Panther17
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Firstly, thank you so much for the amount of fantastic advice already provided within these forums - I have been scouring them for a couple of weeks now.
I have heard a few different recommendations for tank sizes for a first marine saltwater reef tank ranging from 55-120 gallon.
My lfs builds custom tanks and ensures that you aren't buying off-the-shelf packages with low-end lighting, etc - would you recommend going the custom built rather than the package deal first up?
What dimensions would you recommend for a custom built tank? Am thinking something along the lines of 4x2x1.5ft (90 gallon with lots of floor space).
Looking to house a rock reef with corals, cuc, a couple of clowns, some blennies, and a few other types.
Also - how many fish would you put into your recommended sizing (over time obviously, not in one hit!!)
My main concern is starting too small and not being able to fit enough in it - providing the tank is filled slowly over time would a 3x2x1.5ft (about 60g) be large enough, or am I just going to be frustrated that it wasn't quite large enough?
Your thoughts and advice are highly welcomed, so many questions - but I am researching well in advance of making my initial purchase.
A few additional questions:
1. How much live rock do I need to put into the tank size you recommend?
2. Can a protein skimmer be put on a sump rather than on the main tank?
3. I have cats (the furry kind)... Should I purchase a hard-top hood for tank? Will this impact on a marine reef when people recommend open-tops?
Thank you all in advance!!
I have heard a few different recommendations for tank sizes for a first marine saltwater reef tank ranging from 55-120 gallon.
My lfs builds custom tanks and ensures that you aren't buying off-the-shelf packages with low-end lighting, etc - would you recommend going the custom built rather than the package deal first up?
What dimensions would you recommend for a custom built tank? Am thinking something along the lines of 4x2x1.5ft (90 gallon with lots of floor space).
Looking to house a rock reef with corals, cuc, a couple of clowns, some blennies, and a few other types.
Also - how many fish would you put into your recommended sizing (over time obviously, not in one hit!!)
My main concern is starting too small and not being able to fit enough in it - providing the tank is filled slowly over time would a 3x2x1.5ft (about 60g) be large enough, or am I just going to be frustrated that it wasn't quite large enough?
Your thoughts and advice are highly welcomed, so many questions - but I am researching well in advance of making my initial purchase.
A few additional questions:
1. How much live rock do I need to put into the tank size you recommend?
2. Can a protein skimmer be put on a sump rather than on the main tank?
3. I have cats (the furry kind)... Should I purchase a hard-top hood for tank? Will this impact on a marine reef when people recommend open-tops?
Thank you all in advance!!