I have a 5200gallon reef tank. And I think there is alot of benefits to it as well. It takes alot to change course, but it is stable as fu**. This tank is a huge diy project. I started with a 100gallon tank, filled it up in no time. Upgraded to a 200 gallon and its really not that much bigger. In my 5200gallon I always have room for more corals, and they can grow into huge colonies. I dont have to frag them all the time, because they have room to grow. Fish are so much more happy with plenty of swimming room. This summer when I had to fix a leak and take out all my fish and corals for 4months its the only time I wish I had a smaller tank. Its alot of work, but so rewarding. Happy reefing guys, keep up the good videos.
Around the 19:00 mark when you are talking about planning, that’s one of the biggest issues that I see. I see so many tanks on Facebook Marketplace or on forums that are still crated up and for sale because the tank was not planned for. Whether it’s space the tank and equipment, or the cost of the build, or the ongoing cost and maintenance, people don’t stop and think about everything that is involved.
Planning is key, I've planned my Cade 2100 7 Footer for 4 years and saved and saved and saved. It cant be a purchase made on a day visiting an aquarium shop. Filtration, electricity, filtering your water and water bills just for top off. Test kits, dosing pumps, dosing elements, are you going to make your own salt or get it delivered? One other thing also is I don't think you have to necessary fill your tank with frags. One awesome video I watched from the amazing Jake Adams was when he visited his friend that owned a shop, he was talking about having a few sps colonies that you really like and growing them into massive colonies, this is the route I will be taking and cant wait to see them grown out. Love your Videos Ryan and Than never stop!
Dream crushers!! I actually have a 600 gallon being built right now by Miracles. 96x48x30. I am 6'3" and I currently have a 29" deep tank. Its a challenge but not impossible. I am more worried about having to do maintenance near the middle of the tank. Its being built as a peninsula. The cost of the plumbing so far has been the biggest sticker shock besides the tank.
This episode hits home for me. My last reef was 400 gallons, 29” tall on a 40” stand. Took a 3 year break, new build is 7’ x2’ X 21” tall on a 35” stand. Hopefully I went big enough to enjoy but small enough to be easier to maintain
I have a 440 gal reef and i can attest. Having to grab things with tools and trying to get out a tobi puffer when it started eating coral. Took days. I finally lured it out with food and turned on red lights so it couldnt see and got it. 40% peroxide fell in the tank and it took 3 days to get enough water tonso a water change. Had to move all livestock to the 150 gal sump thats pumped into the basement. I miss the ease of having a smaller tank at times. Not to mention heating it in michigan winters. The electric tank heaters would bring my electric bill from 120$ normal to over 300 so i made a pex coil off my water heater into the sump to heat the tank.
I think a good middle ground for like a 400 gallon+ is to include a lot of negative space for the fish so you dont need a ton of coral. It also gives those suckers room to grow!
Ryan the think the fish only would be awesome! But just another idea. What if you only had coral on the top parts of the aquascap? Let’s say from 20” and up. Easy to access, easy to get lights to. And you could just do easy hardy corals. Corals that look good from farther away because of their shape and color. Give them a lot of room then let them just go wild! If some fish pick at them or kill them not a big deal don’t fight it just let them sort it out.
The largest tank i plan to have is a 300 gallon tank. 1 because of space. and 2 because of the cost/risk assessment. i feel like reefing is an investment you should make and make it knowing that eventually it could crash. we can be preventative, we can get in front of TONS of issues. But we cannot see the future. With that being said, i'd comfortably lose 8k on a tank that i enjoy for a decade. On the flip side, i love change. Moving things around, variety. etcc. So while the 300 gallon DT is the main goal, i also aim to have a few smaller tanks that allow me to grow corals, breed fish, do an octopus tank, etcc.
its interesting how you guys mention filling the tank with corals and salt being expensive. but then here in aus you could buy colonies for $30 AUD and its cheaper to get salt water from the ocean for your water changes. I couldn't picture what its like mixing salt! to me the biggest thing about going a big reef would be the cost of equipment if anything and the challenges of lighting and flow and even more challenged depending on style peninsula/wall divider/ standard one viewing panel. anyway interesting topic. personally I think you need to think about your budget weigh up cost of maintenance and what you can realistically afford and how much time you have to maintain it
What is the consensus for best frag tank? Best value and best overall? I’ve been hearing a few different videos say 16 to 18 deep allows for diversity but isn’t too high. Glass is great but costly. Any ideas? Acrylic has it’s pulses and minuses. I’m researching my best options for a frag system that would allow for space and a widest possible variety. I have entire basement to play with so space isn’t a limiting factor.
