Tiny Tanks, Big Savings: Why Small Aquariums Are the Best Choice For Beginners
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Is bigger always better? Cory sits down with us to talk about smaller aquariums and some of their benefits. He started off the hobby interested in monster fish and African cichlids, so he is very familiar with giant tanks. However, large aquariums do cost a lot of money (to equip, decorate, and maintain), and they change the way we keep fish. Cory watched @ChrisLukhaup maintain his 6 nano tanks throughout the week in a very relaxed fashion when he had 30 minutes of spare time. The ease of maintenance can sometimes make the hobby more enjoyable and help prevent burnout.
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At Aquarium Co-Op, we focus on your aquariums. We specialize in freshwater tropical fish, aquatic plants, and the overall betterment of the freshwater fish keeping hobby. Our goal is to help you with your first pet fish and graduate you to an advanced aquarium hobbyist. If you'd like to take it to the next level, subscribe to Aquarium Co-Op and check out our weekly videos.
Cory McElroy is employed by Aquarium Co-Op LLC. He also owns Aquarium Co-Op LLC. Therefore, all content is sponsored by Aquarium Co-Op.
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*What's your favorite small aquarium size to keep?* Check out our favorite nano fish ideas for your next small tank: kzhead.info/sun/lLJxYMiQloShp3k/bejne.html
I really enjoy my 20gal tanks. I have a 10 gallon for shrimp right now, and I'm trying to set up another 10 gallon. Not sure what I want to stock it with yet. Just growing out some plants for the time being.
I like my 20 long. I live in an apartment and one 20 gallon aquarium is the max that is allowed. I keep nano fish. I’d love to have live bearers, but don’t want to have to deal with the population explosion.
Love my 16 gallon Waterbox. Get them on their sales and pay $80 shipped to your door for a 2-foot tank. Low iron glass, 45-degree corners.
Planted beta tank is the best starter tank. The fish is so interactive so you tend to interact with the tank more
Cory, why do you always make so much sense when I watch one of your videos?
I'm a 61-year-old disabled lady and there is no way I could pack around all the stuff required for a big tank. So far I have one 10 gallon tank and of course I want more but of course I'm also on a tight budget. This discussion all makes perfect sense to me.
I will never have as many tanks as I have now. I have all small tanks but like you I am not always in the physical or mental state to address all that can go wrong or all that needs to be done. I'm just a little overworked right now but it really opened my eyes to not be tempted to get a new type of fish or all the gadgetry that is available and advertised and talked about everywhere....especially on youtube.
Try acrylic cubes of 8-12 inches. You could have have them made at your local plastics store, or get the materials and create your own. I'm currently raising my orange Sunkist shrimp and lamp eye killi fry in a 10 inch cube.
Having a sensible approach to a hobby , will always reap rewards for the average enthusiast , rather than perhaps the person who's trying to impress others by the amount of money spent on achieving what they consider to be perfection .
You could try storage containers like a 72 quart hefty, a hdx tote from home depot, or even a regular ol' sterilite thats laying around in your house. These are great alternatives for aquraiums on a budget.
I love little tanks, I get the most enjoyment from a 4 gallon tank containing shrimp and chilli rasbora that sits on my desk at work, because It's small enough to be in an area that I spend 8 hours a day in. My big issue with small tanks is that most of them aren't designed with small fish in mind, the lids have gaps that nano fish and dwarf frogs can escape from, they come with power filters that suck up shrimp or they come with lights too weak to grow demanding plants.
Use a sponge on the filter intake. The little shrimpy dudes won't get sucked up. 😊
A small tank can be the right choice, but I will say that my larger tanks are more 'forgiving'. When something goes wrong in a small tank, it seems to escalate more quickly in my very limited experience. BTW, you're looking great, Cory!
Couldn't have explained my thoughts better
I agree although I'd say it depends on the person. If you're someone who is inclined to want to "fettle" with a tank every day and perhaps do small things often, then a nano tank is fine for them. Large tanks do tend to need longer sessions, less often. Different people like different things. Info online and water testing etc makes things SO much easier than when I started 30 years ago.
I wonder if it’s the American way. Bigger is better?
Absolutely true, but from my experience the recent trend is to understock and prioritize plants over fish. I've seen people suggest nothing but tetras and shrimp for tanks as large as 55g, which both creates a great look and basically eliminates the need for maintenance. By the same token, a 10g stocked with a dozen microrasboras can easily be set up by a beginner and will pretty much run indefinitely. And if you get the itch to mess with the tank, you can always rescape or buy new plants.
Listen to some of the older guys and gals out there ,and Cory you’re getting to be one of them lol. That is a compliment.Keep it simple. The one hobby that less is best.
I agree with you Cory. I stopped fish keeping for a few years because I got fed up maintaining my two big tanks. Now I have two small tanks under 20 gallons. Maintenance is a breeze and I enjoy the hobby more this time round.
