Tank Volume for Salt Water

Question
What tank volume should I consider for a good salt water operation.  We currently run freshwater in ten gallon aquariums.  We are considering going to saltwater.  

Answer
Hello Dana,

tank volume is important, but i am not sure thiere is an ideal size to target.  It might be best to target what you want to keep in the aquarium.. some critters need different size tanks..

you can also consider that the larger the tank the more resoureces and equipment you might need to keep the critters happy and healthy.

larger tanks need more light, and more light generates more heat, and more heat requires active cooling on warmer days..

in So Cal, a 4ft tank would probably need 2- metal halide lamps... (of T5 fixture, which is less heat but still proportional)

A smaller tank might be more economical, but it has it's concerns also..

the smaller the water volume the faster it will react to specific issues, it will heat up faster, or cool quicker, the salinty will change more quickly, etc...

so, with that aspect, it comes down to how much effort you want to invest to maintain and keep the tank stable...

STABILY is uber important...  changes are bad...

Im sorry i can not be more specific for you, but maybe if you share some of your interestes or goals, i can help more???

anywys, let me know,

bill

ps  you can log onto my new forum at www.thelittleocean.com  and start a discussion there, and get some feed back from different members there who have differing size tanks..

hope to see you there