Rabbit, or a 33 Gallon long Tank?

[Bleu]

So... I'm debating whether or not to get a 33 Gallon long tank or a rabbit. (Just a warning, long post!)

Just some back story; I gave up the aquarium hobby somewhere between 2018-2019. I was doing well with my tanks, I had way too many ("MTS") but I was having fun with it. Everything went south for me though when my imported betta died on me. Had him for a week and then he got sick, clamping and behaving strange. Water parameters seemed fine, and my female betta (they were in a divided 10 Gallon) was acting perfectly normal, same with the red cherry shrimps which I assume would be more sensitive. Sometimes I wonder if constant water changing with Prime even when it was 10%-30% changes caused a crash in my tank. All stemmed from paranoia and not being able to just leave it alone, cause I kept thinking I'd lose fish without understanding my cycle properly.

Months later, I basically lost everything besides my cull shrimps. Depression during this time kicked in after I was going through a rough patch in my life. I genuinely to this day felt like I hit utter rock bottom. Never would I had ever thought that losing a group of best friends, especially when you're 18 would impact someone so hard. It did for me. I was in denial about being depressed, emotionally eating to the point where I gained a lot of weight just to cope and couldn't recognize myself or walk up a flight of stairs. This went on for an entire year.

Fortunately for me, I turned my life around in 2019. Snapped out of it. One of my lifelong best friend's (sucks, we aren't on speaking terms again) reached out. I truly think in a way, she saved me as dramatic as that sounds. Despite being in a better place mentally, and now physically (I lost all the weight) my tanks remained neglected cause there was nothing left in them, and I sold the remaining. Now, I just have a 5 Gallon & a 10 Gallon.

Now, it's 2021, and I'm 21 years old. Life is still bumpy. I've basically lost every former friend I had, which still stings, but that's life I guess. Anyway, since my time away from the hobby, I've missed it. A week ago I stripped the 5-Gallon, rinsed it out, put some new black sand down and put my plants back in. Surprisingly, despite neglecting the tank for far too long, my plants thrived. So far the cycling hasn't seemed to go well. I dumped some fish food in it, but it isn't showing any ammonia. Don't know if my old test kit is defective cause it sort of is in bad shape.

Now, I'm working on restoring the 10 Gallon. There's two cull-cherry shrimps that remain from 1-2 years ago, shockingly. Though the bottom of the tank just looks awful cause of the waste buildup, I have no clue how I'm gonna clean it out and make sure the quality of the water is fine. So, I'm not sure if I should wipe it or not... Or even trade it for a 20 Gallon long.

Both tanks I'm hoping to just stock with shrimps only at the moment for small profit just for now. Putting the 5-Gallon together again does remind me how much I love the hobby.

Now, the real question and debate is, whether or not I should get a Rabbit, or a 33-Gallon?

My sister isn't fond of the aquarium hobby. She was actually against getting a Rabbit also. Just like my former friends, she looks down on the hobby. I think she would be supportive about it, if I did a saltwater tank. I really don't want to get into saltwater though. I haven't perfected the hobby at all. Far from it. For the past few months, I've done some research on Rabbits since a friend of mine has two. Which got me wanting to adopt, the one I wanted to adopt got adopted out (guess it wasn't meant to be) so, I called the idea off for a bit. Found another bunny recently, but I got cold feet. Sister keeps getting upset about the idea of me having a 33-Gallon long in my room, and pushing me into getting a Rabbit since she's become fond of the idea of having one, but I keep getting cold feet. Mainly because, I have a dog already, a large one, and whenever I ask people about Rabbits - they tell me they're complex pets, hard to take care of, and dare to say more work than a dog. I just cannot wrap my head around how a Rabbit can be more work than a large dog breed.

Lastly, I definitely have SAD (Seasonal Depression). It's become more obvious these past 4 years. I feel like having a tank in my room would help me a lot. Personally. But having a Rabbit as a companion, would be nice.

TL;DR:

* Quit the hobby after failing & depression.

* Have Seasonal Depression - I think a tank might help.

* Sister wants a Rabbit. I use to want one. Keep getting cold feet cause people say they're tough.
Plus, I have a dog. So I have concerns there & my room is quite tiny. Can't decide if I should get a 33 Gallon, or go with a companion like a Rabbit.