I did the same thing. I wish someone had told me earlier that smaller tanks were ok too as long as they are stocked appropriately.
I had the same problem - I physically just couldn't keep up with the upkeep, having a bad back. I'm only now, a few years later, starting with a couple of nano tanks that I'm putting more effort into with plants and aquascaping. I'm finding it quite satisfying and I'd always overlooked very small fish, but now I'm realising how much they have to offer too.
@@michellep4792 I agree! Nano fish are awesome!
Thank you for this video! I'm 58 and have enjoyed my 5 and 10 gallon aquariums for years. But because sooo many fishkeepers that I watch have suggested that it's better and easier to have a big aquarium, I got myself a 40b. That tank was the most expensive to fill with plants, hard scape and water. Water changes are difficult for me. I really enjoy my smaller aquariums. It's the nano life for me🙂
That watering can thing just blew my mind. It's so simple and obvious when you say it. It's going to be easier than lugging around a bucket, and when you fill your tank with the "shower" head of a watering can, it's not going to blow out your substrate. I have a bunch of small tanks, and I think this just changed how I do maintenance 🤔.
I first heard about using a watering can from The Small Scape and my mind was absolutely blown! Totally changed the dreaded choose of topping off, so I do it more consistently now
A 20g long is the best entry level size. You can plant them, stock them, and even treat them very easily. They also don't cost a lot, they'll fit pretty much anywhere.
I love mine and want another one ❤
Was going to make the same comment.
Not everyone has the privilege to have a 20 gallon.
@@alexbwja I like my 5.5 gallon tank and the ten gallon tank is great too easy to take care of
@@Sea-forest that's awesome! Same! I also have a 3 gallon no fish aquarium. I hate the idea of people acting like a 20 gallon is easy and affordable
This mindset is exactly what is saving me from burn out. I went from 8 tanks to 5 (plus a quarantine tank makes 6). Downsizing alone has made maintenance much less daunting. Not to mention now my two largest tanks are 10 gallons, and my 3 other tanks are 6 gallon betta tanks. Even my quarantine tank is a little 5 gallon bare bottom tank. So long story short… “smaller is better” has definitely helped me out!
I wish I never had multiple tank syndrome. For me, 3 tanks would be great...maybe a 20 gal, and two 10s...With so many so much can go wrong and if it does everything takes more time and more stress. The only thing that has kept me positive is that finally I have had some success and some breather space between sick fish or algae. There's such a beast that is too much of a good thing...at least my experience.
I only have 1 55 gal tank now, best choice I've made
Since I started the hobby, I always went towards nano tanks. My aquariums do not pass the 3 gallons, and I always keep shrimps. My favourite part is aquascaping these small tanks and the joy they bring to just have them so small and beautiful to watch and how they make maintenance so easy!
I have a 3 year old 14 gallon planted community, it’s such an easy tank. I can get away with changing the water once a month, the whole process takes maybe 15 minutes. I never even have algae so I don’t have to worry about scrubbing. That tank is basically all enjoyment, almost no fuss.
I am a huge fan of 20 longs and smaller. Super easy to setup. Affordable and low stress as far as setup💚💚💚💚💚💚
This hobby is so great. One reason is that it can ebb and flow with your life. I've been in and "out" since 1980. The hobby has changed in 45 years. Sometimes for me a few small aquariums are best and sometimes a forty or 55 gal works better. The hobby changes for you and enriches you. Its all right to let life happen. Be well.
Love hearing that a pro uses a watering can!!! I’ve been doing that with my 5- and 10-gallon tanks and it is so nice. It is a great way to combine my plant care with my tank care. I felt like maybe I wasn’t doing it “right” but this makes me feel a lot better!
I started keeping aquariums almost 40 years ago, and I've seen a lot of ideas come and go in aquariums and kept all kinds of fish. It doesn't seem that long ago that a 10-20 gallon was considered a practical and prudent entry point in the hobby. While it is true larger tanks tend to keep homeostatic conditions longer, the key word in the video's title is "beginner". I agree with Cory's thoughts on upfront and continued costs, consumed space, maintenance time, and knowledge level for beginners. If a person is just getting their feet wet in the hobby, they may not want the investments of a very large tank because they don't know if they want to make that kind of commitment (or how long they will stay in the hobby). A 15-20 gallon aquarium, from my experience, is a perfectly suitable and economical choice for a person/family who wants to try out this hobby with a simple, aesthetic setup and easy fish. If their interest and enjoyment expands afterwards, what's the harm in changing to a larger aquarium or a specialty aquarium? If they don't stay with the hobby, they aren't stuck with regret of the investment of money, time, space, etc. of a large aquarium. I see lots of large aquarium setups being offered for sale on FB Marketplace. This hobby is great because there's always something more to learn about keeping an aquatic ecosystem in your home. Why not let the beginner start at a beginning, like myself and many others, with a smaller tank? Let their curiosity, interest, and wonder grow in the hobby over time. Hobbies are scalable and are supposed to be enjoyable. The person may grow into keeping larger tanks, keeping challenging fish, breeding fish of interest, aquascaping, and more. Many beginners want a slice of aquatic nature in their home, not Sea World.
