Downsizing Tank

[gmann]

Just curious if any reefers regretted downsizing from a large tank to a smaller one. Obviously you wouldn't be able to keep certain fish anymore, but in terms of maintenance i figured it would be easier and less time consuming.

[Ken]

sometimes it is about the cost, bigger tank more money more maintenance, small is not necessary bad I have big & small as 25 gallon & they are just as fascinating as the big one, it just depends how much time do you have to take care of one or the other, this hobby is about enjoying it not becoming a slave to it, I have been in this hobby over 40 years and still loving it regards ken

[gmann]

thanks for your feedback Ken

[Frogger]

I had a 240 gallon 6' 30" deep tank for 25 years. I have downsized to a 75 gallon Red Sea Reefer 3 years ago. I am happy I did, there is a lot less work and now the tank can be in my dinning room where I can enjoy it versus the basement where I didn't enjoy it. The 240 plexi tank was started to crack at the top and it needed to be shut down before it flooded the basement.

I definitely miss the large tank but much less work.

[Skimmer Juice]

Still keep a 200g but its due to my dogface puffer who I have been caring for the last 15 years , so I have needed to keep a larger aquarium for him . However once he passes I will be shutting his tank down . Later in my reef keeping I developed interest in only keeping nano / smaller fish , as I dont feel as bad having a fish that small in an aquarium . Dont really like keeping large fish anymore I feel bad keeping them in small systems , to me even a 200g is to small for a purcupine puffer , and various tangs for an example . So to me a smaller system is what Im more interested in nowadsays . Keeping small weird fish my biggest fish I keep outside of my puffer is my pair of bluespot jawfish . I also tend to build shallow systems to get more space but less volume wich works well with small fish . The system Im building on boxing day from concepts will be 72x30x14t roughly 120g but a huge floor print . SO for me no regrets moving to smaller systems , the chemicals alone is worth it alone for me .