# 120 Gallon vs 180 Gallon



## MarkyMark75 (Apr 24, 2012)

Hello,
I am new to the hobby and have not purchased my tank yet.
I want to keep Africans.
I was thinking of 120 Gallons (60"x18"x24"), but am thinking of going all out and obtaining a 
180 Gallon (72"x24"x24").

I have kept read-eared sliders before, but never fish.
For a novice, do you think that is way too big for a first aquarium?

Tks.


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## JimA (Nov 7, 2009)

If I had to do it over again I would have started with the biggest tank I could get and figured it out. Going from 120 to 180 really is not that much different except you will want a bit more filtration. If you have the space I would go for it. Ofcourse if money is an issue you might find a 120 or 125 on C,list for a deal, you may get lucky and find a 180 also. What are you wanting to keep for fish?


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## MarkyMark75 (Apr 24, 2012)

tks -- I want to keep the conventional African Cichlids....ones that grow to about 4-6 inches.
I don't mind "mixing the lakes", I just want to add the fish that I like and hopefully are compatible with each other.

I agree about the filtration -- I was thinking the Fluval FX5 for the 120, and if I get the 180, I would get the FX5 + maybe and Eheim Classic 2217, or Rena XP3?


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## zimmy (Aug 13, 2010)

If you have the space for a 6 foot tank but want to economize a little bit, a 125G is a better choice than the 5 foot 120G you're considering. With most cichlids the length of the footprint is more important than the height of the tank. 125G are also easier to find.


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## MarkyMark75 (Apr 24, 2012)

Yes, I know what you mean about the 6', 125 gallon.
6' is pushing it for space, but I may be able to do it.


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## Jayse (Feb 15, 2012)

Go big or go home is what I prefer to say...

That is if you can afford it and you can place a big tank where you live


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## cantrell00 (Oct 30, 2010)

Jayse said:


> Go big or go home is what I prefer to say...
> 
> That is if you can afford it and you can place a big tank where you live


+1. It is much more cost effective...


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## MarkyMark75 (Apr 24, 2012)

Cantrelloo: Do you mean the 125 gallon is much more cost effective?


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## cantrell00 (Oct 30, 2010)

MarkyMark75 said:


> Cantrelloo: Do you mean the 125 gallon is much more cost effective?


I mean it is much more cost effective to buy the 6' to begin with a opposed to going from a 4' to ultimately a 6' tank.

I bought a 4' 120 onlt realize 4 months later that it wasn't big enough & ended up with a 6' 180.


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## MarkyMark75 (Apr 24, 2012)

I was thinking of the 5' 120 Gallon, or 6' 125 Gallon.
But yeah, I see what you mean....you can do so much more with a 180.

Do you have any pics?


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## JimA (Nov 7, 2009)

MarkyMark75 said:


> I was thinking of the 5' 120 Gallon, or 6' 125 Gallon.
> But yeah, I see what you mean....you can do so much more with a 180.
> 
> Do you have any pics?


 If you buy the 120 you will want the 125, if you buy the 125 you will want the 180. If you have the 6 feet without intruding into your space get the 180 be warned the 180 gets a whole lot bigger when it's in your living room :thumb:


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## cantrell00 (Oct 30, 2010)

MarkyMark75 said:


> I was thinking of the 5' 120 Gallon, or 6' 125 Gallon.
> But yeah, I see what you mean....you can do so much more with a 180.
> 
> Do you have any pics?


http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=240979


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## MarkyMark75 (Apr 24, 2012)

Beautiful!


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## cantrell00 (Oct 30, 2010)

Thanks..


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## sandandrocks (Apr 3, 2012)

IMO get a 125. You'll be happier than a 120. A 180 is a real pain in the butt in terms of weight and it's really not that necessary for the stock you've chosen.

