I'm pretty new to saltwater aquariums. I'd like to get one setup over the next year or so, as money permits. Right now, I've been keeping my eyes open on craigslist for a used tank/light combo. My thought is once I determine my tank size, I can size everything else to it.
I ran across a used 20 gallon M-tank with the Metal Halide light fixture for $185. I had been planning on using a 20gal long tank for my main tank, with a diy sump underneath, but this deal caught my eye for obvious reasons. If I were to do the 20g long tank, I was planning on going with power compact lighting, since it should perform well with the shallower tank.
My main concern is the instability that generally comes with smaller tanks. Being new to the saltwater side of things, the extra 10-15 gallons that the sump/20g long setup would have would hopefully make any problems come about slower.
The m-tank is the one with the built-in wet dry filter. Does anyone have any suggestions? Will a nice 10gallon or so sump/fuge add significant stability over the small one on the M-tank?
I ran across a used 20 gallon M-tank with the Metal Halide light fixture for $185. I had been planning on using a 20gal long tank for my main tank, with a diy sump underneath, but this deal caught my eye for obvious reasons. If I were to do the 20g long tank, I was planning on going with power compact lighting, since it should perform well with the shallower tank.
My main concern is the instability that generally comes with smaller tanks. Being new to the saltwater side of things, the extra 10-15 gallons that the sump/20g long setup would have would hopefully make any problems come about slower.
The m-tank is the one with the built-in wet dry filter. Does anyone have any suggestions? Will a nice 10gallon or so sump/fuge add significant stability over the small one on the M-tank?