Difference Between 10 and 20 Gallon

I'm currently debating on whether to buy a 10 gallon aquarium or a 20 gallon aquarium. I have never had fish before, so I'm doing some research on how to properly care for them and wondering about how much that would cost.

Could someone please tell me the average cost difference annually between a 10 gallon and a 20 gallon aquarium? I think I want small fish for either tank; I've read that there should be 1 inch of fish/gallon.

From what I've read online so far, you need to change the filter cartridge every month - month 1/2. How often should I completely change the water? Once a month? I know you should change about 10-15% of the water/week, but when I add the new water do I also add dechlorinator to the entire tank, or just for the new 10-15%?

Also, if anyone has any beginner tips on how to care for fish or where to buy the cheapest accessories please let me know! I'm sure there's already a post on this site about that though; I'll search around soon.

Thanks!

 

Not sure the cost difference in tanks, but I would go with the 20 gallon, usually the bigger the tank the less maintenance, 10% in a 10 gallon is 1 gallon of water but in a 20 its only 2 gallons, you get more fish options with a bigger tank and most small fish like to be in groups of 6 or more, I do a weekly change of 30-50%, you don't change the entire filter everymonth, just the carbon leave the filter sponge alone until it is no longer usable, you just rinse it out in the tank water that you syphoned out, you never do a 100% water change, you always add the declorinator to the new water then add water to the tank, so you would be adding it only for the new water, do you know about the nitrogen cycle, I recommend Prime conditioner it does a lot more than just remove chlorine and chloramine, and you get more bang for your buck its only 1 ml per 10 gallon I used to use aqua safe but was using 5ml per 10 gallon and not getting the benefits of it detoxifiying the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate for 48 hours

 

hello and welcome to fish lore . Well I was in the same situation as you not too long ago, and I found out that with a larger tank, water quality is easier to maintain. And there is a mere $50 difference in between a 10 and a 20 gallon tank. And you can have more fish, different kinds of fish, and you have to do less water changes. You should never change the filter cartridge, look up cycling and beneficial bacteria. You should also never change ALL your water, only 15% a week is necessary, but I do 15% changes on Monday and Thursday. Add dechlorinator for your WHOLE tank too. For most test kits/ chemicals, petsmart or amazon (amazon is only cheaper if you have prime) I would go to a non-chain store for your fish, as well as plants. Amazon has good fish shippers but be careful who you buy from. If you have a petco around, wait until they have a dollar per gallon sale, so you can get a large tank for cheap. Hope that helps!!! learn about CYCLING

 

20 gallon for sure, or larger. 10 gallon is only large enough to keep a very limited selection of fish, and a very small number of fish. 20 gallon can healthily house a much larger variety.

 

Ok, thank you very much and thanks for the recommendation as well; I'll check out the Prime conditioner!

Thank you! And yes, I'm sure I'll want more fish in the future so the 20 gallon would work perfectly!

Ok, thank you for all of the tips! And I'll check out Petco to see when they have 20 gallons on sale!

 

Welcome to Fishlore. Bigger is always better but remember we are all fish keeper here. Also want to add there is two ways to cycle a tank. In fish cycle and a fishless cycle. If you are going to do a in fish cycle here is a article on TSS (Tetra Safe Start).
How To: Cycling Your Tank With Tetra Safe Start

Q & A With Tetra about Tetra SafeStart

I use it and it work great. There is also Stability too that's work just as good.

A fishless cycle is no fish and you add ammonia to your water until you are cycle. I never done this but there is plenty of people here that have.

Good luck

 

Could you tell me about how long a 8.5 fl oz bottle of Prime would last; how often would I need to buy a new bottle?

 

it treats 2500 gallons so if your treating the entire tank with each change about 125 changes

 

Thanks for the information; I haven't read about that yet! I'll definitely read both of those posts and look into TSS!

Ok, thank you!

 

First off welcome to fishlore.

