help me choose a tank

Ok, I would like to start a salt water tank for the first time! Here is the deal, my dad says due to weight that I can't go over 60 gallon that leaves a few tanks I would like.

40 gallon breeder.
Pros: nice rectanuler tank with room to aquascape.
Cons: smallest of the three, not much room for fish to swim, same price as 55 but 15 gallons less.

46 bowfront.
Pros: slightly larger then the 40 and has room to stack rocks, also has nice look.
Cons: may affect view, costly, harder to find.

50-55 standered.
Pros: biggest I can get, same price as 40.
Cons: not much room for LR.

Note 55 and 40 are same price. Thank you!

 

the 40 breeder has the best footprint IMO . . . you will appreciate the 18" in width more and more as time goes bye.

~Will.

 

I have the 46 bf it's my first sw tank. Not to big but not to small. Plus I've always been a fan of bf's

 

You could go with a 60 gal. I measured one at the lfs today with LxWxH = 48x16x18. Rare but good dimensions for a reef tank. On the other hand, my money would go into a 40 breeder.

My Tank

 

Most 40 breeders aren't tempered so you can drill them... a huge plus IMHO.

 

toss up between the 40 breeder and 46 bowfront.... Ive always been a fan of the bowfronts. I used to have the 46. Id stay away from the 55.... Hard to aquascape.

 

I would go for the 40B. As said, the footprint is great.
I have never had the bowfront, so I can't speak from personal experience.
The common complaint about the 55 is the lack of space.
You could probably go with a 65...not too much over your dad's limit.....

 

Ok guys, thanks for all the input, because of all the great input I think when the time comes to do a full sized salt I will go with the 40 br.;D

thanks!