# What's a good next size up tank?



## Exquizique (Nov 19, 2012)

I'm mulling on the possibility of getting a second larger tank If all goes well with my current little 10g for the next few months. Since I inadvertently got into shrimp with my first tank (but i do love them so all is good lol), if i get a second larger tank it'd like to have a few different types of fish in a community tank setup. 

What's a good size for a next tank? Is there much difference between, say, a 40 vs a 55? Or a 29 vs a 40? Is there a good reason/advantage to look at a bow front type tank, or just stick with the regular long rectangular tank? Since the larger tank will more than likely be located on the main floor, at what size will i have to worry about whether the floor can properly support it?


----------



## GAT (Oct 8, 2011)

Well you can get 55 gallon tank that stands on two tier metal stand. Top part will hold the 55 gallon but you will end up with bottom layer empty. It a crime to keep the lower shelf empty so fill it up with smaller tanks  make sure you put the small tank in side ways so that you can put more tanks there.


----------



## Exquizique (Nov 19, 2012)

LOL! While that is certainly enticing, I'm going to set my sights on *one* next new tank for now ... one step at a time


----------



## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

If you have the space, a 75 gallon would be the best choice.

Otherwise, you can go with a 20 gallon, which is a good size for a small tank.

I don't recommend the 55 gallon, as it's nearly the same foot print as a 75 gallon, so you might as well get the 75.

The best way to decide, however, is to go to your local BA and check out their tanks for yourself.


----------



## Exquizique (Nov 19, 2012)

solarz said:


> If you have the space, a 75 gallon would be the best choice.
> 
> Otherwise, you can go with a 20 gallon, which is a good size for a small tank.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the suggestions! Why the big jump in sizes? What about the 35 or 46 gallon sizes? Or do they simply don't make too much of a difference between the 20 and the 75? I haven't looked closely at tanks for a while, but i remember the last time i looked at a 75 i thought it was HUGE. lol.

Would i need to worry about floor support for a 75 gallon?


----------



## Riceburner (Mar 14, 2008)

big tanks are easier to maintain. So go the biggest you can have in the space available.


----------



## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

Personally unless a small tank of 20 or under, I like the tanks that are 18 inches deep. One of the main factors is deciding how long of a tank you want, this depends greatly on where you want to put it.


----------



## bob123 (Dec 31, 2009)

I agree with the bigger the tank the easier to maintain. I have a couple of 65 gal. tall tanks 36 x 18 x 24 that I find great, as the 36" length fits my rack. Best to check out different sizes to fit your space.


----------



## Exquizique (Nov 19, 2012)

Ok, so i guess i shouldn't be surprised that i'm being steered back to the rule of thumb of "get the biggest one that you can get" LOL ...

I do like the 29 gallon longs though, i don't believe any of the larger tanks come in the "long" configuration, unless custom? Just wondering if there's any other good reasons for going bigger ... aside from the bigger the tank is the more stable the water conditions lol ...


----------



## Spicoli (Dec 11, 2012)

I'd have to agree with the poster above, i went from a 20 to a 65 and i thought it was a great upgrade. It's same dimensions 18x24x36. You don't realize how nice the extra depth is until you set up a tank.

If length is a concern go 65 or if not 75. But beware, this is the start of a horrific trend.

(currently have 20 65 125 gallon tanks up and running.) Adding two more this weekend.

you've been warned, whatever size you get... it probably won't be the last.


----------



## Ryan.Wilton (Dec 12, 2012)

Depending on the room you have, I'd get a 40gallon or 65 gallon. They're both 3ft long and 18inches deep. The only difference is the height so as long as your not sticking it into a small nook you should be fine with it. 

Personally I prefer the depth that the 40 and 65 provide. Same thing goes with the 75, but it's a foot longer. 55 gallons are only 12" deep so it doesn't really allow you to do too much aquascaping wise.


----------



## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

Standard tanks come in the following lengths: 24", 36", 48", 72".

If size is not a concern, get a 125-gallon (72" long). 

Otherwise, I personally don't see much difference between a 36" and a 48", so you might as well go for the bigger tank.

If space is a concern, stick with the 20 gallon, which is 24". The problem with the other size tanks like the 29-gallon is that they tend to be too narrow and too tall. The lack of depth makes it harder to create a nice aquascape, and the height makes it more difficult to grow plants, as less light will reach the bottom.


----------



## k2x5 (Mar 12, 2008)

Just my 2cents, but I always recommend to people that they avoid the 55g... It is so narrow (13 inches) that it becomes really difficult to make a good aquascape in such a short space. The 48" length is really nice, but as soon as you put in something like driftwood, you've taken up most of the front to back space available to you.

I wish I'd thought more about that before I bought my 55 years ago.

I'd personally go 75g, 90g or 125g.


----------



## Exquizique (Nov 19, 2012)

Oh wow ... thanks everyone for the input on length vs. height and what the different configurations may potentially affect! Things like whether it would help or hinder aquascaping i hadn't even thought about and i'm glad that those of you who have gone through the different tank sizes brought it up! Ok, so that rules out the 55 gallon, no point having lots of volume but no "practical" space. Guess the 29 gallon is out too unless I decide I want specific livestock or aquascape that won't be affected by the really narrow dimension. 

I'm going to pay a visit to the LFS to see how the different dimensions translate "visually" in person. Which brings me to the second part of my question: Going as big as possible is nice (especially when we start talking about 65g and up), but at what point/size tank do i have to worry about whether my flooring will adequately support the tank and its contents??


