflows are.....I wish it were 6 inches wider as I would like a big Blueface angel but they get 16 inches long and I don't think it would be happy in the 24 inches wide. I would like the 30 inches wide myself. When you get your tank put it at least 10 or 12 inches from the wall as you need to be able to squeeze behind it if needed. If they can make you a stand that also has an opening on one end also this can help when you need to fit a long sump in there. My stand came with doors on the front and one on one end.



Remember that the bigger the tank, the bigger the water changes need to be. I change out 44 gallons of saltwater every 2 to 3 weeks in my 200 gallon. I make this in a 44 gallon trash can in my garage. It takes 11 and a half pounds of salt and the salt can get expensive. When you think of the size tank you might have to think of the cost of the giant skimmer that you will need, and the size and type of the sump. The cost of the lighting....Make sure that your floor can take the weight as water weighs 8 and a third pounds per gallon and water with salt in it could weigh more.

I would come up with a wish list of must have fish and tell us what you want to keep in there and go from there also.
Lesley

[Snausy]

LOL well thanks to whoever mentioned the problem with 36" getting through the door. For some crazy reason I never even considered that problem.

Turns out that 30" is JUST getting through my doors(front or back) so 36" is out...

I'm going 96" x 30" x 30" and that is my FINAL answer. :)

I may be 6'3" but 30" is as deep as I can go without sticking my face in the water to reach bottom. My arm is just about exactly 30" from tip of finger to armpit. lol Figure I'll do most of my stuff with wands and grabber poles with scoops anyway....like I do now.

Thank you everyone for your input...I cut out the tank in paper last night and it'll be awesome. Btw I really like the 30" tall WAY more than 24" tall. It might only be 6" but for some reason it is a big difference for such a long tank...in my eyes anyway.

[mattsilvester]

Hey there,

I would say choosing a tank is an extremely personal choice, and is not something one can advise you on...... but we'll try :)

Some say "bigger is better"...... all things being equal and in an ideal world, I would agree with that. I have a 96x24x24..... I would love a bigger tank > BUT > to be totally honest, I cannot manage the one I have. If I were doing it again, I would probably go for a standard 150gal.......

So..... before you go and get a huge tank, think, and think hard > beond your "dreams" and think > in reality, will you have (a) the time, (b) the money, and (c) the inclination to maintain something that big....... you may think you have those 3 things now, while you are excited about the whole thing...... but in 2yrs time when you have something to pay for or something else to do with your spare time or cash.....

I would say this to you..... why do you want such a big tank? Is there a specific fish or group of fish you want? There is a difference between the fish we would "like" and those we feel we simply "must have"...... do a list for your "must have" and then get a tank big enough for them....... that is what I would say.....

HTH

MAtt

[Snausy]

Excellent advice...I do have a dogface puffer and harlequin tusk that will require a larger tank at some point.

I wonder though and you do have me thinking. Is a 240-300 gallon tank really that much more "work" than the 100 I've been maintaining for the last two years?

I can afford the extra salt, but I didn't figure it would really be that much more "work".

Thoughts?

[flameangel88]

When I'd the 75g tank I perform a 15% WC every week and it was a breeze and since upgrading to the 180g it definitely is more work. With dosing med over over the summer and doing larger WC I've gone through 3 buckets of IO salt since the end of July. I was doing it the old fashion way--bucket by bucket but it took a toll on the back and just purchased the kitchen sink hose to do the WC.

Since 2006 I've gone through 2 upgrades and planning another for next year. I orginally was thinking going big one last time in the 600-700g (custom built in the basement) but seriously reconsidering more in the 400g (cost is a factor with current economy) range and using the 180g as the sump and for my butterflies. Will have the plumbling done right for easy access and simplicity for storing and changing water.

In your situation if money is not an issue and you're willing to put in a little extra time (with large system they are more stable) in this hobby I would say say go BIG, sit back and ENJOY.

[mattsilvester]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13838974#post13838974 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Snausy
Excellent advice...I do have a dogface puffer and harlequin tusk that will require a larger tank at some point.

I wonder though and you do have me thinking. Is a 240-300 gallon tank really that much more "work" than the 100 I've been maintaining for the last two years?

I can afford the extra salt, but I didn't figure it would really be that much more "work".

Thoughts?