The annual cost difference may be $10-20 or so. The initial set up may be a bit more for the 20 gallon depending on where you shop. I highly suggest making a list of everything you need, and ordering it from a place like bigalspets.com or kensfish.com. They are around half the price of local places. Then you just need to get the actual tank locally, maybe during a $1 per gallon sale at petco or petsmart.

A 20 gallon would be a better option, giving you more options for fish, and more wiggle room if you have any issues with water parameters.

The filter cartridges only need to be replaced when they are falling apart, they can last for 6 months or more easily. Just rinse them in tank water or dechlorinated tap water. This helps preserve the beneficial bacteria.

You should probably do around 25% - 50% water changes every week. You don't need a 100% water change monthly, as long as you keep up with the weekly water changes. 33% per week would be a good starting point.

Here is a list of what I would suggest getting for a startup 20 gallon....

Initial Startup stuff -

the tank of course - find one locally

filter - decent HOB (Penguin 150, Aquaclear 30 are both good options)

heater - need around 5 watts per gallon (Aqueon Pro 100 watt heater)

substrate - also better to purchase locally due to heavy weight, any gravel or sand will do

décor - purchase online to save money

thermometer - digital probe thermometer is helpful (Coralife makes one for around $5)

light fixture - sometimes comes with tank (LED is better to save money down the road, if you have any thoughts of adding live plants down the road, let me know as you would want certain light fixtures that are better for plants, but not needed if you just want to start with fish for now)

Supplies needed for regular maintenance and care -


dechlorinator - Seachem Prime (it is the best around, as it can help in an emergency to treat excessive ammonia or nitrites)

bacteria booster - Seachem Stability or Tetra Safe Start (I like Stability as it is designed to work with Prime and helpful for establishing beneficial bacteria colony and to keep it established after water changes)

food - New Life Spectrum, Hikari, Cobalt are all good brands

net - decent net for the size fish you are keeping

Water test kit (very important to know what your parameters are) - most usually start with the API Freshwater master kit, easy to find and not to expensive

Add-ons that aren't needed but may be helpful -

air pump and air driven sponge filter - This helps to provide oxygen in the water due to surface agitation and the sponge filter helps provide extra filtration for clean water. I really like the dual sponge filters sold on ebay for $6 including shipping. As for air pump, I like the smaller Tetra Whisper pumps, a Tetra Whisper 20 or 40 would be plenty of power for you. You will also need some airline tubing to connect the pump to the sponge filter

live plants - you would need certain light fixtures to provide the right light, but the plants help to clean the water and make the fish more at ease in a natural environment. You could start with a couple super easy plants like java fern, anubias, java moss, hornwort, frogbit, to name a few.

light timer - helpful to keep a regular schedule and not leave lights on too long to promote algae (get this at Home Depot, Lowes, Walmart, for cheap around $5)

That is about all I can think of for stuff needed at startup, I'm sure I'm missing something so others can help out with anything I forgot.

Before you buy anything you will want to do your research. Here are a number of links you should read and understand before buying anything....

Setting up a freshwater tank-
https://www.fishlore.com/FirstTankSetup.htm.

Nitrogen Cycle (very important, 2 part so don't miss the 2nd page)-
https://www.fishlore.com/NitrogenCycle.htm

Aquarium fish keeping for beginners (4 parts so don't miss pages 2-4)-
https://www.fishlore.com/aquariummagazine/sept07/fishkeepingbeginner.htm


Fishlore forum etiquette -
https://www.fishlore.com/aquariummagazine/jan08/forum-etiquette.htm

How to set up a low light / low tech planted tank (if you are thinking about plants) -
https://www.fishlore.com/aquariumfishforum/resources/how-to-set-up-a-low-light-low-tech-planted-tank.24/

So I know it is a lot of reading and research to do, but research, knowledge, and patience are extremely important in this hobby. You are doing the right thing by asking questions ahead of time, and will be so far beyond most of us when we started in the hobby. About 95% of people that find forums like this usually do so after they rush into the hobby, buy a bunch of fish (usually that are not good fits for their tank), then the fish die or they have issues so that brings them to fishlore. Doing your research ahead of time will help to ensure you get started on the right foot. You may have issues as it seems tricky at first, but you will be ready to deal with stuff and have the support and knowledgebase provided by Fishlore.

