Question: Cost aside, is a smaller reef tank easier to care for than a larger tank?

[mrhasan]

Originally Posted by deepRED

I wasn't asking any questions, I was mainly stating facts.

I completely agree with you, large tanks give the hobbyist a false sense of security, and many use that as an excuse to let things slide before its too late.

But if you are educated and experienced in what you are doing, a larger tank is always more stable, I can't see how you can argue that. It may be harder to maintain in terms of sheer volume of water changes etc... But it will always be more stable given equal maintenance routines.

I see what you're trying to say, and it's a bit of a chicken and the egg argument, because we all know what should be done and what people actually do is different.

I wasn't "answering". I was just "replying"

Anyway, I am not arguing about the stability. I have already written bigger tanks are "easier" to keep stable. And like you have said, the false sense of security of the famous quote "bigger is better" ( ) is something that cause problem. In the end, a well maintained tank is what matters, whether its big or small. You have time, money and dedication: go for a bigger tank. You have time and dedication: go for a small tank.

And regarding maintenance, in my previous 20 gallon, I would do 10gallon WC weekly and that wc had more impact on the overall health of the system than a 10 gallon weekly water change on my current 70 gallon system. Pro: I don't have to worry about pinpointing every parameter. Con: if things go wrong, that means pulling more buckets of water around.

And bigger tank brings more headache and I am pretty sure many will agree to that