Help me decide on a new tank size

[Ross]

Hey,

I'm looking at upgrading my 33 Gallon tank to something a bit bigger... yeah didnt see that one comming...

So the constraints are that it has to be 36" wide, as I dont have the room or the funds for much more than that right now.
Lighting will be my existing 4 bulb Odyssey T5 HO fixture.

Naturally the bigger the better, but what Depth and Height would you go with and why?

I'm debating between a 50 gallon (36w x 18d x 18t) and 65 gallon (36w x 18d x 24t)

Are 4 T5s enough to light a 24" deep tank or am I better off with an 18" deep tank?

I prefer tall tanks, but that only works for fuzzy sticks if you have an abundance of light.

Currently I house a bunch of basic sps, 6"-10" under the surface of the water and they seem to be alright, but if they drop another few inchs im not so sure that they will grow as much as i need them to.

I'll post pics of the existing tank later tonight.

Thanks,

[mseepman]

Well, your question really depends on a few more things than what you've listed.

Are you getting it custom built or will it be a standard tank?
If custom, then you are better off looking at increasing the depth of the tank (for both looks and ease of work-ability) than the height as the lighting becomes a bigger problem for the fuzzy sticks when you only use T5s and go higher.

Given that you live in Calgary and are doing this on a tight budget, take a look at Bow valley or Source Aquatics and see what they may have available to you. It might give you some more ideas than what you've looked at already.

[blacknife]

I had a 33 and could not stand it

i upgraded to a 40b used cuz it was there and the price was right.

i like the footprint,

i think your 50 is probably 21 high as my 40b has the same dimensions as that 50.

i have a 6 bulb t5ho and my sps are growing ok, not great but I'm still new at it. I don't think a 4 bulb would really work for sps in the long term, but why not get the tank you want and upgrade the lighting when you can afford too.

If I had to stay with a 36 tank i personally would go with 36x24 or 36x36 18-20 inches high.... perhaps 20high rimless only filled to 18 and upgrade the lights but i like the deep look of that kind of tank.

[tang daddy]

50g breeder is a good size 36x18x18 although you could probally add 2 more t5 to the new tank, just keep the old light and add 2 more retrofits....

under t5 the sps can grow pretty good up to 10in depending on wattage, I believe your light fixture is at least 39w per bulb??

then you can have softies at the bottom. I did this awhile back but found it to be not enough space so I upgraded to a comfty 75g!

[Starry]

how bout a 70 gal oceanic? 36x18x24

[BlueWorldAquatic]

Always get the Biggest you can afford, the tank is the cheap part.

or get the tank that best fits where you want it placed.

Ken - BWA

[Ross]

Well I'm going with the 36wide, 18 deep, 24 tall. Aproximatly 67 gallons
I'm going this way for a few reasons
More likely then not, when I decide to upgrade later, I can reuse this tank for a few of my discus (they prefer taller tanks)
Visually it will fill the space better than a 18" tank.

Now for the next task, where would you put an internal overflow?
I havent tried to aquascape with internal overflows, but for the stand and location, I'm thinking that the rear left will be where I go.
I dont rally like the idea of an external overflow since the back of the tank would then have to be away from the wall further, and its in a high visability spot.

Thoughts opinions, do's and don'ts, etc?

[mseepman]

I have that tank and unfortunately, right now I use an siphon overflow as I've never had the tank drilled.

Good tank size...I think you'll be happy you went with the biggest you could get at the moment.