How To Choose What Aquarium I Should Get?

Choosing an Aquarium - What Is The Best Size For Saltwater Aquariums?

Bigger is Better? Or Does It Matter Anymore?

The classic advice is "Get the biggest tank that fits in your space". The reason most people say to get a big aquarium is because small changes aren't a problem. For example, if you have a 5 gallon aquarium, adding an extra 10-20 mL of some additives could kill the tank. But for a 200 gallon aquarium, it likely won't even notice 20mL. So the larger size adds stability and a safety factor.

While this is good, it really only matters if you add these chemicals by hand. Ironically, with a bigger tank, you likely get equipment like reef tank controllers that will do it for you. So it really doesn't help as much. Especially if you add controllers to a smaller tank. Then the accuracy of the equipment should keep everything fine tuned anyway.

What Size Aquarium Should I Pick Then?

These days, my advice is to get the size tank that best fits the place you want to put it. If you have a basement, you can put almost any size tank. If you're upstairs, you have to consider the weight on floor joists, and may not want more than 180 gallons. Maybe you just want to try a small tank in your home office? Perfect! Pick the size aquarium that fits your life and where you want it to be!

Some things to keep in mind

A few benefits of larger tanks are:

• More stable parameters
• Less limitations on types of fish
• More space for coral

A few downsides of larger tanks are:

• Much larger water changes
• More equipment
• You need more of everything, it can be expensive
• • More Lights
  • More Flow
  • More Chemicals
  • You get the idea

A few benefits of smaller tanks are:

• Much cheaper for all of the equipment
• Easier to maintain
• You can literally do 100% water change in under an hour if needed

A few downsides of larger tanks are:

• Less Fish Options
• Less Space for Coral
• Small Changes make BIG impacts

Best Aquarium Shapes

Next up is choosing the best shape for your new aquarium. There are quite a few options, some that are more modern looking than others. Keep in mind that the more complicated the shape is, the harder it will be to set up and maintain.

Bowfront and "Wave Front" Tanks

In terms of modern shaped aquariums, the Bowfront and Wave Front are the clear front runners. These aquariums have curved front panels that give a magnifying effect. Unfortunately curved front aquariums can be difficult to clean. Glass cleaners, such as the Flipper Algae Scraper are designed for flat front aquariums and will either not perform as well or cause scratches when used on bow front or curved front fish tanks. The magnifying effect can also cause distortion when looking in the reef tank. Personally, the distortion gives me a headache whenever I look at bowfront aquariums for long periods of time. But to each their own on this one.

Hexagon Tanks

Hexagon aquariums are another specialty shape of aquarium, generally taller than wide or deep. Though algae scrapers will work better on the flat glass panels, there are a number of the panels that you then need to move the scraper to. WORSE however, is that the fish have almost nowhere to swim. Since most fish swim left-to-right, a tall tank is not great for the fist. This means you will be limited to less active fish such as Gobies and Cardinalfish. Though hexagon tanks can look very nice, there are too many downsides for me. Including the height making it harder to grow coral in the bottom half of the tank.

I actually wrote specifically about Why I Avoid Tall Aquariums if you are interested in knowing some of the disadvantages of vertical aquariums.

Tall or Vertical Aquariums

Hexagon tanks fall in this same category. When picking a fish tank, vertical or tall aquariums look nice. The problem is that you need stronger light to reach the bottom if you want coral to grow. Additionally, as the coral at the top of the tank grows, it will lead to shadows, blocking light from the coral in the bottom half of the tank. Since most fish swim horizontally, a vertical tank limits you to low activity fish like Gobies and Cardinalfish.

Again, I wrote about Why I Avoid Tall Aquariums if you want to read about some of the challenges of vertical aquariums.

Cube Shaped Fish Tanks

Cube shaped aquariums are personally one of my favorite looking tanks. The symmetry of the dimensions is just really cool to me. The cube tanks still have some of the disadvantages of the tall tanks as they are taller than a standard aquarium. The benefit of cube tanks is that the depth allows fish to swim in multiple directions horizontally. Letting you keep slightly more active fish like Anthias or maybe even a small tang (depending on the tank size).

Standard Rectangular Fish Tanks

Standard Rectangular Aquariums are always a good bet when it comes to picking a fish tank shape. Standard tanks are wider than the ones mentioned above, and have a reasonable height. This gives enough room for fish to swim, coral to grow, and allows plenty of light toward the lower part of the tank. As the name states, the rectangular fish tank is the standard in terms of reef tanks. However, there is one shape that is arguably tied for best aquarium shape, especially if you're keeping coral!

Shallow or Frag Fish Tanks

Shallow aquariums, also known as breeder tanks, frag tanks, or "Low Boy" tanks, are seemingly the best for most worlds! Frag tanks are wide and deep, but not very tall. This lets horizontally swimming fish have the most space possible, as well as allow for more coral without shading, and even better light penetration. Overall, shallow aquariums are the best form factor when picking a tank that will have coral.

Unfortunately there are a very limited number of sizes available for shallow aquariums. Many of these are even custom made. Another disadvantage is that due to the lower height, you will be limited in terms of large fish, like sailfin tangs and lionfish. For these types of fish, a Standard tank is better.

Reef Ready Aquariums

Reef Ready Aquariums are fish tanks that are already drilled and ready to be plumbed to a sump. Sumps are used to increase the water volume of your tank as well as hide ugly equipment like heaters, protein skimmers, and other filters. This helps make your reef tank look better by removing the wires and equipment. The downsides include additional plumbing, pumps, space, weight, and price. Despite the price, there is a reason most successful saltwater tanks use sumps.

The more water volume you have, the less a small error will affect your reef tank's health. Sumps allow this water to be in a different location from the main tank, giving you opportunities for significantly more water volume. Sumps also provide space for much larger filters and reactors that you may need/want down the road.

If you plan to have a fish tank with more than 35 gallons, I HIGHLY encourage reef-ready with a sump!

All in One (AIO) tank, best of both worlds?

All-in-One tanks are usually smaller tanks, roughly 35g or less, that have a "sump" in the back of the tank. If you want to keep things simple, these are a great option! They let you hide heaters and small filters, without the "all-in" mentality of plumbing and extra tanks. I think the All-In-One (AIO) tank is the BEST choice for beginners!