I've never had a tank bigger than 30 gallons and I've been in the hobby since the 60s. I have less than 100 gallons of tanks and it's manageable.
I've been keeping fish for nearly half a century. The very first tank I bought from a LFS and the owner gave me a piece of advice that is still relevant today. He said the day that you decide that you can't be bothered to do your maintenance and you'll leave it until next week means you have taken the fist step towards giving up the hobby. I'm sure that many many people who start out have no idea of just how much time is spent on maintenance and whilst a bigger tank is undoubtedly more stable than a small one the time spent on maintenance increases exponentially.
I'd disagree. I;ve had tanks from 2 gallons up to 125 gallons, and the 125 only toke about 1 hour of my time every other week. Yes, I had a Python that helped, but it was much easier to keep the water chemistry (and fish alive) in the big tank vs. the "classic" 10 gallon starter tanks everyone goes for. Having live plants, and proper algae eating fish did make things much easier though. Did not have to scrub algae once in that 125 gallon, believe it or not. If you can't find 2 hours a month taking care of a tank, you shouldn't be in the hobby IMO, just like someone that is never home, should not be taking care of a dog.
I’ve been saying this for years. When starting something new makes things easier for you the better chance you will have success. I recommend people start with a 5 gallon betta tank because I think they are the ideal starter fish for people getting into the hobby.
I think 15 gallon aquariums are a great balance for newer keepers where they are big enough for nano fish to live a good life, big enough to make drastic swings less likely, but small enough that maintenance and cost are relatively low. You can drain and fill a 5 gallon bucket once for your water changes and that’s generally enough. That being said as someone who had kept fish for 5 years now my 40 gallon is by far my favorite tank with the amount of space it gives those same nano fish to show more varied behaviors. Also I think a lot of these issues can me mitigated way more by decreasing the number of aquariums you keep rather than decreasing the volume of each aquarium.
My smallest tank is actually a sphere which I out together 2 months ago. 8 Gallon bowl with deep sand substrate, heavily planted and scaped and it just rocks. I *really enjoyed* putting it together. I'm *really enjoying* watching it evolve. I put in a small sponge filter and a light. The sponge was pre cycled. It's all just so so simple to manage and so low tech that its just great. I added in 5 guppy fry and really enjoyed just watching them feed on tiny invisible things and are now juveniles. Also added 6 cherry shrimp and one of the females is carrying fertliised eggs in her clutch. I expect the bowl will have some more baby red cherry shrimp in the coming weeks. My main tank is gorgeous and looks beautiful and very proud of it, 20 gallons and 15 years old, but the nano bowl is just awesome. I'm sold on nano tanks.
I’ve had 3, 5, 10, 20, 29, 35, and 65 gallon tanks and by far my favorite are 29 gallons and the 9 gallon Fluval Flex.
I try to make my tanks more self sufficient. Water changes optional for the most part. Lots of plants. Lots of snails. Lots of decay and growth. The hardest part is trimming fast growing plants. But they're what keeps everything running. Do what you can to reduce maintenance if possible.
I am pretty much dedicated to long tanks 20 gallon long, 13 gallon long, you can even get incredible 3 gallon long that can hold more fish than you would expect. It is so true about the water changes. I literally take a mixing bowl maybe two or three times, and change the water that way. Also, I have a heavily planted tank, which is reduced my need to do water changes significantly. I love the idea of vacuuming the water into a watering can. I’ve been watering my plants with it, but that will make it even easier. Immediately changing to that.
Your smile looks great Cory!
I haven’t watched your videos in a while. I love that you keep things so common sense. About 6 months ago I gave away my 55s and 75. I kept a 29 and 20 long. It’s been my experience that I have been enjoying them so much more. You also know your fish better
Just to share my experience with my tanks. One is a 20 gallon acrylic with a built in sump at the back. I have a Huge community of different fish in there, totaling more than 50. It is lightly planted with Anubias, Crypts, and etc. My clean up crew would be the 15 Horned nerite snails and one Rubber lipped pleco. I have tons of different bio media in my sump. The beauty of my set up is that I have NEVER CHANGED water for 2 years now. No need to even scrape my glass and it’s always clear. I just tap it off with water in the back sump and that’s about all the maintenance I do plus the once in a while dosing of ferts for the plants. I find that once you balance everything inside your tank, you wouldn’t need maintenance. Also, all fish are in great health. Oh, part of the maintenance I do is the once a month changing of the coarse sponge that trapped dirts. My 7 gallon aquarium is even longer. No water change for 8 years now. Thanks for your valuable content.
I got burnout over 10 years ago maintaining 5 larger tanks and got rid of them all eventually. When I decided to jump back in I stuck with a few nano tanks, and I haven't had any issues keeping balance.
