How big should I make my tank?

[akucic]

I am interested in getting 3 Pictus cats and ONLY 3 pictus cats. I think I should only need a 20 gal. tank, but want to make sure.

 

[plecoguy]

In my experience they like to have lots of room to swim, they are spastic fish...i would go larger than a 20. Maybe a 30, 38, or a 40 gallon breeder tank. those are bigger than the 20, and you could add maybe a couple more. they do like to swim lots..so i dont think 20 is big enough. and dont try to cylce your tank with them...ive seen bad things happen with that...

 

[akucic]

What do you mean when you say "breeder tank?" I've never noticed them at my lfs.

 

[CFC]

Breeder tanks tend to be wider than conventional tanks, a 40 gallon breeder tank should have a length of 36 inches and a front to back measurement of around 18 inches, a standard 36" tank only has a width of 12" and a volume of around 30 gallons.
IMO pictus cats need a minimum of a 30 gallon tank.

 

[plecoguy]

sorry for not explaining that. but like cfc said, min of a 30 gallon. bigger the better!

 

[corrosive]

I would say you'd be fine in a nice 30 gallon, 4ft long, 15" wide and 12" tall.

 

[akucic]

Thanks for all of your info! I'm going to head over to my lfs on Saturday to check out prices, but in the meantime could you please give me the average price for a 30 gallon tank (US dollars)