A bit of Aquarium help for the new guy...

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96p993

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Mar 11, 2004
Messages
18
Location
dallas
First off let me say this site has been a ton of help and has done nothing but get me more excited about this new hobby...

I will have a ton of questions over the next several months but my first has to do with the aquarium itself. I am wanting a 100-150 gallon tank but Im not sure whether to get a straight glass tank or one of the tanks that has the built in overflows. Is this mainly for reef only tanks? Is there an advantage/disadvantage to either one? I have done a ton of reading on glass vs acrylic, Im just not sure which would be better. I want to do a fish and live rock setup..Thanks for any and all the help.

P.S. If anyone is selling a tank of this size in the Dallas, Tx and surrounding area, please let me know.
 
Built in overflows, you need them even for FO. Glass, if you have a tight budget like me, the glass is good because it is cheap and easy to clean.
 
my suggestion is to go with a RR glass tank...I would if I was to do it over again.

Now I have a 55 gallon with a hang on overflow box.
 
I'd go with the internal overflows as well unless you are sure you never want to have a sump...I don't think that will be the case. The internal overflows are a lot safer as far as spills go. If the siphon on an external ever breaks, you're going to have a lot of water in the floor.
I like the glass tanks because they are more durable as far as scratches go. A glass tank will be cheaper and more readily available as well.
 
go with the internal overflows they are great. you also get to ad additional water to your overal gallonage.. this helps with stability. just make sure that you plan ahead for the sump. with mine i drilled the sump and mounted the pumps externaly (heat reasons) and that works for me, but it would be easy just to put a pump in the corner and be done with it, i plumbed it so that i could turn the flow off and clean the pump. if you need pictures of a rr tank or anything to do with it let me know i can take em for you. good luck in your decision.

This is my tank you can see the overflows i have 2 down flows and 2 up flows, my tank is a perfecto w/ jetstream, you prolly have seen the allglass corner boxes right?
 
specs..

Go with a built in overflow. You can always plug it if you don't want to use it....(thread a pipe into it that extends above the water line). Eventually you'll want some sort of overflow and you'll be glad you thought about it.

I'm less particular about glass/acrylic. I like acrylic for the smooth corners, but I also like the glass bowfronts.
 
96p,


Thought I would let you know that I am also from the dallas area and would be happy to kind of show you around the hobby. I had someone that helped me get my feet wet back when I first started (12 years ago) and I would be more than willing to introduce you to a few of the local clubs as well just help out when ever you need a quick answer. These guys on here are great...a wealth of knowledge but nothing is better than having local guys to share your newest find (or problem) with. The club my wife and I go to will get together at least once a month and trade frags and also host DYI classes that are great for building projects that you would other wise pay a fortune for. If your looking for a large tank, I know a guy that is selling a 200 complete with lighting...its reef ready...might be worth a look. Email me if you like.

Also..check out the link in my signature. My wife and I host a site that is intended to be a quick reference for aquarist of all levels. It doesnt replace a message board like this, but its a good resource especially for new hobbyist.

Squishy
 
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