Size for my community tank?

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FishChem

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Jul 9, 2017
Messages
12
Location
Texas
Ok so this tank of mine is purely fictional and won't be realized for significant amount of time. I will not have the money, space or permissions(I'm 17) for this fictional tank. I currently in the real world have a 5 gallon planted aquarium with a betta, neon tetras and a catfish. (And yes I am aware I'm overstocked; I do a lot of cleaning and tests. The cat fish could use a friend but everyone's good.)

However my fictional tank would have a betta, 6 harliquin rasbora, 3 kuhli loaches and maybe a snail(s). With Java furn(anchored to some Malaysian Driftwood) Cryptocoryne pontederiifolia planted in a fine gravel substrate. With Hydrocharis dubia floating above. (Please tell me if these plants I'm thinking of are hard to come by, I'll find something like it). I would supplement with liquid fertilizer and probably root tabs. I plan on setting the temp at 80 and feeding slow sinking carnivore pellets and algae wafers. And occasional brine shrimp and blanched pea. I'm planning on putting a small air stone and lots of little hiding places.

I'm guessing something above 20 gallons with around 2w/g. However idk how much more then 20, or the wattege of heater I need.
Or how and I'd go about cleaning it and how often. The biggest tank I've ever cared for is 5g. I think cleaning steps are different for a 20+ tank.

Mostly I want to know the size I need, I can figure out everything else, but I want to find the sweet spot of the minimum tank size for a happy healthy little ecosystem following my description above.

Please give me your answer and why. With anything else I'm missing or need to change. For my fictional tank.♥️
 
Ime I find getting the biggest tank you can buy / fit. It will be ginormous and 9 months later you will be wishing the next size up was bought.
 
What kind of aquarium s do you suggest?
Like brand or filter type.
 
I'm in Western Australia so tends to be find a reputable shop that have a good warranty.

Assuming your in the US, I don't think I've heard any complaints on the dollar per gallon sales.

I've kept those rasbora's and found them very nice.

While your researching, I'd look into CO2 injection. You could get the tank and then maybe a year or two, see about CO2. It is hefty on startup cost (so I'd get tank first), but well worth looking into. Else you could do Anubias and Java Fern in a low light setup.
 
As big as possible. But there are conditions.
A large basin allows the keeping of large fish. Scalars, diskus, large cichlids. But what does the housekeeper say? Is the soil stable enough. There is something good in the cellar.
Some aquatic plants are very large. They can not hold it in a 15 gallon.
Changing the water is a lot of work.
A larger aquarium also remains clear and stable in the water parameters for longer.
I am a small aquarium holder. I live on the 6th floor of a rented house.
My biggest tank is 25 gallons.
But there are also beautiful plants and fish for this.
 
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