Bigger is not always better

[twoodrough]

I started with a perfectly fine 10 gallen tank with a beautiful betta and 3 zebras. That was almost 2 years ago. I read the "bigger is better" advice and got a 40 gallon. That tank got ich, I got bad advice from LFS and lost 9 fish in one day. Didn't like the buckets and buckets of water changes. Sold that and got a 20 and thought that would make me happy. Still didn't like the buckets and buckets of water changes. So now I am back down to a 10 again and think this is where I really want to stay. If I make a mistake I will only lose a few fish. Maybe someday I will go bigger again, but for now I am perfectly happy.

I understand why the bigger is better theory works. But "bigger" is not always for everyone. It wasn't for me.

 

[Gawang]

Bigger is still technically "better". More water means more work, however, you can create much larger scenes and more beautiful landscapes. Also, you get more fish to love and care for. Ich is entirely unrelated to a larger tank size and you'll get poor employees anywhere. Sorry for your experience, but Ich and bad advice is entirely not-dependent on tank size.

As well, yes you can lose more fish in a larger tank, but you can also keep more fish, and generally those fish will be much happier with more swimming space.

 

[laoski]

have you tried dosing your aquarium with itch remover chemical? sometimes raising temps and water changes doenst do the trick ^_^

 

[Starka]

If its the large wc you could get a python
I am looking into one before my back goes out due to the caring 5gal buckets over my head. Lol

 

[twoodrough]

I know ich is not related to tank size. But big water changes are. The bad advice would have had less effect had I found this place first. The ich happened in my first month of keeping as a result of a newby mistake, and I found you guys the second month.

I would have loved a python but it wasn't worth the cost for a 40.

There is something to be said for starting smaller. Right now, in my 10, I am figuring out what I have to do to keep my nitrates really low so some day I can get a ram. I am finding that even frequent 50% changes are not doing the trick, so I either have to have the bigger tank for rams, or less and smaller fish than I have now. 50% water changes on a 10 are nothing, but to do it on a large tank is a pain (without a python, of course).

Also, with a 10 there is less fish turnover, so there is less expense in keeping stocked. Once I can go for a long time without losing a single fish due to mistakes, I will feel better about getting more of them.

For me, I am liking learning on the 10, and maybe someday I will go bigger again.

 

[Joe5688]

I went from a 35g to a 100g in less then 2 months. Best decision ever lol.

Yeah bucket pwc suck but when u have a python its cake.

 

[Starka]

I can agree with starting smaller. It was a great learning experence. Went from a 1gal to 5gal to a 10, 20, 26. And still have more

 

[janky]

Definitely started small myself...
although it seems like the initial maintenance while cycling is much more meticulous and attentive, where as in a bigger tank it is more forgiving.
I don't mind a workout, so the buckets of wc don't bother me

Of course, in the scenario you described, you'd kind of be screwed either way

To each their own; whatever makes you the happiest is what you should pursue!

 

[gman42]

you dont have to do large wc. i have a 40g and i do a 1-2 gallon wc every day or two.
thats not large compared to doing 10 g wc each week.
i have a 40g and a 10 g, and both have the same maitnence, and the same scheduele.

 

[Wy Renegade]

Sometimes smaller is easier. I have a 20L, and 30H, and a 65 set up saltwater at school. When its time to take one down due to time considerations, its always the 65 that I take down.

 

[twoodrough]

It is so nice to know that there are people that actually agree with me on this. I have learned a lot with the other tanks (hard newby lessons) but I wish I would have stayed with my 10 gallon from the start.

I still have one of my fish from that set up tank. He has been through 4 tanks and 2 bouts of ich and many, many screw ups.

Right now, after just getting through ich, my barb has a scale that looks weird and I am worried that it might be another spot (please no!). If I had big tank with loads of fish I would be freaking out a lot right now. As it is, if it is ich again, I do then best I can to get on top of it, but worse case scenario I lose 4 fish that cost less than $30.