Thats what I tohught too :)

Yes, in my opinion, it is alot more work........ but to an extent, it depends on how you are set up........ i mean if you have a dedicated room where your sump is, and you have space for a large water butt for collection RO water and mixing salt water, and if you set it up so it is reasoanble "automatic" as such, then it need not be all that much more work......

BUT > if it is say in your sitting room, and you have to cart everything to and from it in bcukets, then it most certainly is. If this is the situation you are in now, then I would suggest you do a water change at the weekend...... when you are tidying up, think, at this point you will be only 1/3 the way through if its a 300 gal tank........

it is more work > at least double the work........ unless you have the space and money to set things up on a semi-automatic basis that will mitigate the extra volume......

HTH

Matt

[kirkaz]

I have 96X24X24, but would LOVE a 96X36X24....Deep is cool to look at, but not so cool to work on, wide gives you a lot of great options.

[jnc914]

Don't want to hijack the thread, but what is everyone's thoughts on the new Marineland/Perfecto 36" wide tanks? My LFS has the 300 gallon Starphire setup and it is amazing. The depth gives you so many more options for your live rock and the fish seem to love the space. I am actually thinking of selling my current 300 acrylic and setting one of these in my first floor of my home. Has anyone come across any build threads with these types of setups?

[jdieck]

I woud not recommend anything deeper than 30" for maintenance purposes unless is a fish only.

[Snausy]

Buckets...lol. No way will I ever do buckets again. I have a fish "closet" that is four feet away which has my 50 gallon brute can and the RO/DI unit mounted on the wall behind it. I have a pump that mixes the water and then I connect a hose to pump the water into my sump just four feet away after siphoning out the water from the sump.

I only do 25 gallons currenty so twice as much will just be twice as much water in the same can....and a longer wait as it pumps the water in. I'm not too concerned with that. I'll use more salt sure, but that's the cost of having a big tank imho.

Water changes aren't a concern to me. I've been around long enough to have gotten a nice system going. It's hardly work at all. I can imagine the pain it would be to do them 5 gallon buckets at a time but I'm not that crazy(sorry to anyone that is doing them, no offense)

It is a FOWLR tank....and it will be 96 x 30 x 30. If my arms were any shorter then it would be 24" tall but I can handle it. I look at my tank and if it looks better then it's worth it to me. Sure the fish are a concern but I want something asthetically pleasing as well. 30" wide will have to do for the fish because it's all I can get in the door. It's only 6" short of the obviously popular 36" wide that doesn't fit through my doors. :p

[mattsilvester]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13841406#post13841406 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Snausy
Buckets...lol. No way will I ever do buckets again. I have a fish "closet" that is four feet away which has my 50 gallon brute can and the RO/DI unit mounted on the wall behind it. I have a pump that mixes the water and then I connect a hose to pump the water into my sump just four feet away after siphoning out the water from the sump.

I only do 25 gallons currenty so twice as much will just be twice as much water in the same can....and a longer wait as it pumps the water in. I'm not too concerned with that. I'll use more salt sure, but that's the cost of having a big tank imho.

Water changes aren't a concern to me. I've been around long enough to have gotten a nice system going. It's hardly work at all. I can imagine the pain it would be to do them 5 gallon buckets at a time but I'm not that crazy(sorry to anyone that is doing them, no offense)

It is a FOWLR tank....and it will be 96 x 30 x 30. If my arms were any shorter then it would be 24" tall but I can handle it. I look at my tank and if it looks better then it's worth it to me. Sure the fish are a concern but I want something asthetically pleasing as well. 30" wide will have to do for the fish because it's all I can get in the door. It's only 6" short of the obviously popular 36" wide that doesn't fit through my doors. :p

It appears you have things pretty well thought through, and on that basis I would say that the 96"x30"x30" would be the best choice...... best compormise between visual appeal, practicality (maintenance), and allowing good scope for fish choices.

It goes without saying, make sure you get good equipment..... a big skimmer and good flow (both within the tank and between tank & tank)...... and with your convenient water change system it would seem you have things pretty well sorted.....

Good lucj - I look forward to the tank build thread ;)

[lesleybird]

Hi, When I went from a 90 gallon to a 200 gallon I did not find that it was that much more work. I did get RODI unit installed in the garage and a 44 gallon trash can to make water in to do the water changes and top off water. I change out 44 gallons every two to three weeks. I mix the water with a pump, use a scale to weigh out the salt. I use a pump with one of those Phyton tubes in a long length to pump the water from the garage into the tank (found a pump that would screw on the the grooves of the Phyton tube). We don't have basements here in Houston because of the water table or something. When I take the water out for the waterchange I use a Phyton syphon hooked up to the sink to drain the water out.