I think a 29 gallon is the sweet spot for a first tank. It's not so small that you see huge parameter swings, but it's a cheap setup and easy maintenance. It can also forgive the beginner impulse to buy lots of fish really quickly. It's hard to plonk 6 impulse buy BOGO ember tetras into your 10g and keep decent water quality. A 29 can absorb that extra load without struggling too hard. Also, off-topic, but your skin looks amazing! You look really well-rested, moisturized, and hydrated.
I have a 29 for my first tank and it's been amazing!!
I still have my original 29 gallon.I still use the day thirty years later 💪🏾💪🏾
I now love nano tanks and the cute little fish that look cool in them. Smaller tanks have saved me money and stress..leaving more time to actually enjoy them…👍🏽👍🏽.
I just downgraded my 90 gallon to a 60 breeder, and I have to say, I’m absolutely thrilled being able to just reach in and work on it without needing to stand on something or use long tools. So I’m very much picking up what you’re putting down. To that end, if we’re talking standard sizes, I’d agree a lot more with, “30 gallon” over 29. Or even just a 20 long. Wide, shallow tanks have so many advantages IMO.
Chris Lukhaup's channel is amazing. He has some of the most beautiful underwater footage of places where our aquarium creatures and plants come from. He also seems like a really nice person, and answers questions when he has time.
I needed to hear this because sometimes I feel that fish tank maintenance is taking over my life. Not joking. I maintain more than I enjoy them... I love them to bits though.
From what I've found so far is having a lot of healthy plants in your tank helps to keep the tank stable and healthy. Like, less than a month ago, I put some 20 cherry shrimp into a heavily planted 35 liter scaper tank, a Dennerly with the curved edges on front. They settled in right away even after having spent a whole day in their bags (got them at a fair and then spent the afternoon at my brother in law's birthday party but I kept them in a quiet place. Besides, Dutch traditional birthday parties are sitting in a circle, talking and enjoying snacks). About a week later, BOOM! Spotted one berried!😁 Perhaps heavily planted tanks need less maintenance. Although plants need trimming once in a while, they filter the water for you so well you hardly need to change water. It also depends on the type of fish. Like goldfish produce a lot more waste than tetras. Weekly maintenance on my Juwel Rio 240 L is half an hour at the most doing 10% water change and sometimes rinse the sponges(leave the bio media in) and trimming here and there. I don't have to scrape algae since either the shrimp are eating whatever algae there is on the glass. I also use a lean dose fertiliser which gives plants a smaller daily dose but nothing is overdosed. I also don't bother with the substrate, I've got bandit corys handling that.
You touched on this briefly but I think it's worth more consideration. When it comes to aquascaping, small tanks really limit what you can do. I'm in the process of redoing a 6 gallon bookshelf tank that I had intended to use only moss as a carpet. Well, when your tank is 9 inches deep, to get the moss thick enough to be a nice carpet, it also has to be like 5 inches thick. That's half the depth of the tank! Sometimes having large plants in small tanks works. My other tank, which I'm getting rid of thanks to some redecorating in the house, is about 7 gallons. My jungle Val in there flows from one side of the tank to other giving a greater sense of motion. I'll be switching to some other carpet, but this has been a very good lesson in how to consider the size of the tank in relationship to the scale of the chosen plants.
I have a 7.5 gallon with cories and endler guppies that sits on our breakfast bar/kitchen counter. It's been a joy and ease to maintain.
Great video! Ironically, I was thinking along these lines about 2 or 3 weeks ago. I have 5 aquariums currently (60, 40 breeder, and three 10 gallons), and I needed to do some maintenance on all of them. When I was done, I realized I was able to finish the 10 gallons and 40 breeder in about the same amount of time that the 60 gallon took. I felt more accomplished with the smaller tanks, and I don't stress about doing something for them the same way I do for the 60. The smaller tanks tend to feel less like a chore compared to the larger ones. At the end of the day this is a hobby, and it should never feel like work. I really think there is something to be said about the smaller tanks.
I'm loving my 5 gallon tank! I just use a large cup for water changes and it still takes me about 5 minutes total!
Just this morning, I took my little hose and did a little water change on my 6 gallon bookshelf tank. Other tanks didn't get any attention. Proves your point!
I definitely needed to hear this video today. Thank you
Thanks for the great insights Cory!
