A vape tank is the part of a vape device that you fill up with e-liquid. The tank holds a coil that absorbs the e-liquid and vapourises it. Tanks hold the mouthpiece or drip tip that you inhale the vapour from too. There are many varieties of tanks that suit different styles of vaping, so whether you vape salts, freebase, or you’re a big sub-ohm vaper, there will be a tank that suits you.
A sub-ohm vape tank is a tank that can be used at high power using high VG (vegetable glycerine) e-liquid. This e-liquid (usually called a shortfill) is thicker than the average e-liquid and requires a certain coil to wick the e-liquid properly. These coils tend to have bigger wicking holes and can withstand a higher wattage, which in turn creates thicker and warmer clouds. Sub-ohm tanks are great for people who vape at a lower nicotine strength and love exploring deep, layered, flavours. When sub-ohm vaping, you inhale the vapour direct-to-lung (DTL). Usually, people that vape using a sub-ohm kit prefer a lot of airflow to create thicker and tastier clouds.
A MTL (or mouth-to-lung) vape tank is a tank that can be used with 50/50 e-liquid, like nic salts or freebase e-liquid. When you’re vaping from one of these tanks, you inhale the vapour to your mouth first and then to your lungs, like a cigarette. This type of tank can be used with a much higher nicotine strength, like 10mg or 20mg, and it’s usually relatively low-powered and you won’t heat up too much nicotine per puff. MTL tanks are great for people who are new to vaping and want to vape instead of smoke. MTL coils usually have small wicking holes. The airflow on a MTL kit will be tighter and usually adjustable to give you a draw that mimics cigarettes and disposable devices.
Vape tanks are made by manufacturers that create coils to go along with it. For example, a Vaporesso iTank will have coils specifically made to fit it. There may be different types of coil for the same tank which usually differ in resistance. The resistance of a coil will determine the recommended wattage it is to be vaped. The more resistance the coil has, the lower wattage it should be vaped at. When you receive a vape kit, there is usually a coil included so you know which type of coil fits into the device. There are some tanks that share a model of a coil, like the Flexus family and the Nautilus group. Checking online or in the instruction manual that comes with your device can tell you your tank's coil compatibility.
A rebuildable vape tank (RTA) is a tank that allows you to build your own coils using your own material. Using your own materials and constructing a coil works out a lot cheaper than buying premade coils. Many people say the flavour is more intense when building your own coil too, whether its for MTL vaping or sub-ohm vaping.
There are different varieties of rebuildable tanks, like RDAs (rebuildable dripper atomisers). These tanks are designed to have drops of e-liquid placed on them as you vape so the cotton doesn’t dry out. There is no refillable tank that accompanies this coil, so you must drip your e-liquid on manually to vape. This usually produces a high amount of flavour and a smoother vape, though it takes some practice to build efficiently. RTAs (rebuildable tank atomisers) feature the same aspect of building the coil, however, they are surrounded by a tank that you can re-fill with e-liquid. The cotton in the coil re-wicks from this tank.
