| NetPets® |
2.2 SIZING THE AQUARIUM:
You should go for the largest aquarium that you can afford, both in terms of space, and outlay of funds. Larger aquariums are much easier to care for, and offer more of a water chemistry security buffer. Take, for instance, the impact on the water quality of just one dead fish. Its effect on a 55 gallon tank will be different than its effect on a 29 gallon one, and totally different again than on a 110. Because of dilution factors, larger masses of water attenuate the effects of pollutants better, with less resulting stress on the lifeforms.
Size is of course influenced by many factors, not the least of which is the financial aspect. Larger tanks require larger filters, and perhaps more equipment (lights for example), but they are also more expensive to stock. Keep especially the latter in mind, as filling a large tank with various types of rock and invertebrates can be quite costly.
Reefs can be kept in small aquariums. They can be kept in really small aquariums too. The additional constraints placed on you will be, amongst others, increased care and maintenance, and increasingly more efficient filtration as the size of the tank diminishes.This will allow the system to cope with higher loads of animals per gallon of water actually in the tank. The latter is not necessarily the case in larger tanks.
Larger aquariums, especially the 18 inch deep ones (front to back measurement), give a greater sense of realism, and make the tank look more like a real piece of the reef. You have probably observed such yourself at pet stores you visit, or in public aquariums. Such tanks are also much easier to decorate. Giving them depth of field enhances the overall impression you, and others seeing the tank, will have. It makes the tank look more tangibly real, much more appealing, and truer to nature.
Because you may have decided to drill the tank, and use an overflow corner box to bring the water down to the trickle filter (see later chapters for more details if you are not familiar with this type of a setup), you must keep in mind that such corner overflows reduce the size of the aquarium. Not much, but probably 4" square in one of the back corners. This may not seem like much, but in a small tank, e.g. 29 gallons or so, it does make a difference.
Because of the remarks already made, we would suggest that you consider 55 gallon tanks as the minimum to use for reef aquariums. You can, unquestionably, set up a reef using a smaller aquarium, but the overall look will be less dramatic, and water quality parameters will be more critical. I have personally seen some really stunning 55 gallon tanks, both drilled and using surface skimming arrangements (see later chapters).
It is a good idea to first decide what type of lifeforms you will be putting in the aquarium, before actually going out and buying a tank. Small aquariums fill up rather rapidly, especially if you have decided to use live rock combined with some of the nicer and large corals, e.g. Elegance, sometimes called Elegant (Catalaphylia jardinei or plicata). If such is the case, you may want to rethink either the stocking plan, or the size of the tank.
Deep tanks, in the top to bottom direction, are nice to look at, but much harder to maintain. It will be difficult for you to reach the lower parts of the glass or acrylic panes to clean them. You will also have trouble removing detritus that is all the way at the bottom of the aquarium. Stick with a size that you can easily service. Remember: THE EASIER IT IS TO CLEAN A TANK, THE MORE OFTEN YOU ARE LIKELY TO DO SO. And cleaning the tank is an important part of good husbandry and maintenance. It removes material that can break down, from the water, and prevents that material from putting an undue burden on the filtration system. Overall, this results in better water quality, and better looking fish, corals and invertebrates.
Size may also be determined by the location of the tank. The length of the wall, or the available space in a room is often a constraint you may have to deal with. Remember too that large tanks are heavy, on average you must multiply the gallon content by 10 to have a pound weight estimate of your tank, unless you really place a lot of rock in the aquarium, in which case you may have to multiply by 12. Older houses, and older apartments, may not be able to deal with this high weight. Check it out before you buy the tank! Floors can usually sustain more weight closer to the wall. Aquariums placed in the middle of a room may need to be smaller.
It is a misconception to assume that custom built tanks are not affordable, or very expensive. The methods for building such aquariums have evolved so much that they are now a viable solution for hobbyists who have serious space constraints. We do not recommend that you build your own aquarium, unless you have experience in handling glass and bonding it with silicone glue (or acrylic), or know someone who does, and can do so for you.
We are often asked where one can call for such tanks. One supplier we deal with on a regular basis is World Class Aquarium in Brooklyn, New York. They make an excellent product and will discuss your needs with you on the phone. Robert, one of the owners, has been in the business for over 20 years, and has built aquariums for over 14. We have never heard of any problems with any of the tanks they built for hobbyists we referred to them. BioZone Filtration, a division of TAT also builds custom aquariums, but acrylic ones only.
2.3 THE STAND:
Any wooden or metal stand will do, providing it can support the weight of the aquarium and its contents (see earlier in this chapter for ways to estimate that weight). Because we advocate the use of trickle filters to run reef aquariums, it is important that enough space be available underneath the tank, in the cabinet, to place the filter and other accessories that you will be using.
The tank must be absolutely level on the stand, and the stand must be absolutely level on the floor. This serves two purposes:
Since the sump of the trickle filter may need to be cleaned from time to time, it is important that easy access from the front of the cabinet to whatever you place underneath the aquarium is possible. Keep this in mind when looking for a stand. Some have very small doors and are not practical for reef keeping hobbyists. You must have wide doors, and at least two of them.
Some stands are partially open at the back. This may be handy to guide hose, or pipe, through the back and up to the tank, but it is of no use in servicing the components in the cabinet as, in all likelihood, your tank will be against a wall, making the back of the stand inaccessible, or difficult to work through.
Some hobbyists place the trickle filter higher than the tank, for example on a shelf, and let the water flow back into the aquarium by gravity. In such a case, space underneath the stand is not a consideration. A cabinet can be built around the trickle filter to hide it from view. I used to run a 55 gallon tank set up in such a way for over a year, and found it to be easy to operate and service.
| Back to Table of Contents | Back One Chapter | Top | Next Page |
 NetPets® Main Page |  The Fish Center |