The only thing that I find to be more work with the bigger tank is keeping the algae off the bigger area of glass. Another thing that is sometimes an issue is getting the temperature of the water in the trash can in the garage to a similar temperature of my 80 degree tank. In the winter it is not too bad because all I have to do is stick a couple of heaters in the can. In the summer I often have to buy a couple of bags of ice and put them inside of trash bags to cool the water down as the water temp gets near 100 degrees. Maybe if you think the 8 foot tank is too big you could still get a 6 foot by 30" by 30" which would also be a nice size. Like they say, get your must have stock list that you would not be happy without and we can try to help you figure out the best tank size.

You know that if you turn the tank on it's side you could still get a 36" foot wide through a 30 inch door....I hope that there is a little extra through the door than 30" or it will still be a tight fit getting a 96x30x30 through the door. I personally like the 30 inch wide better than the 36 as to me three feet from front to back is too much unless you can view the tank on both sides like in a room divider. It also gets up to the 400 gallon range when you get to the 36 inch from front to back which gets really really heavy, the equiptment gets really really big and expensive and the money to heat it, size of the pumps etc. gets out of hand in my view. Around 330 gallons is a perfect size for a nice collection of large fish that you can have fun with and be proud of. Wish my tank were that size but the husband would never go for it and I don't think I would have time for it as I also have a couple of large cockatoos to take care of. Lesley
Lesley

[WuHT]

Im' surprised your door limitation is keeping you from 96x30x36. Somehow, if you can manage to carry your aquarium on it's side..you can fit it throw the door.

You definately can' t have 36x36 as your H and W.

[Snausy]

Well I suppose I could do that...funny I didn't even consider it. LOL. Braincells...*sigh* sometimes they work, sometimes they don't.

So all of a sudden the 96" x 36" x 30" is back on the table...but I think lesley is right in that I just don't "need" 400 gallons. 36" comes WAY out from the wall and I need a very large space in the house to make it look good.

My fiance is prepared for a huge tank but I don't think she realizes what is about to be in the living room. lol

Very true that 36" wide would allow a TON of open space for my big fish to swim around as well as all the LR. Look at the poll, the 36" wide is kicking the crap out of everything else...but I do think 30" would still be very large for me and my fish as well... coming from an 18" W tank anyway.

330 gallons doesn't sound as huge as 400 gallons for some reason. :)

One last question would be: Do I HAVE to have all the LR necessary for this tank in the beginning or can I just transfer what I have in the 100 that is working well for the bioload I have and add rocks slowly?

[mattsilvester]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13850705#post13850705 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Snausy


One last question would be: Do I HAVE to have all the LR necessary for this tank in the beginning or can I just transfer what I have in the 100 that is working well for the bioload I have and add rocks slowly?

Should be fine....... same fish load + same rock + greater water volume.... no problems...... same cannot be said for skimmer however, IMO..... skimmer needs to be correct size from the outset.

What I sould suggest would be keeping the 100 gal in a shed, spare room, garage, whatever and using it to "cure" new LR..... get it in 20-30lb batch sizes, cure it in the spare tank for a month, ad then straight into th main tank..... should be fine.

[flameangel88]

I've added LRs twice after upgrading from a 75g to 180g without any problem. Just made sure the rocks are cured otherwise you can get a cycle in you tank. I went out and purchased rocks that local reefers are selling.

[Snausy]

I plan on converting my 100g into a sump for the new tank. Is that crazy or would you just use the 55g that I have setup now? Maybe I can use the extra space for a DSB or something. NO WAIT, I already figured why I need to do this...the return jets are 3" down from the top of the overflows so when I turn off the pumps I NEED a ton of volume in the sump to hold all the water that will siphon down.

I was going to cure the LR in a 50 gallon brute trashcan and use the current display as the sump. Lots you can do with a 100 gallon sump with a very large refugium.

I have an Octopus pro 300 on order(arrives in late december with new batch), I think/hope that will be fine.

[viggen]

I am going through the same dilema actually, except a 120in long tank.

I cannot decide if I should go 30 or 36in deep however I will do 30in tall. It is definantly more of a PITA to keep clean but the added heigth is totally worth it. I know the 36inches would be a lot better for the fish, it's just can I give up another 6 inches of room.....