* Thinking of breeding Shrimp in my 5 Gallon & 10 Gallon for some time.

 

[MrBryan723]

Rabbits generally go one of 2 ways. You let them wander around and handle them often, but they poop literally everywhere. Or you cage them and they don't get handled as often so they become bitey when they do. but they don't poop everywhere.
I'm unsure if you're still living at home or just roommates with your sister, but take that into consideration @ 21. Larger tanks can be a real hassle to move. Maybe picking up a couple more 10 gallon ones would be a preferable solution. That gives you more space for different shrimp colonies and you could even include a few nano fish species or some mystery snails. I would say if you're planning on moving within 5 years skip the tank, if you're planning on sticking around longer, get it.

 

[SouthAmericanCichlids]

I think she would be supportive about it, if I did a saltwater tank. I really don't want to get into saltwater though.

The main reason people like saltwater is because they have generally much more color, so you can try to find the most colorful fish that are freshwater. So maybe to get her more interested: GBR and 8 gold barbs, and then some colorful corie or for personality, some kuhlis.
Another thing people tend to like is puffers, so maybe pea puffers, 6 of them. I don't believe they need snails to file down their teeth, so they are easier.

 

[Fishproblem]

So... I'm debating whether or not to get a 33 Gallon long tank or a rabbit. (Just a warning, long post!)

Just some back story; I gave up the aquarium hobby somewhere between 2018-2019. I was doing well with my tanks, I had way too many ("MTS") but I was having fun with it. Everything went south for me though when my imported betta died on me. Had him for a week and then he got sick, clamping and behaving strange. Water parameters seemed fine, and my female betta (they were in a divided 10 Gallon) was acting perfectly normal, same with the red cherry shrimps which I assume would be more sensitive. Sometimes I wonder if constant water changing with Prime even when it was 10%-30% changes caused a crash in my tank. All stemmed from paranoia and not being able to just leave it alone, cause I kept thinking I'd lose fish without understanding my cycle properly.

Months later, I basically lost everything besides my cull shrimps. Depression during this time kicked in after I was going through a rough patch in my life. I genuinely to this day felt like I hit utter rock bottom. Never would I had ever thought that losing a group of best friends, especially when you're 18 would impact someone so hard. It did for me. I was in denial about being depressed, emotionally eating to the point where I gained a lot of weight just to cope and couldn't recognize myself or walk up a flight of stairs. This went on for an entire year.

Fortunately for me, I turned my life around in 2019. Snapped out of it. One of my lifelong best friend's (sucks, we aren't on speaking terms again) reached out. I truly think in a way, she saved me as dramatic as that sounds. Despite being in a better place mentally, and now physically (I lost all the weight) my tanks remained neglected cause there was nothing left in them, and I sold the remaining. Now, I just have a 5 Gallon & a 10 Gallon.

Now, it's 2021, and I'm 21 years old. Life is still bumpy. I've basically lost every former friend I had, which still stings, but that's life I guess. Anyway, since my time away from the hobby, I've missed it. A week ago I stripped the 5-Gallon, rinsed it out, put some new black sand down and put my plants back in. Surprisingly, despite neglecting the tank for far too long, my plants thrived. So far the cycling hasn't seemed to go well. I dumped some fish food in it, but it isn't showing any ammonia. Don't know if my old test kit is defective cause it sort of is in bad shape.

Now, I'm working on restoring the 10 Gallon. There's two cull-cherry shrimps that remain from 1-2 years ago, shockingly. Though the bottom of the tank just looks awful cause of the waste buildup, I have no clue how I'm gonna clean it out and make sure the quality of the water is fine. So, I'm not sure if I should wipe it or not... Or even trade it for a 20 Gallon long.

Both tanks I'm hoping to just stock with shrimps only at the moment for small profit just for now. Putting the 5-Gallon together again does remind me how much I love the hobby.

Now, the real question and debate is, whether or not I should get a Rabbit, or a 33-Gallon?

