Best Startup Tank?

[AquaticUniverse]

Hey everyone,

I have finally decided to invest in a Saltwater Aquarium
for my new apartment. I am very excited to get started
on this project, but not really sure where to start...

My father has always kept a really nice and rather large
reef tank, so I feel that my reef knowledge is a bit above
beginner status, but I have never tried to maintain my
own tank.

I don't really have a place to keep a larger tank, and I feel
like that would be a bad starting place for me anyways...
I'd really like to to start small and expand to a larger tank
when both knowledge and capital has increased.

My father suggested the Bio Cube 29g HQI tank as a good
beginner tank. I did some research on this tank and
really appreciate the fact that they engineered such a
complete package. It seems to really have all the
essentials for the modern reef aquarium... Unfortunately
this tank is a bit larger than I would feel comfortable
starting with...

What is the best tank in the 8-16g range?

[RcToners]

Oddly enough the smaller the tank the more difficult.

[AquaticUniverse]

My dad laughed and said the same thing.. Its more of a space issue.. Oh, and I failed to mention that my apartment is on the top floor, so there are lease restrictions as well.

On the other side of the card, you could look of it as the difficulty training me to have amazing maintainance habits. So maintaining a more advanced tank of far more rare or complex species would be much easier for me to adapt to.. ?

[SlateXIV]

I have to agree with your Dad. Can't really go wrong with a 29bio cube. Gives you options but still would be a challenge to keep you satisfied. Problem with reef tanks is when you start you just want this and that. Then you get it going and realize you want pretty much everything!

[reefermad619]

I think you should figure out how much cash and space you have to work with and then go from there.

[AquaticUniverse]

Someone in another thread mentioned CADlights... Any thoughts on those tanks?

[lalo809]

Oddly enough the smaller the tank the more difficult.

:fish1: agree

i started with a 46g bowfront then a 75g and now a 180g in progress
i would say 30g is the best to start..

[cveverly]

30 gallon breeder makes a nice starter tank. It is not all inclusive but that can be a good thing.

[AquaticUniverse]

Hmmm. I may take a second look at the HQI...

Is there any difference between HQI and LED othere than heat and life?

[meco65]

I have a 29 gal and 14 gal Bio-Cube both are great and easy to care for. This is a old pic but should let you see the sizes.

<a href="http://s17.photobucket.com/albums/b86/meco65/?action=view&current=14and29GalBio-Cube.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b86/meco65/14and29GalBio-Cube.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

[theatrus]

Based on your situation, I would suggest the 29G BioCube, or something like a 40 breeder size. Starting with a 120G system is too much for some people (and wallets) ;)

[Robb_In_AZ]

40g breeder is what I started with when I was still in an Apt. during college Its big enough, without being too big. I always liked its dimensions. a 20H makes a good cheap sump for it as well.

I would also say if you do get a tank that isnt already a system like the bio cube, you should definitely drill it for an overflow and DONT use a HOB overflow. The HOB overflows gave me several spills. The other concern I had with a reef in an apartment, was that I had the RODI maker in the bathroom, in the tub when I had to make water. (faucet hook up to the sink) That way if the make water ran over because I forgot about it, fell asleep or whatever, it just went down the tub drain.

[CorkPullerPHL]

I concur with Robb_In_AZ. This is all very sound advice.

I have a JBJ 28 Gallon. It's been a great tank, but I wish I would have gone with a non AIO. For me, a sump or fuge is an absolute necessity for the added water volume/stability.

Good luck.

[Mavrk]

40g breeder is what I started with when I was still in an Apt. during college Its big enough, without being too big. I always liked its dimensions. a 20H makes a good cheap sump for it as well.

I would also say if you do get a tank that isnt already a system like the bio cube, you should definitely drill it for an overflow and DONT use a HOB overflow. The HOB overflows gave me several spills. The other concern I had with a reef in an apartment, was that I had the RODI maker in the bathroom, in the tub when I had to make water. (faucet hook up to the sink) That way if the make water ran over because I forgot about it, fell asleep or whatever, it just went down the tub drain.

This is a good idea. I think I would choose a 20 long for the sump though. But I guess it depends on how much extra room you want in the stand.

