Should I Get A 55g Or 75g Tank?

[celaeno]

if i don't ever plan on keeping fish in excess of 6", will a 55g do? or is a 75g better? the 55g is 48x13x20" and the 75g is 48x18x20", so the main difference is the extra 5" in width.

i only have a 2.5g bucket to do water changes with, so that's why i like the 55g more.

 

[tangokitty]

Bigger is always better you can have more fish! But a 55 gallon is fine if you only want small fish. What fish did you want?

Can't you get a bigger bucker?? LOL

 

[blodhi74]

As Tango Kitty stated. Bigger the better.
You will have more options in the future.
If you are worried about water changes ... you can do small water changes every third day.
I do 10% every third day and 25% once in a week or 2.

 

[Faythee]

The bigger the better. Get a "Python" gravel cleaner that hooks to the tap and it will be MUCH easier !

 

[rhostog]

I doubt there are many people on here who say 'I wish I'd bought a smaller tank'! On the other hand, the number who wish they'd got a bigger tank...

If you're not short of space, always go for the bigger one, and you can have lots of different small fish, larger shoals, more variety.

I'm impressed at your planning, thinking about the water changes before you get the tank - how many of us came home with the tank and then started thinking about how to get water into and out of it... Big buckets full of water can be heavy and you don't want to slosh dirty tank water all over your floor, so if you can't fix up a python, how about... 2 buckets? Store one inside the other?

 

[Socks]

I used to have the 55,and now have the 75.I think the extra 5 inches makes a huge difference in how the tank looks,thats 5 more inches to play with for aquascape and fish houses,can't go wrong with the 75 as long as an extra trip with that tiny bucket isn't too much of a pain.

 

[Edge]

I think the extra depth would be great for aquascaping. If you start putting in rock piles or 3D backgrounds then that 13" of space will soon get used up. There's a good post somewhere on here about making you own python water changer; it's a lot easier than buckets

 

[Tobigara]

i suggest going with the larger one. it gives you more freedom with fish, aquascaping and it's easier to keep the water healthy for the fish. i've heard people say "the solution to polution is dilution". plus if you get the 55 and later decide that you want a certain fish that gets too big for it, you'll kick yourself in the rear

as for the bucket issue...i totally understand. i have a 55 gallon and a 60 gallon and 3 more smaller tanks and a 3 gallon bucket. it's a pain but worth it

 

[tyyrlym]

I have a 55 gallon tank right now. I'd love a 75. Even if you're only keeping small fish, like me, you can keep MORE small fish in a bigger tank.

The added 5" of width will make a huge difference when it comes to aquascaping, there's just not much room in a 13" wide tank to give things any depth. As for your bucket issue, buy a 5 gallon one at a hardware store if you don't have a physical limitation, they should be only a few bucks. If weight is an issue there's always the python route, or a small pump.

 

[ALW]

75G bigger is better!

 

[Biulu]

I would say it depends on what you want to do with it in terms of lay-out and fish. big shoals of small fish look very impressive in a larger tank and their colours come out better in my opinion in a planted tank.

But if you don't want to go planted, I think it is not worth it. Don't forget that the more depth also means that it is more difficult to reach the back! If you are a small person (like me), this can be an extra hassle.

 

[kj23502]

Don't forget that the more depth also means that it is more difficult to reach the back! If you are a small person (like me), this can be an extra hassle.

Bah... I'm only 5 feet tall and have a 125 gallon tall. The tank itself is 26" tall, not to mention the stand that it sits on. I got a step stool

Bigger is better. Pretty much like everyone stated. You can have more fish and more aquascaping room. More possibilities...you can begin daydreaming

 

[afireinside]

If you can afford the 75 gallon, get it. Assuming you have the room to set it up. Bigger is better.

 

[catfish101]

yeah deffo go with the 75. every day I am regreting getting the 60 gallon( same as 55 gallon except 24 inches tall) its just so limited with aqua scaping such as finding pieces of driftwood and stuff. Also the width is really the ony demension keeping you from larger fish like say a 9'' catfish or something. even if u do keep smaller fish bigger is ALWAYS better.

 

[Starfishpower]

agreed, bigger is better in this case. also, dont just look in the major pet stores for aquariums. petsmarts near me sell 55 gallon tanks for $120. and guess what, i can go over to the lfs where an old friend of mine works at and they have 75 gallon tanks of the same or better quality for the same price, $120. so shop around.

a piece of advice, take this for what you deem it is worthy of.
i have heard it time and time again from ppl in this hobby that once someone has been bitten by the aquarium bug they will always be an aquari-ist. this quite possibly could be a life long hobby for you. through-out your life your tastes are libel to change and you may end up wanting different types of fish - fish that get over 6" even. because of this you should never get rid of your equipment, even if you take a break from it for a few years, this way when you start to remember the joy aquariums bring you will already have the materials to get things rolling again instead of having to repurchase all new equipment. so if you start off with a bigger tank right now it may work out for the best in years to come. hope this helps.