Is Bigger Really Better?

My down fall in aquariums is disease and equipment breaking. The largest aquarium I ever owned. Was a 20 and I recently lost that stock to ick and worms.

Now I’m pretty good at water changes and keeping up on cleaning. Would a lightly stocked 55 gallon be easy.
And when I say lightly I mean 2 small schools of 8 fish each and a betta.

 

My down fall in aquariums is disease and equipment breaking. The largest aquarium I ever owned. Was a 20 and I recently lost that stock to ick and worms.

Now I’m pretty good at water changes and keeping up on cleaning. Would a lightly stocked 55 gallon be easy.
And when I say lightly I mean 2 small schools of 8 fish each and a betta.

Hello Chu...

Larger tanks are better than smaller ones. Just from a water stand point. There's more water to dilute mistakes in tank management than smaller tanks. This hobby is 100 percent about keeping the water free of dissolved fish waste, which is what kills 99 percent of the fish. Here's a tip: Small tanks up to 30 gallons need two 50 percent water changes every week. Tanks larger than 30 Gs need half or more of the water removed and replaced once a week. Follow this rule and you'll have no tank problems.

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My down fall in aquariums is disease and equipment breaking. The largest aquarium I ever owned. Was a 20 and I recently lost that stock to ick and worms.

Now I’m pretty good at water changes and keeping up on cleaning. Would a lightly stocked 55 gallon be easy.
And when I say lightly I mean 2 small schools of 8 fish each and a betta.

lightly stocked aquariums are usually easier to maintain and to feed. larger is usually better because you won't have to worry about the water parameters fluctuating, more stocking options, more plants/decor and there is room for mistakes. although I personally never had issues with small tanks other then running out of room for plants XD.

although I don't really agree with smaller tanks needing two 50 percent water changes a week.

 

I have two 55 gallon tanks. I have had many sizes and I can verify that they are easier to maintain...as far as water perameters. Don't skimp on filtration and cycle your tank well before adding fish. I recommend a school of about 6 to 8 cory catfish to clean up uneaten food that ultimately makes it's way to the bottom. Rotting food causes more toxins than fish poop. The only problem I have is that I scrape the slime coating off the inside of the glass once a month with a utility knife razor blade and find myself having to go down into the tank to my armpits. But that's my way of cleaning. There are glass cleaning tools available from the fish store that makes that job easier. Make sure you buy your water testing kit and test your tap water so you'll know what you're dealing with before even adding it to the tank. And use a good water conditioner like Aqueon or Prime.

My down fall in aquariums is disease and equipment breaking. The largest aquarium I ever owned. Was a 20 and I recently lost that stock to ick and worms.

Now I’m pretty good at water changes and keeping up on cleaning. Would a lightly stocked 55 gallon be easy.
And when I say lightly I mean 2 small schools of 8 fish each and a betta.

 

Thank you for the advice

 

 

Very nice tank. I really like the canopy top.

View attachment 444858

 

bigger is better but more expensive. I don't recommend small tanks to newbies ever. I have a 5.5 gallon that is flourishing but I always make sure to maintain it and it is not over stocked. small tanks are just so limiting on what you can get. I got one because I wanted a fish tank after not having one for a long time and I lived in a small one bedroom duplex with pier and beam foundation. I didn't want a lot of weight or water on the original hard wood floors so I got a 5.5 gallon tank and put it on my "dining room" table. Its done so well I have kept it at my new house and as soon as I get rid of the carpet, I am tearing down the 29 I got recently from my Aunt and getting a 210. If you don't have the cash, a 29 is a good choice as well as a 55.

 

A large lighly stocked tank is a breaze to maintain. Ok not a breaze but isn't much harder than a small tank. Its a lot more forgiving if your sick or on vacation and miss a water change here and there. Of course the better your water quality typically the fewer problems.

 

although I don't really agree with smaller tanks needing two 50 percent water changes a week.

I agree with you on that . On my 30 I do one 32% roughly(10g ) water change once a week and mine is perfectly fine. Crystal clear and all my fish are happy. And it’s planted with java moss
3 platys that are about to give birth to

 

I agree with you on that . On my 30 I do one 32% roughly(10g ) water change once a week and mine is perfectly fine. Crystal clear and all my fish are happy. And it’s planted with java moss
3 platys that are about to give birth to

I do 50-20% water change once a week on my 5.5g and its always has stable parameters and clear. although I guess it does depend on how heavily stocked the tank is and its inhabitants

 

Started with a 20 gallon then won a 180 gallon in a raffle. And absolutely love it more. Don't have to do water changes as often.
Just when you go so large you need more of everything so there is more cost. Learned that when I had to treat the tank for ick, took 5 packs of medicine.
But a 55 would be awesome and lots of options.