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Does anyone have a specific website that they trust for recommendations on minimum tank size for different fish?

For example, I was looking for recommendations on cherry barbs and saw minimum tank size anywhere from 5 to 20 gal. Aquatic-hobbyist.com seemed pretty good, but I have trouble believing that you need to have 20 gal for a couple of cherry barbs.

Most profiles don't say at all or are very vague. Any suggestions?

I really don't know if there is such a thing. Like you said, recommendations vary from site to site. The same with books, fishkeepers, lfs employees, etc. And of course there are people who will search and search until they come up with some source to justify what they want to do.

A lot of it is common sense: yes cherry barbs could work in a 5g, but only a pair, not a dozen. And there are so many variables that also have to be taken into consideration: is the tank planted? what type of filtration? other fish?

One thing I've also found helpful is when posting questions online, look for responses that include in my experience, this is what worked (or didn't work) for me.

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There is water at the bottom of the ocean

Like Theresa pointed out; all sites are going to say different things. However, here is a site that i have for you, it seems to be "Okay". Just remember when looking at tetras, it factors in you need a school of tetras, so it will recommend a 30gallon tank which is not necessarily accurate.

Here is the site:

http://www.peteducation.com/index.cfm?cls=16

Good luck!

and yet it has a pic of goldfish in a bowl on their logo

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But under goldfish care they say that a bowl is unsuitable for a goldfish!

I guess the goldfish-in-a-bowl is sort of just a universal symbol for fish stores, sort of like the woman-in-a-dress symbol on the ladies' room door. I don't wear dresses but I still go in that door instead of the other!

Many people use the gallons per fish instead of the minimum tank size. Example:
You could have 1 neon per gallon but you wouldnt put a neon in a gallon tank.The real minimum size should be about 20 gallons. That doesn't mean you could put as many as you wanted in a 20 gallon.

The main thing is to use common sense to find out the size of the fish and its needs.

Edit-I wouldnt want a cherry barb in anything less than 20 gallons. Something like a 10 gallon wouldnt give enough swimming space.

20 Gallon Long:
Aquaclear 300
2 Bolivian Rams, Mikrogeophagus altispinosus: Gumby and Pokey