Really nice video, and I have to say that the way you talk and the whole format of the video makes it easy and relaxing to listen to. It feels like even in the aquarium hobby, many videos turns towards being "extra everything" with a lot of cool music, a lot of everything going on at the same time... And that just makes me tired. After a day at work, or as now in the morning before work, when I look at aquarium content I want something relaxing and peaceful. So a big thank you for this. Very much appreciated! Then, when it comes to aquarium-size... I also hear "bigger is better" all the time, but when I got my first aquarium, I couldn't fit anything bigger than a 8 gallon cube in my apartment. That was actually really good, just for the reasons you mentioned in the video. I could easily get a lot of plants, I could have nano-fish and shrimps, and since I had done a lot of research about how to make easy-maintenance aquariums, it all was surprisingly easy even for me as a beginner. It all looked stunning and the inhabitants were thriving. I did get bigger aquariums, to make it better for the fish, a 14 gallon felt so much bigger! Now I have three aquariums that size, with different fish in all of them, and I have one 29 gallon and I'm just setting up a 53 gallon. Now I can take plants from the smaller ones to my big aquarium, and in different ways keep the costs down low. But I still feel that 14 gallon is the perfect size. I scrape the glass from algae if needed, I fill up with water when needed and do maybe(!) a small waterchange once a month. Takes no time, but the fish are thriving and it looks good. (The reason why I want one bigger aquarium is to have enough space for a group of mid sized rainbows. Otherwise I stay with the smaller fish).
Cory, great video today. I have 4 display tanks: 20, 14, 12, and 10 gallons. You are so right about the time it takes for maintenance. I also have 3 breeding tanks and 5 grow out tanks, which are all bare bottomed. I've been following you for 4+ years. Thanks for your time and knowledge. My favorite is my 12G LONG.
Always enjoy your honesty & straightforward content 👍🏻
Very eye-opening video. Especially for someone just looking to get into it
This was awesome Cory! Great advice! 👍🏼
I started with a 55 gallon because I couldn’t responsibly fit a 125 in my third floor one-bedroom NYC apartment with hardwood floors, and I love it and understand how forgiving a bigger tank is when it comes to parameter swings, etc but quickly realized that the American advice of bigger is better isn’t right for everyone. The equipment for a bigger tank is more expensive. Substrate is more expensive because you need a lot more of it. Also, one thing I have to think about with my hardwood floors and downstairs neighbors in a rental apartment, is that if the tank or canister filter ever leaks, 15 gallons is going to cause a lot less water damage than 75 gallons. I guess because besides city dwellers like me, most Americans tend to live in bigger suburban houses with basements or garages to build fishrooms in the U.S. aquarium market & KZheadrs seem geared to having either the biggest tanks possible or else a more utilitarian style of having the most tanks possible for the least money with DIY rack systems for breeding and little regard for aesthetics. Maybe because there’s limited indoor space over there, European market and aquarium KZhead seems more geared toward aquascaping with smaller rimless tanks or all-in-one kits that are more aesthetically pleasing because they will have the tanks as showpieces in their living rooms as opposed to racks hidden away in their basements.
My first aquarium was a 5.5g betta tank and it was relatively a breeze to maintain. I did not have issues with ammonia and whatnot because the tank was heavily planted, and keeping it that size made the hobby more affordable, especially when it came to stocking plants (you will ruin a lot when you're first learning how to grow plants in water lol), and less overwhelming, which gave me better results. Not that you have to go with something as small as a 5.5g, but investing in huge tanks and all of the equipment and livestock can be expensive and maintaining it can be overwhelming. It's way easier to commit to and learn from a small tank, IMO
Small aquariums are my way to go. Easy to maintain, not as expensive, and in my honest opinion much more fun because it becomes a challenge as you’re working within a small space.
Love all of these ideas! One comparison/tradeoff that I didn't hear you mention is this: If ALL I want are small fish in community/nano tanks, is one large aquarium better than a few small ones? I personally prefer several smaller ones. I can create different aquascapes, don't have to worry so much about species compatibility, combine just a few species that have a bigger impact than a jumble of different species, shuffle things between tanks as needed, employ a sense of scale with my favourite tiny fish, have tanks in different areas of the house to enjoy wherever I am, etc etc etc. That being said, I'm not sure if that is more or less maintenance work than one much larger tank with all my favourites jumbled up. The small tanks are certainly more satisfying/enjoyable. If the maintenance is comparable, It's a no-brainer ... to me, at least :)
I have my 2 Gallon Tanks and despite people insist that it's too small, my fish and plants are thriving in it.
i needed this. back in my old place i had pretty big tanks ranging up to a 300 gallon tote for my big boys. and while i loved them, maintaining that definitely stressed me out. I haven't been able to keep tanks in the past 7 or so years due to housing but i keep telling myself some day i'll go back to that, but now i realize it's not the giant pond in my living room that i miss but the hobby in general. and if a lil 5 gallon tank on my kitchen counter can bring that joy back then that's a win. if i'm honest with myself i don't think i'd actually want to go larger than a 40 gallon breeder ever again, let alone a 125 or 300! Thanks for doing what you, Cory.
Ok I've not been watching a lot of your content like I used to so this is the 1st time I'm seeing this set and I gotta say, in the past year I acquired two giant lava lamps like the one in the background. Love them!!!
