I am definitely set on a 4 ft 120g tank. I got a good deal, actually a GREAT deal on a 6 ft tank, but once I got it home, it's just too darned big. Too much of a headache.

I'm gonna sell it off and order 120g.

Full Circle...I think

Well, I've decided on a 120g again...I think. A 6' tank would be overbearing in the room I have picked out to put the tank in. We have two possible rooms for this tank: a downstairs office/entry way, or the unfinished downstairs den. If it were going in the unfinished den, the 6' tank would work, but the den would also have to be finished. Finshing the den is at least 2 years away.People say get the biggest tank you think you could want, or at least the biggest tank you have room for. Well, if I had room, I'd want a 180g tank, but I don't have room, so 4' 120g is the choice for me...I think.

The decision I'm dealing with now is either a standard or reef-ready tank. I'm planning a closed loop filtration system for this tank, where the intake for the filtration would be at the bottom of the tank. I had originally planned on purchasing a standard tank, and then drilling holes in the back glass, but now I'm considering getting a reef ready tank and removing the overflows. I think I'm going with the reef ready. The advantages are:
  • Saves me from having to buy a $40+ diamond drill bit
  • Removes the risk of cracking the glass and having to replace, thus increasing the cost
  • If and when I resell this tank, it'll be easier to sell a reef-ready tank than a custom-drilled standard tank
The RR version is $120 more, but the savings from the drill bit plus the risk of cracking the glass is worth the money. And again, it'll hold more value if it's a RR tank. It's sound financial decision.

I'll still have to do a little work to it. I'll most likely remove the overflows, and then do some funking plumbing to get good intakes in the position I want, but most of that plumbing will be hidden by substrate. I'll discuss all that later.

46g Planted: Killed Before Its Time

As I mentioned earlier, a few months after I started improving the 45g I was lucky enough to acquire a 46g bow front tank. My wife's coworker was moving across the country, and was not able to take this tank with him. For over a year this tank was the bastard child. It received all the left overs that the 45g didn't want. It got the Rena XP3 instead of the Eheim 2128. It got left over, used bulbs. All the while it was doing all the work, growing the pinches of plants I picked up here and there, waiting until I had enough to scape the 45g. This tank really did not fill the love.

And then I was ready. The "leftovers" from the 45g eventually included a 2x96w Coralife PC fixture, another Eheim 2128, 4" of Flourite Original,  and a 50 ft piece of tubing running from the co2 tank on the 45g. I placed a quick order from manzanita.com, built a custom intake and spray bar, and assembled an inline co2 reactor. Then, the scape. I spent two days tearing this tank apart. I remove the fish and the monstrous amounts of plants. Everything down to the substrate and began my work. And in April of 2009, this was the finished product:




Unfortunately, this tank never reached maturity. It would have been amazing. When my wife and I found out we were moving, this was the first sacrifice. At that time, I had four tanks setup and knew that I wanted to downsize to just two(a brand new ADA 60-P and the 120g which is the subject of this blog) so hard choices had to be made. I sold this tank off, and it left me just as it came, a bastard.

The real tragedy was that these, of all plants, were the ones I kept during the move. And unfortunately none survived. All those Anubias, A TON of Bobitis(not pictured), crypts....all so wonderful, and they all perished. I was truly upset.

Back to the drawing board

Suddenly I'm just not so sure on a 120g tank. I feel like it's not as big as I want. About a year ago I started thinking about a large tank, but since my wife and I were in an apartment, it was really just thoughts. However, I thought I had firmly decided on a 120g, but now I'm reconsidering.

I really have a blank slate. I have plenty of filters sitting around, plenty of equipment. I have a 6x54w T5HO TEK fixture that I was planning to use, which would be perfect for a 120, but I can always open it up and spread those lights out over a bigger tank. Or, I'm open to buying additional lighting. Point is, there are just too many options.

I opened up the decision for additional debate because I just don't want to pay new full price for a tank, so I'm cruising craigslist. A 120g, 4'x2'x2' tank is hard to come by at a good deal. I'm absolutely set on the 2'x2' part, but the length is what I'm debating on. 4', 6', or 8'. Decisions, decisions! I've found a good 8', 240g tank and now I'm trying to decide if that's just simply too big.

If I find a 180g, 6'x2'x2' I'll snap it up in a heartbeat....and change the name of the blog.