Empty 55 gallon....question...

[seldumscene]

SO i have this empty 55, and its not reef ready. My question, does anyone think its a decent starter tank? Or should I just wait till i come across a reef ready? I like the size (length) but i know its really not deep enough for the dramatic effect. I ask because It seems that most folks here have everything but a standard 55. Whats your thoughts?

Thanks

Seldum-

 

[vinny]

because its hard to setup your aquascape theres not alotta room and also if you want to keep tang they like to have alot of swimming room i have a 75 gallon tank i regret that i didnt get bigger because i can only keep small tang

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

I have a 55 non reef ready and I love it. Yeah the scaping is gonna be a little tough because of the depth but if you plan it out carefully you can do it nicely. Look in my photo gallery for pics.

 

[SIReefer]

I had a 55 gal not RR for 3 years & loved it. If you keep inverts they get lost in a bigger tank but with the LR stacked against the rear glass they usually set up shop up front for better viewing. I just upgraded to a 75 gal with a more open aquascape & I have yet to see my reef lobster, pep & pistol shrimps. Good Luck!!!

 

[daisy]

My first sw tank was a 55, and about 4 years ago, I upgraded to an oceanic 58 that is more cube-shaped and lost a foot in length, but gained 6 inches front to back - and it made a HUGE difference in the look of it.

Sadly, the 58 broke, and i had to go back to a 55 temporarily - and I suffered! Chief is right - it is definitely do-able, and you can even do it really well. If you can afford to go bigger, you might want to consider it, but don't stop from doing it just b/c you have this tank and can't get another one. IMHO.

In my experience, tho, one of the drawbacks to a 55-gal is that w/o a sump to increase the volume of the water, it can be difficult to maintain steady state for some key parameters - including spec. grav and temp. So if you do go with a 55, try to get some more volume with a sump!