I LOVED this video. Thank you. I have been in the hobby for about 8 yrs now, and I had always read/heard that bigger tanks were easier to keep. I started at 12 gallons and worked my way up to 35 gallons, and the larger the tank, the more issues I had with it. Then, I started keeping Bettas, and I noticed I had less issues with the smaller 5-10 gallon tanks. So I downsized. I now keep 6 tanks, and all but one is 5-6 gallons. These are community tanks, with several fish in them (and a betta in each), and the water is clear, the gravel clean, the fish happy and healthy. I find it much easier to maintain these tanks, and I get much more enjoyment from them, and so do people who visit. The surprise and joy expressed by my guests who see these lovely, busy little tanks is very validating. Again, thank you for this video. Also, will you be selling those lovely curved face aquariums online? I want them!
Good video. I used to have a 5 gallon aquarium. I loved it. It was very manageable.
I totally agree Cory allot of people cant afford big tanks and going with nano fish you can go with smaller tanks which makes it more affordable as well as less time with maintenance. that what i talk about on my small you tube channel
I just subscribed to you a few days ago❤
I made the 8 gallon planted tank that used to house my betta into a shrimp tank without fish. I am getting more enjoyment seeing neocaridina shrimp (gold backstripe and blueberry) walking around and grazing. Tank is an 8 gallon Top Fin Colorwave (rotates leds through red, blue, yellow and green). I live in a one bedroom condo so the largest tank i ever owned was a twenty gallon, but the eight gallon fits perfectly on my desk so I can watch shrimp while i work.
I have had 2-75 gallon tanks (largest was a reef tank) I currently have a 20 high tech planted tank, and it takes a couple hours a week to maintain. I have a 4 gallon no tech, with shrimp and I clean it a couple times a week, takes about 15 minutes, and I feel like I enjoy that tank so much more. I like my other tank, but I feel it is a chore at times. I am considering doing a fish room, but want to automate as much as possible, because I don't need my hobby to become my life. On a side note, I am a dentist, and your teeth are looking so good! awesome choice and I hope you are happy with them. Really nice job!
I totally agree. I love being able to go to a tank and water change it in 5 mins flat. They stay nice and aren’t a burden to tackle on a tight schedule. Recently got two 5 gal tanks with shrimp and I’m in love
Thank you for this! All your points are true for me. I have a 20-long planted community tank which is around 5-7 years old. I have debated bigger and more tanks but resisted because of the size, the expense, the weight, extra work, and the time. I use aquarium water to water my plants. Then I top off my tank. Every couple of months; I get ambitious and clean the sponges, wipe the inside glass, trim or remove plants that I trade/share in my local FB aquarium group. I enjoy my tank and its inhabitants tremendously!
I've been running a 10 gallon aquarium for the last 3 years. No problems. I also recently went to Asia for 3.5 weeks. I set up an automatic feeder for the tank. I have two Aquarium Co-op sponge filters in it. When I got home from my trip, I had not lost a single fish (mollies and tetras). They were all fine. I do plan on moving all these fish to a 20 gallon, and then using the 10 gallon for a betta, but I haven't gotten around to it yet.
I have a 1g Jarrarium in my bathroom and it is by far my most 'enjoyed' tank, but I couldn't do without the big one in my living room. I think the TV analogy Cory made here was great; scale is really important and something often overlooked. If we sit close or far away, we should be able to see what's in the tank- so up close we can have small tanks with small creatures and plants. If we're sitting ACROSS the room from a tank, it probably makes sense to go 20g or bigger just so we can actually keep some medium-sized stuff we can still see. My house currently has at least one tank in each room and they're mostly small, because for the most part I sit close to them. And I have to say, it's much easier to clean and keep those tanks looking great.
Wow - I love those Coop curved-front aquariums!
I agree with so much of this! I think we need to shift some perspectives in the hobby when it comes to tank sizes and honestly, water changing frequency and amounts. Smaller tanks sizes are a smaller barrier to entry to the hobby for people new to aquariums. Less cost, less work, same or even better enjoyment. I get as much enjoyment out of my 5 gallon Betta tank, maybe even more, than my 10 gallon guppy breeding tanks. With a recent personal experience, I got some dwarf corydoras from my LFS. I had them in a 5 gallon. I know, I know, that's supposedly too small. But they literally got lost in a 5 gallon! They were hard to see so often. I couldn't imagine having them in a bigger aquarium, I'd never see them.
I have a 20 gal long pea puffer tank, and a 5 gal shrimp tank. I want more, but this is enough for the time i have. Love them both!
I have 6-5 gallon tanks, 3-10 gallon tanks, 3-20 gallon tall and a 55 gallon. I acquired them slowly over time which made using plant cuttings possible to save $$, set ups faster with various established media and being able to sort different fry into appropriate sized tanks (also saving $$ breeding my own fish/shrimp/snails). I probably won't keep all the tanks set up in the future (mainly for space purposes), but very much like the variety. While maintenance can be a bit much at times, I don't feel that my tanks need to be cleaned often (just water changes) if the right clean up crew lives in them and they are all well planted. They've all been doing well for years this way. If I had to choose only one size, I would cry ... LoL
I have a heavily planted 9 gallon with ember tetras and some shrimp and the fish are doing excellent. This is my first tank. I do a water change one every couple weeks and everything has been super stable and smooth.
