Trying to decide how big to go...

[Cosine]

I'm upgrading to a bigger tank and planning on using my 30g as a sump.
I'm thinking about going with a 90g but want to know if I should go bigger.
Fish I am considering are as follows:
1-Yellow Tang
3-5 Green chromis
1- yellow head sleeper (or similar sand sifting goby)
1- Royal Gramma
1- 4-Line Wrasse
This is the plan for fish
If possible I would like to also have a small group of dartfish/firefish, maybe a pair of clowns or consider a flame angel if I trust it not to eat corals.
The tank will be soft corals only. Thinking about 440w of VHO.
What can you suggest about the fish list, way to much? about right? squeeze in some from the second list?

I want to decide if I should go a bit bigger now (120g) or if this will be fine.
I like the idea of the 90 since it is a huge increase to me and I have 40ish lbs of rock in my 30 so another 60ish doesn't seem so bad compared to 90 or more for the 120.

Well steer me right people!
thanks in advance

[tims]

90 is a nice size , i am ordering one this weekend my self..

but with the tang... i would really go to the next size up. they like to swim... so i think the lenght off the 120 would be a lot better for it.
just my 2 somewhat shine pennys

[atzak]

I had a 90 gallon with vho for years and loved that tank, great size. I eventually went bigger after I moved.

[Cosine]

hmmm
well the 120 is the same length
for the aga tanks that my LFS sells that is
they are 6 inches wider i think. The next step up in length from them goes to the 125 which is 6 feet long.
I could go without the tang, there's other yellow fish in the sea. My girlfriend just really likes them so it is kinda to apease her.

[Cosine]

Well everyone
I want your honest opinions here
Is it wrong to put a yellow tang in a 90?
If so let me know, I'd like to be certain before I purchase the tank.
any other advice
Thanks

[reefworried124]

I think a 90 is okay for a yellow tang. I wouldn't put one in my 40 thats for sure.

[kayaker97321]

I really like the 4 foot 120. 48"x24"x24" the extra width really helps with aquascaping... Besides there isn't much price difference.


Tyler

[yardboy]

I had a yellow tang in a 70 for 18 months and he never told ne he was unhappy, nor exhibited any "unhappy behavior". He's in a 150 now and I can't tell that he's acting any different. Let me go ask him..........

Oh, he just now said he'd really like to move into a 500 gallon tank. I better go tell my wife!
Bigger is better, nearly always. Frankly, my 150 is sized to my house. I've determined that theres a ratio of gallons to sq. ft. of floor space. I mean, obviously you can't have a tank bigger than your house, can you? My 150 is in a 1500 sq. ft. house, and it's a fairly dominant piece of furniture. Not as bad as my buddy with the corvette in the living room, but then he never cranks it up, and my tank definitely has a aural and visual presence. Heck, we can't even watch a movie on the tv until the halides go out in the evening, and usually when we have guests over for dinner in the evening, I'll turn off the skimmer to reduce the volume (Them Iwaki 55's are not advertised as quiet). So I'd say that you should go with 1 gallon/100 sq. ft., which if you live in a 1000 sq. ft. apartment, go with a 100 gallon tank! Pretty easy huh?
It's always nice when someone else does the math for you, eh. That way your wife or girlfriend has no theoretical ground to stand on when she says you only need a 10 gallon freshwater tank!

[Doug1]

Personally I would go for the 120 over the 90, I debated on which when I got my 75 and after wished I had just gotten the 120, heck my stand is even built to accomodate a 120.
Your fish list sounds good tho I would do 3 chromis rather than 5, but then I am not big on overstocking SW tanks.
If you choose a pair of clowns, what type are you thinking, some of them get large and very territorial, maroons and tomato clowns get large

[alaskaknucklehead]

Yardboy, remember its not how big the tank is, it's where you place it, and how you use it!

IMO go for the most you can afford!!

[TimmyG]

Originally Posted by kayaker97321

I really like the 4 foot 120. 48"x24"x24" the extra width really helps with aquascaping... Besides there isn't much price difference.


Tyler

I couldn't agree more.
If you're planning on keeping corals the 120 would be the better choice.
You would have less problems with shadowing.

Timmy

[Cosine]

yeah I didn't want the 125 for a reef because of the narrowness. My LFS doesn't advertise the 120 but it wouldn't make sense for them not to be able to get it. If the price difference isn't much I'll go with the 120 over the 90.
The only other issue for price really should be the rock.
Is there any point where my sump will be too small or could overflow if power was gone? Should I get a bigger tank than my 30 for it?
I might be able to get one used at a low price like a 50 or something

thanks for the input everyone!

[kayaker97321]

Just remember when you setup your sump that all the water that is above your overflow box is going to head into your sump. so you have to keep enough room for the extra water.


Tyler

[Cosine]

so I have to figure out how much they hold.

does anybody know the capacity of water in AGA's megaflows?

[Cosine]

Originally Posted by Doug1

If you choose a pair of clowns, what type are you thinking, some of them get large and very territorial, maroons and tomato clowns get large

Either orange skunks, ocellaris, black ocellaris or black onyx percs.

Depends what my LFS has, ocsies are always there pretty much, never seen a black onyx plus they are crazy expensice from what I see online.
The black ocellaris are rare around here but come in fairly often. Orange skunks though I have seen around here and are cool and peaceful I hear in relation to other clowns.

So nothing big and mean for this tank!