Is a 120g appreciably more maintenance intensive than a 90g tank? What about the cost of return pumps, sumps, etc? I keep waffling between the two. I'd love to have the extra six inches of front/back space but is it worth it maintenance-wise? I realize this question has no perfect answer but I'd appreciate any and all opinions and thoughts on the subject.
IMHO Size does matter in this hobby. If you can afford a Ford Excursion would you consider a Ford Focus? You'd first buy the truck. A few months later get the dvd system. A few months later get those 22"s. A few months later you'd get some switches. Looking at your budget will tell you which one to get. You asked for opinions so get your cash in hand. Don't put the tank on a card to pay for down the road. You'll get a better deal paying cash. Smaller tank=less water volume=less room for error=more maintenance
I think tiger_eyed is right, cash on hand and your willingness to wait and save to do things as best you can should be your determining factors. This is not the kind of thing to finance, and I can say shoe stringing a tank along is more pain and money in the long run. I've never owned a tank that large, but I don't think tank size correlates with "work" very well. Smaller tanks will need work more often, but each time you're mixing less water, cleaning less glass, wiping down less salt. How you set it up and the style you run it will affect how much "work" it is more than the size. But, tank size and cost follow really well. I wouldn't stress over the difference in cost of the tank/stand as much as I would needing to buy 30% more salt, water, food, and additives. Compare the difference in wattage of the appropriate pumps and see how that will affect it. Long story short, if you can afford to maintain the 120, why not wait a bit a longer to set it up? If you can't afford to maintain the 120 but you can the 90, then there you go. I can't imagine anyone serious about reef keeping having a bad opinion of someone because of the size of their tank/budget. Heck, the reason I have a 20 is because that's what I can afford to take care of.
I wish I had room for a 72" tank but I can not convince Kathy to allow the china cabinet to be relocated. Our next house will have plenty of room for a BIG tank. Lights are definitely a huge chunk of my budget. I've been researching retro light kits and hellolights.com seems to have good prices and a good reputation. Anyone have experience with them? A retro kit with 2-250W MH and 2-110W VHO with three ARO electronic ballasts runs a little over $600 including bulbs but not including fans. Anyone have a cheaper source?
You just answered your own question. :lol: Convincing the Kathy's in our life to let us have the bigger tank is a bigger challenge than saving the money. IMO Keep a happy home
