Advice on new setup (corner tank??)

[picasso]

I quickly realizing I'm soon going to want a bigger tank than the 30g Finnex I have now.  I promised my partner I'd collect equipment over the summer, buying used when possible to keep costs down. My plan is to get a larger setup ready to go by the time it starts getting cold out. I work as an engineer and this is my busy time of the year. I have more free time once the construction industry slows down.

I really like the looks of the corner tanks & am considering buying a 92 gallon corner tank and stand. I'm looking for some pros and cons and maybe some advice on such a venture. The big things I'm concerned with are:

Space under the tank for a decent sump/ fuge. I'm probably limited to either a 15g or maybe a small 20ish gallon Bowfront tank as a sump. Not ideal for sure. The tank is going to be in the living room adjacent to the kitchen. I have a feeling I could talk my partner into letting me plumb the tank through the wall into the kitchen. If the sump was enclosed in some sort of nice looking stand, perhaps it could double as a microwave cart? Or maybe I could put a butcher block on top??? Lol. I'm stretching a bit maybe, but it would be nice to have the sump so close to the sink, trash, back door, etc...

Getting the tank drilled or drilling it myself. The particular tank I'm thinking about picking up isn't reef ready. I had a bad flood once due to hang on overflows. I'm not going that route ever again! Anyone her have experience drilling tanks or does anyone have a recommendation on where to get this done?

The lighting/ canopy seems to be an issue for a lot of people. I plan to have an open top tank with a DIY LED setup no matter what size style I go with so building a corner canopy isn't a big deal. Or is it?

I'm not set on any particular size tank. I'd like something at least 90 gallons and maybe up to 150. I like the dimensions of a standard 120g. I like the front to back depth for scaping.

It's been a long time since I've been in the market for a bigger tank. The last few setups were all from me downsizing. Any suggestions or advice for my first upgrade in close to 10 years?  Anyone with good experiences or massive regrets about buying a corner tank?

 

[mnat]

I will start with the easy one, for drilling the tank go to glass-holes.com pick out the size you would need and they send you anything. Many people on this board have drilled the tank themsleves (they send you the bit for the drilling and a stencil for drilling it) and claim it is very easy.

Corner tanks can be tough maintanence wise as it can be hard to get to the back of it because of the design. Lighting and sump have always been the hardest thing to do but if you are doing a DIY LED setup then you can configure it any way you want. Also, drilling into the kitchen would also make your life easier if you can get away with it.

If you have the room for a 120 I really like that tank size too (4x2x2). It is very easy for lighting and sump, is big enough you can do almost anything, but not so big it makes things a chore. Equipment is also semi reasonable at that size and there is a lot of equipment for that size. It is also easy to get around the tank which makes maintanece easier.

 

[Baxreefs]

Anything you can do to make your sump remote from the tank and easier to work on helps out and makes maintenance soooo much easier. orking in side the stand under your tank is always problematic and limitting. And having the sink near your skimmer is a HUGE plus!

LED is the way to go for temp control and the lighting is good. There are definitely changes in coloring of some corals, but they do prosper and grow for sure under LEDs.

I considered a corner tank for my next project, but I've settled on a 150 with the 2 x4 footprint for two reasons. One, corner tanks are really cool and have a great sense of depth, but like mnat said, that back corner can be tough to get to, if you go open top, you my be able to design a way to swing the lighting out of your way and eliminate that issue. Two, I had a 120 and it was really easy to work on. The only thing I did not like about it was the realestate that the dual AGA style overflows ate up.

A cube may be a good choice to for a corner location with an open top light scheme. Especially if you can sell the remote sump!

 

[Gonzapa]

after 4 years of owning a corner tank I will give you some advice I wish I had. DONT DO IT!
They are impossible to light. no matter how hard you try te front corners never get enough light as the corner braces covers them. Led lights wont do it alone unless you shape them the same way as the opening. I had my 52 corner with a 150 halide and 4 24 inch t5s.

Cleanng them are a pain as you cant ever reach corner end.

I had to build my own canopy which forced me to learn how to bend plywood.

Flow inside the tank is very difficult to achieve correctly. The tank I had had tempered glass on the sides for strenght. Make sure yous does not before you drill or you will be sorry.

Due to lack of flow every crevace in the bottom rocks was filled with detritus and it got to a point I could not keep my PF above 7.8 even with kalk dosing.


After 4 years I decided the pain was not worth it and moved everything to a 75 G which caused me to loose some of my corals as I could not reuse most of my live rock.

hope this helped you make your decission about it. If you are still planing to use a corner tank let me know and and I will let you know all the things I wish I had done during the initial setup

 

[SHLUZER]

I have 55g corner(with stand) and in the process of migration to 120 g 2x4.
So if you settle on corner, let me know. I may have it ready in 1-2 months (or later).
One thing I like about corner - bent glass on front creates magnifying effect, so fish,corals, inverts - all look x2 bigger.
I have MH+PC combo hanging from ceiling.
No canopy or cover (stand comes with glass top, but I do not use it to allow for evaporation), as a result some fish went carpet surfing.
Not drilled (because not sure if sides are tempered), so used syphon overflow. To prevent floods - overflow has constant aqua-lift pump running to ensure syphon not broken, also have double float switch (on far side in corner) to stop main recirc pump if display tank water level gets too high.
Sump - in the stand 20g plastic rubbermaid container, very primitive, but holds some live rock and cheato. Alternative light cycle prevents big pH swings
Another rubbermaid is next to stand (not pretty)- for top-off.
I'm moving to 120g because : I got it for free, it fits into different (unused corner of my room), more water ->more stability -> better conditions for livestock.
Ask questions.

 

[NikkiT]

I saw from your post that you are looking to go 90g +. i am far from an expert, but if that is the case, a 15g to 20g bow front as a sump might not be feasible (as you said, not ideal). You need to think about the water volume of the sump in relation to the overall tank size. A couple of other thoughts when choosing a sump: Will it house a refugium? Live rock and live sand? Will it house a skimmer?
As a selling point when trying to convince your partner to let you use kitchen space, may I suggest a cabinet door that matches your kitchen and potentially a granite countertop? I know they sell remnants more reasonably and then you could bill this as adding value to your home

 

[picasso]

Thanks for all the opinions so far. I hadn't even considered that the tank might be tempered glass. Hmmm...

Isn't there some sort of trick where you can check it with a cellphone camera and an LCD screen?

I might just hold out for a 120 gallon. I think this might give me the most flexibility when it comes to plumbing and equipment.

Either way, I wouldn't attempt a larger setup with a 15 or 20 gallon sump. I know it just wouldn't give me the space I'd need. Plumbing the tank into the kitchen really isn't a big deal. I'm sure as long as the sump isn't sitting on a rusty iron stand and I clean up after myself when I'm done working in there it shouldn't be an issue. My partner is really into sewing and she actually has the largest of the upstairs bedrooms dedicated to her hobby. The whole room! I've spent countless hours painting, building custom storage, hanging shelves, moving power outlets, adding lighting, etc. in there for her. All I want is a little 2x4' space in the kitchen. LOL We have a mutual understanding when it comes to our hobbies about space. Our only real squabbles come up when things get costly. I usually lose on that.