Wait for the dream tank or go for the deal tank.

I'm facing a fun prediciment. Im about a year to a year and half away from moving into a house where i will be building said dream tank. I currently got a deal though, for a 180 gallon, 6x2x2 drilled with stand, canopy, sump, lights, pump and more for 500 cash.

But at the same time this tank will still require me putting close to 2000-3000 to stock it properly. I.e. Live rock, sand. Calc reactor, and more equip. I already have extra 300gph skimmer so thats saving a few hundred. But realisticly still gonna break my bank.

Or my dream tank which is going to be custom build 72x72x24 cube.(well Box) with coast to coast overflow. 3 sided viewing.

I've been speaking with some plastics manufacturers in my area and i can get the cell cast acrylic all the sheets for around 2000- 2500 with cuts. depending when i buy them.

So my dream tank is becoming a reality, but at the same time this 180 gallon deal is such a steal I could sell my 3 tanks I got running and do a big switch into this beast. In the end I would just end up using the 180 as a sump for the beast. But is it worth all the extra work i'll have to do. I could use the year to save up and go all out for the beast. But I guess I'm also a sucker for a good deal.

What would y'all do?

 

Be happy with the 180!

 

I would say go with what your going to be happy with a few years from now.. If you see yourself being happy with the 180 go for it seems like a good deal and just about everything you need. If you see yourself wishing you had your "dream tank" a few years from now hold of and do that. They both sound pretty nice but i would look at how much work and how much money each of them will be and how realistic its going to be to have each one up and running with out breaking your bank.


IMO if it was me i dont have much patients and i would prob. go with the 180 it sounds like a pretty sweet deal.

 

You could get the 180 now and start building your collection of LR etc for your dream tank later on. The way I would look at it is this. The 180 may help break up some of the cost later on with the dream tank. If you are going to be spending that much just for acrylic, how much is everything else going to cost you at the same time as that. getting the 180 gets you started, spreads out the cost of stocking later on, and gets you a decent amount of equipment that you could reuse later.

 

I would say go with the 180g, then once you've moved into the new house you can still do the larger square tank, and use the 180 as an Isolation/Med tank or as a Sump/Fuge

 

Start buying equipment for the dream tank. Why go broke on something you don't want And it seems you don't have the funds to do the 180 right. So take the next 1.5years and buy equipment piecemeal

 

Do you really have to set the 180 up now?
The house is going to need a lot of little unexpected things the first year your in it as you get adjusted to it, might be nice to have the 180 around to setup and start stocking with stuff to eventually go into the dream tank.
And honestly, Murphys law says your never gonna get that good a deal again!

 

If your plan is to move everything from your other tanks into the new 180 for just a year and a half, I'd say no. A year and a half is barely enough time to get a solid, stable tank going with good growth. Then you'd be breaking it all down, stressing the stuff you put in there, just to start over again.

If instead it would be to set up a new 180 where you could stage some live rock and maybe some hardier livestock to make for an easier transition to the new, larger tank then it might be worth it.

I'd never entertain setting up a 180 for just a year and a half of viewing.

 

wow - a 180 as a sump/fuge. Clearly I am an amateur....

Seriously though, the best choice is to buy the 180, stock it with everything from your existing tanks, sell those eventually, buy some additional stock over the next year - always keeping in mind what you want in the beast. Then justify by selling off your old equipment (3 tanks) you aren't using - keeping one for a qt tank I assume.

Then build the big tank, move everything in there and sell off the stuff that is undersized for the new tank. But buy everything you can oversized (skimmer, reactors, pumps etc) and use valves to close down pumps while on the 180. Just try to avoid buying stuff that you can't use later.

Just my 2 cents.

 

I wish i could take up all the deals ive seen on tanks. Frankly it be worth your while to wait. Focus your finances and time on the dream one. Money shelled out for this tank now is ultimately taking away from that dream you have later on. IMO the custom tank would be awesome. Take that 500, set up a new bank account strictly for saving for that tank. and dont touch it. youd realllllly be set come time to get that dream started. and you could get it all done in one shot instead of waiting till next pay check to buy something new while its running... do it now while its still a concept, and the outcome will be better for you..

... at least that's what i would do if i could walk a mile in your shoes.