So after just moving my 650g tank to the new lounge room it is huge, it’s also hopefully my house and home for the next 50 years. I’m not filling it up to full 80 inches deep as it’s more of a lagoon style with large open swimming areas all the Coral so far is been found online frags from local reefers but it was never the idea to fill it up with Coral from the first day or year. We are planning a solar set up on the roof and home battery kits to offset the power consumption. The background is in my last house I had a very large dedicated fish room with multiple tanks in the basement in the new house I have room ( permission from my wife ) for just one large tank and a small filtration/technical room in the basement.
Now I understand why Than looked scared when I told him about my build. There is a lot of engineering that goes into planning a large aquarium system. Humidity control has to be done before you get the aquarium online or it's already too late.
Just received my Waterbox 330.7. Wanted a 6ft tank for 30+ years. Now I have a 7ft tank. Dreading all the work it is going to take just to get this tank set up. I am so not looking forward to it I don’t have the words to describe it. Just getting it into the house and into place is going to be a nightmare. Especially when you have basically zero reefing pals to help.
666 g Display here, and I can only concur that flow and water changes are a nightmare. Add invasive corals, I rescaped 1/3 of my tank because of the Jasmine Coral, and another 25% because of a "reverse Superman Montipora, The Forestfire coral is also a pain, but this one I can manage. I help an older friend take care of his 1111 g tank built 40+ years ago, his is a low-maintenance tank with mostly softies so it is easier, and a heck lot cheaper compared to my SPS-dominated tank.
Your tank is great, love the open/minimalist scape you have. Never liked tanks that just stack big round rocks on top of each other, it looks crowded and rushed. You have a natural look which works really well.
Soo. My first tank is a 725 gallon system with a 600 gallon display. It is a beast.. But. The water is very stable. My big problem is clown aggression and apex/mobius problems.
May I disagree with the term "aspirational"? A small tank can be aspirational as well. It all depends on what you're used too. In other words, it's all relative. And everyone starting in the hobby has great aspirations...and great expectations as well;)
People talk about bigger is better and easier to maintain and blah, blah, blah. My first reef was a 1 gallon. It lasted a year before I broke it down because of a move. My most successful was a 3.7 gallon that only came down because it was an office tank that I quit the job and didn't have anywhere at home to put it at the time. Sure, things can go bad quickly in a small tank, but water changes are so easy and cheap. If something does go bad, as long as you're on top of things, and you should be, fixing it is super easy and quick.
I have two 300 gallon tanks, one freshwater and one is going to be saltwater… the freshwater was 30 inches… no way would I do a saltwater tank with that kind of depth… the other is 24” and it’s going to be my saltwater tank.
I'm enjoying these episodes with Than! Keep it up.
I’m 7 months in on my 365 gallon and this video is spot on. Thanks guys
The reason my 725 gallon system is successful is I watched all of Ryan's videos before water hit the sand.
I have a 5200gallon reef tank. And I think there is alot of benefits to it as well. It takes alot to change course, but it is stable as fu**. This tank is a huge diy project. I started with a 100gallon tank, filled it up in no time. Upgraded to a 200 gallon and its really not that much bigger. In my 5200gallon I always have room for more corals, and they can grow into huge colonies. I dont have to frag them all the time, because they have room to grow. Fish are so much more happy with plenty of swimming room. This summer when I had to fix a leak and take out all my fish and corals for 4months its the only time I wish I had a smaller tank. Its alot of work, but so rewarding.
Happy reefing guys, keep up the good videos.
I have a 800g, love it I only want to go bigger 😂
Love these videos with Than the Man!!!
I think a 120~180 shallow with the most square footage is the sweet spot for most home aquariums.
Just bought a 180. I’m hoping I handle it haha! :)
I would agree
Awesome, i just got my first saltwater 120 gallon!
What a great series it’s been with Than.
Around the 19:00 mark when you are talking about planning, that’s one of the biggest issues that I see. I see so many tanks on Facebook Marketplace or on forums that are still crated up and for sale because the tank was not planned for. Whether it’s space the tank and equipment, or the cost of the build, or the ongoing cost and maintenance, people don’t stop and think about everything that is involved.
Planning is key, I've planned my Cade 2100 7 Footer for 4 years and saved and saved and saved. It cant be a purchase made on a day visiting an aquarium shop. Filtration, electricity, filtering your water and water bills just for top off. Test kits, dosing pumps, dosing elements, are you going to make your own salt or get it delivered?
