Getting a huge tank as a newbie ... bad idea?

[glocklt4]

I have a 75 gallon fresh, and the 46 gallon bow front salt. *I have made an offer to give the 75 to my parents to start a salt with but i would obviously want to replace the 75 with a larger and convert to salt since i'm hooked.

Is it a bad idea as a newbie to marine aquariums to get a pretty large tank (100-150 gallon), to do a fish only tank ? *I catch on very quickly to my hobbies so I'm sure i won't be a newbie for long, but is it harder as a newbie to manage a big tank? *I'm used to big water changes and everything with the fresh and I can expect the equipment for salt to cost a bit ... but the chemicals in the tank and everything should be EASIER with the large right??

And what size is good? *I'm thinking probably 125. *Would like to have a couple or 3 tangs, a puffer, a trigger, etc... *not a whole lot but mroe than you guys say my 75 gallon can handle.

Thanks!!!

[reiple]

expensive. but it's a right track for a newbie. and if you plan to keep tangs, puffers and triggers then a big tank is required.

[Birdlady]

I agree! As long as you have the funds to support the larger tank, salt for water changes, pumps, powerheads, etc....it would definitely be more forgiving of errors and changes in water chemistry! Go for It!!!

[hoodoo]

well, I think 125 is a perfect size if you can afford it.

You just have to learn a bit more about chemistry and then about which fish to put together and which to better keep apart

are you planning on putting live rock in? The small critters you get on that are IMO one of the best parts of a tank.

[glocklt4]

[quote author=hoodoo link=board=Newbie;num=1100242232;start=0#3 date=11/12/04 at 06:20:34]well, I think 125 is a perfect size if you can afford it.

You just have to learn a bit more about chemistry and then about which fish to put together and which to better keep apart

are you planning on putting live rock in? The small critters you get on that are IMO one of the best parts of a tank.[/quote]

As of right now, no i don't plan on putting a reef in. That's seems to be where everyone dumps a lot of $, haha. Most of the fish i've been looking at say "not reef safe" anyway.

Can you put live rock in without "reef" stuff like corals? I think with the larger tank there would be room to have both the open sandy area with long dead corals like i have now in the 50 gal (really like the look) and then on the other end maybe a stack of rocks for hiding and such. I know that lots want places to hide, so wide open like i have now isn't the best.


And yes, i'm learning very fast about the chemistry of the marine aquariums. I'm a very fast learner with science, and always have been .. so everything i'm learning sticks very easily .

[Matt Rogers]

Sure you can still put rock in.
My friends down the street have a 75 with rock, tang, lion fish, tusk and star fish. It's still a very cool tank.

I agree about the 125 and water stability. Are you going to get a sump? That would make things easier too.

[glocklt4]

[quote author=Matt Rogers link=board=Newbie;num=1100242232;start=0#5 date=11/12/04 at 09:09:01]Sure you can still put rock in.
My friends down the street have a 75 with rock, tang, lion fish, tusk and star fish. It's still a very cool tank.

I agree about the 125 and water stability. Are you going to get a sump? That would make things easier too.[/quote]

Yeah, that sounds like the best thing to do (sump). I want to keep from having all these things hanging off the tank. I have the Magnum 350 Pro with my 75 gallon fresh right now. I really like being able to have the filter under the tank. With the sump it looks like you can do everything down there.

One question (newbie question), should I keep the Magnum Pro to use with saltwater?? I keep reading that the carbon in it takes calcium out of the water.

[Matt Rogers]

Nah you don't need too. You can always throw a bag of carbon in the sump now and then. I like using carbon, I haven't noticed a correlation with calcium before but then again I wasn't looking for one either.

[glocklt4]

[quote author=Matt Rogers link=board=Newbie;num=1100242232;start=0#7 date=11/12/04 at 12:48:14]Nah you don't need too. You can always throw a bag of carbon in the sump now and then. I like using carbon, I haven't noticed a correlation with calcium before but then again I wasn't looking for one either.[/quote]

Another question - in looking for a new tank i've decided 150 gallon is probably the best to get. It's the same LxW as the 125, just taller. Might as well right??? Should i get a reef ready or just show? I plan on fishonly right now, but who knows in the future if i'm going to go with a reef.

Thanks!!

[Matt Rogers]

Reef ready would be great.
If you go with a taller tank though and decide to go reef later on it will take stronger lights to light it up than the 125.