What's A Big Tank?

[dwarfgourami]

Who said anything about being banned from keeping a small tank? lol I think he meant in his opinion, not that it should be law

There's more to a fish's tank space needs than just their body size and waste production. Look at danios, they're the same size as many tetras, but need more swimming space because they're just a very active fish. Just like my old vieja intermedium cichlid needed a bigger tank than an oscar, despite his adult size being a couple of inches smaller and his waste production being much less - purely because of the fact that where he came from in the wild, and it's conditions, meant he needed a long tank with lots of swimming space.

I know you're not arguing for an actual legal ban- but I honestly don't see why he or anyone should be made to feel awkward about it either. As long he does it right and uses the right fish. My point was that there are a very very few species that are suitable for this- they are what I would call nano species. Which is not necessarily the same as being small bodied- I would not count dwarf danios as a nano species.

Your comparison with danios and viejas does not hold: I chose heterandrias as an example precisely because they are one of (admittedly few species) that do not require much space, even in proportion to tiny body length. They are not particularly active swimmers, they like a heavily planted tank where they can hide. And they are certainly not heavy waste producers. So comparing them to fish that have more-than-average swimming needs or produce more-than-average waste seems a bit pointless.

The extremely experienced livebearer breeder I got the heterandrias from keeps them in a piece of drainpipe laid out to simulate a small stream. It looked pretty good to me, in terms of reproducing a natural habitat.

 

[LisaLQ]

The argument does hold - you said their size and waste production meant they should be ok in tiny tanks, which might be true for that species but is certainly is not the general rule

 

[dwarfgourami]

The argument does hold - you said their size and waste production meant they should be ok in tiny tanks, which might be true for that species but is certainly is not the general rule

I think you will find if you look back to my first post in this thread that I specifically stated that nano tanks is for nano fish. I never mentioned anything about a general rule.

Indeed I don't see how you can have a general rule about what size fish tanks you need- obviously it's going to depend on what species you propose to keep and its characteristics. I am certainly not somebody who advocates keeping swordtails in 15 gallon tanks, or common plecs in 55 gallons. My position on this forum has always been that the responsible fishkeeper should research every single species they propose to keep as carefully as if it were a new mammal.

If you want to keep tanks under 10 gallons, then you will be restricted to a VERY limited selection of fish and/or invertebrates. But some of them are both rewarding and attractive.

 

[Teelie]

Anything around 75 is big to me though 75 is just barely large. IMO, anything between 29 and 75 is average or normal. Below that is smaller stuff and nano tanks. Anything bigger up to around 200 is a big tank and after that, enormous.

 

[kpintheshed]

i choose a 100 gallons and more. but i think a massive tank is 200+ gallons