55 Gallon or 65 Gallon Reef ???

Hey Everyone,

I knew it was inevitable, but I decided I want to upgrade to a larger reef tank in the near future (24g aquapod currently). However, I can't decide which size to go with. The way I see it (due to space and budget), I have two options:

• Standard 55 gallon- 48"L x 13" W x 21"T
• Standard 65 gallon- 37"L x 19" W x 25" T

My questions are:

1. Is there a difference in the type of fish I could keep due to the dimensions?
2. Which would you go with and why?
3. Would there be a difference in the ease of maintenance?

 

Easy choice... Go with the 65 for the width. The wider the better for reef tanks. Also consider a 60g cube. (24"x24"x24")

 

I would go with the 65. A wider tank means you will have more room to aquascape with. Depending on how you scape it, you can make cleaning easier on yourself etc... Overall, I think you would be happier with the 65. More choices for scaping means more choices for allowing swim space for fish, more area to place corals, etc...

 

the only issue i have with that is that its so tall, it can get difficult to clean the glass bottom of the front side. wouldnt be an issue if you didnt run bare bottom like mine is, thats my only regret :/

 

I had a 55g reef, and not only was it difficult to scape, but also due to it's length and width, it was tricky to get good flow throughout the entire tank.

 

I have a 65 gallon tank and I love it. My girlfriend has a 55 and I hate it. They are WAY too shallow. 12 inches deep is so limiting its not even funny.

Here is the 65 gallon thread if you want to see some pics of them
http://www.3reef.com/forums/show-off-your-fish-tanks/unofficial-65g-club-122271.html

Now if you don't want a 24 inch tall tank due to cleaning it (I will admit it can be a pain to reach the bottom), then you might look at 50 breeders. It is the same dimensions as a 65 gallon except its 18 inches tall instead of 24. I ALMOST bought one instead of my 65. It's preference really, but I vote NO on the 55 gallon.

 

Thanks for the feedback everyone. The reason I asked is that I found a guy on CL who is selling his whole set-up and I was considering purchasing it. The only thing that I'm not sure he has anymore is the LR due to him selling his corals.

65 gallon Oceanic Tank, Canopy,Stand, Sump, Refugium, etc

Is this worthwhile?

 

Not a bad deal. Offer him $500, settle for $550 and you got a good price.