Too Big?!?

[campbellson22]

Hey All,
I am still in my research stage and have my eye on an 80G Bow front. I have talked to several local stores and just finished reading The New Marine Aquarium. Everyone seems to say "Bigger is Better" and go as big as can afford/handle. Does anyone think this is too big for my first tank? I know what the tank/stand is going to cost but how much do you think I'll spend on Lights, PH's, Skimmers, etc. I am thinking FOWLR, is 120 lbs of LR enough?
I also wanted to say "Thank You" and "Curse you". I have fallen in love with this hobby and haven't even purchased my tank let alone a single fish. I really appreciate all the free, unbiased help from this site. Also a "Curse you" for getting me obsessed with this expensive life long hobby that will consume more time and money then I every thought I would spend on a Hobby. J/K I love the Ocean and can't wait to have a slice in my living room.

 

[1journeyman]

As long as you are researching it (which clearly you are) a large tank is no problem for your first one. Just make sure you budget it accordingly.
Larger tanks are more forgiving than smaller ones.

 

[mandarin w]

Expect to spend a bit, this before you even put your first fish in. The equipment will vary greatly depending on what you want to keep in your tank, and the quality of the equipment you purchase.
A skimmer can run you anywhere from $99 bucks to $500 for a decent one. and some can even run as much as $900. It depends on what you want.
Lights the same thing. What you want to keep. Fish only - then you can get away with the standard tank lights. If you want to go all out reef with SPS then you will need high quality lights which can get pretty expensive.
It just depends on what you want to keep.
RO units can go from $100 buck for a descent to $400 for top of the line.
Research what you want to keep first. Figure out where you want your tank to go. and what you want it be in the end. Once you figure that out, then look up the type of lighting needed for that. How forgiving or unforgiving the fish and corals are going to be as far as water quality. Then you will have a good idea of what type equipment would be best. The start looking around at how much you want to spend. A lot of times you can find used equipment for a pretty decent price.

 

[reefforbrains]

Originally Posted by mandarin w
Figure out where you want your tank to go. and what you want it be in the end. Once you figure that out, then look up the type of lighting needed for that. How forgiving or unforgiving the fish and corals are going to be as far as water quality. Then you will have a good idea of what type equipment would be best. The start looking around at how much you want to spend. A lot of times you can find used equipment for a pretty decent price.
I always give same advice, to work backwards from your finished vision. Saves a ton of money. Also never underestimate your local craigs list and the classified section for screamin deals. My only worry is bow front tanks are harder to light and tend to be awkward shaped- Too short for tangs and open swimmers, and then often too deep so you need to kinda take lighting a step up to keep a healthy SPS reef. But if the demensions fit your vision then forget I said anything. JMO welcome to the hobby

 

[newtankman]

Welcome!

I am a n00b to the salt water world as well, and I’m almost 3 months into a 29gal.tank and have had a tremendous amount of success so far. I do contribute a lot of this success to this forum and the people in it for their advice, and just reading some of the other postings.
Something you may want to consider is the larger the tank the greater the cost, but from what I understand so far is the larger the tank, the easier it is to control.
As you go along you may want to start posting a list of the equipment you are thinking of purchasing and let everyone from this board give you some feedback into it. This will help you to get started on the right foot.
I plan on starting a much larger tank in the near future and will be doing the same once I have a list.
Once again, welcome.

 

[icy1155]

Larger tanks dont necessarily mean more cost. My friend has a 300gal Reef tank that most people would recommend a 6-700$ simmer for. We built one when he first set up his tank that actually takes out more than any simmer ive seen before. Its 5 foot tall in total. The catch... we only spent 80$ at the local hardware store. Ive found that everything in the hobby can be done cheap if you think about it. Instead of buying Kalkwrasser you can buy pickling lime which has the exact same chemical compund for about 3$ a lb. You can buy a 175W MH Penant for around 400$... or you can make one your self with a Retro kit for 25$ plus the retro kit (~100$ if you find one on sale). Its really up to you how much you spend on the hobby in general.

 

[dogstar]

Main thing is to go with what you can afford....
You really dont want to end up haveing to skimp on equipment and supplies, ect. as you go along becuase you cant afford it, This can often end up with a result of failure....either the whole system or constant problems.
Decide what type of livestock you are going to want to keep, because its not a one size fits all hobby. Many different critters require some different enviroments and you have to be the one to supply the proper enviroment for them.
Most people end up getting larger tanks in the future anyway so might want to think about if you might also and save some money and make the future now...
Yes, most of us are thankfull for this curse that has fell apon us....it is often a frustrating, but rewarding hobby.

 

[campbellson22]

Originally Posted by ReefForBrains
My only worry is bow front tanks are harder to light and tend to be awkward shaped- Too short for tangs and open swimmers,
So if I am wanting to get a blue hippo tang, would you suggest a 75G traditional long tank over the bowfront? I believe the bowfront was 48" long is a 75g usually 6 feet long? :thinking:
Thanks for the advice!

 

[dogstar]

Originally Posted by Campbellson22
So if I am wanting to get a blue hippo tang, would you suggest a 75G traditional long tank over the bowfront? I believe the bowfront was 48" long is a 75g usually 6 feet long? :thinking:
Thanks for the advice!
Ahhh, this goes to what I was saying about each animals requriments...
Most experianced hobbiest will tell you that a Hippo will quickly out grow a 75 or so gallon tank. That they require a much larger one...
I dont know of a standard 6 ft. tank that is in that range...it would not have much hiegth or depth.... ( in inches, L X H X W / 231 = gls ).

 

[christina f]

My first tank is a 150G--everything is "supersized" my wet/dry is for a 300G tank, my UV sterilizer is 40watt..ya get the idea....I dreamed (and saved) for years before setting something up and taking the leap. I spent a small fortune, and have no regrets. I learn something new everyday.
My advice...go as big as you can handle and afford--shop around--have a plan in advance--ask a million questions--search the archive threads--have fun--go slow.
FYI---1 5G bucket of saltwater weights something like 50lbs--8 of these (for water changes) do not fit in a Chrysler Sebring--it is impossible to lift 5G of SW above your head and pour into Display tank--no book actually tells you how to create a siphon and get saltwater back into sump--the blue side of the filter in a wet/dry faces up--my point you ask?--keep learning and keep a sense of humor
Good luck