• The sea from scratch.

  • Adrienne

2

Natalie

My opinion. This empty aquarium has width and height, while the neglected aquarium has depth. I would make (or rather have already made) a 100x60x50 or 100x70x60, in general, to have a wider aquarium. The aesthetic component is much higher in this case, and wide aquariums are more convenient for composition, while low ones are better for top-down viewing! Naturally, without ribs and braces. Good luck!

Lynn4242

The good sizes are almost the same. What can be advised is to start with a project estimate; you can take the average prices of brands (if you want it to be as quiet and autonomous as possible, then Chinese options won't work here, although many praise them, but that's only for the first 2-3 months) and calculate what you shouldn't save on, which is lighting, skimmers, live rocks, and return pumps. Think in advance about how you will maintain the system—whether with calcium reactors or balling, whether there will be an algae scrubber, and so on. You can learn a lot from this article, but don't use it as a dogma. Good luck.

Jeffery

The bottom area also needs to be taken into account, so the optimal size is 130x60x65 cm. You can check with Vitaly (NOX) and others on the forum for lighting options. The length of the aquarium can be smaller for the fish mentioned above; I have a Hypancistrus that is living well. It's still too early to make a selection of fish, as the dream might turn into reality, and then I would have to give something up. Overall, as I understand it, in a reef aquarium, fish are just a background; the beauty lies in the corals. So, I need to think everything through.

Mario

When I was choosing a skimmer, the choice was between DIY models from the forum and Deltec. If you go for a good pump, Deltec was about 30% more expensive. I chose Deltec. I don't regret it. A similar story happened with flow pumps. I tried China, Sicce (Italy), Vortek, and Tunze. I settled on the latter - power, silence, different modes. Vortek is also good, but noisy, and my aquarium is in the bedroom.

Derek7322

which ones did you take?

Brian

2 pcs 6105 + Multicontroller

Angela6489

I don't quite understand what it means to lose 30%. Is it more expensive or cheaper? + Do I need to buy the pump separately? + Which model did we settle on (I found something that seems to be 1250, or am I mistaken)? + Is it okay to get a skimmer that is more powerful than needed? If I take the Deltec SC 1455 Internal skimmer, for example, what downsides would there be, and is it a good model overall? What do you think about this? Why is the height like that? Isn't it too high? Goodness, I've probably edited this four times already. Why is no one talking about TUNZE skimmers? Thank you in advance.

Monica

The length of 130 is conditional, depending on the installation location and the length of the fixture, and 65 cm in height is for the convenience of calculating emergency supplies, as well as sand, stones, etc. The aquarium will not be filled to the brim.

Christine

So, I went to study your topic once again.

Wanda666

read here

Samuel6138

which confirms the idea of the ultimate necessity of emergency discharge!

Christopher4108

What's wrong with this size?

Lisa

What do you dislike about this size of the aquarium? In my opinion, it's almost perfect for a small apartment with a reasonably normal volume.

Michele

Agreed.

Lindsey3362

What is the difficulty in making it (emergency drain)? As for the small auto-fill, it should last at least 7-10 days, otherwise the whole point is lost.

Collin

It's worth a lot! Thank you I'm glad it affected you. First - it doesn't look great in terms of aesthetics. Second - it's not great in terms of perspective and composition in general. Personally, it's clear that there's no complexity in emergency drainage; the question is only about its necessity. And the automatic refill is from the same series...

Pamela

And here's another thing, at a length of 130 cm, the problem also lies in the lighting, if it's not ice.

Jacob4800

No problem. The T5 lamp is 54 long and 120 cm, which means that 5 cm on each side doesn't make much difference.

Darlene4238

Life, as always, makes its adjustments and, as usual, without consulting. The sea is postponed for an indefinite period... Well, it's okay, we'll get through it.