My sister isn't fond of the aquarium hobby. She was actually against getting a Rabbit also. Just like my former friends, she looks down on the hobby. I think she would be supportive about it, if I did a saltwater tank. I really don't want to get into saltwater though. I haven't perfected the hobby at all. Far from it. For the past few months, I've done some research on Rabbits since a friend of mine has two. Which got me wanting to adopt, the one I wanted to adopt got adopted out (guess it wasn't meant to be) so, I called the idea off for a bit. Found another bunny recently, but I got cold feet. Sister keeps getting upset about the idea of me having a 33-Gallon long in my room, and pushing me into getting a Rabbit since she's become fond of the idea of having one, but I keep getting cold feet. Mainly because, I have a dog already, a large one, and whenever I ask people about Rabbits - they tell me they're complex pets, hard to take care of, and dare to say more work than a dog. I just cannot wrap my head around how a Rabbit can be more work than a large dog breed.

Lastly, I definitely have SAD (Seasonal Depression). It's become more obvious these past 4 years. I feel like having a tank in my room would help me a lot. Personally. But having a Rabbit as a companion, would be nice.

TL;DR:

* Quit the hobby after failing & depression.

* Have Seasonal Depression - I think a tank might help.

* Sister wants a Rabbit. I use to want one. Keep getting cold feet cause people say they're tough.
Plus, I have a dog. So I have concerns there & my room is quite tiny. Can't decide if I should get a 33 Gallon, or go with a companion like a Rabbit.

* Thinking of breeding Shrimp in my 5 Gallon & 10 Gallon for some time.

I have both. Get the tank. Rabbits live 12 years IF they don't die of GI stasis just because they didn't eat for an hour and their insides stopped working. Google it. Rabbits are terrified prey animals and dont want to be picked up. They need nails trimmed regularly, and a quality diet of GOOD pellets and GOOD hay. They need constant access to the hay or, you guessed it, GI stasis. They eat a lot. Feeding my 40lb dog costs under $30/month. Feeding the rabbit costs $50.

Rabbits chew on everything. Rabbit proofing a home means never leaving a power cord in reach ever again. That includes on your bed. Are you prepared to replace five laptop chargers in as many years? Are you prepared for phone chargers to become disposable? Are you prepared to repair your baseboards with wood putty and paint every time you move, and never have furniture that isn't missing chunks again?

Rabbits are exotics, which makes for very expensive vet visits.

This is just the beginning of why they're complicated pets that are not easy, and not for most.

 

[Fishproblem]

Rabbits generally go one of 2 ways. You let them wander around and handle them often, but they poop literally everywhere. Or you cage them and they don't get handled as often so they become bitey when they do. but they don't poop everywhere.
I'm unsure if you're still living at home or just roommates with your sister, but take that into consideration @ 21. Larger tanks can be a real hassle to move. Maybe picking up a couple more 10 gallon ones would be a preferable solution. That gives you more space for different shrimp colonies and you could even include a few nano fish species or some mystery snails. I would say if you're planning on moving within 5 years skip the tank, if you're planning on sticking around longer, get it.

I've moved multiple tanks including a 30 gallon several times. They also can do fine without me for a week-long vacation. The rabbit cannot, lol

 

[NevermindIgnoreMe]

So... I'm debating whether or not to get a 33 Gallon long tank or a rabbit. (Just a warning, long post!)

Just some back story; I gave up the aquarium hobby somewhere between 2018-2019. I was doing well with my tanks, I had way too many ("MTS") but I was having fun with it. Everything went south for me though when my imported betta died on me. Had him for a week and then he got sick, clamping and behaving strange. Water parameters seemed fine, and my female betta (they were in a divided 10 Gallon) was acting perfectly normal, same with the red cherry shrimps which I assume would be more sensitive. Sometimes I wonder if constant water changing with Prime even when it was 10%-30% changes caused a crash in my tank. All stemmed from paranoia and not being able to just leave it alone, cause I kept thinking I'd lose fish without understanding my cycle properly.

Months later, I basically lost everything besides my cull shrimps. Depression during this time kicked in after I was going through a rough patch in my life. I genuinely to this day felt like I hit utter rock bottom. Never would I had ever thought that losing a group of best friends, especially when you're 18 would impact someone so hard. It did for me. I was in denial about being depressed, emotionally eating to the point where I gained a lot of weight just to cope and couldn't recognize myself or walk up a flight of stairs. This went on for an entire year.