If at all possible stay away from anything 4 ft or less. If you find a great deal on a 5 ft tank it would work, but you WILL want a 6 footer sooner or later. Which leads me back to a 125. I think most people are comfortable with just a 125 and than will move on to a 7 footer (200+ gallon) and skip a 180.


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## des (Mar 30, 2011)

For a novice, a 120 gallon is fine. There's nothing wrong with a 5 ft tank (still better than a 4 ft). Really, if it's your first fish tank and you're new to the hobby don't go blowing big bucks just yet. A 120 gallon for a starter tank is luxury in my opinion. If you really love the hobby, you can always get bigger 180 gallon (to add) later! :thumb:

A 180 gallon tank would be amazing though. :drooling:


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## MarkyMark75 (Apr 24, 2012)

Makes sense, tks.
I think I am more comfortable with a 125 Gallon (6' foot).
More of a footprint than the 120, and it is easier to clean being 2" shorter than the 5' 120 Gallon.


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## theoryguru (Oct 11, 2011)

The "reach in" is a factor for some ppl.. I wouldn't want to get my shoulders wet every time I had to clean it.
125g IS a luxurious for a novice tank, like driving a BMW on a learners permit - ha!
good luck


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## sandandrocks (Apr 3, 2012)

theoryguru said:


> 125g IS a luxurious for a novice tank, like driving a BMW on a learners permit - ha!
> good luck


I couldn't had said it any better.


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## MarkyMark75 (Apr 24, 2012)

lol.


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## AulonoKarl (Mar 9, 2012)

By all means, if you want the 180, get the 180. It's no harder to maintain than a 120. Typically, the more water you have, the harder it actually is to screw something up. 
If you can afford it and you want it, do it. The only problem I could see with doing this would be deciding that you're not really as into fish keeping as you thought you might be and then you're out a whole lot of money.

For anybody that is more or less "testing the waters" of fishkeeping, I always suggest a 55 gallon. They are a nice size, and if you decide it's not for you, you're not out much money, because you can find these tanks for dirt cheap.


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## BillD (May 17, 2005)

My opinion is that if you have six feet, the 180 is the perfect tank. At 24" it isn't too deep to work on and the larger footprint allows for more landscaping.


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## cantrell00 (Oct 30, 2010)

BillD said:


> My opinion is that if you have six feet, the 180 is the perfect tank. At 24" it isn't too deep to work on and the larger footprint allows for more landscaping.


I agree... The 24" depth is very underated IMO. For mbuna and alot of rock, that extra 6" really helps out...


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## bwestgsx06 (Sep 21, 2011)

what's a good price for a 180 w/stand, lights, filters, etc?

I just saw an add on CL so I might go that route and set it up at the new place. Most likely, it'd be in the livingroom and I'd make it a Malawi tank (probably Mbuna) for all of the action.


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## tirzo13 (May 26, 2004)

10g>55g>100g>125g>240g.
that was my progression.

IMO 125g is the tank to get, its pretty much the same tank as the 180g, cheaper, and easier to find.
just depends how much you want to spend, space, and availability in your area.
The 5 foot 100's will work for most cichlids, but the 6 footer works better.

I can find 5 foot 100s, and 6 foot 125's easy here in California, i buy both when i find a deal on them.
Nothing wrong with a 180 if one comes up for sale. 
Both the 100 and 125 if Acrylic are easy to move empty by myself, i would need some help with the 180 i think.


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## sandandrocks (Apr 3, 2012)

1 other perspective: a 125 (206 lb empty) can be carried by 2 men. A 180 (338 lbs empty) will require 4 men. If you've got the man power than get the 180 if it's a good deal, but like most of us we can only bribe 1 other person to help us carry 200+ lb tanks.


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## S14Swap240sx (Jan 3, 2011)

my vote is on 125 as well. I made the change and couldnt be any happier. comparing 4ft to a 6ft.
4ft









6ft with same rocks


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## bwestgsx06 (Sep 21, 2011)

What kinda lighting is that?


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