Aquarium set up - what size should I choose?

In marine aquaristics, there are no limits when it comes to the size of the tank. There are really huge aquariums of several thousand liters, but there are also aquarists who successfully run aquariums with a capacity of 60 liters. However, it’s common knowledge that larger tanks are easier to maintain than small ones. The stability of the environment in the aquarium plays a major role here, and more water means more stability.

What should we consider in order to make a good decision when choosing the size of our aquarium?

The two main issues are the space we want to allocate for the aquarium and the budget we have. From experience, I can recommend a smaller, but better equipped aquarium than a large one with worse equipment. This is one of the rules that will make running a marine aquarium more comfortable.

So first, we check how much space we have

To discuss the next steps, let’s take a 120 cm [47.244 in] wide aquarium as an example. Once we set the width, in the next step we decide what its depth and height will be.

In my opinion, for the width of 120 cm [47.244 in], the minimum depth is 50 cm [19.685 in]. And this is because in a shallower case, it will be difficult for us to position the rock in such a way that the circulation works properly. When choosing the height, take into account that from time to time you will have to reach the bottom with your hands. Therefore, a marine aquarium, which will allow us to maintain it easily and conveniently, should not be higher than 70 cm [27.559 in]. At 120 cm [47.244 in] x 50 cm [19.685 in] I would choose a height of 50 cm [19.685 in] . If we choose a depth of 60 cm [23.622 in], we can choose a height of 55 cm [21.654 in] or 60 cm [23.622 in] to keep nice proportions. Personally, I believe that the greater the depth, the more beautiful the marine aquarium.

Often more experienced aquarists will choose the size I used as an example above: 120 cm x 65 cm x 55 cm [47.244 in x 25.591 in x 21.654 in].

Why?

First, an experienced aquarist knows that the cost of maintaining a marine aquarium will depend on the quart of water in the aquarium. If we change 10% of the water weekly, then a 500 L tank will require an additional 50 L of water. A specific amount of water equals a specific cost. I will write about the cost of maintaining an aquarium in a separate article.

We also want the aquarium to be optimally high so that it is easy for us to work with it. If it’s too high, it will be harder for us to do something in it. In our example, we set up a 120 cm x 65 cm x 55 cm [47.244 in x 25.591 in x 21.654 in] aquarium which is 429 L [113 US gal].

If we count 120 cm x 65 cm x 65 cm [47.244 in x 25.591 in x 25.591 in] in reverse, the aquarium capacity will be 507L [133 US gal]. In this example, the aquarium is 18% larger than the previous one, so we can assume that maintaining the aquarium will be 18% more expensive from a chemical point of view.

Lighting

Another thing that we include in the cost of setting up an aquarium is lighting. Most reasonable LED lamps will easily cover an area 65 cm [25.591 in] deep, so assuming that for a 120 cm x 50 cm [47.244 in 21.654 in] aquarium we use two LED lamps, for a 120 cm x 65 cm [47.244 in x 25.591 in] we will also use two LED lamps. We do not pay anything extra, and we have a larger bottom area covered.

Summary

It is not easy to explain the logic of an experienced aquarist here, because there are many dependencies and every person is different. However, I hope that what I have presented is clear and allows you to understand why most of the experienced aquarists will prefer a tank with dimensions of 120 x 65 x 55 cm [47.244 x 25.591 x 25.591 in], rather than a different depth, in the case of a 120 cm wide aquarium [ 47.244 in].

This choice is: less water to optimize costs (less height), proper coverage of the aquarium bottom with LED light 65 cm vs 50 cm [25,591 in vs 21,654 in], and easier handling in the aquarium.

Determine the dimensions of the aquarium, calculate the cost and decide. If you feel the cost is too much, go for a smaller size.