Fortunately for me, I turned my life around in 2019. Snapped out of it. One of my lifelong best friend's (sucks, we aren't on speaking terms again) reached out. I truly think in a way, she saved me as dramatic as that sounds. Despite being in a better place mentally, and now physically (I lost all the weight) my tanks remained neglected cause there was nothing left in them, and I sold the remaining. Now, I just have a 5 Gallon & a 10 Gallon.

Now, it's 2021, and I'm 21 years old. Life is still bumpy. I've basically lost every former friend I had, which still stings, but that's life I guess. Anyway, since my time away from the hobby, I've missed it. A week ago I stripped the 5-Gallon, rinsed it out, put some new black sand down and put my plants back in. Surprisingly, despite neglecting the tank for far too long, my plants thrived. So far the cycling hasn't seemed to go well. I dumped some fish food in it, but it isn't showing any ammonia. Don't know if my old test kit is defective cause it sort of is in bad shape.

Now, I'm working on restoring the 10 Gallon. There's two cull-cherry shrimps that remain from 1-2 years ago, shockingly. Though the bottom of the tank just looks awful cause of the waste buildup, I have no clue how I'm gonna clean it out and make sure the quality of the water is fine. So, I'm not sure if I should wipe it or not... Or even trade it for a 20 Gallon long.

Both tanks I'm hoping to just stock with shrimps only at the moment for small profit just for now. Putting the 5-Gallon together again does remind me how much I love the hobby.

Now, the real question and debate is, whether or not I should get a Rabbit, or a 33-Gallon?

My sister isn't fond of the aquarium hobby. She was actually against getting a Rabbit also. Just like my former friends, she looks down on the hobby. I think she would be supportive about it, if I did a saltwater tank. I really don't want to get into saltwater though. I haven't perfected the hobby at all. Far from it. For the past few months, I've done some research on Rabbits since a friend of mine has two. Which got me wanting to adopt, the one I wanted to adopt got adopted out (guess it wasn't meant to be) so, I called the idea off for a bit. Found another bunny recently, but I got cold feet. Sister keeps getting upset about the idea of me having a 33-Gallon long in my room, and pushing me into getting a Rabbit since she's become fond of the idea of having one, but I keep getting cold feet. Mainly because, I have a dog already, a large one, and whenever I ask people about Rabbits - they tell me they're complex pets, hard to take care of, and dare to say more work than a dog. I just cannot wrap my head around how a Rabbit can be more work than a large dog breed.

Lastly, I definitely have SAD (Seasonal Depression). It's become more obvious these past 4 years. I feel like having a tank in my room would help me a lot. Personally. But having a Rabbit as a companion, would be nice.

TL;DR:

* Quit the hobby after failing & depression.

* Have Seasonal Depression - I think a tank might help.

* Sister wants a Rabbit. I use to want one. Keep getting cold feet cause people say they're tough.
Plus, I have a dog. So I have concerns there & my room is quite tiny. Can't decide if I should get a 33 Gallon, or go with a companion like a Rabbit.

* Thinking of breeding Shrimp in my 5 Gallon & 10 Gallon for some time.

I am having a similar choice, except I already have some of the supplies for a 40 gallon. I think I'm going to do both or forgo the rabbit. Personally idk if I really want it, I don't want it as much as fish for sure, and I don't want to get a new pet (aka long term commitment) unless I really love it, or I know it'll end up being more of a burden than a joy.
If YOU have your heart set on that 33 gallon, and you feel ready for the work and feel like it's something that will bring you much happiness, but are not really into the whole rabbit idea, go for the tank.
But if you don't feel confident in your abilities, and need some time to get back into the hobby, it might be a better idea to work with what you have for a while, and it'll give you more time to dream and plan for future tanks. You don't want some overwhelming new project when your ducks aren't quite in a row with your old ones. It can be very discouraging.

If you are willing and able to potty train and provide good care for a rabbit (Which isn't for everybody), and you really think it will be something that you will look back on without regret, go for that cute little bugger.
But in a week, or month or year or 5 years after you've had it, you don't want to feel like it's just an annoying obligation you got stuck with. I have a friend that desperately wanted a rabbit, but didn't quite understand what they were getting into, and they ended up really regretting their decision.

Best wishes, in whatever you decide.

