Beginner Interested in Ideas!

[JsQuid]

Good evening you all, I am new to the website and interested in purchasing all the necessary equipment in order to successfully set up and maintain a saltwater aquarium. I would love to have live sand and corals. Im not sure of the size yet due to the issues associated with the tank. I heard to small a tank causes a lot of issues and bigger is better. Im currently looking toward any size, just nothing under 25 gallons. I do not like the lack of width and height combination that a 55 gallon tank offers. Any and all information would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks, Jesse!

 

[Mebbid]

a 40 breeder seems to be one of the most popular tank sizes, in fact I will be upgrading to a 40 breeder myself once I can afford a light fixture for it. That tank will make it easier to light up as well as give you a wide footprint for aquascaping.

 

[JsQuid]

Thanks for the response! I was searching today and stumbled upon a tank with these dimensions. Any thoughts on the possibilities? 30'w * 18d * 24h

 

[Mebbid]

I think that is a little tall for a saltwater tank with that particular footprint. It would most likely be just fine but I might be worried about the amount of oxygen that you can get from having less surface area. That being said, if you like the tank footprint go for it.

 

[JsQuid]

I just imagined a very well managed tank. However, this will be my first tank. It may be too large of a project to start out with. Maybe I'll go down a bit in size.

 

[Mebbid]

I wouldn't be worried about going with too big of a project. I started with a 20g tank and realized that it is way too small for what I want in a tank. It's easier to start big and just move slow than start too small and outgrow your tank in a heartbeat.

 

[Gregcoyote]

Agreed, move slow. A longer tank allows you to keep fish that swim a lot. Shallower means less intense lighting to grow corals, but length may dictate how many fixtures needed.

But the most important advice is to move slow and steady. There are hurdles to overcome that we have all dealt with.

 

[JsQuid]

Yeah I've decided to start a 40 gallon breeder aquarium. I feel as though it should be sufficient enough. I'm interested in running a sump type set up + filtration. Any ideas? I would like to have an additional tank below the stand in order to help with the filtering process. Any ideas? I could use some help! Thanks again for all the replies!