nano vs large

Me and my friend are new to this and we are both going to do a reef tank.Learn from each other that kinda thing.So i am getting a 55 and starting it and she is going to convert her 30 that she already has.

We are fish store hopping for the next few days just to get an idea of whats out there.She went to a store last night who informed her that a nano cube is the way to go because its easier....From what i have ready,seen,and been told they are the hardest and if you dont know what you are doing you are destined to fail.

Can someone please let me know about this subject.Because in all honesty if thats the case i would like to scratch the 55 and get a smaller tank going my self

 

I have decades of experience, and I couldn't find more than three or four people who recommended that I start with anything less than 50 gal. I truly felt that I had enough overall experience to pull it off, but when I looked at the amount of money I'd be investing in a nano, I didn't want to take the gamble and buck the tide, so to speak, of what people were telling me. When you carefully think about all that you need for a reef and plan it out, you find that those "plug and play" systems are not all that much "plug and play." If you or your friend are able to use spreadsheet programs like Excel, I would encourage you to list everything you would need for both systems and look at the differece in cost, then weigh the odds of success with each.
I've not begun building my system yet because I need to put a fence in the backyard first. My plans for a 70 cube come to about $2500. The tank and stand are the least of it. If you would like, post back, and I will send you my worksheet. Because of the high costs, I've broken the project into stages so that I am taking small bites. Admittedly, I've gone a little overboard on my choice of some equipment and cheaper models are often availble, but I do believe that everything on my list is required.

Steve

 

it's not that there harder to keep but, due to the size a problem can develope very quickly and kill the tank occupants, a weekly system of maintance must be employed to keep the tank in check and you have alot smaller biosystem so, you can only keep what your tank bioload can handle, but a nano is a great way to start reef keeping it's more eco friendly to the pocketbook, my wife now has 3 nano tanks and has great results with them, so i recommend them highly to the beginner, you will enjoy them

 

I started the whole fish thing with a 28g jbj nano cube and I have to say its a great tank to start out with. I have never had anything die yet and ive had it for 9 months. I highly recommend this tank but a 55g would also be a great start as long as u have the initial money to start it

 

You will find that a larger aquarium is a ton easier to handle than a littler one. Sounds strange, but true!

 

Agree with the large than smaller started with a 55 then went to a 120 and the 120 is the same amount of work as the 55... Just sucks explaining to the wife why you "wasted" money on a smaller tank only to get a bigger one, now to explain why I need something larger than a 120

 

A larger aquarium is much easier to keep stable, but anything over 20 gallons is not very hard. Once you go less than that it start to get tricky. The bottom line is THE BIGGER, THE BETTER. But, you also have to remember the huge price difference between a smaller aquarium vs. a larger one.

 

thanks everyone for all the info. I have been thinking about it and I might just go with a 28 bow front that i have empty that i used for fresh water. My friend and I are going to all the LFS tomorrow to get some info and inspiration. I have to go to Cali for a wedding in a week and a half so I will be waiting to return before I start my tank. Until then I will just keep reading and soak up as much as I can

 

I am a huge fan of nanos (anything under 30 gallons). What I think is really important is what will be the goal for your tank fish wise. Nano's can be very unforgiving when it comes to bio-load related to fish. If you are happy with 3 to 4 small fish in a 30 gallon tank, a nano might be a good choice. If you want Angels, Tangs, Anthias, larger clowns like Maroons than a nano is not a good choice.

JM2C

 

Large is easier in theory, more stable less problems.

Large is harder in practice, more expensive more tiring to care for.

It a fine line, you want it to be big enough to be stable but small enough you don't break the bank or your back.

I would say both of you have medium tanks, a 30 isn't a nano and a 55 isn't large.

keep in mind if you start small then want to go bigger, you will sacrifice the stability you built up at least short term.