 

[Bleu]

The main reason people like saltwater is because they have generally much more color, so you can try to find the most colorful fish that are freshwater. So maybe to get her more interested: GBR and 8 gold barbs, and then some colorful corie or for personality, some kuhlis.
Another thing people tend to like is puffers, so maybe pea puffers, 6 of them. I don't believe they need snails to file down their teeth, so they are easier.

That and I think she just finds the fish "cuter" for example, when she sees clown fish for example, she finds them ridiculously cute and just associates them to Nemo.

 

[Bleu]

I am having a similar choice, except I already have some of the supplies for a 40 gallon. I think I'm going to do both or forgo the rabbit. Personally idk if I really want it, I don't want it as much as fish for sure, and I don't want to get a new pet (aka long term commitment) unless I really love it, or I know it'll end up being more of a burden than a joy.
If YOU have your heart set on that 33 gallon, and you feel ready for the work and feel like it's something that will bring you much happiness, but are not really into the whole rabbit idea, go for the tank.
But if you don't feel confident in your abilities, and need some time to get back into the hobby, it might be a better idea to work with what you have for a while, and it'll give you more time to dream and plan for future tanks. You don't want some overwhelming new project when your ducks aren't quite in a row with your old ones. It can be very discouraging.

If you are willing and able to potty train and provide good care for a rabbit (Which isn't for everybody), and you really think it will be something that you will look back on without regret, go for that cute little bugger.
But in a week, or month or year or 5 years after you've had it, you don't want to feel like it's just an annoying obligation you got stuck with. I have a friend that desperately wanted a rabbit, but didn't quite understand what they were getting into, and they ended up really regretting their decision.

Best wishes, in whatever you decide.

Thanks for this I appreciate it. I mean, I would totally get both but just so limited on space. House is tiny, and my room is ridiculously small. So, it sucks having to pick one or the other.

I don't mind committing to the animal, but whenever I ask people about it, people always make them sound like they're super complex & the maintenance crazy. It makes me wonder, am I gonna be cleaning up after a rabbit for hours? Every single day? Or, is it much simpler than that. I'm also just mainly scared my dog's bark (deep German Shepherd bark) will scare it. Definitely not gonna let him near the rabbit, and there's always someone home so accidents won't happen, but that's another concern of mine. Bunny having a heart attack, or dying on me.

And haha, I feel you. It's tough.

 

[Bleu]

I've moved multiple tanks including a 30 gallon several times. They also can do fine without me for a week-long vacation. The rabbit cannot, lol

True, lol.

 

[Bleu]

Rabbits generally go one of 2 ways. You let them wander around and handle them often, but they poop literally everywhere. Or you cage them and they don't get handled as often so they become bitey when they do. but they don't poop everywhere.
I'm unsure if you're still living at home or just roommates with your sister, but take that into consideration @ 21. Larger tanks can be a real hassle to move. Maybe picking up a couple more 10 gallon ones would be a preferable solution. That gives you more space for different shrimp colonies and you could even include a few nano fish species or some mystery snails. I would say if you're planning on moving within 5 years skip the tank, if you're planning on sticking around longer, get it.

I think they can be litter box trained. I'm more concerned of the bunny peeing all over my floors because they're new, or chewing the crown molding cause that's also new.

One of the breeders I looked at (also looking at shelters) seems to socialize her buns with kids and all, so hopefully use to being handled with more of a less timid personality.

The one I saw at the shelter which I originally wanted to adopt, was a little shy (naturally), but was super good with us. I wish I had adopted him.

 

[FishGirl115]

Oh my. This is very tough... Both??? Lol.
I just got a rabbit and keep it in an XL dog crate in the garage. She is SUCH a sweetheart. I never knew a rabbit could be so cuddly. I vacuum up her poop every couple days and have a litter box that she uses (most of the time). Really not a problem. I love her so much

 

[SouthAmericanCichlids]

That and I think she just finds the fish "cuter" for example, when she sees clown fish for example, she finds them ridiculously cute and just associates them to Nemo.

A lot of people think kuhlis and otos are super cute.

 

[NevermindIgnoreMe]

I think they can be litter box trained. I'm more concerned of the bunny peeing all over my floors because they're new, or chewing the crown molding cause that's also new.

One of the breeders I looked at (also looking at shelters) seems to socialize her buns with kids and all, so hopefully use to being handled with more of a less timid personality.

The one I saw at the shelter which I originally wanted to adopt, was a little shy (naturally), but was super good with us. I wish I had adopted him.

