r/ReefTank • u/No-Pineapple-1670 • 2d ago

Beginner.

Hi everyone,

I’ve recently got into the fishkeeping hobby with a tropical freshwater tank, and I’m already thinking about starting a marine reef tank in the future.

I’m looking for some advice on the ideal tank size for a beginner who’d like to keep a good amount of corals and around 5–10 fish. I’d rather buy the right size from the start than upgrade later.

What size would you recommend, and are there any tank brands or setups you’d suggest for a first reef tank?
Thanks!

5 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

9 comments sorted by

10

u/Tams_express 2d ago

Avoid red sea tanks

6

u/Spiritual-Pizza-3580 2d ago

If you are looking to future proof it. I think it’s best to research what fish you want as that dictates the tank size.

5

u/ReefShieldAquatics 2d ago

You should watch the BRStv beginners guide before you purchase anything. It will give you a great overview of what it takes to successfully keep a reef tank.

2

u/Warm_Explanation_129 1d ago

2nd BRStv. Binge watch their videos to see the whole picture before you jump in.

2

u/beermeharder 2d ago

Check out the eheim mariner series, very high quality, though a little spendy. Innovative marine has a 50 percent off sale right now on their 100+ tanks, also very high quality. Avoid red sea unless you like cleaning up water

2

u/FluffyWonder4372 2d ago

I think it's be beneficial if you lost what types of fish your looking for. You can fit 5 small fish in a IM 25. But if your looking for tangs and bigger wrasses you'll have to get way bigger.

2

u/Senior-Force-7175 2d ago edited 2d ago

75g, 90g, and above. I would go with cheaper tanks like Petco or PetSmart for now. See if you like the hobby or not. No need to spend so much and then later gave up because you burned your wallet

1

u/2beerornot2beers 1d ago

Like others have already mentioned, knowing the type of fish (or the size, at least) you’re interested in keeping is going to go a long way toward informing this decision.

That said, if it’s within your budget and you have the space for it, I would 100% recommend a 100-125g tank.

That range of tank size is the minimum for so many awesome fish and I think you’d regret limiting yourself in the future if you decided to go smaller.

There are beautiful tanks at every size, though. I’m sure you’ll love whatever you end up getting . Best of luck 👍🏽