I hope this helps, after doing some reading, please ask any questions on stuff that may be unclear.

 

Like most have said the filter shouldn't be replaced, but if it has a carbon cartridge eventually the carbon stops working I don't know if its a month or more, I personally don't use carbon on my tanks, you have to remove the carbon if it ever came to medicating, and I find it easier to have a spare filter that holds carbon that I add to the tank when I need to add the carbon to remove meds after the entire treatment is done, when I no longer need that filter it is removed, and the carbon is tossed, and replaced with a new carbon for when that filter is ever needed again

 

For most cartridges you can cut a slot at the top of cartridge to dump out old carbon (carbon get used up in around 3-4 weeks) and pour in new carbon if you like. Carbon is not "needed", but some prefer to use. The main thing is to not throw away the mesh/floss part of the cartridge as this holds a lot of beneficial bacteria.

 

Do you guys really add declorinator for the whole tank and not just the water your changing? If there was chlorine in the water already in the tank, wouldn't it be affecting your fish an possibly killing the good BB?

Only time I've heard of people doing that is when your using a python to fill the tank up directly from the sink, in which case people add the water conditioner for the total tank volume and not just water added..


And I'm going to add to what was already said about not changing the filter sponge. Certain filters, like marineland, aqueon and I think tetra, use filter cartridges instead of a sponge. With those filters the companies recommend changing every 2 to 4 weeks. They get clogged easy and it can be difficult to clean them.(plus the carbon stops working after a month). Filters like that would be the only reason to change your cartridge. Fluval and aquaclear filters use a sponge which don't really get replaced, only cleaned. Many members on this site use filters with a sponge vs a cartridge and cartridge filters are noticeably more expensive after initial cost.

 

Do you guys really add declorinator for the whole tank and not just the water your changing? If there was chlorine in the water already in the tank, wouldn't it be affecting your fish an possibly killing the good BB?

Only time I've heard of people doing that is when your using a python to fill the tank up directly from the sink, in which case people add the water conditioner for the total tank volume and not just water added..

I think that is why it was mentioned as most people use the python method, as least I know I do. I think also adding the extra Prime, may not be needed but will help minimize any ammonia that may have been stirred up cleaning gravel or décor. Giving the filter time to catch up.

 

I only add the prime to the new water, not the entire tank, it makes measuring the amount a little different because with prime its 1 ml to 10 gallons, but if I'm just under 10 gallons with the changing water, I will treat it as 10 gallons

 

Okay cool I figured that's what was meant. Just wanted to clear that up for myself and maybe the OP. prime can be difficult to measure for smaller amounts of water.

 

I'm currently debating on whether to buy a 10 gallon aquarium or a 20 gallon aquarium. I have never had fish before, so I'm doing some research on how to properly care for them and wondering about how much that would cost.

Could someone please tell me the average cost difference annually between a 10 gallon and a 20 gallon aquarium? I think I want small fish for either tank; I've read that there should be 1 inch of fish/gallon.

From what I've read online so far, you need to change the filter cartridge every month - month 1/2. How often should I completely change the water? Once a month? I know you should change about 10-15% of the water/week, but when I add the new water do I also add dechlorinator to the entire tank, or just for the new 10-15%?

Also, if anyone has any beginner tips on how to care for fish or where to buy the cheapest accessories please let me know! I'm sure there's already a post on this site about that though; I'll search around soon.

Thanks!

Greetings and welcome to the forum

As a general rule the larger the aquarium the easier it is to keep...Up to a point. I will not tell you a 150 gallon that is 30" tall is easier to keep than a 55 gal. but the point is that the water parameters change slower the greater the volume of water is. As for the 10 gal vs 20gal go with the 20 gal the cost difference is small if you get your tank at the $1.00 per gallon sale at PetCo or PetSmart.