Great video! Perfect info 😃
I have two 10 gallon aquariums right now with a beautiful little 5 gallon aquarium set up for my critters! I love them!
hey so glad yawl got to 1m so proud this video is so eye opening
I've been keeping fish for about 37-39 years now and until recently all my tanks have been 20gal or less. I finally got a 75 gal and I love that it has enabled me to keep fish like angels and rainbows that I've never been able to keep. I also have a 20 long, a 20 high, and a 10 gallon quarantine tank. After keeping 8 tanks for a year to raise a surprise batch of 275 bronze corydoras, I have been working to streamline my hobby. For me, it's the plants and filters that wear me down. I'm keeping plants in the 75 (living room, swords) and the 20 long (bedroom betta & friends tank, crypts), but I've gone artificial in the 20H guppy tank in the spare room and switched from a sponge filter to a HOB with carbon. I then was able to turn the Aquarium Co-op light down to 10% and cut 2 hours off the light timer. I get way less algae and the fish seem to feel safer. I still love having the 75 as it is a TV replacement and I get to spend hours watching it, but I will say I was just as happy keeping a (very spoiled) betta in a 2.5 gallon in my first apartment years ago. At the end of the day, if you enjoy it and the animals are healthy and happy then you're doing your hobby right!
I'm about to incorporate some plastic plants into my guppy tanks. My local water is TERRIBLE for plants. Virtually everything melts. I've been able to keep Anacharis, Hornwort, Vallisneria, Dwarf Aquarium lilies, and a single anubias (in my betta tank) and that's it. Literally everything else melts and died no matter what I do, even Duckweed. I'm done. I've got some floating plants for water quality and I'm going to decorate with some fun plastic plants. I'm sick of struggling with live plants that die no matter what I do. Plus, I get migraines from lights that are too bright. So ambient light for the floating plants and plastic plants it is. I think we need to talk more about plastic plants for the hobby. Aquascaping can be beautiful, but expensive. And when things go wrong, so discouraging. We can also do a combo of live and plastic plants. I don't hear anyone talking about that at all.
Great subject! I live in a small house. Living room has the biggest, 55 corner community. Everything else is one 3, two 5s, five 10s, four 20s, one 29, all in living room and office.And a quarantine 20 in basement. All heavily planted. I clean a couple a week.
I have a 5 gallon and is awesome for what I like. Love your video.
As a new aquarium-haver, I really appreciate this different perspective. I set up my 10g a couple months ago, and added snails a few weeks in, then shrimp a couple weeks ago. I really enjoy it, but it’s hard not to get FOMO and size envy when so much of the hobby community says 10 is the “minimum” for just about everything. So thank you for this insight and thank you for being you.
So true! I‘m in the hobby since 40yrs with dozens of tanks included 125g saltwater and many rare freshwater species but the most joy brings me the 15g freshwater tank I keep now with lots of plants and a mix of the most common fish you can find in the hobby…..harlequin rasbora, honey gouramis and red cherry shrimp and some snails. No stress just fun😊
I have two 15 gallon highs (same footprint as a 10 gallon) for live bearers and I love them. They’re under an inexpensive dual fluorescent bulb shop light, and that seems to grow guppy grass and money plant (emergent) just fine.
"Like TV" that's unmistakable perfect analogy. I'm refequently reminded of the when i space out on mine.
This is great! Food for thought for sure!
Nano fish enthusiast here - current I'm running 5 20 longs. It is so simple and relaxing to care for them. I normally do one a day - while the oven is preheating, or I'm waiting for the laundry to come out of the dryer - or like you said - while on hold. I do plan on some bigger tanks in the future, (really want a discus tank). But I'm very happy with my little tanks. And yes - the plant cost savings alone make it worth it. Everyone of my tanks is heavily planted, and I sell my surplus quite often. Also-it really doesn't take long for those small tanks to stabilize once you know what to do. Most of my maintenance is cleaning the filters and plant trimming. I check my chemistry, water change if needed-which is very rarely needed, top off water levels and then just enjoy my teeny wet-pets.
Really love this video... And your perspective... It inspires me to get a few more and bit feel bad about them being smaller, everyone always says bigger is better. But i want nano and different colored shrinp. Now I will! ❤
I agree with a smaller tank . I'm happy with my 30 gallon community tank . Everytime I clean it I change it up just a little with all my different wood and rocks . My fish are happy and I enjoy just watching them school around , eat and swim .I find it relaxing. 👍 🪴🐠🍂🐠🐠🐠🐟🐟🐟🌾🌿🌱🐟☘️🍀🐡🍃🪴🌱
As someone who has been trying to get more aquarium sets ups. I do appreciate this candid video. Because one of the things that would intimidate me the most was the fact that I didn’t have the space for big sized tanks nor the finances for it. But your video has motivated me to just keep going with my tank gallon tanks. Appreciate it. Thank you 🙏
With my ten*** gallon tanks
I have a 29 and 10 gallon tank and I love them both! Would love some ideas for fish that could work in a standard 29 gallon that are on the bigger side 3-5” fish. Great video!
