Tank big, no bigger. BIGGER

[Squatching_Fish]

So I’m In the process of getting my tank I got my stand, I was going to get a 36 gallon bow front. But that Really limited the kinds of fish I want. Then I said hmm 55g tank sounds Big. That more than a barrel of oil, but heck I’ll take the leap. I can do it. (48L x 18x something  height). Then I looked at the dimensions for a 90g tank same just little taller and inch wider. Not much more expensive and now I want that. 90 gallons x 8 gallons a pound = 720 pounds + 100 pounds gravel = 820 + cool fish = 825lbs for a 1000 lbs rated stand.

 

I have never owned anything this big before. Biggest was like 30 gallons. My main question is.

1.Is upkeep going to be easier? Or harder

2. I will get adequate / overkill filtration.

3. It will open up a new world of fish I can keep, what are things that would be a nice show piece and I could build a community / multi species around.

4. What was y’alls experience with your first big ole tank.

”smells like fish in here”

- Ghenghis Khan 

Edited yesterday at 04:16 PM by Squatching_Fish
Errors and forgot some stuff

[Tlindsey]

On 9/18/2024 at 12:12 PM, Squatching_Fish said:

So I’m In the process of getting my tank I got my stand, I was going to get a 36 gallon bow front. But that Really limited the kinds of fish I want. Then I said hmm 55g tank sounds Big. That more than a barrel of oil, but heck I’ll take the leap. I can do it. (48L x 18x something  height). Then I looked at the dimensions for a 90g tank same just little taller and inch wider. Not much more expensive and now I want that. 90 gallons x 8 gallons a pound = 720 pounds + 100 pounds gravel = 820 + cool fish = 825lbs for a 1000 lbs rated stand.

 

I have never owned anything this big before. Biggest was like 30 gallons. My main question is.

1.Is upkeep going to be easier? Or harder

2. I will get adequate / overkill filtration.

3. It will open up a new world of fish I can keep, what are things that would be a nice show piece and I could build a community / multi species around.

4. What was y’alls experience with your first big ole tank.

”smells like fish in here”

- Ghenghis Khan 

1. Actually easier more water volume.

2. No need for overkill filtration with adequate aquarium maintenance and water changes. 

3. New world as in cichlids?

4. I've had a 180 gallon since the early 90's. I had 2 Marbled Catshark's in it at the time. Now just a couple of cichlids and 3 Polypterus are in it now.

[AllFishNoBrakes]

The biggest tanks I have are 55. If I had to do it all over again, I would probably go with 75’s, or maybe even 90’s. 
 

There’s pros and cons to everything, right? So here’s what I think regarding my 55’s

Pros:

-Typically, larger volumes of water will tend to be more stable. The larger the volume, the more it takes of X substance to actually make a difference. 
-Bigger tanks means bigger fish. Or more fish. Just generally sooooo many more options open up the bigger you get. 
 

Cons:

-More water. A 20% water change on a 30 gallon vs. a 90 gallon is 3 times as big. 6 gallons on a 30 vs. 18 gallons on the 90. Depending on if you have to pay for your water or not, what type of hot water heater you have, how many tanks you have, etc. things can get exponentially more expensive with bigger tanks.

-Hardscape in general will be more expensive, as you will simply need more of it. You can go to landscaping places, rock quarries, etc. to try to control cost, but objectively a bigger tank is just going to be more expensive to fill.

-Fish can be more expensive. You can throw an Oscar in there and it’ll be super cheap. However, like hardscape, you will generally just need more fish if you’re going with a community tank. 12 Neon Tetras looks nice in a 30 gallon tank. 24+ will be needed to have the same look in a 90 gallon, in my opinion. Objectively, more fish means more food. And more food is more money.

-Plants will be more expensive, as you will simply need more. Or, you can be super patient and wait for the tank to fill in. Striking a balance with fewer plants tends to be more difficult, though, at least in my experience. So, get as many plants as you can afford to help stave off algae early on in the tanks life. Simply means that will be more expensive to do than with a smaller tank. 

-Equipment, in general, can be more expensive. Bigger lights. Maybe multiple lights. Probably multiple lids. Do you need or want a canister filter? How big does it need to be? Do you want to add a spray bar to that canister? Do you want a HOB? How big? How many of those? Are you gonna do a Canister and a sponge? Canister and a HOB? Big HOB and a sponge? Co2? Gonna take more co2 than a small tank! Sponge filter(s)? How many? Wavemakers or power heads? You just need bigger and more equipment with bigger tanks. Or you can throw a couple sponges in there and call it a day. Just depends on what you’re trying to accomplish. 
-In my opinion, more space can be easier to scape as you can more easily create depth, but getting everything planted and everything arranged can be a pain. I’m a tall guy (6’1”) and larger tanks get my sleeves wet if I forget to roll them up when I have to grab something off the bottom if the tank is full of water. It can just be super annoying at times. I also put my 55 gallon Angel tank on the top of my rack, so maybe that wasn’t the best decision. Looks incredible and I love admiring that tank with my big Angels at or slightly above me standing at the tank, but working on the tank can be a pain. 
 

I realize this seems like my lists lean heavily to negatives, but that’s not really my opinion. I think bigger tanks are great! They just objectively cost more and can take more time, which is something else to consider.

I think the general rule of “the biggest tank you can afford and that fits in that space” is still good advice. Then you don’t have to “upgrade” that 55 to a 75 or 90 when you ultimately realize that “big 55” isn’t really that big. 

 

Edited yesterday at 04:55 PM by AllFishNoBrakes

[Tony s]

Personally, I almost always regret getting the smaller tank. Our 75g is great, but a 125 would have gone in that spot. and the fish selection would have been larger. Ultimately it depends on what you really want to keep. Schooling fish can go in every size tank. But severum (i want some) and orandas (I also want some) can't. So, If you want the big fish, you'll always regret not going bigger

[quikv6]

I'd say a 90 will push 900 lbs. I would not be comfortable that close to the max weight limit on the stand.

I also prefer a 75 as opposed to a 90, as I don't like getting up to my shoulders in water when working with my hand around the gravel. Also, you may need a stronger light if planted as well. (For a 90).

I have a 180. I went from a 75 to a 125, to a 180. The 180 has been the best footprint of a tank I have. I much prefer a 6 foot tank, but a 75 would be the 4 foot equivalent to the 180 I have.

Consider a 75 if limited to 4 feet.

[lefty o]

a bigger tank is generally easier/less upkeep. it will take slightly longer than say a 36, but it can normally be done a good bit less frequently.

[mynameisnobody]

Go as big as you can possibly afford, expense or not, you’ll get much more time to enjoy your fish. I rarely do anything more than regular maintenance and I’ve yet to have a sudden water swing. 

[Retrophyllum_minus]

On 9/18/2024 at 12:50 PM, Tony s said:

So, If you want the big fish, you'll always regret not going bigger

Or if you want Licorice Gouramis you can go super small like a 5 gallon. Hah. But honestly, I've got no interest in trying to bring my pH down low enough to keep them even though they seem fun. 

[Lynaea]

If it was me I would do some pearl gourami and a large school of rasboras with schools of cories and kuhli loaches for the bottom. 
But really, start with a larger fish and build a community around it.

[Squatching_Fish]

This was great info. I bought the 48” aquarium coop light before they’re gone 180$. Yikes but Corey videos swayed me to it. I’m a tall dude so 90 cleaning no issue but I could be happy with 75g for sure. Thanks everyone 

 

“Who farted”

-George Washington