Which Aquarium Size Is Better?

I want to upgrade a 10 and 20 gallon tank into one, to reduce on my number of tanks.
I have 3 size options, and I am not sure which one is the better choice!

We have the...

29 Gallon 30 x 12 x 18
30 Gallon 36 x 12 x 16
33 Gallon long 48 x 12 x 13

(Of course there are the .5 or .75s etc. that I left off the measurements!)

I can't consider a 30 breeder as it won't fit into the area I keep my aquariums.
Stocking is just some neon and pristilla tetras, pygmy corydora, 2 male guppies and a male swordtail.

 

I would go for the 33 long. Guppies and neons both like to swim quickly around and the longer tank will allow them more space in a straight line.

 

I must have the lamest group of neon Tetras then as they never leave the left side of their aquarium haha.
I want the 33 long as well, but it’s $120 for just the tank, not to mention a new lid and light and as a teacher who doesn’t get paid over the summer I don’t know if I can do all that currently. I may have to wait till the fall but I have to then take some new classes to update my certification. The 30 is 99 which again is still pricey. The 29 is only 29 with the PetCo dollar per gallon sale which should start soon, but it’s kind of tall and the tank would be on the top shelf of my 6 foot stand and I’m not that tall! My 20 tall is already a pain to get into lol.

 

If I was in your possition I would probably go for the cheap option. 29 us dollars is far cheaper than anything I have ever seen in my country it seems almost too good to be true.

 

That’s very true yet I am afraid I may regret it lol. I’m very indecisive, hence why I need help debating the pros and cons of all 3 tank sizes!

 

I must have the lamest group of neon Tetras then as they never leave the left side of their aquarium haha.
I want the 33 long as well, but it’s $120 for just the tank, not to mention a new lid and light and as a teacher who doesn’t get paid over the summer I don’t know if I can do all that currently. I may have to wait till the fall but I have to then take some new classes to update my certification. The 30 is 99 which again is still pricey. The 29 is only 29 with the PetCo dollar per gallon sale which should start soon, but it’s kind of tall and the tank would be on the top shelf of my 6 foot stand and I’m not that tall! My 20 tall is already a pain to get into lol.

To serve budget and function, I would get the 30 gallons. 36 inches long is reasonable and 16 high will make it more pleasant to maintain.

The other one is too short I find, even though it’s cheaper.

 

^ That was one of my concerns with the 33 long. 13 inches isn't that high, and my plants from the 20 are all rather tall and wouldn't fit into that tank!

 

My thoughts -- what is the height of your current 20-gallon tank? Google says a 20-high is 16" tall? OK - you already said that your 20-tall is a pain to get into. So, I think that would rule out the 29-gallon tank, since it's even taller - even though the price is tempting. I think the long-term maintenance is what you really need to consider most (of course, the well-being of your fish too!).

How MUCH of a pain is it to take care of your current tank, because of the height? The 30-gallon tank would be the same height as your 20 - are you OK with continuing to cope with the same height as your current tank, only with a larger footprint? Or would knocking a few inches off that height make a big enough difference in ease of caring for the tank?

*IF* the extra 3" off of the height would actually make your life easier - then I'd say go with the 33-gallon tank. You mentioned your plants - are they the type of plants that could be trimmed back & kept shorter? Are all of them too tall for a 13" high tank? Maybe you'd have to replace a couple of them? Which matters more to you - making it easier to get into the tank for the long run (IF the shorter tank would make a big enough difference) & maybe letting a couple plants go -- or keeping your current plants but keeping the same height tank that you have right now? I'm guessing there's not a good option to put the tank in a different location that's easier for you?

Only you can say just how **much** difference it would (or wouldn't) make for you, to have a shorter tank to keep up with... But based on what you've told us, that would be my deciding factor, if I were in your shoes (and I'd be indecisive & waffling back & forth over it too - I'm terribly indecisive myself! Easier for me to give advice here, than to make this type of decision for myself! LOL!)

While the upfront cost might be a genuine hardship at first, or even cause a delay in your upgrade- once you are able to buy your new tank & any needed peripherals, then you've got it & should hopefully have it for a long long time - but the ongoing maintenance is something you'll deal with over & over again for as many years as you keep the tank. Good luck, whatever you decide!!

ETA: Oh, and since I only have corys & a pleco, other folks will be better at saying whether the 33 gallon tank is OK for the other fish you have?

 

I did a water change today and it was a pain to get to the right side of the tank and to get down to the bottom. Of course it could be because I have a short syphon.
Technically I could move the tank to the left side of the stand which would make it easier to get to, as there is a stand alone freezer about a foot away from the tank stand, makes it tight to get into that spot.

Now I am thinking, I have 2 ten gallons. One I would be replacing and one I wouldn't be. One of them is on the middle shelf which isn't as wide as the 48 inch top shelf, so it is on the shelf side ways next to a 20 long. This 10 I highly dislike lol. It could be because of the way it is on the shelf, or because it is on the right side near the stand alone freezer. The other 10 I love though, it is my oldest tank and it is nicely planted. If I got a 30 or 33 I would likely have to take down that tank and I don't want to. I currently have 3 tanks in my room. I can take 2 of those down to the tank shelf in the basement. They are a 5.5 gallon tank a 2.7 gallon cube. They would fit nicely in the open spaces left by the removal of the 10 next to the 20 and in the remaining space on the top shelf (48 - 30 (29 gallon) = 18 inches of free space) a 5.5 could easily fit next to it, and I can then put my planted tank in my room. If I did the others, I would have no room and have to get rid of something as I don't have room for an additional tank in my room. Ugh. Too many possibilities! lol

But I really want that 33!! But then it is too short!! My Crypt plant that I have is a nice and tall one (I can't remember the name, retrospiralis maybe?) wouldn't look good in there. They are already over 12 inches tall.