Guidance on New Tank Selection

[adudle00]

Hello! I would love some guidance selecting a new tank. I had a very small tank about 5 years ago and took it down during a move. I finally have the time and space to get back into the hobby!

I would like something fairly large; I was thinking something around 120 gallon or 180 gallon, but could go larger. I previously had only a 29 gallon, :geek: however I don't want to go through the process of slowly upgrading. I love the look of the Red Sea Reefer 525 XL, which is supposedly "all inclusive" but I wonder if that's true. What do you think? I would much much rather get the "right" equipment to start with, rather than doing slow upgrades. I have a pretty good chunk of money to dump into the setup. Are there any tanks that you would recommend?

I'm mostly interested in having coral, but would like some fish, esp. tangs (which I know requires a tank on the larger end).

So many decisions! This is both exciting and overwhelming! :eek: Thank you in advance for any input!

 

[JohnVH]

If you got the money get the best that you can afford. The Red Sea setups are nice but a little pricey, keep in mind that you still need a return pump, heater, lighting and a skimmer for the sump. That does not include all kinds of other stuff that you may want like Reactors, UV sterilizers. Controllers etc. Depending on what kind of corals you want to keep the lighting can get expensive. Decide on what kind of corals you will eventually want then go with a light to suit them. If you start with a cheaper light and move to more demanding corals you will be looking at an expensive upgrade. 120 - 180 is a good size, if you look around on the forums and the classifieds I am sure you can find some good deals on a tank. Bigger is always better if you have the money and the room. I am starting a 200 gallon build soon to combine my 70 gallon reef and a 120 gallon reef tank that I have.
Good luck and have fun with your research and your build.