Spot on Cory I can do my nano tanks in mins and often do while making dinner or something but my large aquarium I have to schedule a day
I had a 55gallon tank for 15 years, and last week I drained it. It was so exhausting trying to do maintenance and the work made me resent the tank by the end. Now i have a 10g, 5g, and 2.5g, and I prefer taking care of those three tanks way more than the 1 55g. Plus when the big tank started getting disease problems, treatments and such were so much more involved and expensive.
I really enjoy my 180 gal planted aquarium. But fighting pests like black beard or a snail infestation can be more challenging. But a large aquarium can have more options for example I can put in clown loaches to deal with the snails in 180 gallon tank much easier than in a 10 gallon but I can also just use assassin snails on a 10 gallon. Same result just different problem solvers.
I have a 55, a 33 long, 2 29s, a 15 long, a 2 gallon and a 1 gallon. The 2 gallon has 2 crooked spine male guppies, a few shrimp and some snails. The 1 gallon has a couple of shrimp and a few snails. I came across the 2 smaller tanks while moving and wasn't going to set them up. But now I'm glad I did! While all the other tanks have been running for years and made the move to a new home a couple of years ago, the little ones have been running for the last two years and I've not had a bit of trouble with either of them. Maintenance takes me all of 15 minutes and a 1/2 gallon of water between the two! I truly adore my 2 tiny tanks just as much as all the others.
Best video I ever saw on an aquarium info love you so much. Aloha from Hawaii 🤙🏽
Great message. Feeling the pull toward grandiose…but also elbow/armpit deep means less likely to get the work in.
I love my nano tanks. I originally had large community tanks. As fish started to breed and produce fry. I started moving out fish into smaller tanks to stop fry being eaten. (Some fry is to hard to move and loose to many fry/ easier to move adult fish). I noticed most fish that went into the smaller tanks were happier and started breeding. Know I’m all 20g or smaller tanks. Works so much better for me.
Great video! I think you're right on, sometimes, smaller tanks are better and they're certainly easier to maintain once they are well established. I currently have five tanks set up with fish and two more 55's in the garage empty awaiting new inspiration/need. I love my bigger tank with my schoolers, but I have to admit that recently, I am really loving my little 15gallon pea puffer tank.
Yeah, totally agree with you there! I've got three 10-gallon tanks and a 65-gallon one. Gotta say, those 10-gallons are just as fun, if not more. Quick water changes, like 10 minutes tops, and way easier to keep up with 'cause they're not as big. Plus, balancing them isn't any trickier than the big tank. But you know what's really cool? They didn't break the bank to set up! Probably spent around $150 on each, including fish and plants. Feels a lot better, you know, not dropping a ton of cash on one tank. And I'm breeding fish just as successfully in the 10-gallons as I am in the 65-gallon. Overall, I'm all about those smaller tanks, but hey, no regrets on the big one either.
I just L❤VE nano tanks! 😊 I started with a 2 1/2 beta tank to begin with. My nano shrimp tank is my favorite 😍
Thank you very sensible advice
in a good balance, especially for a beginner, i myself feel a 29gal is a great starter tank. not as sensitive as a smaller tank to changes, yet just big enough you can have a few more fish in it.
Great advice. I used to do 50% wc 2x per week for discus. For 10+ years. And I fell out of love with the hobby. Now I have neons in a 15g for the last 2 years. I couldn't be happier. Best change ever.
Thank you for this video!!! Sometimes we bite off more than we can chew and we forget to enjoy what we have.
Just sharing my 2 cents recent experience. I used to own a 50 Gallon tank with 9 Small-Mid size discus. Maintenance is twice per week due to high nitrates (80% WC) 3 hours total. After i had changed 150G tank, now i have 17 Discus, Maintenance 1 per week (80% WC) 1.5 hours. What i learnt is to buy the correct size tank to handle the BIO load of your desired fishes in ratio to the desired frequency to tank maintenance. My nitrate test will let me know if my aquarium needs to be larger or have lesser fishes if i wish to have lesser maintenance.
Occasional magnet scrub the algae off the front. Top off with RO water weekly. Planted tank with house plants in the HOB filters. Done. Water quality testing always good. 72 gal bowed front and 10 gal inside. 300 gal stock tank planter box outside which obviously does not get magnet scrub just water added as needed with plants and sponge filter to help with winter kill from freezing over as I live in northern Wisconsin.
Love this video hope to see more!Algae is my worst enemy in this hobby which makes me do more maintenance and does burn you out after awhile especially with multiple tanks.
I m also into nano tanks lately...great topic...