one last thought... 55 gal

[dudeman]

i found a 55 gallon tank for 300 bucks that comes with the following
a top fin 60 gal hang behind filter
a cpr bak-pak 2 skimmer with a rio 600 i believe
a heater
a rio 1200 power head and a rio 1600 power head
2 nets
about 10 lbs of salt
some random food and some other odds and ends

it has about 45 lbs of live rock, and 40 lbs of sand
so im told

the fish it has are
1 watchman gobies
1 pistol shrimp
1 feather star
1 other fish cant remeber the name
1 feather duster tube worm

im highly considering buying this tank from my buddy rather than spending well over that to set up a nano cube. i know im gunna need to buy some good lights for it soon if i buy it though!

 

[returnofsid]

55 gallon tanks SUCK for reef tanks. The reason is because they only have 12" front to back for aquascaping. It just doesn't work out very well. A 75 would work out MUCH better with the 18" front-back measurement. I've got a 75 if you'd like to come over and take a look.

Other than that, about the only good thing in the set up you're looking at would be the 45 pounds of live rock. Re-using live sand, after it's been disturbed from removing it from a tank, can be risky.

RIO pumps are garbage and have a high probability of burning up or leaking oil into your tank!!

I'd try and talk him down on price, buy it and then sell everything but the live rock. Find yourself a 75 and put that live rock in it...then add another 45 pounds or so of live rock and you're set!!

Sorry for the negative advice, but I just think you'd be a lot happier with something other than a 55.

 

[dudeman]

well thats the thing i want to set up a nano tank, but i could get all that stuff for 300 when id be into the nano way more than that

 

[returnofsid]

I totally understand what you're saying. However, IMO, you'll grow to hate the 12" of space you have in the 55. If you want corals, you need lots of rock surface for corals to grow on. 12" just really sucks...lol. If you can find a used 75 gallon tank, I have an extra stand.

Another thing to consider...if this is your first tank, a Nano might not be the way to go. Nanos take a lot more diligence than a larger tank. If something goes wrong, it effects a smaller quantity of water MUCH quicker than a larger quantity. The larger tanks are a bit more "forgiving" to new reef keepers.

 

[gas4544]

I agree with sid. I have been looking for a "new" used tank and I will not consider a standard 55 gallon tank, no matter how cheap it is. It is just not dimensionally a good tank for reefs. I once had a 75-gallon tank which worked out well for a reef.

So I suggest get what you really, really want, even if it means paying more or waiting longer for a good deal to show up.

Gary

 

[busdriver]

$3 x 45 is $135
that is almost half of what he is asking.
you could sell the tank itself for $100-$200 on craigslist depending on how fast you want it gone.
I have a 42x18x20 66 US gal with a stand and canopy for $200 if you can't find a 75 gal for cheap...
and nanos can be annoying topping up 2-3x a day (if you do it right)
Although daveysmart has a 3 gal i think he said... He likes it... it would be easy to do "large" water changes...

 

[dudeman]

well at this point the biggest i could do would be a 55, and a nano tank would be way better suited for me at this point. but i still might buy it just because my friend needs money and it seems like a pretty good deal

 

[warforged]

I would keep your eyes on the forums here for sales... You will find deals...and with tax returns comming. Someone is going to upgrade and sell something.

I found the 72 gallon bow with stand here for only 100 bucks... Also a sponsor of this site Indoor Reef has consignment sold things ...last I looked they had several tanks there for sale.

Just noticed you are helping a friend... Well... thats a tough call now.

 

[dudeman]

yea so i dont know what i want to do right now

 

[Antinanoreef]

I would do a 55 long before a nano of any type. The 55 can make a very nice reef even with the front to back limitation. Nanos are cheap and take up very little space but are not a good way to start out in the hobby. Take a look at some of the photos in bigT's gallery he had a nice little 55 years ago.

ANR

 

[dudeman]

well ive seen alot of nice 55s and helped set some up, but i dont know if that is the route i wanna go.

 

[soyadrink]

Have you considered a 40 breeder? I really like the dimensions and they are nano size, One advice that I can give is, spend the money now so you don't have to pay more in the long run.

 

[dudeman]

pretty much the only 2 things im considering now are a 29g bio cube because i fount one for 180 bucks with a stand, and starting fresh with that. or im goin to buy the 55 gal from my friend and mess around with that for a year or so til i get a place and can set up a big tank