to upsize or not to upsize...?

[gobies]

Apologies in advance for the lengthy post, but I'd appreciate any input....

 

I'll be moving within the next few months and will thus have the opportunity to upsize my nano...but I'm not sure if I should.

 

I'm on the ultra-low-budget-nano plan at the moment, at least until I find a job. I currently have two 10g tanks running, and I got most of the stuff either free or dirt-cheap. These are my only saltwater tanks, and the first sw tanks I've done.

 

Tank #1 has about 8-9 lbs of LR and 2" of LS. Corals in the first tank are a small hammer, small flower leather, small green star polyp, and assorted basic shrooms. There are about 4 hermits, 5 nerites, and 1 turbo. (I need to get peppermint shrimp to eat the aiptasia.) Lighting is currently 2x19w 5600K CFs with mogul base (spiral CF bulbs in an old incandescent hood!). All the corals are happy and growing -- the flower leather has doubled in size since I got it about 3 months ago.

 

Tank #2 has maybe 5-6 lbs of LR and 3" of LS. Corals in the second tank are a brown/green zooanthid and a finger leather that's going to get traded. The rest of the second tank is caulerpa. There are also a couple of astraea snails that came in with the rock. Lighting there is currently 1x15w 4100K? CF with a mogul base. (Hey, it's just caulerpa and LR and the #@&% aiptasia.)

 

So with the move, I could change stuff around. My options, as I figure it:

1) Keep the first tank pretty much as-is, upgrade the lights, and turn the second tank into its refugium. I've got an overflow box stashed somewhere (it was intended for a bigger tank and hasn't been used yet). Upgrade the lights on the main tank to 2x36w -- one 10kK, one actinic. Lights are less critical on the 'fuge.

 

2) Upgrade the tank. Size options are (a) 20g high, ( 20g long,© 25g extra-high (same footprint as a 20h), (d) 29g. In each case I'd probably set up the second 10g as a 'fuge. I have a 20g long and 25g xh already, could trade the 25g for the 20g high, and would need to buy the 29g.

 

The possible problem with ( is that it has a piece of wood glued to the bottom of the tank from its previous life as a reptile tank. If I cover the wood with LS, will it be a problem?

 

With the other options, what should I get for lighting? I'm thinking LPSs and softies. LPS candidates include brains, bubbles, candycanes, and frogspawns. (Definitely a frogspawn 'cause it'll get along with the hammer no problem, if what I read is correct.) I'd like to get some ricordia 'shrooms. As far as mobile critters are concerned, I'd like a true perc, a goby or two, peppermint shrimp to keep the aiptasia under control -- can I also do a cleaner shrimp with those?

 

3) Say to heck with it and go for the *big* tank. Problem: $$$$.

[Shadow]

I'm definatly not an expert, but if your are on a small budget just like me, it would be wiser not to get a bigger tank because of the additional cost of the lighting equipment and just running the tank.

 

-Shadow

[Christopher Marks]

If you had the money to atleast cover the new equipment, then consolidating them into one 20 gallon tank would be a good plan. If you don't think you can, then it would be best to keep what you have, than running an incomplete reef tank.

[Mr_Spam]

like chris said, just combine the 2 into a 20g, should not cost much extra.

[HuBu]

the bigger the better.