So tell me...

Discussion in 'Fish Tank Brands and Kits' started by phorn, Jul 14, 2008.

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  1. phorn

    phorn Bristle Worm

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    So tell me how stupid I am for being new at marine aquariums and opting to go with a 30 gallon tank instead of something bigger. Stop me now before I buy all this stuff...or, being a person who pays close attention to detail, tell me I can make it work and not to worry. :-/
     
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  3. Otty

    Otty Giant Squid

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    You can make anything work if you are good at husbandry. The thing with a larger tank is it's more forgiving if there is a problem with the parameters. Larger tanks are IMO easier to mess with but they cost more $$$$ to run. It's really a 2 edged sword, and depends on your budget!
     
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  4. Reeron

    Reeron Blue Ringed Angel

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    I started with a 38 gallon and a 20 gallon (at the same time). As long as you keep up with maintenance, you should be fine. You have a sump, so that's a plus.
     
  5. chase19

    chase19 Feather Duster

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    i started with a 34gallon tank. as long aas you do water changes often it is not that hard. smaller tank= less room for mistake bigger tanks=more room for mistakes just keep that in mind
     
  6. sostoudt

    sostoudt Giant Squid

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    a 30 is "workable" but the real question is how many animals you want in your tank. Do you have a sump if so what size?
    there are only two things that you would have to buy again if you changed your mind later on, the skimmer and lights. so a good way to avoid this potential problem is buying a oversized skimmer and buy metal halide lighting(almost every other lighting system has different sized bulbs for different tanks). that way you would easily(well easier anyway) be able to transition over to a bigger tank in the future
     
  7. phorn

    phorn Bristle Worm

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    sostoudt, I have a 10 gallon sump, that runs about 2/3 full. I really like your idea of MH lights, but I don't have a clue about them. I've read on here about folks installing them in their hoods, but I don't have one. I'd love to be able to use my lights on a larger tank. Recommendations?
     
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  9. chase19

    chase19 Feather Duster

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    get a clip on MH or a hanging one
     
  10. phorn

    phorn Bristle Worm

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    So if I go with a clip MH, I still need the actinic and moon lights right? So i'd need a hood?
     
  11. amcarrig

    amcarrig Super Moderator

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    I started with a 20 gallon tank and now have a 180. You might as well start clearing a space for a bigger tank because if you enjoy the hobby, I can see a bigger tank in the near future :D
     
  12. Iraf

    Iraf Snowflake Eel

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    I started with a 58g FOWLR, it cracked after a few years and I got a 58g RR Oceanic setup and started reef keeping, now I have the 58g, 24g nano and I maintain around 700g of tanks for other people plus I have a 75 I'm about to start working on also