opinions on tanks

[maximum414]

do u prefer coral tanks or tanks contaning triggers, eels, and lionfish....fish like that

 

[lubeck]

If your rich.... have both!!! I have a reef tank and am very happy. Not sure if this is true or not but I think reef tank are more expensive.. Lighting buffers ect... Filtration needs to be optimal for both types of tanks so thats a scratch. I wouldn't mind trying an aggressive tank someday. Or buying a 600gallon tank and having a semi-aggressive tank. That would be teh best. Good Luck.

 

[ophiura]

IMO, though there are people who like one tank over the other, there are too many variables to also consider. I really like predators but they are really not appropriate for tanks under at least 100g, IMO...and that is not an option for me. But similarly, a large reef tank with certain types of corals requires extensive and expensive lighting.
So its not always an easy either or unless you can ignore the cost. In which case I would also have both

 

[surfinusa]

i love them both i like reefs for color and small fish and large aggressive tanks for a lot of action and large fish

 

[fishfatty]

i like reefs way better!

 

[barbiganti]

Both have incredible appeal and different challenges in place. Your options are more limited with a reef in terms of the fish you can keep because of the number of fish that would turn your reef into an all-you can eat buffet, but the aggressive fish tank is also a challenge because of the wide variety of behaviors you have to accomodate in terms of feeding and how careful you have to be in planning for size. Honestly, the tank that holds the most appeal for me right now (other than a peaceful mangrove setup with refugium attached to accomodate exotic syngnathids, deep-sea pygmy angels, shrimpfish, possum wrasses, cowfish, and mandarins) would be a deep-sea reef with peaceful inhabitants, with anthias, fairy wrasses, deep sea butterflies (like Tinker's and Mitratus), pinecone fish, flashlight fish, squirrelfish, basslets, and perhaps some cardinalfish and gobies as the piscivorous inhabitants. That would be a spectacular setup in my mind...versatile, colorful, peaceful, yet full of action.