65 gallon vs 75 gallon tank

+1 The extra length will open the door on fish options. Swimming space is just as important as volume in deciding which fish you can support.

Plus, bigger is better ;D

 

The 75 not only gives you 48" length, it also gives you 18" front to back. The extra dimensions allow for much better placement of live rock and swimming room for the inhabitants. Placing rock against the back wall sucks in smaller tanks.

 

great point.

 

Go with the biggest one you can fit and afford, I don't think you'll be sorry. You will get a lot more out of the 75g tank though like has been mentioned, much better options for fish and aquascaping. Height is usually the least desirable dimension in a reef tank IMO. Length for fish and depth for aquascaping options. Not to say there aren't cool tall tanks but most people I think would rather for a long/wide tank than a tall one.

Just plan out your equipment and make sure you everything fits into your space in your house and your budget, there are lots of things that will change the cost of running a larger tank although going from a 65 to a 75 shouldn't be a huge difference.

 

Thanks for all the advice my wife was getting tired of hearing me debate this topic. I think I will start looking for a 75 gallon and plan to build a stand that is on the taller side. I am tall myself and feel like I have to take a knee to look in my tank. One last question, any issues with the 72 gallon bow fronts? I like the look of my 46 bow front but a custom stand will be a little more of challenge.

 

The thing that has scared me away from bowfronts, aside from difficulty in buying/building stands/canopies, is the potential hassle with cleaning them, scraping corraline off a concave surface doesn't sound fun.
Also it can make taking pictures more tricky. Having a flat panel of glass to photograph through is much easier, and I think photography should be considered part of the reefing hobby.

 

Always get the longest tank that you have room for and can afford. You can use your light temporarily and centralize your corals and then when you can afford it get a 48" light and either spread out your corals or add new ones on the sides. Keep the pics coming too.

 

Find a 36" stand if you can. I have one and it is such a pleasure to work with plus your tank stands out better.

 

Update! I bought a used 90 gallon reef set-up at a steal. It has pretty much everything I need except live stock. It won't be easy to move but once the hard part is done I get to have some fun! I am looking for ideas on fish I can have in a 48" tank, how many I can stock, good starter corals, and maintenance. My 46 is a little easier to do water changes on. Would 15 - 20 gallons once a month be enough? Oh yeah I'll take pictures.