So I am going to be getting a new for reefing. I need a little input.
 

So in about 6 months to a year I will be getting a new tank. I am looking to get a tank between 180 and 240 from Aquatic Concepts but I am not too sure on the size. Would bigger really be better in the case of a new reefer? My current tank is a 55g FOWLR due to the fact that I have always had slight issues with nitrates.

That being said the other thing is my cost. I have a few things that I know I am going to have to spend money. So far this is my list.

Live rock: 750 - 1000$
Tank w/ sump and stand: 1500 - 2500$
Pumps: Vortech MP40 and maybe MP60 (Already have a 40)
Lighting: Two Radions (Already have one)

After that I'm not too sure how much my expenses should be. Sure there are a lot of important things like reactors and skimmers but I am not too sure how much I should be spending or what to be getting to have a reliable tank set up.

Thanks for the help in advance.

PM'ed :)

Don't forget salt :-)

In my opinion bigger is not always better. I didn't quite catch it, why do you want a bigger tank? Are you finding that you are over stocking your 55 gallon? You say you have nitrate issues in your current tank? What is your nitrate removal procedure/method? A reef is a bit harder to maintain. Once you start adding corals you really have to watch your water chemistry.

Mainly because I want larger fish and to experiment more into corals and a tank with a sump system rather than a lame canister filter. And as for water chemistry I check it every day and tried everything to get nitrates down. Starting a new tank there are a few things I would do differently which is one of the main reasons I want to get a new tank.

Chances are your canister filter is your nitrate factory. How often do you clean it. What do you have for a skimmer

There are pros and cons of large and small tanks.

Large systems equal money and time. All you equipment is more expensive.ore salt. More for dosing. More time for maintaining tank
But I found water quality more stable

Small tanks are cheaper and less time. But you are limited on fish

I've had 180g and my current 26gallon. To be honest I like my little tank much more.

+1

I have a 180 and 55 and I like my 55 more. I understand wanting bigger as there are more options for fish, but like Titus said, bigger = more expensive everything, time etc.

You will need at least 1 more light fixture, I have 3 radions on my 180, 2 mp40's and 2 koralias for power heads, skimmer, dual reactor for carbon and gfo, controller and doser on my tank. If you are going bigger, I would suggest 120-180 gl, plus sump is a whole new learning experience.

Good luck whatever you decide and make sure you start a build thread!:biggrin:

Wanting larger fish is definitely a good reason to upgrade :-) However, larger fish means larger poop, means you'll need a larger filtration system. But ya, a new tank will help you to solve some of those issues that you're having now. You can design it exactly the way you want it, rather than constantly trying to MacGyver your way through your current setup.

Size is totally a matter of opinion. Some guys don't think 300g is big, while others think 90g is big. Maybe instead of just purely looking at size think about what dimensions you might want. Consider this in conjunction with what types of fish you will want to keep and what type of aquascaping you want to achieve with your reef.

To be honest after having a 400 gallon for a while it didn't feel large anymore but the weight of worrying about keeping it alive in terms of money and time really wore on me. If you have more time and money than I did/do perhaps that's not relevant! My current nano will cost me very little to keep going and I'm enjoying it guilt free. I've got more time for my family and I'm not buying salt and other additives by the truckload which makes me happy. I miss all the fish I will never be able to own again but it's a small price to pay to stay in the hobby as a happy reefer.

Thanks for the great advice everyone. I have some thinking to do about the size of tank but I know for sure that I will be getting a new tank with a sump. How much a month would a 200 gallon + sump cost to run monthly vs a 100? In the end I want a larger tank but my main goal is beautiful corals.