Good starter size? New guy, here!

[woodsonfan]

Greetings all!

While this is my first post, you all have given me tons of great advice, without even knowing it!

Here's the deal: I have a 3 year old daughter who wanted a fish. Prior to doing any research, I purchased her a 5 gallon aquarium kit. She has one Betta in there, and we've had him for a month, or so. All is well on that front.

The problem: Now I've got the aquarium bug! I want something for myself, and something bigger. I've put a timeline of 6 months on this new purchase for a few reasons. 1) to ensure that the hobby is something I'm interested in keeping, and 2) to save up some cash. Ok, this isn't really the problem, but you get it, right?!

I've been looking on Craigslist for used aquariums and stands. Is this a practice you all would recommend, or not? I would be interested in just glass, and a sturdy stand. I would fit it with a new pump, substrate, yada, yada, yada.

Soooo, in closing...Do you think a 29 gallon is a good starter size? As well, do you see anything wrong with buying a used aquarium, barring any damage, and making sure it's in good working order?

Thanks for reading my novel! Hope everyone has a splendid day!

 

[shellieca]

WELCOME! 6 months ago I had no fish & no aquariums. I bought a Betta for my desk at work & a little 1g aquarium, I didn't know any better, needless to say he didn't make it, I knew NOTHING about cycling an aquarium. Well I now have 2 10g tanks & a 46g, all bought at Petsmart because of good deals. Others on AA have had great success purchasing through Craigslist so I say if you inspect it & see if they'll do a water test for you to check out & all looks good go for it. Make sure they did use it for an aquarium & not to keep reptiles in. Ask questions until you're satisfied if the seller doesn't want to answer questions, go elsewhere IMO. Good luck & happy fishkeeping.

 

[George9]

A 29 would be a great starter size!

Everyone uses craigslist for cheap tanks. Nothin wrong with buying a used tank. Just make sure the tank holds water and everything works and stuff.

Edit: welcome to AA too!!

 

[blert]

Welcome to AA!

Nothing wrong with buying a used tank, just make sure the silicon is in good shape and make the seller fill it with water before you buy it. If they don't want to fill it then don't buy it.
If it comes with a filter have the seller hook it up and show you that it works, and in the case of a canister filter make sure to check for leaks.

Also, check for water damage on the stand. Most of what you find will likely be pressboard construction and if there is water damage it can lead to weakening and catastrophic failure.

A 29 gallon is a good size, plenty of room for stock and a good mass of water for stability. Bigger is always better because more water means less chance of stability issues and more options for live stock. Go with the biggest you are willing to take on. Bigger does not always mean more work for you and can actually be quite the opposite.

Since you are taking your time, look into what fish you want to keep and make sure to get a tank that is adequate for that live stock.

Take a look at the stickies in the Getting Started forum and read up on cycling the tank so you are prepared when the time comes.

 

[ErinF90]

Since you haven't bought a tank yet, look into different options for stocking first, go to your LFS (local fish store), see what is available, then go online and read as much as you can. That way you don't buy a tank then really want something and realize you don't have the tank size for it! Also as already mentioned bigger doesn't necessarily mean more work, especially if you get a python (not the snake, but a tank to sink filler/vacuum ). Same thing happened to me now I have a 10g, 46g and a 90g and am enjoying every minute of it!!!

 

[librarygirl]

I'd say go with the largest you can fit in the space you have and can afford. A 29 is an OK size, I had one for a while; it looked large when I first got it but then it started to seem limiting so I upgraded to a 40 breeder. Plus you might wish you'd gone bigger down the road, so I'd say a 40 breeder mimimum if you can fit it in the space you have.

 

[woodsonfan]

Wow! I stepped away for an hour or so, and came back to some great suggestions! Thanks, to all!

One more question, at what size tank do you start getting into stocking levels? That is something I'm interested in.

Thanks again, friends!

 

[Bbarb27]

I started with a 29 and think its a good size to start with. Not too expensive re: lights, equipment, not too large to clean/upkeep, and large enough that you have a little wiggle room re: stocking, water paramaters, etc. Starting with a 10 or even a 20 doesn't give you as many stocking options, and the footprint for a 29 is the same as a 20 long.

Craiglist is a good option, but sometimes it's hard to be patient until the right thing comes along. I've also re-purposed sturdy furniture (printer stands, tv stands) to put my tanks on.

Good luck and enjoy!

 

[mikeISright]

I started with a 29 but i wish i wouldve started with a 55. If you start with a 29 gallon i gaurantee you will regret down the road and wish you had a bigger tank. Do your research first and then buy the 55 gallon

 

[librarygirl]

Wow! I stepped away for an hour or so, and came back to some great suggestions! Thanks, to all!

One more question, at what size tank do you start getting into stocking levels? That is something I'm interested in.

Thanks again, friends!

Not sure what you mean in terms of stocking; every size tank has it's stocking limits. A 5 gal is different than a 20 gal and that's different than a 40, etc. Do you know about cycling? This guide might help answer some of your questions: http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f15/guide-to-starting-a-freshwater-aquarium-186089.html

 

[woodsonfan]

Thanks, Library Girl! I've read a bunch of the stickies. To elaborate on my question, I'm aware that only so many fish will fit in specific sized aquariums, but, I'm asking about looking into fish that stay at the top, middle, and bottom of the aquarium, if that makes sense. I know when you have a smaller tank that can't hold as many fish, this isn't as possible.

So, I guess I'm asking...in a 29 gallon, can you stock your tank so that you can follow the top, mid, and bottom stocking? Is that something you consider at any size?

Thanks for your help.

 

[blert]

...
So, I guess I'm asking...in a 29 gallon, can you stock your tank so that you can follow the top, mid, and bottom stocking? Is that something you consider at any size?
...

Other than very small tanks that can only accommodate a few fish that is a very good way to go about stocking. One would not want to overcrowd the top while leaving the bottom empty. It can also give the impression of a very active tank with minimal stock.

 

[woodsonfan]

Great! Thank you! That's what I wanted to make sure of. I want it to look as active as possible, while maintaing a proper number of fish.