which fish tank suits me best?

b20forlife

b20forlife

New Member
Well after much debate about weather to go reef or field I finally decided on a a reef. I just live the comers and everything about them. Well I been doing alit of reading and im finalitly ready to buy my tank. I went to my local ***** and found 2 different styles. The first is a 150gal that is 48x24x24 comes with stand and a t5 four bulb light. I have a 55gal thank at home that I plan on using for a sump if I go with this tank. The second choice is a 125gal 72x18x18 I belive. It also come with a light fixture but they are for single bulbs that run across the top of the tank. The down side is that the stand design does not allow for a sump. So everything would have to be hob. But I like the way it is long. So which one you guys think would be best and why? Thanks they are both $600 for the tank with stand and lights. I have included some pics I took. First 2 are of the 150gal one and the next 2 are of the 125gal one.



 
deejeff442

deejeff442

Active Member
for corals the less deep the better for the light to reach.the longer the better for fish.usually i would say voulmn but the 125 has better dementions.i would use the other tank for a qt on new fish.
 
b20forlife

b20forlife

New Member
by the looks of it does it look like the stand on the 125 gal one will hold up to the weight needed? i just dont want the stand to collapse uder the weight of the water+200lbs live rock+150lbs live sand
 
deejeff442

deejeff442

Active Member
the stand is made for the tank right? i made my own stand for my 250 mostly just 2 by 4's and plywood . plenty strong.
 
foodshape

foodshape

Member
If the stand was made for aquariums then it should hold it. Don't trust any furniture that wasn't. Commercially sold stands are engineered to support significant amounts of weight with the minimum amount of material possible. They give you a good even surface that will safely support the weight long term as long as they are set up properly and not abused too much. But the 'just enough' engineering of them can be scary given the amount of weight they have to bear... I cringe (fairly or not) at the thought of them taking water damage over time, or of a party guest accidentally giving it a hip check end-on with all that weight on it... I'm among those who prefer to build their own for 'peace of mind'. Some may argue that peace of mind is illusory as home made stands may run a bit higher chance of not providing perfectly even support, but a well made diy stand beats a commercial one hands-down in my book. I guess you have to go whichever route you are most comfortable...
Btw I believe 48x24x24 is a 120g, not a 150g.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Hi,
Go with a stand that will hold your sump...it's the best thing for a reef, and you can have a refugium down there as well. HOB everything is from skimmer to filtration is nowhere as good as a sump system.
T5s will not be strong enough for a fancy reef...you will need Metal Halide or LEDS...or you can go with nothing but soft corals or go for non-photosynthetic coral.
 
drewsta

drewsta

Active Member
I would go with the 125 and do 3 metal halide pendants. That should be more than adequate for any corals you want to keep. Lighting is where you do not want to cheap out. You can certainly use a couple of fluvals for filtration if you do not want to do a sump however I would paint the back black before you did any HOB refugium or skimmer just for aesthetic purposes. However sumps are certainly best! I have had tall tanks before and if you do not want to wear a scuba mask when aquascaping or adding corals I would go with the 125 speaking from experience here
 
mkinley17

mkinley17

Member
I've got a 150 that is 48x24x24 and I like that it gives you a deep look to the tank. I also have a 90 that is only 48x24x18 and it looks more like a flat pics. I'm running LEDS on both. Like said above save money and spend it on good lighting and a good skimmer in a sump. And if you go with a sump might want to look at a tank that is predrilled that you do not have to have all that stuff hanging on the back of the tank. Just my thoughts.
 
sweatervest13

sweatervest13

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by mkinley17 http:///t/394760/which-fish-tank-suits-me-best#post_3514285
I've got a 150 that is 48x24x24 and I like that it gives you a deep look to the tank. I also have a 90 that is only 48x24x18 and it looks more like a flat pics. I'm running LEDS on both. Like said above save money and spend it on good lighting and a good skimmer in a sump. And if you go with a sump might want to look at a tank that is predrilled that you do not have to have all that stuff hanging on the back of the tank. Just my thoughts.
+1
Why not look for a pre-drilled Reef Ready tank? I priced out 125g standard size tanks with dual overflow RR tanks a couple of years ago and they were around $500.00. You can always buy the stand elsewhere (or DIY, that would be my first option!!). If you are even considering a sump tank a Reef Ready tank makes it a lot more manageable.
Look around and Google the tank size you want. There are better deals out there then the Big Box pet stores have, I am certain. And remember that the tank is usually one of the cheaper pieces of equipment you buy for a nice reef set up (in comparison to filtration, lighting, and controllers and the like).
Google Great Lakes Aquariums, and Glass cages dot com to see some other options (I do not recommend glass cages dot com BTW, but it will give you a jumping off point to start researching buying a tank).
 
mr. limpid

mr. limpid

Active Member
I with Sweatervest on this one, you definitely want a reef ready tank. Makes life much easier. Also if you don't go with 72" long tank you count out a tang on your fish list.
 
mr. limpid

mr. limpid

Active Member
Also I personal will never spend a dime in *****. Any store that willingly sell ick infested fish needs to be slapped. And if you say they don't ask them if they any tanks in the back for sick fish, they will give you a blank look on there face.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. Limpid http:///t/394760/which-fish-tank-suits-me-best#post_3514387
Also I personal will never spend a dime in *****. Any store that willingly sell ick infested fish needs to be slapped. And if you say they don't ask them if they any tanks in the back for sick fish, they will give you a blank look on there face.
My ***** doesn't sell SW fish. They have really good bargains on tanks, pumps and fish food. I purchase form them whenever I can to keep them in business....ask Meowzer how much fun it is to not have a local pet store.
 
mr. limpid

mr. limpid

Active Member
Sorry to say the one up north do. The one by me and in Chicago, I've seen them bag a hippo that was so ick infested and never discussed it with the person buy it. Makes me sad to see them that way.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. Limpid http:///t/394760/which-fish-tank-suits-me-best#post_3514480
Sorry to say the one up north do. The one by me and in Chicago, I've seen them bag a hippo that was so ick infested and never discussed it with the person buy it. Makes me sad to see them that way.
Lots of *****'s no longer sell SW fish because people won't buy their sick fish...each store must learn their lesson I guess. There are also (just a very few) that actually have healthy SW fish. It really is a matter of who they hire, and if that person can keep the fish alive with whatever budget that is given for them to use. LOL...As a rule ***** won't pay for a person who really does know their stuff, so they think they can hire kids with very little knowledge on the critter...it works for stuff like kittens and birds, why not fish?.........
 
florida joe

florida joe

Well-Known Member
Getting back to your original question, I use the rear end method. I stand next to each tank and take a picture. The tank that makes my but look the smallest is the one I buy
 
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