Please help me choose a tank.

[Spat_si]

Here's my situation. Right now i have a 10 gal tank with comunity tropical fish that iu started out with and really enjoy taking care of the fish in it. I would really like to move onto soemthing a little bit bigger now. I do have limited spaces where i can put a tank. In my room i have a closet that is not being used and I am thinking i could put a tank in there and take the doors off. THe closet is 44" x 20" x i dunno really tall. I can fit a 35 gal or a 50 gal tank in there. I could also move mt dresser into the closet which would then give me 50" x 20 x really tall wall space for a 55 or 70 gal tank. Is it worth moving all that stuff for the bigger tank? I would like to have more fish if possible so I think I should go with the larger tank.

I think I would like to go with comunity fish for this tank aswell.

Here are the prices in Canadian funds.

Empoer 280 bio-wheel - $90 (lfs)
Empoer 400 bio wheel - $ 115 (lfs)
300 watt heater - $40
50 lbs white sand - $10

35 gal tank + hood - $140 (lfs)
50 gal tank + hood - $180 (lfs)

55 gal tank + starter kit (wisper filter) - $260 (lfs)
55 gal tank + starter kit (aquaclear) - $229 (pet store)

55 gal tank + hood - $180 (lfs)
70 gal tank + hood - don't remeber (lfs)

OR wait until summer and find a used tank for cheap and buy a good filter

I'm really confused so any help with this decission would be great. Thanks...

 

[Nina7777]

Hey there,

You said you wanted to keep alot of fish, so obviously the bigger the tank the better. I currently have a 29 gallon, and was going to upgrade to a 55 gallon but got pretty good advice from my LFS. Since I have pretty large fish they suggested i go with the 72 gallon because the 55 gallon is the same dimensions front to back as the 29 gallon just a bit longer. Which makes perfectly good sense if you are going to keep larger fish. But if your going for smaller fish that wont grow much at all, then I personally think a 55 gallon is a good choice. Its big enough to have alot of fish (over 30 one inch fish if they wont grow much bigger), but yet its not so big that it is hard to manage and take care of.

I also noticed that you priced starter kits. From my personal experience I will never buy another starter kit again, as they may be cheaper but I ended up having to upgrade filters twice, and upgrade on the heater they gave me as well. so i feel that in the long run its better to buy everything seperate, as they usually skimp on the items you find in a starter kit.

Hope this helps a bit.

 

[Bol]

First off, Spat, I'd like to say it's a good thing you're researching your options beforehand, rather than jumping right in.

Second, I have no easy answer. But here's some random things to consider:

* You'd have to get power into the closet. This may not be a big deal, but aesthetically, the wall probably wins here.

* If you put the tank in the closet, you should consider the possible effects of increased humidity in the closet. It may be insignificant, but depending on your configuration, might end up causing the closet walls to get moldy.

* Larger tanks -- you didn't mention it, so I will, just to drill it in -- do not consider the stand an afterthought. This is especially important in tanks over 20 gallons, in my opinion. That'll be a considerable amount of weight, that really needs to be supported well and evenly, and the old "on the dresser" thing may not be a Good Idea. It could really ruin your day to find out your stand isn't sufficient.

* In the same vein, if you're considering a 55 or 70, you've got to consider your floor, and tank placement. Chances are that your floor will support a large tank, but again, it's not pretty at all to find out it can't. Also, with large tanks especially, it's better if you can place them perpendicular to the floor joists, so that the load spans multiple joists. (Generally, this means that optimally, you'd want the "long" dimension of your tank parallel to the main beam of your house -- but it really depends on how your house is made).

* If you've got any interest at all in live plants, I'd strongly suggest going with a 48" long tank if possible. You'll save a ton of money on lighting if you can use 48" bulbs. If not 48, try a 24" long one ('20 high' is 24" long). In either case, try to get a top for your tank that's all glass -- if you get the kind that's mostly molded plastic, it'll most likely block some light, and you won't be able to add more lights if you want.

* Have you considered a "high-low" setup that places one tank above the other? Say, maybe twin 20 gallon tanks? It would mean more hardware, but you can get two distinct environments. In this case, if cost is an issue, you could just get the proper stand and one tank at first, then add the second tank later.

Lastly, I personally wouldn't recommend a Whisper filter for any tank over 10 gallons. Just my opinion.

 

[thecichlidaddict]

I also noticed that you priced starter kits. From my personal experience I will never buy another starter kit again, as they may be cheaper but I ended up having to upgrade filters twice, and upgrade on the heater they gave me as well. so i feel that in the long run its better to buy everything seperate, as they usually skimp on the items you find in a starter kit.

I was thinking something similar. Even if it costs more, buy everything seperately and choose your own equipment, it pays off in the long run.

Bigger is certainly better, and I personally don't think a larger tank is any more maintenance then a smaller one. Whether you put it in that closet or move furniture around is something you need to decide, but I'll say one thing - length in a fish tank is always a good thing, and once upgrading, a 4 foot is better then a 3 foot.

Once you are going for the 4 foot 55, I'd suggest going for the 75 - the extra depth looks great and provides lots of options for decoration, not to mention more space for fish. In fact, you may even want to look at the 90 gallon - same footprint as the 75 but more height. With that tank you shouldn't find yourself wanting to upgrade again too soon, and gives you lots of options should you decide to explore different types of fish.

 

[Spat_si]

Alright thanks alot.... I just need to do a lil more thinking and research before I make my decission. I'll keep you guys posted as to what I decide to do.

 

[White Whale]

You should place it where you would get easy access to the back of the tank in case something goes awry.

 

[Spat_si]

Well I ended up getting a good deal. I bought a 55 Gal tank, heater, 1 Penguin 170 and a penguin 125, sand, drift wood, rock, air pump, stand and decorations. The total setup cost me about $375 canadian.

Thanks to all who helped