One other thing also is I don't think you have to necessary fill your tank with frags. One awesome video I watched from the amazing Jake Adams was when he visited his friend that owned a shop, he was talking about having a few sps colonies that you really like and growing them into massive colonies, this is the route I will be taking and cant wait to see them grown out. Love your Videos Ryan and Than never stop!
I really enjoyed this video. It's conversations like this that help us be successful.
Than “it’s like van life”
LOL
Than is the Man
Monster tank lover and owner here. 360 g to 660g to 400g and soon to be 1500g
500 is insane
200-260 I think is a great aspiration
Dream crushers!! I actually have a 600 gallon being built right now by Miracles. 96x48x30. I am 6'3" and I currently have a 29" deep tank. Its a challenge but not impossible. I am more worried about having to do maintenance near the middle of the tank. Its being built as a peninsula. The cost of the plumbing so far has been the biggest sticker shock besides the tank.
That’s awesome! That’s around the size I’m going to have built when we move into our new house. You should post some videos about the build!
This episode hits home for me. My last reef was 400 gallons, 29” tall on a 40” stand. Took a 3 year break, new build is 7’ x2’ X 21” tall on a 35” stand. Hopefully I went big enough to enjoy but small enough to be easier to maintain
I have a 440 gal reef and i can attest. Having to grab things with tools and trying to get out a tobi puffer when it started eating coral. Took days. I finally lured it out with food and turned on red lights so it couldnt see and got it. 40% peroxide fell in the tank and it took 3 days to get enough water tonso a water change. Had to move all livestock to the 150 gal sump thats pumped into the basement. I miss the ease of having a smaller tank at times. Not to mention heating it in michigan winters. The electric tank heaters would bring my electric bill from 120$ normal to over 300 so i made a pex coil off my water heater into the sump to heat the tank.
That’s a great idea with the pex
I think a good middle ground for like a 400 gallon+ is to include a lot of negative space for the fish so you dont need a ton of coral. It also gives those suckers room to grow!
Ryan the think the fish only would be awesome! But just another idea. What if you only had coral on the top parts of the aquascap? Let’s say from 20” and up. Easy to access, easy to get lights to. And you could just do easy hardy corals. Corals that look good from farther away because of their shape and color. Give them a lot of room then let them just go wild! If some fish pick at them or kill them not a big deal don’t fight it just let them sort it out.
Great video, keep it up!🐬👍
Anyone know the name of the "best" coral farm they are talking about in the video...?
You can get a 400g doorway reservoir from manufacturers in MN. I use one for salt for my system.
This is very true. Lol I have to had this battle 10x. Flow, humidity, custom everything is what they should have mentioned haha.
The largest tank i plan to have is a 300 gallon tank. 1 because of space. and 2 because of the cost/risk assessment. i feel like reefing is an investment you should make and make it knowing that eventually it could crash. we can be preventative, we can get in front of TONS of issues. But we cannot see the future. With that being said, i'd comfortably lose 8k on a tank that i enjoy for a decade.
On the flip side, i love change. Moving things around, variety. etcc. So while the 300 gallon DT is the main goal, i also aim to have a few smaller tanks that allow me to grow corals, breed fish, do an octopus tank, etcc.
just give me a 75gal reef and im a happy man. decent size, good depth, dont cost a fortune and dosnt give off a bunch of heat.
Just a fyi for anybody interested there are doorway tanks up to 1000 gallons that will fit….well…..between your door way.
My favorite!!! Looking forward to watching this when I get a break today! 🩷💚🩷
Challenge Accepted! 😂 It's not quite a monster tank based on many peoples standards, but my 200g peninsula arrived this week.
I have a 450G display + 60G sump setup coming in at the end of the Sept. Fingers crossed!
Who are they talking about here? 27:28 I want to see this tank.
its interesting how you guys mention filling the tank with corals and salt being expensive. but then here in aus you could buy colonies for $30 AUD and its cheaper to get salt water from the ocean for your water changes. I couldn't picture what its like mixing salt! to me the biggest thing about going a big reef would be the cost of equipment if anything and the challenges of lighting and flow and even more challenged depending on style peninsula/wall divider/ standard one viewing panel. anyway interesting topic. personally I think you need to think about your budget weigh up cost of maintenance and what you can realistically afford and how much time you have to maintain it
What is the consensus for best frag tank? Best value and best overall? I’ve been hearing a few different videos say 16 to 18 deep allows for diversity but isn’t too high. Glass is great but costly. Any ideas? Acrylic has it’s pulses and minuses. I’m researching my best options for a frag system that would allow for space and a widest possible variety. I have entire basement to play with so space isn’t a limiting factor.
