Quote:
Originally Posted by Scythanith
36" tall is a challenge for scaping, managing corals, etc. I personally feel that the space you will be working in around the tank is almost as important as the tank itself.
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I agree with both of these sentiments wholeheartedly!
If you can access the tank from both sides and you're tall with long arms, then 28 or 30" deep you might be able to reach the sand in most parts of the tank if you don't have any cabinetry limiting your access. I can't reach the sand in a 30" deep tank no matter what. Personally, I enjoy having a longer tank rather than height or width. I really enjoy watching the fish swim along a 10 foot length than a 36" width. One of my clients has a tank that is 102 x 30 x 24" and the tank is very easy to work in. Being 24" tall I can reach the sand anywhere. If I was making it myself, I would probably go a bit taller though just so there's a taller viewing pane - maybe 26-27" tall.
Do you have a tank now? Spend the next month doing EVERYTHING in the tank with tongs, and see how you like it. If you can stand it, then maybe you would be game for a deep tank. Go to your LFS and see if you can reach the bottom of a 30" deep tank. Imo, the biggest thing between 24" and 30" is tongs. There is a vantage to this though - you tend to not have corals/frags littered all over the sand bed when you can't reach it!
I would put a lot of thought into your water change layout. Make it easy to do. Have a tank-only sink nearby (full size is nice). Personally, I like tanks built into the wall with a fish room/sink behind the tank. This makes water changes a snap. I would definitely plan out a no-bucket system. Pumps and hoses/plumbing make life easier.
I would also plan an electrical system that allows you to turn off the common items with a switch, like return pump, powerheads, skimmer, water change pumps, etc.
If you have a tank this big you need to think about humidity too, an HRV is the most efficient long-term option.
First things first...you need to figure out your budget.
It sucks when you see people buy this giant tank and put a bunch of poor quality or under-sized equipment on it and the tank is just never very nice.