Should I Get A 40 Gallon Or 55 Or Two 20S?

[BeckyCats]

Thank you so much for the wonderful advice. I have a lot to think about. I went looking at tanks tonight and started talking to a LFS employee who keeps mollies and she says she is happy to take them all and has great water for them. That may be the best solution. I am very concerned about changing the water with source water that is so different from the tank water. What if I had to do a major water change. The parameters would be so different and would likely stress or harm the fish. I just don't have the experience to manage the complexities of changing the most major element in their existence. I feel safer just dealing with the water I have and getting fish that are happy with the home I can provide naturally.

 

[Byron]

Thank you so much for the wonderful advice. I have a lot to think about. I went looking at tanks tonight and started talking to a LFS employee who keeps mollies and she says she is happy to take them all and has great water for them. That may be the best solution. I am very concerned about changing the water with source water that is so different from the tank water. What if I had to do a major water change. The parameters would be so different and would likely stress or harm the fish. I just don't have the experience to manage the complexities of changing the most major element in their existence. I feel safer just dealing with the water I have and getting fish that are happy with the home I can provide naturally.

 
This is a very sensible approach, keeping fish suited to your source water.  You are correct that emergency situations requiring a large water change can occur, and being able to drain 75-80% of a tank and fill it with tap water using only a conditioner and not having to worry about different parameters is a blessing in this hobby.
 
With your soft water, you have a huge array of options in fish...most all of the South American and SE Asian species are candidates.  Before deciding on the tank size, have a look at the available fish and keep in mind their requirements.  Some are shoaling that need groups, and while six is often mentioned as the minimum number, all species will be better with more.
 
Byron.

 

[BeckyCats]

I'm sitting in front of my brand new 55 gallon tank right now. Of course it's empty, but I am researching and planning away. Absolutely everything that one puts in can potentially affect everything else, so I resisted the urge to just grab some gravel. I have a book on aquarium plants and I made notes as I read, but I want to make sure that the ideas I liked will be good in my tank ecosystem.

I talked to a relative today who used to be big into fish and he was saying that as long as you don't over feed, you only have to replace evaporated water and never vacuum and siphon out water. I don't know if I would want to do that though, because changing the water keeps my pH from falling too low and it keeps the water more oxygenated. At least I believe that's right.

I'm off to do some substrate research!

 

[Byron]

I'm sitting in front of my brand new 55 gallon tank right now. Of course it's empty, but I am researching and planning away. Absolutely everything that one puts in can potentially affect everything else, so I resisted the urge to just grab some gravel. I have a book on aquarium plants and I made notes as I read, but I want to make sure that the ideas I liked will be good in my tank ecosystem.

I talked to a relative today who used to be big into fish and he was saying that as long as you don't over feed, you only have to replace evaporated water and never vacuum and siphon out water. I don't know if I would want to do that though, because changing the water keeps my pH from falling too low and it keeps the water more oxygenated. At least I believe that's right.

I'm off to do some substrate research!

 
Well, now you are getting some not so good advice.  Nothing is more important to a healthy aquarium than regular partial water changes.  It has nothing to do with feeding, though admittedly overfeeding will cause real issues.  Imagine fish living in a toilet, permanently, and you refusing to flush it.  Same thing.
 
There are substances released by fish that can only be removed by water changes.  And they do keep a more stable system, as you mention.  But in more ways than just pH.
 
Substrate...know what fish you want as some will be affected by the choice of substrate.  Sand is your only real option if you intend substrate fish, or substrate feeding fish (corys obviously, but also fish like like cichlids).  These need to sift the substrate through their gills.  When it comes to sand, never use white, this is very un-natural to the fish.  I like play sand, the Quikrete brand that is dark grey in tone.
 
Plants...;light is the single most important aspect.  There are plants requiring low light, moderate light and high light (though these are very subjective terms), and longer duration does not make up for too little intensity, or vice versa.  This is a big topic in itself.
 
Byron.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

I talked to a relative today who used to be big into fish and he was saying that as long as you don't over feed, you only have to replace evaporated water and never vacuum and siphon out water. I don't know if I would want to do that though, because changing the water keeps my pH from falling too low and it keeps the water more oxygenated. At least I believe that's right.

I'm off to do some substrate research!

 
 
As Byron points out, your relative who 'used to be' big into fish is giving you quite antiquated advice.  That's how many folks in the hobby used to do it, and I'm certain that he did it exactly as he described to you, but the fish didn't do as well as they could have.
 
The goal should always be to match the environment you give the fish as close to 'natural' as you can.  In their natural environment, the fish are continually getting fresh water from upstream - and their wastes are washed downstream away from them.  And in that environment, they have the very best of nature's filters cleaning the water all the while.  The best way to replicate that is to give your fish fresh water (while removing the old water) weekly.  We need to get the wastes out of the tank, and water changes are the only way to do that.  
 