I already came up with a plan for the rabbit, and I think I'll share for you in case it can give you any ideas/help you decide.
The most important thing is It's home, which I could either invest in a bunny codo, or get a baby/small dog pen and get some vinyl floor to put underneath it, inside of either would be a litter box (basically litter training from what I hear, is figuring out where they tend to do their business and moving the box accordingly), a water bowl, a hay feeder, bed, and toys. Which btw I added up and without the pen (I already have one) or vet bills it was under 100$. (And I also counted a travel cage and brush.)

From my recent research, it seems to be the best option for me. And unless its going to be outside (Which from what is sounds like it won't be) it doesn't really need shots (or very few), just spayed/neutered. And with that setup it wouldn't get to your floors or molding, or shouldn't anyway. For food they need good quality grain based pellets, and Timothy hay. The litter box also needs some sort of litter, aspen shavings and hay seem to be a popular choice, cat litter is not good.

And that concludes (most) of my knowledge of rabbits. Hopefully it was remotely helpful lol.

 

[Fishproblem]

A cage will definitely be helpful, for keeping it under control, but you shouldn't keep it in one 24/7. Rabbits are pretty easy to litter train, and their poop doesn't smell at all. But it does escape the box, and sometimes they drop a few elsewhere. Honestly for all the things I want to turn our bunny into stew for, the poop doesn't even make the list. Shavings and hay don't last long in a litter box, but we've found that wood or paper based litter pellets are awesome (the ones made for cats are fine and more cheaply available).

Ours is well litter trained, but if you don't change it fast enough he'll pee outside the box. Like literally just over the edge of the box lol. They're also very social animals, and live in bonded pairs. If you don't get a pair, you should really be giving it a lot of attention and letting it share your space. I mentioned rabbits are the worst, right? But ours sleeps on my feet at night, and really enjoys rabbit-like affection like having his ears stroked - it replicates the way bunnies groom each other.

Rabbits, again, have a decade+ lifespan when kept indoors. Regardless of how much you care about it, the lifespan of an outdoor rabbit is less than half that. Definitely keep that in mind when you plan for your pet!

 

[Bleu]

A cage will definitely be helpful, for keeping it under control, but you shouldn't keep it in one 24/7. Rabbits are pretty easy to litter train, and their poop doesn't smell at all. But it does escape the box, and sometimes they drop a few elsewhere. Honestly for all the things I want to turn our bunny into stew for, the poop doesn't even make the list. Shavings and hay don't last long in a litter box, but we've found that wood or paper based litter pellets are awesome (the ones made for cats are fine and more cheaply available).

Ours is well litter trained, but if you don't change it fast enough he'll pee outside the box. Like literally just over the edge of the box lol. They're also very social animals, and live in bonded pairs. If you don't get a pair, you should really be giving it a lot of attention and letting it share your space. I mentioned rabbits are the worst, right? But ours sleeps on my feet at night, and really enjoys rabbit-like affection like having his ears stroked - it replicates the way bunnies groom each other.

Rabbits, again, have a decade+ lifespan when kept indoors. Regardless of how much you care about it, the lifespan of an outdoor rabbit is less than half that. Definitely keep that in mind when you plan for your pet!

Strange question but how many times do you change the litter & clean the litterbox?

 

[Fishproblem]

Strange question but how many times do you change the litter & clean the litterbox?

Less often than a lot of rabbit owners do, from what I can tell. We change it weekly - he only has one litter box, which isn’t ideal, but we’re pressed for space in the apartment we’re in (in the past he’s had two, and he will again one day!). Two is better and cleaner. He gets about an inch of litter pellets and then we put fresh hay in every morning and as needed. He eats from one side and poops/pees in the other. He’s got one corner he pees in. Usually the pellets are more than absorbent enough to keep things clean, but we also use litter box liners, so if we have to change it sooner it’s super painless.

From what I can tell, daily changes are gospel for the aspen/hay only crowd.

 

[SM1199]

I hope I don't come off as too blunt but I'm going to tell you exactly why I think bunnies don't suit your situation right now!

whenever I ask people about Rabbits - they tell me they're complex pets, hard to take care of, and dare to say more work than a dog. I just cannot wrap my head around how a Rabbit can be more work than a large dog breed.