----------



## Riceburner (Mar 14, 2008)

Depends on your house. If it's newish and you place the tank across the supporting floor beams, I would think anything up to a 90G would be fine.....and maybe more


----------



## Ryan.Wilton (Dec 12, 2012)

Well it depends on the location more than anything. Are you planning on having it on the main floor? I've seen tanks of 75gallons on a main floor with no extra support, but the house was new (as of 2008) and had a solid metal beam running through the floor that it was situated over. Worst case just a simple stilt underneath it in the basement on the floor should aid in the support. 

Realistically basements are the best place for aquariums unless you have a concrete floor. The average weight of a 65gallon is probably somewhere around 520lbs just full of water. That's not including sand, decorations, filter, gravel so be careful where you put it as in the end the tank could weight around 650lbs depending on what you're putting in it.


----------



## Exquizique (Nov 19, 2012)

Riceburner said:


> Depends on your house. If it's newish and you place the tank across the supporting floor beams, I would think anything up to a 90G would be fine.....and maybe more





Ryan.Wilton said:


> Well it depends on the location more than anything. Are you planning on having it on the main floor? I've seen tanks of 75gallons on a main floor with no extra support, but the house was new (as of 2008) and had a solid metal beam running through the floor that it was situated over. Worst case just a simple stilt underneath it in the basement on the floor should aid in the support.
> 
> Realistically basements are the best place for aquariums unless you have a concrete floor. The average weight of a 65gallon is probably somewhere around 520lbs just full of water. That's not including sand, decorations, filter, gravel so be careful where you put it as in the end the tank could weight around 650lbs depending on what you're putting in it.


Yes, the tank would be on the main floor. That's why I'm concerned about size and weight. The house is over 20 years old. What should I be looking for in terms of assessing how much weight the floor could potentially bear?


----------



## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

Exquizique said:


> Yes, the tank would be on the main floor. That's why I'm concerned about size and weight. The house is over 20 years old. What should I be looking for in terms of assessing how much weight the floor could potentially bear?


Just to put this into perspective, 650lbs is like having 3-4 guys standing in a huddle. Granted, they'd be standing there 24/7 and possibly for years, but still...

Unfortunately, there's no easy answer to your question, since every house is different. You'd have to do some research and decide for yourself.

Here's a thread I found informative:
http://www.reefs.org/forums/topic1077.html


----------



## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

There is a 50 gallon that has the same footprint as 40 breeder, 36 x 18, just higher than the 40 breeder. I have been drooling over one of these for a while but don't have the funds for both the tank and the stand.

I also find the 48x12 55 gallon to be too narrow. I have a 36x12 35 gallon I want to replace with the 50 I just mentioned.

For smaller tanks I have one that is really nice size, it has a 30x12 footprint like a 20 long but its 16 inches high instead of the 20 long's 12 inches high. I have done the math and its about 25 gallons. Problem with this tank is its old and well used, scratched, I'd love to be able to find new ones like this as the dimensions are just right for that size range.


----------



## Ryan.Wilton (Dec 12, 2012)

Well I'm no contractor so I really have no full advise on that, is the basement finished? If not then add an extra support beam underneath the tank. Make sure you have it on some sort of cross beam. Quiet honestly, if you're really concerned you have 2 options in my mind.

Move the tank to the basement, or call a contractor and have them properly support the floor where you plan to add the aquarium.

I also just did some quick searches on this, I found on another site a guy explaining about weight displacement. So depending on the stand you have will depend on the weight the floor can support. My parents have a baby grande piano being supported by nothing more than the hardwood floor on top of plywood and the support beams below. The piano weighs around 1000lbs and it's fine so you may be alright.

http://www.fishforums.com/forum/general-freshwater/19014-how-much-will-my-floor-hold.html

Try placing the tank, filling it halfway and having a look around the floor for sagging or sinking. 65gallons should probably be supported but if you have say a dividing wall in the basement, but not on above that area on the main floor then place the tank there. At least the basement wall will act as a load barer and hopefully help in stabilizing the support beams.

Hope this helps


----------



## Exquizique (Nov 19, 2012)

solarz said:


> Just to put this into perspective, 650lbs is like having 3-4 guys standing in a huddle. Granted, they'd be standing there 24/7 and possibly for years, but still...
> 
> Unfortunately, there's no easy answer to your question, since every house is different. You'd have to do some research and decide for yourself.
> 
> ...


Oooh good example with the guys standing in a huddle! Thanks for the link, i thought the example provided about the jacuzzi tub is interesting!



pyrrolin said:


> For smaller tanks I have one that is really nice size, it has a 30x12 footprint like a 20 long but its 16 inches high instead of the 20 long's 12 inches high. I have done the math and its about 25 gallons. Problem with this tank is its old and well used, scratched, I'd love to be able to find new ones like this as the dimensions are just right for that size range.


Is this one considered a custom dimension then??



Ryan.Wilton said:


> Well I'm no contractor so I really have no full advise on that, is the basement finished? If not then add an extra support beam underneath the tank. Make sure you have it on some sort of cross beam. Quiet honestly, if you're really concerned you have 2 options in my mind.
> 
> Move the tank to the basement, or call a contractor and have them properly support the floor where you plan to add the aquarium.
> 
> ...


The basement is unfinished, which helps with taking a look at what's currently there in terms of support i guess. I know most people have their tanks in the basement, but i'd like to have it on the main floor so i can better enjoy it 

Thanks for the link! Interesting reading!

Thanks for all your input guys, time to do some research


----------



## bob123 (Dec 31, 2009)

I have check with a friend of mine who is a furniture mover, I asked him how heavy an upright piano weighs and he told me the old style upright one weighs between 800 and 1000 lbs. These sit on small castors with a bearing point of about 1 sq. inch and sit in one spot for years with no problems. I think that a 65 gal. weighing 650 lbs. would be very safe. My 65 gal. tank sits on a 2x4 rack that spans 40" and 18.5" front to back and no problems.


----------

