Joshwaggs January 11, 2015 Share January 11, 2015 I'm looking for the best place (price and quality) to buy a 50-55 gallon reef ready aquarium. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crob5965 January 11, 2015 Share January 11, 2015 I saw the 48 Gal RR Mr. Aqua Rimless at King of Coral this afternoon that Surf & Turf was talking about, they want $250 for it, I think it might be used but it looks brand new and for $250 it's a steal. any particular reason you are looking for a 50-55 gal? 75Gal would be better than a Standard 55 gal if that's what your thinking of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crob5965 January 11, 2015 Share January 11, 2015 I think I'm addicted to shallow reef tanks now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshwaggs January 11, 2015 Author Share January 11, 2015 I'm going to a bigger tank, but I have to keep it reasonable becuasebecuaause will be on the second floor. I don't care if it is used. One of the other things I'm trying to do is find a nice stand that can fit a sump. 55 gallon is a standard size so I figure the stands are easier to find. 250 is a steal for that. How shallow do you consider shallow. I like 20 inches. Mainly because they are easier to maintain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Country January 11, 2015 Share January 11, 2015 How about a deep blue 60 or 80? Or a 40 breeder? A standard 55 is just so narrow it doesn't make a very good SW tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshwaggs January 11, 2015 Author Share January 11, 2015 60 would be ok. As long as there are stands for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshwaggs January 11, 2015 Author Share January 11, 2015 So, are frag tanks just more shallow than a regular tank? Deep blue has some nice rimless frag tanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BowieReefer84 January 11, 2015 Share January 11, 2015 Check Petco I think they have $1/gal sale going now. Not reef ready, but for the price can't be beat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Country January 11, 2015 Share January 11, 2015 I have the deep blue rimless 60 frag RR, it has a great footprint 48x24. The 60 or 80 would either make a nice reef, the 80 is taller with same footprint Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshwaggs January 11, 2015 Author Share January 11, 2015 Yeah, I cheacked petco today. The biggest thing they had was 40. I bought a 20 to make a sump, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crob5965 January 11, 2015 Share January 11, 2015 40B have a better footprint than a 55gal honestly the best stands are the ones you build, that way you can get the height where you want it and make sure all your equipment fits under it, I think the 40B's at petco are the best way to go if this is your 1st tank, you can drill them easy and lighting will be cheaper than a 4ft tank I would consider anything less than 18" a shallow tank 24" seems to be the norm 12" or less is usually what's considered a Frag tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crob5965 January 11, 2015 Share January 11, 2015 just buy something that you will be happy with for a while, I went from a 40B to a 90 in 3 months now I'm working on a 6' 125 gal, if I would have just saved up and bought what I really wanted to begin with I would be a lot better off right now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshwaggs January 11, 2015 Author Share January 11, 2015 Yeah. I have a modified 29 gallon biocube now. The only reason I'm not getting a huge tank is weight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crob5965 January 11, 2015 Share January 11, 2015 http://wamas.org/forums/topic/70882-collegemans-80-shallow-reef/ http://wamas.org/forums/topic/70919-quiet-pump-for-brs-gfocarbon-reactor/?p=636945 some nice looking shallow reefs, your going to pay a little extra for the tank because of it's uncommon size, and more than likely you will have to build your own stand (the easiest D.I.Y project you will ever do in this hobby), I have 2 x ERC spec Evergrow D2040's on my 4' 90gal and they are great LED lights and you cant beat the price, you can get away with a smaller skimmer for the surface area. and most importantly they look sweet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crob5965 January 11, 2015 Share January 11, 2015 Yeah. I have a modified 29 gallon biocube now. The only reason I'm not getting a huge tank is weight. maybe a 40B might be the way to go then, I know it doesnt sound much more than a 29 BIocube, but it is a lot more surface area, and I think hey are around $46.00 after taxes right now with the $ PG sale at petco. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Ford January 11, 2015 Share January 11, 2015 The problem with a 55 is how narrow they are. It becomes difficult to get good flow and to work your aquascape. As mentioned above a 40 breeder may suit you better Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YHSublime January 11, 2015 Share January 11, 2015 40 gallon breeder, I agree with the others. Pick it up at the dollar per gallon, pop your drilling cherry, install an overflow, build your own stand, add +10 points to man card, drink a beer as you enjoy your ultimate custom built reef. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshwaggs January 12, 2015 Author Share January 12, 2015 Lol YHsublime. I drilled the tank I have now. I'm going to look around for a 60 or 65, but I will keep the 40 gallon in the options. Thanks, all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fritz0id3937 January 12, 2015 Share January 12, 2015 65 is what I have, it has the same foot print as a 40 breeder. They aren't that expensive either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishgate January 12, 2015 Share January 12, 2015 I'd go 40/65 or 75. 55s are terrible for SW as someone else said. Also almost all are not drillable they use glass that is too thin so it is tempered to give it more strength. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crob5965 January 12, 2015 Share January 12, 2015 65 is what I have, it has the same foot print as a 40 breeder. They aren't that expensive either. yeah, if your not on a budget the taller tank is nice, I wasnt sure what your price range was, and for $45 you're not getting a better deal than a 40B but if you have a little bigger budget then I would say look into some of the Deep Blue tanks, Richard at ERC gave me a good deal on some 30gal frag tanks before, also there is a 48 Gal Mr aqua at KoC for $250 in Frederick, not sure about the dimensions or you could check with Reef E Scape, they usually have a nice selection of used tanks and equipment. B.L.U.F. talk to the Wamas Vendors, you will be surprised at some of the deals you can get, especially if your not too picky about the exact dimensions of the tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtelles January 13, 2015 Share January 13, 2015 I've had a 40B for about a year, which is my first reef tank. Good footprint, easy to moderate flow, lots of surface area for smaller fish, easy/relatively inexpensive to light, and the width/depth make it look much larger than it is. I'm a pretty short guy, so although the 65 has the same dimensional footprint and would be nice to have, the extra height would be tough to work with. Mine's not drilled so it looks like a mad scientist's lab (large HOB skimmer, converted aquaclear baby 'fuge, canister filter, etc.). That said, the 36" length does limit the livestock options and i'm about to upgrade to a shallow 66 long for convenience, but I will continue to enjoy the 40B and use it as a secondary nano reef. Can't really go wrong, with the 40B, and they're pretty much always in demand if you decide to sell it and upgrade at some point. That Mr. Aqua tank really is a steal, though, and I'm surprised nobody's claimed it. As for stands, there are a number of builds on this forum, but I've built and used a version of a King of DIY stand from a youtube video he put out two years ago titled "How to: Build an aquarium stand/canopy." I'd link it, but I'm not sure how to on this forum. Really straightforward directions and the thing was basically an inexpensive wooden tank that could be modified to your creative heart's desire. Add a few coats of plastidip and you have a presentable stand with plenty of room to drop a 20L sump/refugium under. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fritz0id3937 January 13, 2015 Share January 13, 2015 I think I got my 65 gal for $140 brand new. Its not a fancy brand or anything tho, just regular black plastic trim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshwaggs January 13, 2015 Author Share January 13, 2015 (edited) I'm glad I joined this group. Lots of good ideas and information. Everytime I think I've made up my mind I check WAMAS, and someone has come up with even more ideas or resources. I've definitely decided not to go with the 55, but for some reason I'm really wanting that bigger tank 60-65. I'm really liking the cubes. Any opinions on those? And what is plastidip? Edited January 13, 2015 by Joshwaggs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtelles January 13, 2015 Share January 13, 2015 Plastidip is a spray-on rubber coating that was originally created to coat tools for better grip and to increase the durability of their handles. I like it because it's moisture resistant and can be peeled off if you don't like it (I spray the back of my tanks with it instead of using permanent paint and it's worked really well. I've also painted a number of pieces of furniture with it). A lot of people use it on their cars, but I'm not a fan of the look. Regular ol' glossy spray paint would work just fine as well, Either way, if you own or could rent/borrow a powerdrill, you can get wood screws and 2x4's cut at Lowe's or Home Depot and build a stand for $30-$50 that is much more durable than a store-bought version. I don't have much of an opinion regarding cubes except to say that I've seen a few that were really nice. If I had a large, square room instead of a long, narrow one, I'd probably want to throw a rimless cube right in the center of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now