Because they are! I pet sit. The hardest pet sitting job I took was a single bunny. The pet sitting job I took with a german wirehaired pointer and a one year old yellow lab was easier than that bunny. I spent most of the time just trying to clean all the hay and chewed objects and sometimes poop and pee. I spent the rest of the time trying to find the bunny (free range through part of the house) to make sure she was alive. She was very well-socialized but was generally disinterested in my company. They are not pets you'll get to cuddle with every day. They are not pets that will lean into your hand to be pet.

I have also worked at vet hospitals for a few years. Bunnies are difficult to diagnose and treat. 95% of general small animal vets won't treat bunnies because they are so difficult. One of my vets (out of the dozen or so I've worked with) did but she hated it. They do not recover well like cats and dogs. They cannot skip a meal, unlike fish. Sometimes their teeth will grow too long or become uneven and need trimming under sedation, which is expensive. You might be hard-pressed to find a rabbit vet close by, or a rabbit vet within range at all, and if you do, it's likely to be expensive.

I would totally get both but just so limited on space. House is tiny, and my room is ridiculously small. So, it sucks having to pick one or the other.

Bunnies need a lot more space than you think based on their activity and mess level. I know some people might disagree with me but a few square feet cage is not adequate for a bunny unless it's only staying in there for a few hours a day. A "ridiculously" tiny room is better but still doesn't accommodate for their activity level. The bunny I pet sat had free range of the entire first floor and she still would try to jump the baby gate on the stairs so she could roam on the second floor too.

Expect hay to be everywhere. I'm used to hay being on me and embedded into my clothing because I own a horse but I was not ready for having hay inside the house when I pet sat the bunny. This is compounded exponentially in a smaller space that accumulates filth much faster, just like how a larger tank is much more accommodating for bioload and preventing parameter fluctuations.

A bunny with a large breed dog is not a good combination. Especially in a small house. I know you say an accident won't happen, but... Accidents are called accidents for a reason. All it takes is for the door to be left open once, and a family member could do this while you're away. Bunnies are really sensitive to loud noises and will certainly be freaked out by a german shepherd bark. The anxiety can cause them health problems, not to mention they'll be a lot less inclined to make friends with you when their environment is so scary.

I think they can be litter box trained. I'm more concerned of the bunny peeing all over my floors because they're new, or chewing the crown molding cause that's also new.

They can be, but they are not nearly as accurate as cats. They will always poop small amounts outside of their litterbox because they are constant poopers and would have to live in their litterbox 24/7 to not poop anywhere else. Their poop does not smell, but their pee really does. If they are displeased with their litterbox, they will pee outside of it. That odor will quickly fill your tiny room. And you can't just scoop it every day like you can with cat litter, you have to throw out the entire contents, scrub, and re-fill.

Bunnies chew everything. If they have access to it and it fits in their mouth, they will chew it. The lady with the bunny said when she was showing me around "she will pull books from the shelves and chew out the pages, just put them back please." She left empty cereal boxes and alfalfa cubes all over the place and the bunny would still be destructive to anything else. All her furniture had bunny teeth marks on it. The bunny figured out how to jump onto a chair and then onto the kitchen table where her hay and pellets were and I needed to move that to a high shelf so she couldn't rip open the bags. Wires all need to be tucked away. Bunnies also get bored and need regular entertainment/enrichment or else their health is negatively impacted.

Bunnies can't just live off of pellets and hay. They need greens and veggies, as well. Are you willing to spend all the extra money on greens and make extra trips to the grocery store just to buy fresh veggies?

Have you considered that rabbits do best in pairs or groups? They are prey animals and like to have friends of their own kind. It is common for people to have one bunny, but most often, they really benefit from socialization, especially if you're not going to be around all day.

And your mental health - I don't want to seem offensive because I'm really not trying to be - is there a chance that you might fall back to depression? A neglected tank is one thing, a neglected bunny is a completely different situation. They will quickly perish if they don't get adequate food and they will completely trash your tiny room if you don't stay on top of it daily. I don't know about you, but if I was having a mental health episode and my bedroom was getting trashed by a pet, I would feel even more discouraged and helpless.

Do you plan to move in the future? Bunnies are a 10+ year commitment and you need to keep your future in mind when planning to get one. Will you be living in an apartment with pet restrictions? Will you move in with a future significant other?