So after just moving my 650g tank to the new lounge room it is huge, it’s also hopefully my house and home for the next 50 years. I’m not filling it up to full 80 inches deep as it’s more of a lagoon style with large open swimming areas all the Coral so far is been found online frags from local reefers but it was never the idea to fill it up with Coral from the first day or year. We are planning a solar set up on the roof and home battery kits to offset the power consumption. The background is in my last house I had a very large dedicated fish room with multiple tanks in the basement in the new house I have room ( permission from my wife ) for just one large tank and a small filtration/technical room in the basement.
Makes more happy I went with the shallow 120g 4x2x16” (about 90g-100g total
Yes. Challange accepted. But I agree. It's more than most people would want or could realistically manage.
I've had a tank that was 30" deep. Never again. Currently running a red sea Reefer 900 3XL. Being able to reach the bottom - priceless.
Now I understand why Than looked scared when I told him about my build. There is a lot of engineering that goes into planning a large aquarium system. Humidity control has to be done before you get the aquarium online or it's already too late.
You’re an exception! Looking forward to your awesome updates Alex!!!
I have a 4’x3’2.5’ bow front. I had to spend hours catching fish and cleaning is always a pain
Just received my Waterbox 330.7. Wanted a 6ft tank for 30+ years. Now I have a 7ft tank. Dreading all the work it is going to take just to get this tank set up. I am so not looking forward to it I don’t have the words to describe it. Just getting it into the house and into place is going to be a nightmare. Especially when you have basically zero reefing pals to help.
My sweet spot is a 8 x 4 x 2.5 peninsula at around 500ish gallons
666 g Display here, and I can only concur that flow and water changes are a nightmare. Add invasive corals, I rescaped 1/3 of my tank because of the Jasmine Coral, and another 25% because of a "reverse Superman Montipora, The Forestfire coral is also a pain, but this one I can manage.
I help an older friend take care of his 1111 g tank built 40+ years ago, his is a low-maintenance tank with mostly softies so it is easier, and a heck lot cheaper compared to my SPS-dominated tank.
Your tank is great, love the open/minimalist scape you have. Never liked tanks that just stack big round rocks on top of each other, it looks crowded and rushed. You have a natural look which works really well.
I'd rather have a well thought out small tank , than a thrown together large tank
I downsized to enjoy my tank. Ended up being too much work with 1300l. run a 300l now and its ideal. easier to fill. cheaper to run.
I have 2 300 Gallon tanks. I spnd 4 hours a week doing maintenance. I do a 10% water change one 1 tank a week.
You definitely have to keep your expectations realistic and plan ahead. Many end up crashing within a year. 100 x 100 frags dead😅
My 220 is 28” deep, I know the pain. I love it, it’s great, I don’t regret it. But maintenance is definitely a pain in the arse.
Soo. My first tank is a 725 gallon system with a 600 gallon display. It is a beast.. But. The water is very stable. My big problem is clown aggression and apex/mobius problems.
I have a 230 gallon and I'm not going any bigger it took 6 guys to move . 😢
May I disagree with the term "aspirational"? A small tank can be aspirational as well. It all depends on what you're used too. In other words, it's all relative. And everyone starting in the hobby has great aspirations...and great expectations as well;)
People talk about bigger is better and easier to maintain and blah, blah, blah. My first reef was a 1 gallon. It lasted a year before I broke it down because of a move. My most successful was a 3.7 gallon that only came down because it was an office tank that I quit the job and didn't have anywhere at home to put it at the time.
Sure, things can go bad quickly in a small tank, but water changes are so easy and cheap. If something does go bad, as long as you're on top of things, and you should be, fixing it is super easy and quick.
Caught my big Powder blue twice in under 2 minutes with fish trap
I concur with all that has been said... LOL
"Every single inch matters"
That’s what she said😅
When you have the money anything is possible
Absolutely. The larger the tank, the larger the price tag.
If you go for fish only you will get bored with it (don’t do it)
I have two 300 gallon tanks, one freshwater and one is going to be saltwater… the freshwater was 30 inches… no way would I do a saltwater tank with that kind of depth… the other is 24” and it’s going to be my saltwater tank.
Deeper aquariums really are more of a chore to clean!
Big tanks. Big problems