MTS

[cginflorida]

I want to get another tank soon, and then use my 10 [acronym:065451e270="Gallon"]gal[/acronym:065451e270] as a [acronym:065451e270="quarantine or quart depending on context"]QT[/acronym:065451e270].

I'd like a 55 [acronym:065451e270="Gallon"]gal[/acronym:065451e270] but when I looked at them and saw how big they are, I kind of waffled and thought hmm maybe a 30 [acronym:065451e270="Gallon"]gal[/acronym:065451e270] will do.

I need y'all to convince me that I really NEED a 55 [acronym:065451e270="Gallon"]gal[/acronym:065451e270], and that water changes will be a breeze if I get a Python.

[Devilishturtles]

[acronym:f4477a7648="Laughing out loud"]LOL[/acronym:f4477a7648]. What are you planning to get, or what would you like to get?

The cool thing with a 55 [acronym:f4477a7648="Gallon"]gal[/acronym:f4477a7648]. is that you can put "pretty much" anything in it, as long as everything is compatible. With a 30 [acronym:f4477a7648="Gallon"]gal[/acronym:f4477a7648]., you are a little more limited on what you can raise. Just a thought.

Let us know.

[cginflorida]

So many choices, I'm not really sure what I want to get yet. Have to get fish that are compatible with a male betta, so no long finned ones.

I need to do more research and make a list, and I'll be sure to ask for advice.

[TankGirl]

The only thing I don't like about a 55 is how narrow it is. To me, it seems like a small tank just because of that, and I am anxious to upgrade to a 90 or 120. The bigger, the easier they are to take care of, so if you have room, go bigger. Your options increase exponentially.

[deli_conker]

Originally Posted by TankGirl

The only thing I don't like about a 55 is how narrow it is. To me, it seems like a small tank just because of that, and I am anxious to upgrade to a 90 or 120. The bigger, the easier they are to take care of, so if you have room, go bigger. Your options increase exponentially.

The narrowness (?) of it doesn't bother me as much as the length. I thought about getting a 75 or a 90, but it doesn't really give the fish more room to swim because the largest dimension is still 48 inches. My next large tank will be 72 inches (hopefully more) to give a long dimension for swimming.

Definitely go as big as you can. It's well worth it to get the highest quality stuff and largest tank that you can even if you have to wait a while to save up for it etc. Remember, patience is required to be successful in this hobby...

[cginflorida]

Okay, I'm convinced to get at least a 55, thanks everyone. Right now, that's probably the biggest I can get because of space.

Now, those of you with large tanks - do you all use Pythons for water changes, and do you like them? Are they as easy to use as advertised?

[acronym:0d5676f3ce="Thanks in Advance"]TIA[/acronym:0d5676f3ce]

[smallfry]

I LOVE my python....it is soooooooooooo much easier to clean the tank. The only thing I have to worry about is sucking up Platy fry...the intake tube is large and suction is powerful so just be careful of smaller fish. But it's so worth not having to lug 500 buckets of water to and from the tank...and it decreases the amount of time you need to have the filter/lights/heater off. RE: your tank size...I know you're planning on a 55g...I have a 46g which is nice because it's not as long as a 55, but still large enough to work with.
*Although I must say it's almost full to capacity and I have so many more fish I want to add and combos I want to try....sigh... But with a small apt. that's all I can get for now.

[poikilotherm]

The ideal dimensions of the tank seem to me to depend on the fish you have. The narrowness of the 55 is only a problem if you want to stock it with a few large fish, and they end up having to do 3-point turns to turn around. Shallower "long" tanks are better for oxygen exchange and for providing extra swimming room for a given volume. Deeper tanks are better if you want to layer your fish or keep tall fish like angels.

I wish I had bought a 55 (I used to have one) instead of my 29, I keep having to sell fish back to the [acronym:81d4ab895b="Local Fish Store"]LFS[/acronym:81d4ab895b] to get new ones ([acronym:81d4ab895b="Malaysian Trumpet Snails or Multiple Tank Syndrome, depending on context"]MTS[/acronym:81d4ab895b] is not an option right now... )

Enjoy your new tank!