 
Overfeeding is a separate issue, as Byron also points out.  Plants are also another subject altogether.

 

[BeckyCats]

Yes, I agree about the water changes. I admit I am brand new to this but I have been reading quite a bit lately and everything points to frequent water changes as being the best way to go. It really just makes the most sense to me. My guess is there's an old school way of doing things but that modern practices have found improved methods. I am also going to ignore his advice to only feed the fish every 4 or 5 days. That just seems unnecessarily cruel to me. In nature, they would not get to eat only once or twice a week; why would I do that to them? Just to spare myself some extra effort in cleanup chores? If I find it that onerous, I probably shouldn't be getting a tank in the first place.

A question about the sand: I read that play sand is high in sillicates and that it causes diatom explosions. Have you not found this to be the case? I am leaning towards sand because I want the option of getting bottom dwellers. Does play sand affect water parameters at all?

 

[BeckyCats]

Eagles aquarium: looks like you posted while I was writing my last post. You confirmed what I suspected about there being an older way of doing things. Our understanding of most pets' needs, has evolved so much in recent years I find.

 

[Byron]

Yes, I agree about the water changes. I admit I am brand new to this but I have been reading quite a bit lately and everything points to frequent water changes as being the best way to go. It really just makes the most sense to me. My guess is there's an old school way of doing things but that modern practices have found improved methods. I am also going to ignore his advice to only feed the fish every 4 or 5 days. That just seems unnecessarily cruel to me. In nature, they would not get to eat only once or twice a week; why would I do that to them? Just to spare myself some extra effort in cleanup chores? If I find it that onerous, I probably shouldn't be getting a tank in the first place.

A question about the sand: I read that play sand is high in sillicates and that it causes diatom explosions. Have you not found this to be the case? I am leaning towards sand because I want the option of getting bottom dwellers. Does play sand affect water parameters at all?

 
I used to use fine gravel, but some five years ago I decided to try a sand substrate in my 33g.  I now have sand in all seven tanks in my fish room.  The 33g is still up and running, from back then, and I have never had issues in any of my tanks.  From my experiences, issues with sand are no different than issues with gravel.
 
On the play sand, I like this because it is the most natural in appearance to the sand in many Amazonian streams.  It is also the smoothest grain (Quikrete stated, in response to a direct question on this, that play sand is refined more than other types so it has no rough edges), which is important for those substrate feeders.  Plants grow well in it.  Play sand is inert, so it does not affect water parameters.
 
Interesting point on the feeding.  Fry need more frequent feedings, but healthy mature fish can go for more than a week without food with no harm.  I feed once daily, missing one day a week, and I never feed prior to the water change (but a couple hours after, the fish get their weekly "treat" of frozen foods).  But I do not do this just to avoid maintenance, it is for the fish's health.  Fish will eat if food is present, and this can be very bad for their health if they overeat.  The more they eat, the higher their metabolism works.
 
I researched water changes a few years back.  Some will tell you that with live plants, water changes are unnecessary, and there is a tiny bit of truth in this.  If one has say a 55g tank that is well planted, containing six average-sized tetras, the system could pretty much take care of itself with respect to water quality.  But most of us want more than six small fish in so large a tank.  I change 50-60% of all my tanks every week without fail, and have done this for 20 years.  I don't need to be told this is beneficial, I can see it in the fish's response every week:

Byron.

 

[BeckyCats]

My previous post sounded a bit judgemental towards my relative's ideas on fish keeping. I really didn't mean to sound that way. He is a very nice, compassionate person who would never do anything to harm any living creature. I just think a lot of people don't think fish suffer. I think they do. I appreciate this forum because I can tell there are like minded people here who want the best for fish, just like any other pet.

I think I used quikrete sand in my kids' sandbox. It is definitely less expensive than aquarium sand so I am very glad to hear that I can use it in my aquarium.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Just be sure to clean that sand .... A LOT!  

 5 gallon bucket and lots and lots of water.
 
 
 
Nothing judgmental in those statements.  Previous generations have done what they believed was best based on the information they had at the time.  
 
Doctors used to 'bleed' patients in order to bring them back to health, because they believed they were doing the right thing.  They were honest and their convictions were pure.  They just didn't know better.  And their 'treatment' likely killed many of their patients.
 
Years ago, home canners used only a water bath method, and many folks actually poisoned their family as a result with food poisoning because the food just wasn't safe to consume.  BUT, they were doing the best that science understood at that time.
 
 
Knowledge advances, and I have no doubt that those doctors of the past, or the home canners would never do what they did then if they were given the same knowledge that we have available now.  Same with most 'old school' aquarists, imho.