I just don't want to regret not going with the larger size after it's all setup & running.

[lesleybird]

Snausy.....You know that we are going to want to see pictures all along the way as you set up your tank when you get it. Lesley

[Snausy]

lol ok ok, I'll do my best to stop my excited setup and take pictures just so you guys can see what's going on.

I had the tape-measure out about an hour ago...36" inches W is just out of hand it's so big. lol I mean I just laughed when I saw it....I've never imagined having a tank that big. 30" tall seems pretty tall too when you go vertical with the tape, but I think it'll be totally worth it...it'll look GOOD!

36" wide is just way too huge. I mean really, take out a tape measure and run out 36" and put it against the wall sticking out...see how far it comes out. That's just crazy.

If I was using the tank as a room divider with the rock in the middle and swimming room on both sides I could see it...but mine is going against the wall with overflows in the back. 36" is just huge. 24" is a bit small...I think 30" x 30" is perfect.

Seriously, take out a tape-measure and look at 36" wide...lol to me that's just crazy. I might've had buyers remorse if I had gone with the original 24" x 24" but certainly not with 30" x 30".

I'm definately going with 96 x 30 x 30...it's going to be a very tall and very impressive looking tank imho. I just don't have the room for 36" wide is all. I cracked up when I saw how big it was on the tape measure. My fiance was like HOLY **** no way! laughing herself...she thought that was crazy. LOL You'd have to have a very large room for a tank like that.

[WuHT]

Well thats good that you've decided what YOU want.

Anyways, maybe it's possible to poke some air line tubing or what not into your return so that air could get in at less than 3".. but then again you'd want to justify using the 100 gallon sump ..now wouldn't you ? :p

[Snausy]

?

Justify it? No actually I was just under the assumption that the bigger the better when it comes to refugiums, DSB and return sections. It is my understanding that the bigger the return section of the sump, the less the water-level drops when evaporation occurs. If you have some other opinion then please do tell...

The returns come up through the bottom of the overflow to about 3" below the top....I don't see how it could be less than 33 gallons of water draining into my sump seeing as how the return never get's higher than that.

The obvious answer to ME at least is a large volume sump. Maybe I'm missing something and that's why I'm here?

Of course this thread was about what I want...and with some great input from knowledgable individuals I was able to finally figure it out.

[viggen]

yea, 36 in is definantly huge when only 1 side is being viewed.... same dilema here :)

With the return line, you just need to drill a hole in the return line at or slightly under water lever so when the power kicks off air is sucked in so the entire 3 in of water isn't siphoned back.

You can also position the return so it is closer to the waters top, just takes a little more plumbing :)

The 1 thing I like about a 36in deep tank is how much more room there is below to put the filtration. That's my biggest dilema.... I want everything down there. Large wet/dry, 2 ocean clear canisters, sump for h20 changes & sick tank (probably 75g +), skimmer, UV sterilizer etc.

[WuHT]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13853957#post13853957 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Snausy
?

J It is my understanding that the bigger the return section of the sump, the less the water-level drops when evaporation occurs. If you have some other opinion then please do tell...

Actually with a sump you won't really have any water level fluctuation in your DT until your sump is depleted (or over flowed).
As long as your return pump returns water slightly less than the water flowing into your overflow (hope i'm not wrong)


The returns come up through the bottom of the overflow to about 3" below the top....I don't see how it could be less than 33 gallons of water draining into my sump seeing as how the return never get's higher than that. What i'm thinking that you're saying is that when the power is turned off lets say, your returns will act as a siphon (gravity powered at the very least) and start drawing water from your DT to your sump. This is why I suggested some way to introduce air into your return at a higher height (say an airline tube jabbed into the return 1" higher, which when the water level drops two inches, air will get sucked into and break the siphon.
Anyways...3" is fine ..and i'm only saying this because I have a really small sump so I had to plan for that. 100 gallons is plenty big.

[Snausy]

Ok we just miscommunicated is all...I was saying that the water level in the return section of the sump will fluctuate less. Not the level in the DT. That never fluctuates...

The larger the sump, the larger the return section of the sump...the larger the volume so the less fluctuation when evaporation occurs.

[e55MD]

My tank is 72"x 36"x36". Aquascaping/maintenance is not too easy with the depth of the tank. Add to that the height of the stand (36" in my case) and 8-10" for the canopy and you need a stepladder just to feed the fish. Looks good though.