The single most important thing you can do is what you are doing now, research, research, research. Know exactly the needs of the fish as adults and plants you want to keep. Now, I will not agree that you should stay away from the chain stores. There is a PetCo and a PetSmart near us that I have been going to for years and have no problems. On the other hand there are some non chain stores that are a nightmare. The thing you need to do is to establish if you can trust them. As a beginner that can be difficult. But a good clue is the condition and health of the stock. Spend some time checking the stores out at different times and observe how the stock is handled. If the sales person spends five minutes chasing a fish trying to bag it you at the very least want someone else to bag your fish. You will learn quickly who knows what they are doing and who does not. Then be sure to learn when they work.

Also listen to what they tell other customers. Does it make any sense? Do they have the calm confidence that comes from a firm foundation of knowledge? Or is their demeanor a defencive one of "you had better listen to me because I work here"?

Also learn when the stock comes in and observe the stock for several days. New stock will be stressed and more likely not to survive the shock of moving to another tank in the same day. Next (and this is very important) do not impulse buy (even though we all have done it )

When in doubt do not buy.

On filter cartridges only change them if they are deteriorating and no longer are filtering properly. You only need to give them a good rinsing in old tank water. I have cartridges that are well over a year old.There will be debate on how throughly to clean them....That is for another conversation.

Water changes should be based on the needs of the fish and the test results. You will need a good liquid test kit. I and many others here use the API Master Test kit.

The 1" of fish per gallon is a virtually useless rule. You can not put a 12" fish in a 20 gallon but you can put 12 1" fish in a 20 gallon. Research the needs of the fish. Are they fast swimmers that need a lot of straight line swimming room? (danios come to mind) or are they sedate schoolers that need a calm quite environment like glass cats? Do they need fast moving water or still water? Then there is light etc. There are many people that just put fish in an aquarium because they look pretty. Careful thought must be given to the compatibly of the fish one is considering combining. Take your time and you will be ok There are many people with differing opinions out there giving a lot of advice. Looking at the photos they post of their tanks and fish will give you insight as to whether the advice they are giving gives them and their fish good results.

I generally order my non perishable supplies from

In closing, fish keeping is involved and complex but not unmanageable. Just take your time and you will be fine

Remember, research twice, buy once

 

Well said thunder, I like my lfs near my house, but decided to check out a bosleys that has fish on site, cause my friend raved about this shrimp, went to check it out it was in a tank that had 3 guppys (no quarenteen sign) and 2 of the guppys had ich, store clerk confirmed it but said they were treating them, how can you treat guppys with ich if there is a shrimp in the tank, I walked out and have never gone back

 

If you want a good deal on a tank and supplies, look on Craigslist. theree are TONS of tanks in the 20-30 dollar range for 20 gallon ones, at least in my area.

 

Ok, thanks! Yes that was what I was initially referring to is a filter with a cartridge, I didn't know they made filters with a sponge. I'll look into buying a Fluval or Aquaclear instead of changing the cartridge every month or so.

 

the fluval internal u1 comes with only a sponge it does up to 15 gallons of water, my fluval c4 has a sponge, a carbon bag and a spot for extra bioload but it does a 70 gallon tank, its on a 46 gallon cause that's the filter that came with my tank when I bought it used

I got my 46 gallon bowfront with filter and stand for 250.00 it was an awesome deal

 

Ok, thanks! Yes that was what I was initially referring to is a filter with a cartridge, I didn't know they made filters with a sponge. I'll look into buying a Fluval or Aquaclear instead of changing the cartridge every month or so.

As I said you only need to rinse the cartages.You will still need to rinse the sponge if you go that way. Not that sponge filters are bad there those that love them. I use Marineland HOB and Mag 350 canisters. I just never cared for the sponge filters.

