Hi, my name is Yardboy, and I'm an addict

sounds like a personal preferance to me. what will fit on the wall youre putting it on? for reef it seems like usually a deeper tank from front to back always makes for great decorating and if you do fish it will give them room to move. $ is always another factor too. if you go with a taller tank (24"+) you will have to with halide lights which brings on many more options. the standard rectangle shape will be easier to get lights on than a corner or hexagon type. it would be to your benefit to buy a tank that is drilled out for overflows also.

if i could buy and setup the tank of my choice it would be somewhere along the lines of 6' long x 3' tall and 3' deep. or there abouts. and made from acrylic too.


happy shopping!!!! wish i was in your shoes right now!
Brandon & Kelly

Yep, I agree with the above ...

how big of a space? Determine this, we can help more.

what are you keeping? Determines somewhat the layout size/ lighting, etc.

And go with pre-drilled overflows for sure. You'll want them

find one with the most space..... id liike for a 200 gal....7 ft x 2ft x 2 ft

Thanks guys. I'll be wanting a mixed reef, definitely with sps. Biggest question is depth, not sure I want something I can't get my hand to the bottom of without a ladder or diving. I appreciate width, benefits go without saying. Overflows(no more overflow siphons for me)- they had them on the side, in the middle, in the back. As for length - the longest system lights I've seen have been 6'. Borneman doesn't like canopies, and the canopy on mine has been a "learning experience" on light placement. Someone here, (Mnreefman?) isn't using a canopy, but I wonder about the light shining in my eyes? Not to mention how much the canopy costs. This is nuts. I thought I'd learned a lot with my 70, but the learnings just begun!

I've seen those HQI [sunlight supply i think] pendants that hang down ... no light in my eye. I'd think it would depend on the reflector ... but thought that a sweet setup.

I'd also agree with not-too-deep as I would like to reach the bottom too. Saw a 120 last night, mature reef - was great. 2 big spurs coming out from both sides and open in front, middle, back [back was visible from other room]. I thought the aquascaping possibilities were awesome - but if you can't see from the sides into back, that would suck to have so much back-space.

But thought it looked much more natural of a 'scape, and had each `ridge' from the sides directly under a MH.

Just my 2 cents; I just dream about big tanks like that - and given Fl is a long drive; probably dreaming 'til after my wedding. Then it's my priority [she's into reefs, too]

sounds like a marriage made in heaven. Have to wonder about your handle? My wife looooves mango's, had one in her yard as a kid! I've thought seriously about how to arange so you can see all around it also. Some big cubes around that look really sweet. My next house I'll have to plan around a cube in the hallway or living room! I better start seriously looking around at 'scaping, so I'll know where to go from here.
By the way, how does a 150 tank, big overflow in the back, canopy and stand of solid oak and oak plywood for $1100 sound?

sounds sweet I paid $2500 for my 180

Yeah, I got a good one ... a reefer
X-mas this year we'll be giving each other gift certs. for scuba certification.

Well, the mangomark comes from the time I spent in Pakistan, eating their awesome mangoes. If I lived far enough south - I'd have to grow them. Nothing like what you can get in a store here - they had like 70 different varieties ... 70 varieties of nirvana. Probably the only mango thing I really salivate over in the midwest is HaagenDazs mango ice cream.

Anyway - both those sound like tanks I'm dreaming of. Guess my 58 reef and soon to be setup propagation setup will have to keep me happy a year or two [40 breeder and 38 gallon sump/fuge/2nd prop]. Get to tweak all the plumbing, figure out all the `back end' that I'd want for my big tank except wiring up lights [scwd, having a local guy drill hole, building acrylic internal overflow, building internals on sump ....]

no i use a canopy on all my tanks...granted once i set i have my deam set up done once i move ..... open tops on all...