- Today in the "5 Minute Saltwater Aquarium Guide"
we answer what is a good sized aquarium
for your first saltwater reef tank?
(upbeat music)
- Hi, I'm Ryan your host at BRStv.
The goal of the "5:00 Minute Guide"
is providing a solid recipe and technique
that produces reproducible, high-percentage paths
to a successful reef tank you can be proud of.
This is episode three, today we answer
what tank size are best for a new reefer
in their first tank.
It's one of those things
where there's some debate to be had here,
but I think a vast majority of the community
has settled on some common sizes that newer reefers
tend to be the happiest with.
Best is a tricky word because it means
something totally different to everyone,
but in this case, I believe best
is a balance of cost versus success rates.
Fact is, larger tanks often have higher success rates,
but are also more expensive on a variety of fronts as well.
Larger tanks have higher success rates for two reasons.
First is dilution, fact is, new reefers
will make inevitable, sometimes even predictable, mistakes.
The effect of overdosing or overfeeding,
equipment failure, or some accidental contaminants
can be significant in 25 gallons,
but the same mistake is less than half as significant
in 60 gallons, and maybe even completely insignificant
at 120 or 180-gallon tank.
Changes to the water, even things as simple as temperature,
are way slower in larger bodies of water.
And while larger tanks are more costly,
the amount of maintenance measured in time
between a 60, 120, and 180-gallon tank
is not dramatically different.
The other reason I'd say that larger tanks
have higher success rates, and in many cases
are actually cheaper, is the upgrade factor.
Successful smaller tanks in those first six to 24 months
probably have an upgrade factor of like three to one,
meaning people invest in success and the things they like,
and successful smaller tanks often get rapidly upgraded,
or result in a second larger tank.
Whereas with larger first tanks like a 93-square,
120, or 180, reefers tend to be happy
with these sizes for five plus years.
And in fact, often end up being their forever tanks,
and have a pretty low upgrade or second tank ratio
in the first few years.
Investments up front often result in
as much as half the cost long term.
The flip side of that is, obviously,
the upfront cost is more.
Not just the tank, but much of the equipment is larger
and the tank that's twice the size
will often get twice the amount of coral and twice the fish.
It's one of those rare things where I think
the reefing community probably universally agrees upon.
With your first tank, get as big
as your budget, space, or room allows.
The maintenance between these common new-sized tanks
doesn't change all that much,
mostly just related to cost and success.
I have five different-sized tanks I would call
the highest success-rate tanks and I'm certain
one of these will speak to you.
40-gallon breeder, a 60-gallon cube,
93-square, 120, and 180-rectangle.
The 40-gallon breeder is probably
the most popular first-reef tank
for newer reefers for a few reasons.
First, it's not expensive.
In fact, Petco often has a dollar a gallon sale
where they're only 40 bucks.
The shape where it's nearly as deep front to back
as it is tall supports all kinds of aquascapes
and coral growth that most reefers want.
Lastly, the 40-gallon size is about the minimum size
that will support small versions of utilitarian fish
that are critical to new reefer success
and why I believe new reefers
shouldn't go below 40 gallons with a new tank.
Combined with that the dilution factor
where larger is often easier, I just find 40-gallons
have a much higher success rate
for reefers' first tanks then smaller tanks.
Outside that, again, most reefers will agree
that a new tank owner will often be happiest
when the tank's at least as deep front to back
as it is tall. Which, again,
provides for interesting aquascapes,
easier maintenance, and room for coral growth.
In that spirit the obvious choices
are the 60-gallon cube,
which is two feet tall, deep, and wide.
Nice thing about this tank is it only requires one light,
so while the tank cost might be more than the breeder,
the total cost of the tank setup
may actually be somewhat close.
After that, my suggestions just get wider,
the same two feet tall and deep front to back,
but four feet wide with the 120-gallon,
or six feet wide with the 180-gallon.
The last common option where the tank's
actually deeper front to back than it is tall
is a 93-gallon square, which, again,
can potentially be lit with one good light.
The 30 inches in each direction
with three separate but equal 30-inch viewing panes
creates an awesome look.
Just to give some direct guidance
on my own personal beliefs,
the 40-gallon breeder is a number one
most popular and it's for a reason.
It's low cost and a manageable size.
The 60-gallon cube and the 93-square
are perfect when space is a concern.
The 120 and 180 are much less common
starting or first tanks sizes,
but that said, the 120 and 180
are very likely the two most common upgrade sizes,
meaning after you've got your feet wet
and had some success, the size that most people jump to.
So you can potentially save a lotta time and effort
by starting there if a reef tank's
been a dream of yours for a long time,
in your DNA, and you're pretty committed
to success and avoided wasted cash
associated with upgrade paths.
The next logical question is, what type of tank?
Meaning they come in simple glass boxes,
reef-ready, with sumps plumbed down below,
and all-in-ones were the sump is incorporated
in the back of the tank.
The entire "Saltwater Aquarium Guide's"
always available here in this playlist for binge watching.
But some tanks make way better first tanks than others,
so click that link to see what best fits you.