Research filters carefully there are serious differences between them. Not all HOBs are the same design nor are the canisters. They go from the simple to the very complex. I feel the complex are simply gimmicks to get you to spend your money where it is not necessary.

Remember, in the end whether you end up buying equipment over and over till you find what suites your needs and style will depend on the time you spend on research.

 

All good advice so far. I have a few tips to add.
Now that you know about cycling, you can cut down on cycle time if you can find a friend with an established tank that will give you some used filter media than already contains beneficial bacteria (BB).

Before you jump on a dollar-a-gallon sale, consider if you need a full setup - stand, tank, filter, hood, light, heater, and compare prices. Craigslist *might* have some good deals, but know what you are getting.

 

I love my c4, I only have to replace the carbon its in a little net bag not mesh and the replacement box comes with 2 carbon bags, a sponge, and a bioload bag for like 10 bucks, the sponge if needed I cut smaller and fit in my filter so that it can be used in my smaller filters in a hospital tank if I need to set up, and the bio only gets replace after 6 months I think

 

Difference is ones bigger lol

 

I found a 27 gallon tank on CL for $75, does this look like a good buy? It includes a filter, canopy/lights, and a heater.

 

the difference is ten gallons

 

Go big or go home! Bigger the better. If a 20 gallon is as big as you can go... Then go with the 20g

 

I would definitely go for the 20 gallon tank




You'd be surprised by how many options the extra 10 gallons gives you

 

Thanks!

 

good luck!

 

Get the biggest possible tank you can...cause right after you set that sucker up your gonna say....man I want bigger

 

Cost depends on how you want the tank. Ive used sponges. And for me that's the way to go. Never have to purchase a new cartridge. So the price difference is a mere $5.

Same pump. Same sponge size. And $1/gallon sale for 20 gal and above. Go with a 20 gal Long. You'll be more happy. Because some places the $1 per gallon doesn't include anything lower than, 20.

A 10 gal tank would cost $15-$20 new

 

Not to be rude but, if your worried about the annual cost of a tank.... Fishkeeping may not be for you... Think of the cost of two, three, four, five tanks once multI tank syndrome sets in....

 

Actually don't worry about the cost. Fish keeping is for everyone. If you don't have the moolah for one yank. Use an old refrigerator veggie drawer. Fish keeping isn't about glass tanks only. If you have no air pump. Get some plants. Slam the ation tank with plants.

Just remember that " anything is possible, just not everything"

 

Most of the cost of fishkeeping is in the initial setup. You can collect what you need over time. Petco is having a $1 per gallon sale right now (in the US). You can get good prices on equipment online at bigalspets.com or kensfish.com or on Amazon . Or look for used tanks on Craigslist .

I agree that a larger tank will give you more options for fish. And it's easier to keep your water parameters good in a larger tank.

Take your time, ask lots of questions here, and folks here will help you succeed in this fascinating hobby!!

 

I found a 27 gallon tank on CL for $75, does this look like a good buy? It includes a filter, canopy/lights, and a heater.

whittwhitt It depends on the fish you want to keep. A cube does not give a lot of straight line swimming room. I am not one to buy used gear other than the aquarium. I prefer to spec out my support gear rather than trust the decisions of others. You see, the odds are the tank won't leak but the other gear is a roll of the dice. So I would say go for new as you get a warranty on everything.

If you want that size tank I would suggest a 29 gal at the dollar per gallon sale at PetCo right now. The support gear is fairly inexpensive. I strongly suggest you go with LED lighting.

These prices are from Big Al's

1. You may have to modify this hood depending on the filter you choose. this would be good for low light plants maybe some medium plants as well.


2. We use Marineland filters on all our aquariums and have for many years. I won't use anything else.


3. We have several of these heaters. They work and are stable but the settings are way off. Be sure to have a quality liquid thermometer.


4. You must have one of these.


5. This is not the one I use but it will do the job. I only use liquid. The stick on digitals have proven themselves to be inaccurate to me over the years.


Best wishes on what ever you decide to do.