[AquaticUniverse]

I have a 29 gal and 14 gal Bio-Cube both are great and easy to care for. This is a old pic but should let you...


Wow, your 29 is gorgeous. The 14 is more ideal size-wise.

Is the 14 "all inclusive" (filtration, reef lighting, etc)?

[AquaticUniverse]

I concur with Robb_In_AZ. This is all very sound advice.

I have a JBJ 28 Gallon. It's been a great tank, but I wish I would have gone with a non AIO. For me, a sump or fuge is an absolute necessity for the added water volume/stability.

Good luck.


You mentioned that you wish you would have gone non AIO...
Is the fuge in the 29g HQI any good, or should I always go with my own sump/fuge?

[meco65]

On any small system you have to remember not to over stock or over feed, good maintenance and you will do ok.

[AquaticUniverse]

Thanks for all the help!

In another forum, there are several people who seem to prefer LED over Halide..

What is the difference between the two? Keep in mind, I'm more interested in a coral tank
than a fowlr

[theatrus]

Thanks for all the help!

In another forum, there are several people who seem to prefer LED over Halide..

What is the difference between the two? Keep in mind, I'm more interested in a coral tank
than a fowlr

Metal Halides are a quartz tube (with or without a glass outer jacket) which contains mercury and various other elements. The mercury is vaporized by the starting action of the bulb, and maintained as a glowing gas discharge. This technology is actually similar to fluorescents in the use of mercury vapor, except the MH does not use a phosphor system to convert UV to visible light. The basic parts are the bulb, a socket for the bulb (screw in mogul base or double ended), and an appropriate ballast to ignite and run the bulb safely. MH bulbs generally have a usable life of 1 year in aquariums.

LEDs for lighting are very new overall (MH has been around for general purposes for 40+ years). An LED is a solid state semiconductor device (a diode) which has been specialized for its ability emit light in a particular frequency. Higher power white LEDs are generally constructed using a phosphor coating over a blue LED, which re-emits blue at lower energies (greens yellows and reds). An LED is a very small (< 5mm generally) emitter, so a number of them must be used to produce acceptable levels of light. The basic parts for an LED system are the LEDs, one or more constant current drivers, and a power supply (the latter two are increasingly sold as all-in-one solutions). LEDs are more efficient energy wise than MH and give a lot of flexibility as each driver can be safely and rapidly dimmed - if you run a mix of LEDs you can customize the color or even do sunrise/sunset effects with a controller. LEDs generally have a rated lifetime of 50,000+ hours, which is at least 8 years at 12 hrs/day usage. However their startup cost is a lot higher; its most cost efficient to do a DIY LED setup as the commercial fixtures are still quite expensive.

When you're dealing with tanks less than 30 gallons, LEDs become very attractive for lighting purposes. The LEDs are tiny (no big reflector or pendant over your tank, the lighting goes right in the lid) plus the startup cost drops dramatically (less LEDs to buy for a small tank). The heat load into the system is also reduced.

LEDs, with the right amount of power, can successfully grow all corals. So can MH. Both are point-light sources, so they provide "shimmer" from surface ripples in the tank (which you don't get with fluorescents). The LED startup cost is higher, but can be controlled or used in all sorts of fun ways. MH has a large number of bulbs available to customize your color and look, but it doesn't match the flexibility you get with the LEDs. For large systems, you can spend in excess of $1k buying LED emitters, making MH more short-term cost effective.

Various outfits sell retrofit kits for all-in-one systems (such as NanoTuners). Its a cost effective way of doing LEDs without having to do everything yourself.

[AquaticUniverse]

Wow, theatrus, very helpful!

LED lighting seems to be the better of the two options.. The extra costs dont really bother me, as the longterm benefits far outweigh the startup costs in my eyes...

So I guess the title of this thread should change to: Best startup LED Tank?

[theatrus]

LEDs can be added to pretty much any tank. There are a multitude of retrofit kit vendors for all-in-one aquariums, and DIY kits for normal aquariums, plus a whole spectrum of ready made LED lights.

As such, there is no all-in-one system on the market which features LEDs that I am aware of. You're going to have to piece it together.