A fish tank that takes up a few square feet of space, can withstand neglect, doesn't dirty up your room, and provides low-maintenance joy for years would be my decision in your case!

 

[Aquariumlover1357]

This is pretty late and super off topic, but have you ever thought of getting the 33 gallon tank for a hamster? It kind of combines the fish and the fluffiness into one, and also can address with all the problems you might have with getting a bunny. If you can't get one/don't wanna consider it, just skip over this, or tell me to delete it. (GONNA BE LONG POST, and I'm not sorry about it)

Cost and maintenance problem: You plop the tank on a shelf, put everything together (my 34 gallon set up cost me about $150, including the tank, which I got for super cheap, for about 3 hidey houses, lots of chew toys, food bowl + water bottle, and about 5 enrichment toys like bridges and ladders), put hamster in, and literally you will be done with pretty much the maintenance (except food and water, of course) for up to a month. More about this later in the my own experience section)

Big dog problem: If you put the tank on a shelf/table, your dog literally can't get to it. And as for the noise/barking, my hamster's tank is next to my piano, (and I'm not talking electric, but a home piano that literally radiates sound) and he is fine with it (at least he doesn't come storming out and squeaking at me, like he does when he wants more food). We just didn't have room to put him anywhere else.

Friendliness: Personally, I haven't ever had any problem with my hamster biting/being hostile towards me. Since he was from a pet store, it did take some time for him to get used to my hand (maybe 1 month at most), but if you get a hamster from a breeder, they will adjust to you with no problem at all.

Other care: Hamsters, no matter which of the 5 popular species, don't NEED a pair or group. Now, with 3 or the 4 dwarf hamster species (Robo, Russian, and Winter White) can be in a pair or group, but I personally wouldn't attempt it in a 33 gallon (you can maybe try a Robo pair though since they tend to be a little smaller).

Lifespan: Hamster usually live 2-3 years on average (aka similar to lifespan of most nano fish/shrimp. Literally no commitment). Not much more to say about that.

Sister/Friend's Approval: Not sure if this matters, but I know everyone that has seen Oreo has fallen in love with him immediately. (even my rat-phobia friend likes him) Most people/parents/stubborn roommates will usually give in when you tell them you've brought a fat hamster home the size of your palm. If your sister truly thinks clownfish are cute, she will love these guys.

My own experience/More stuff about the care: My Russian/Winter White mix dwarf hamster, Oreo, is exactly 2 years old (aka an old man), and he is the sweetest and fattest boi I've ever had. He doesn't eat much (2 teaspoons a day, a $7 bag of food that last him about half a year), and literally doesn't NEED interaction, but if you want your hamster to stay tame, you should hold him/interact with him at least twice a week (not asking for much there, right? 30 minutes a week?).
Hamster usually do best with bedding, and I've found paper bedding to be the best. A bag (lasts 3-4 bedding changes) is about $24 here, but I know pet stores do the buy one get one 50% off from time to time, so it might help, but bedding is literally the only thing that might be costly. Now, you literally never do bedding changes. I do it once a month for Oreo, since it's just him in the 34 gallon. This is not for every hamster, and bedding changes may vary, but you never should do a bedding change in less than 2 weeks from the last one, since they can get stressed from having them too often (scent is unfamiliar, new shape of land, pee stains/poop spots gone).
The only thing you have to do daily is to change the food/add more, and change the water (I do it every 2-3 days). I know some people spot clean their hamster's cage every day, but mine pees in a jar, and I just clean that once a week. Hamster can be potty trained (unbelievable, riiiight?!) And they're like rabbits in the sense that they don't smell, except for their pee, which the bedding (partially why it's there) soaks up.

Overall, I think a hamster really fits your situation, and you could have fun with one or two, but to answer your original question, I also think the tank.
You can add so many different species and individual beings in a 33 gallon, but once you get a rabbit, you're stuck with it for the next decade or more, unless you adopt him out, which is super stressful for the little guy. If you don't have at least 30min-1hour to follow him around/clean up his mess/interact with him the whole day, I don't suggest getting one. If you are super set on rabbits, I think you should just go out and get one, but I personally think the 33 gallon will be better. More temporary, and you can clear it out pretty much any time.