How small Can a tank be...

Hello 3reef, this is my first thread started here on this site and I am very new to all this so please bare with me, I'm a fast learner and in know time will learn and adapt, I have a 55 gallon long tank that I just started a week ago, I am a total beginner and have never maintained anything but beta fish. I dont want to jump into doing reef and fish in the same tank, the 55 gallon tank I am maintaining for a friend, so that will be my learning experience on how to create a fish environment with live rock and live sand etc.

The purpose of this thread is simply because I am fascinated with corals and reefs and all the amazing colors and I want to create a coral/reef tank only. I figure I should start small seeing how it can get very expensive and I don't want to kill anything. what is a recommended size tank to start a reef tank with? Please keep in mind that I am a total noob when it comes to this and all your abbreviations are new to me so bare with me. Any feedback will be greatly appreciated. Like I said I am eager to learn and a fast learner at that. Thanks ahead of time.

 

well a bigger tank is easier believe it or not. mainly because there is more water so it take more of something to affect it.meaning toxins such as amonia nitrites nitrates are more diluted. from my experiences 55 gallons is a great starter tank. there is alot available on the market and you dont need crazy expensive things like a 10 billion dollar skimmer. just go slow with it and ask tons of questions.

 

oh to answer your question lol... i think i recall some1 making a tank in a light bulb. not a reef but thats pretty darn small lol,not sure of its success though

 

The larger the tank, the easier it is to keep the water parameters stable. However, a bigger tank means larger water changes, more glass to clean, etc. It's more upkeep in that sense. Plus, it's more "stuff" to buy. More sand, more rock, more salt, larger lights, etc. Those things add up fast (cost wise).

I started with a 37 gallon, which I feel was the perfect size for me. 5 gallon water changes were easy for me to do, and the small water changes allowed me to get used to making the water, changing the water, etc. Plus, all the stuff to buy for it was relatively cheap, so it was great for starting out and learning what I was doing.

 

lol, thanks.. The reason I ask is because I also have a 10 gallon tank that I was gonna use to make a reef tank for... I just wasn't sure if it was too small.

 

x2

55g is a great size tank to start... both of my tanks are over 12 years old.. still enjoy them.. always want bigger tanks though.. it does cost more to stock that size tank.. but you can go slow...

you can use the 10g for a sump..

 

yeah a 10g is gonna be a headache if you are just starting out, though alot of reefers have 3-5 gallon tanks they keep zoa corals in

 

I kept pods going for a few weeks in a 1000ml wide mouth flask... *shrug*