Is bigger really better??

[rmahrt]

I have been doing freshwater for 10 years, and have finally come to a point in life that I am ready to obtain another system, this time salt.
Visiting all the local marine fish retail vendors and having discussions with their staff, I have been told countless times that I should go BIG if going into salt. Yet, as I review the message board member tank sizes, it seems that the average size tank is 55-75gallon. The vendors are recommending min. 60g. - 110g tank. I am suspicious that this is a sales pitch to get people into expensive set ups who may not know otherwise. The justification I have been told for the requirement of a larger system is that a larger system is easier to maintain.
So..if there truth to the bigger is better position?

 

[daniel411]

Yes there is alot of truth to it, as larger systems are more stable. As they don't fluxuate as quickly, you have a good chance of detecting problems before they become dangers.
However, marine aquariums, equipment, live stock is expensive. So most people have tanks in the 50-90g range, and you can have wonderful pretty stable tanks in those ranges.

 

[daniel411]

Oh, welcome to the board and hobby

 

[birdy]

I totally agree, you don't have to go that big to be successful, when you start going below 50gal. it gets more difficult. Although, countless people start out with a tank in the 50-75gal range and move up to the 100+ gallon tanks in a few years. So if you are in for the long haul go as big as you can afford.

 

[texasranchers]

Welcome to the board. I think you'll like it here.
The bigger is better but of course you don't have to go overboard. I have heard and seen so many horror stories about small tanks. The main thing is that when something changes, you don't see it in time to correct it. A larger tank is more forgiving. It gives you a chance to correct an oops.

 

[sagxman]

I think that the store may be adding to the truth to upsale large expensive setups. 55 to 75 is probably a good range for a beginner.
But IMO since you have some freshwater experience (I know it is very different in many ways) you may be able to handle something smaller if you want to go smaller. I only say that because I'm guessing you are fairly diligent about testing water and keeping your tanks healthy.
I started with a 20 gal. tall beacause I had very little money when I started. I learned from a few mistakes but overall I think I was fairly successful considdering the extra effort in keeping a small tank.

 

[rmahrt]

Thank you for all your comments...this message board is very informative.

 

[oceanminded]

I started with a 55 gallon and had very few problems. So a couple of months I ran across a good deal on a 29 and had really really bad problems with it . I since haved learned the tricks of the trade and am the proud owner of a 190 gallon. So if I were you I would start off with a 55 gal. and you should be fine...just have patience and take it slooooowww!

 

[dcr]

I started here AFTER I bought a 10 gallon tank and the folks here cleaned my clock for not researching properly, like you are currently doing. :cheer:
I started with a 10, went to a 15, then 20, now I have a 30 High acrylic that is doing fantastic. My next project is a 100 gallon in my basement. With the help of this board, I had success in all of them, but I know now that I should have listened right away and went at least 55 gallons. Here is why:
Upgrade bug- if you have the room, you will get the itch to upgrade, and going bigger first will allow you to have cooler and more fish.
Cost- It may seem like a lot at first, but getting the proper equipment right off the bat saves money in the long run. I am buying the best I can for my 100 and it has been a piece by piece so far. I am personally attached to every creature in my tank and I will not allow them to die because I am cheap or plain stupid. This hobby brings a ton of responsibility with it, but you will truly enjoy it even if there is that price to pay.
Risk factors- A smaller tank does not have the error margin a large tank has. I imagine it like this: if you took a can of Coke and poured it in a 10 gallon tank, how fast would the water turn brown? The same exrecise in a 100 gallon tank would go without notice. The expanded environment will allow you more time to react to the natural processes we deal with.

 

[jlem]

Saltwater fish are so beutiful that people want more than one and in smaller tanks it is very easy to overstock. It's like people putting tangs in small aquariums. Een though the tank is way to small we still do it becaus we want a nice pretty Tang regardless if it is good for the fish or not. Larger tanks let you have more fish in better conditions.

 

[mburnickas]

Pros: about larger tank (at least for me)
1- easy to clean
2- values of tests do not go up that fast
3- better to look at
4- animals live longer if you screw up
5- can put more fish etc in the tank
6- larger clean up crew
7- easy to clean & move
8- more LR
Cons:
1- More upfront $$$$
2- harder to move once filled
3- need large space
4- if you have a leak good luck
5- more lighted, capacity, tubing sand, salt etc
6- larger pump etc
7- more LR
8- always want to go bigger but watch the wallet...
**Even with the cons, it is still worth the larger tank. I once startd with a 29 and only worked up to a 75. That is large enough for me with my budget and other hobbies I like.