Tank size and Bio load...?

usefulidiot213

usefulidiot213

Member
I am starting to price out a new tank. I am look at the difference between a 180gal & 240gal Both tanks are six feet long. The only difference (besides water valume of course) Is the 240gal is 6 inches wider... I am trying to figure out if it would be worth spending the extra money... What would be the difference in bio-load from a 180gal with about 190lbs of LR from a 240gal with about 250lb of LR...? I don't really know how to figure out bio load....
 
scsinet

scsinet

Active Member
You can't figure out bioloads in the saltwater world by starting with the size of the tank. Instead, tell us what fish you really want to keep, and we'll go from there. I'm assuming due to the amount of live rock that you are planning a reef. I can't think of ANY reef fish that are too big for a 180 but fit into a 240.
The size of the fish matters more than anything else. Speaking from a guideline perspective, if you stocked your reef with small reef fish, like basslets, anthias, chromis, etc, you can probably fit a good couple dozen into a 180. If you went with large fish like tangs, I would suggest no more than about 6-8 ( less if you are keeping really big tangs like Naso, Unicorn, Sohal, etc).
One last thing... tank length usually matters more than height or width. A 240 isn't going to be much bigger to a fish that is very needy of swimming room like a tang.
 
tperk9784

tperk9784

Member
Not only does the size and type of fish matter but the quality of your filtration and your husbandry also plays a large part.
 
lesleybird

lesleybird

Active Member
Tell us what kind of fish you want to keep in there, and what corals etc. and we can advise you better. If the tank in 6 inches wider it would be better for some fish that get to be a foot and a half long like a queen angel etc. Lesley
 
mcbdz

mcbdz

Active Member
Originally Posted by usefulidiot213
I am starting to price out a new tank. I am look at the difference between a 180gal & 240gal Both tanks are six feet long. The only difference (besides water valume of course) Is the 240gal is 6 inches wider... I am trying to figure out if it would be worth spending the extra money... What would be the difference in bio-load from a 180gal with about 190lbs of LR from a 240gal with about 250lb of LR...? I don't really know how to figure out bio load....
The dementions on the 240gal I'm fixin' to buy is 96" x 24" x 24". Are you sure on you measurments.
If you like big fish I'd go with the longer, If you don't care go with 180gal.
 
usefulidiot213

usefulidiot213

Member
A Reef tank.
I want Tangs.. Mainly the reason I was looking at a 6' tank. Probably a stock list something like..
2 pur clowns
2 or 3 yellow tangs
2 hippo blue tangs
sailfin tang
4 green chroms
Dwarf angle of some sorts....
Maybe a blue throat or

[hr]
trigger
mandarin
Not for sure on the stock list yet, but that gives you an idea of what I am thinking about.
 
usefulidiot213

usefulidiot213

Member
Originally Posted by mcbdz
The dementions on the 240gal I'm fixin' to buy is 96" x 24" x 24". Are you sure on you measurments.
If you like big fish I'd go with the longer, If you don't care go with 180gal.

It says that the Gals are not precise.. But the measurements are right
72x24x25 180gal wide
or
72x30x25 240gal wide.
 
salt210

salt210

Active Member
are the measurements taken from the outside of the tank? If so, thats not the measurements for a 240 thats the same as my 210
 
usefulidiot213

usefulidiot213

Member
Originally Posted by salt210
are the measurements taken from the outside of the tank? If so, thats not the measurements for a 240 thats the same as my 210
If you do the math is works out to about 233.7 gals of water.
Either way that didn't have much to do with my original question... Thanks for the Math quiz though...
 
salt210

salt210

Active Member
Originally Posted by usefulidiot213
If you do the math is works out to about 233.7 gals of water.
Either way that didn't have much to do with my original question... Thanks for the Math quiz though...

that was sort of a question, not trying to quiz you. Ive never heard if the measurements are taken from the inside or out
 
usefulidiot213

usefulidiot213

Member
Originally Posted by salt210
that was sort of a question, not trying to quiz you. Ive never heard if the measurements are taken from the inside or out
I really don't know if they are taken from the inside or outside... Either way the post has now gone far away from my original question....
 
usefulidiot213

usefulidiot213

Member
So I am going to bump this one. Back to my original question. Will I be able to comfortably keep multiple tangs in 180gal. Or would it be a good idea to spend the extra money for the 240gal....?
 
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