Tank Size Advice

[Second Hand Pat]

Nu2Discus,

You need to be a tall long armed man to reach the bottom of the tall tanks. I am a under 5 feet female and yes, it is a bit of a challenge cleaning requiring a special set of tools. So the 24 inch depth is way easier to clean and arrange wood. If I was during a planted tank no way would I do it in a tall tank.

Also of my seven tanks three are drilled and have sumps. I do not have a separate drain valve however.

Pat

[AquaAnt]

Honestly...Nu2Discus...since both are rather funsized tanks my question to you is, how much work are you willing to do to keep your discus happy & healthy? Knowing its ONLY a 45 gallon difference...what would YOU like to do

[tonytheboss1]

My choice would be the larger. Not much difference in W/C's. If you're short you might need a step or long handle for scrub maint. or aqua-scaping but IMHO more water is better. Your real concern should be adequate filtration. If drilled a sump would give you even more water to work with & a place to hide heaters & such. A couple of right sized premium canisters is another possibility. Take time to factor in the cost cause you DON'T wanna skimp on filtration. Good luck w/ your choice. "T"

[Tazalanche]

Speaking of cost, before buying from a LFS, consider checking craigslist or local sales papers too. You might discover a 3-6 month old 250+ gallon (with stand, filtration, lights & all extras) for less than that new 135.

First glance in Nashville found these:
Complete 150 setup for $800
Complete 140 setup for $750
150 reef with sump setup for $400 (no stand or hood)
5 months old 150 setup for $390 (unsure on proper filtration, but mentions stand, lights, driftwood, etc...)
In the winter I've seen much bigger for less.
In Nashville, it seems a 125 is the sweet spot. They can be found for under $250 for a complete setup.... while someone else is asking $300 for a 30 gallon setup.

Good luck in your search!

[Nu2Discus]

AquaAnt- yea I want a decent size tank, and I'm leaning toward the bigger one. It'll be nice to took at. But then I think about water changes, and I start wondering how I'd keep 90 gallons available for the daily changes. So that has me a bit concerned. But not out of question.

TonyTheBoss1- yea I'm thinking of doing a sump. I don't want all that clutter in the tank. I'll probably have it drilled before I have it delivered. Still thinking if I want it drilled on the back or bottom. I'm leaning toward the bottom. I'm still thinking of adding a separate hole just for draining the tank for daily water changes. I already bought a 55 gallon tank, petco is running a dollar per gallon sale. I'll either use it for my sump, or for a quarantine tank. Either way I'll need it so I got it. I'm planning a trickle tower part, a refugium part, and turning the tank over 10 times per hour, in that 55 gallon tank. Would that be ok, or am I off the mark. I love the planning, once you commit its too late. So I'm taking my time and love to hear different perspectives from people.

Tazalanche- the Craigslist idea is a good one, thanks. I've been looking but I've only seen smaller tanks, and they want too much money for them. You could buy them new for almost the same price. But I'll keep looking. You never know what might show up.

Thanks so much for all the great advice.

[PattersM]

I'm also looking into my first discus as I'm coming off having a reef tank.

What are the benefits for discus keeping of a sump ?

For my reef tank I had the skimmer in there and wanted the large turnover for water movement but my undestanding is that discus like a MUCH calmer main tank turnover than the marine fish. Is it to grow plants, on a reverse day/night time to help with pH stabilisation, CO2 levels, nutrient export via plant growth etc. If the last point which plants would you go with, a fast grower like Cabomba ?

Mike

[Crunchy]

I think for me 120 or 130 will be better, easier to maintain and more often. You will simply do more work on a 180 unless it's mostly automated. But of course if you willing to donthe extra bit, the bigger the better!