Riche Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 I am debating settin gup either a 20 long or a 29 regular The reason I have picked these two is I have a custom made stand/canopy for this foot print and its goin in my bed room If I go with the 20 long Its drilled, if I go with the 29 I can either leave the weir in but it goes the depth of the tank in the middle and sticks out about 4". It was made by a local company to be used as a all in one tank with a hole drilled for a sump. I could remove it and cap the hole and use a overflow box but that is my lease favorite choice. This will be a zoas/soft corals tank.maybe a anemone I want to get the look of some of the tank I have come across onhere where its just a few pieces of rock across the middle to give it a more open look. Stock list will be a pair of clowns, a few shrimp and maybe a fire fish for color. I have many choices for lighting so thats not a issue. I guess Im just asking for opinions as to what would be the pros and cons of using a 20 long vs a 29 regular I will be running a 10 gallon sump with a skimmer , a ato and a tlf reactor Link to comment
tibbsy07 Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 Both a 20L and 29 are 30" long, so you'll need the same amount of lighting for each. You can get away with more stuff IN the 29 than the 20L, but you'll have to do larger water changes for the 29 than the 20L. It sort of depends on what you want out of a tank. The 29 is already drilled, why not just use it with the sump you are planning? The weir is in the middle right? You could get an acrylic box or something to hide it. You want both sumped, right? The 20L you'll have to drill or have drilled. The 29 is already drilled and ready for prime time sumping and reefing. If it were me, unless the weir is in a REALLY odd place, I'd go with that set up. Salt is cheap, compared to other things, and you can get WAY more in the 29 with a sump. The extra 9 gallons of water will help with the stability of the tank parameters, too. Link to comment
scottsdale454ss Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 I agree with Tibbs. I had a 20L before just because of the lighting issue, but if thats not a concern of yours why no go with the 29. Link to comment
reefingrob Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 i've always like the dimensions of a 20 long. two or thee branching pieces of rock would look good for that kind of build. Link to comment
zooman72 Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 Having had both for several years before I "upgraded them" (the 29g to my 40B Caribbean gorg tank, and the 20L to my new 45W), and if I had to do it again, I would pick the 20L unless I had the desire to grow really tall corals (gorgonians for example), or had a dynamic tall and narrow (front to back) aquascape in mind. The 29g is too narrow for its height - I consider it in the same ballpark as a standard 55g, being too tall and narrow to aquascape easily... Link to comment
Arce Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 If you want the height, 29. Otherwise 20 is just as good. Same footprint so it comes down to do you want the extra 9 gallons of height. Link to comment
markalot Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 29 29 29 29 29 The nice thing about the added height is it gives space for a 24" light to spread out. I love my 29, and I love how tall it is, taller than a 40 breeder even. Get a tall stand with a 29 and the viewing is fantastic, no need to bend down to see in. Arce has an awesome 29^ Future TOTM if he resists the urge to upgrade. This past TOTM winner was always an inspiration for me. http://www.nano-reef.com/featured/_/2012/nor-cal-nano-r61 Link to comment
Arce Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 29 29 29 29 29 The nice thing about the added height is it gives space for a 24" light to spread out. I love my 29, and I love how tall it is, taller than a 40 breeder even. Get a tall stand with a 29 and the viewing is fantastic, no need to bend down to see in. Arce has an awesome 29^ Future TOTM if he resists the urge to upgrade. This past TOTM winner was always an inspiration for me. http://www.nano-reef.com/featured/_/2012/nor-cal-nano-r61 Oh stop . Lol but the urge is real, and intense, but i wont be upgrading for a while. Link to comment
Arce Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 This past TOTM winner was always an inspiration for me. http://www.nano-reef.com/featured/_/2012/nor-cal-nano-r61 That tank was an inspiration for me when i started my 29. Link to comment
Houdini Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 Here is a thought I have not seen on the issue. It kind of depends on the height of the stand and therefore the eye level of the tank. Most to the action and scenery is at bottom and middle of tank. Very little takes place at top. So if you have to look down when standing by the tank you will likely miss something nice. A long tank if not high enough will not have good sight lines for someone taking a look. It's a little less of a problem with the tall 29 gallon tank. All I am saying is give some thought how you want the tank to be viewed and it will help make the decision based on sight lines. Just my 2 cents. Link to comment
AdamNC Posted February 11, 2015 Share Posted February 11, 2015 More volume=less issues. I have a 29 gallon with the actual water volume of 20 gallons. 9 gallons makes up rock and sand. Link to comment
scottsdale454ss Posted February 11, 2015 Share Posted February 11, 2015 More volume=less issues. I have a 29 gallon with the actual water volume of 20 gallons. 9 gallons makes up rock and sand. Thats why i thought a 120G would be a good idea. But man does it require way more water for water changes :-P Link to comment
Riche Posted February 12, 2015 Author Share Posted February 12, 2015 WellI am going with the 29 that has the built in overflow, sure it will take up some of the realestate but Since its in my bedroom, I didnt want to deal with a overflow box. I have been looking around at a lot of smaller tanks and I am going to try to go with a simple rock layout, maybe one taller rock in the middle to try to cover the weir and then 2 smaller ones on the sides. Im in no rush, so I will be taking my time. I will be posting pictures which is a first for me LOL Link to comment
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