What size reef tank & what kind of light?

[Yenga80]

hello all, my name is andy. I have just recently had interest in owning a saltwater tank. Since snorkeling in the bahamas last month over some beautiful reefs I have wanted to start one at home. My last aquariums were fresh water when i was young. I have been doing a lot of reading online and in books. Right now i am reading saltwater aquarium models by John Tullock. Good info so far. My goal is to start either a 180 or 210 gallon tank and slowly build it up over a year or so. I want to definitely take it slow and do it right. Any advise out there for reef tank owners what size works best? I have read in John's book about light travel through water and the deeper the water the harder the light penetration. And with coral, etc. light is very important. Now in his book it does not mention LED lights only MH. With LED is light penetration better. Will a 30 inch depth versus 24 inch make much difference? Thanks for the input and future answers!

[CleverBs]

With that large of a tank avoid LED to get LEDS that will give you proper lighting it will cost you ALOT of money. Go with MH or t5ho Lighting these are both great options, The T5HO will run cooler, Cost you less in electricity. I would go with the 180 because the lighting will be more efficient and there arnt many fish that are reef safe that require that large of a tank. However bigger is normaly better so your call if it was me Id go the 210 because id figure if I didnt go 210 id kick myself later down the road. the price difference between the 2 may be drastic im not sure however. Good luck taking it slow, thats what I say every time I start a tank then I some how obtain everything in a couple weeks when I planned on allowing it to take a couple months lol. LED imo just isnt there yet in the technology to be great with reefs it can be done but it will cost you and most the time its DIY project.

[BallinCrew10]

Originally Posted by Yenga80

hello all, my name is andy. I have just recently had interest in owning a saltwater tank. Since snorkeling in the bahamas last month over some beautiful reefs I have wanted to start one at home. My last aquariums were fresh water when i was young. I have been doing a lot of reading online and in books. Right now i am reading saltwater aquarium models by John Tullock. Good info so far. My goal is to start either a 180 or 210 gallon tank and slowly build it up over a year or so. I want to definitely take it slow and do it right. Any advise out there for reef tank owners what size works best? I have read in John's book about light travel through water and the deeper the water the harder the light penetration. And with coral, etc. light is very important. Now in his book it does not mention LED lights only MH. With LED is light penetration better. Will a 30 inch depth versus 24 inch make much difference? Thanks for the input and future answers!

I would do the 180 because its not as tall and lighting will be better for your corals. The larger the tank the easier it is to maintain stable water parameters, but the difference in difficulty between a 180 and 210 will be virtually nonexistent.

Taking it slow has been your best idea yet. More reading and research is needed. IMO if that book is only talking about MH and doesn't say anything about LED's it may be slightly outdated. I agree a good T5HO fixture would be a better option.

[CleverBs]

the only thing you will gain from the larger tank is a larger stock list. and honestly I think you would be able to have all you want with a 180 if going reef, if you were going FOWLR i would tell you go with the 210.

[BallinCrew10]

Originally Posted by CleverBs

the only thing you will gain from the larger tank is a larger stock list. and honestly I think you would be able to have all you want with a 180 if going reef, if you were going FOWLR i would tell you go with the 210.

The stocking list will be the same either way. They have the same footprint. What's the 210 a few inches taller? That would hardly be the difference between getting a fish or not getting it.

[crister13]

The 210 really isnt much of a difference. Personally, I would go with the 210. I would be mad later if I didnt get it. The lighting may cost a little bit more but its worth it. I was looking into a 125 and got a 150 and theyre just taller. Its 30 MORE gallons. Its easier to maintain. IF you have the money, go 210.

[BallinCrew10]

He wants a reef though. Why make it even harder to light the tank. The 180 is already 24" deep, any deeper and he'll need to use his snorkeling equipment to adjust any low lying corals. The extra 30 gallons as far as stabilization at that stage is insignificant. Normally, I'd be all about a bigger tank, but in this case its not worth the extra aggravation.

[Patrick93]

Go as big as you can cause in the end you will always want something bigger. Everyday my tank looks smaller lol

[Yenga80]

Thanks for the replies! Will def have to do some more research into reef tanks and lighting requirements. You all do understand my question about the height difference with the 180 being 24" and the 210 at 29 " or 30" not sure exact. So this t5 light is this MH also or something different.

[Yenga80]

I meant in last post will the height difference between the two make much difference in lighting for corals , invertebrate etc.

[BallinCrew10]

Originally Posted by Yenga80

Thanks for the replies! Will def have to do some more research into reef tanks and lighting requirements. You all do understand my question about the height difference with the 180 being 24" and the 210 at 29 " or 30" not sure exact. So this t5 light is this MH also or something different.

Exactly, the height of the 210 is going to suck lol. The 180 is your better option for a reef. Your livestock options will be the same, and lighting requirements will be less. If it was a fowlr it wouldn't matter.

MH and T5HO are very different. I would go with a quality T5 system. MH's are more expensive, run MUCH hotter and less energy efficient. Replacement bulbs also cost more. IMO MH are soon to be outdated, you can get just as much light from the right t5.

[BallinCrew10]

Originally Posted by Yenga80

I meant in last post will the height difference between the two make much difference in lighting for corals , invertebrate etc.

Yes, the extra depth is going to work against you as far as lighting your corals.

[crister13]

Yes it is, but if your have the money go 210. I can reach the bottom if I stand on a bucket of a 150 and Im 13 yrs old.

[Yenga80]

crister13 what dimensions is your 150 gallon tank? I am looking at a 150 reef tank on craigslist. It's 5 foot x 2 x 2.

[Ibrahim]

Originally Posted by Yenga80

crister13 what dimensions is your 150 gallon tank? I am looking at a 150 reef tank on craigslist. It's 5 foot x 2 x 2.

It's probably a 150 tall then. Regular 150g are 6x26"x18"

[joy13]

The dept of the tank can work for you if you have different types of coral things that like lower light like LPS and higher light like SPS. It is all in what you are trying to achieve.

[Yenga80]

Okay thanks for the ideas!

[Yenga80]

Originally Posted by Ibrahim

It's probably a 150 tall then. Regular 150g are 6x26"x18"

Okay I'm confused. I understand your dimensions of 6x26"x18" this way. 26 inch high and 18 deep. That's taller than 24". The tank I am looking at is 24" inch high. I thought 29 " or higher is considered a high tank. The standard 120 is 24" high...

[Ibrahim]

Originally Posted by Yenga80

Okay I'm confused. I understand your dimensions of 6x26"x18" this way. 26 inch high and 18 deep. That's taller than 24". The tank I am looking at is 24" inch high. I thought 29 " or higher is considered a high tank. The standard 120 is 24" high...

Oops. I meant wide. But either way it's irregular dimensions I.e it's not a standard 150g.