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Hi. I've been thinking of starting a fish tank. I've been doing a lot of research but I'm not sure what size of tank to get. I was thinking of a 20g, and starting off with 6 zebra danios to cycle. However, if I follow the 1" per gallon rule, and they grow to 2.5", that really doesn't leave a whole lot of room for anything else. Budget could prolly stretch to a 30g, but not much past that. Is the incremental cost worth it?

Also wondering about what I should put in afterwards assuming I get the bigger tank. According to the city website the pH is 6.98-8.18 and GH is 126-254 mg/L. Want something colourful for my 1 1/2 year old daughter to watch.

Any thoughts appreciated.

Christine

If you can get a 30, go for it. The bigger the better. Zebra Danios are great,hardy fish to start out with.You may be better to start with 2 in a 20 gallon.

Hiya, Christine. Just a few thoughts on your question... In general, bigger IS better. Keep in mind that startup costs are generally the biggest hit to your budget. Hit garage sales and the like (also check your classified ads) to find used tanks and even equipment. You'll save a lot of money and may even be able to get a bigger tank than you'd think you could efford.

Also, danios range in size a great deal... my golden zebra danios are only 1 1/2" and I've had them for over six months. My sister's blue danios are bigger than that (will probably hit 2+" and she just started her tank last month. Both of these fish are color morphs of zebra danios.

Colorful, hmm? Platies and guppies are colorful, but both are livebearers, so you'd have to deal with fry (and lots of them!) Perhaps cardinal tetras, harlequin rasboras (they make a gorgeous school) or corydoras catfish. If you get the cories, definitely get a group of them, they are by far one of the most entertaining fish I've ever seen. Not really colorful, but highly entertaining.

Like I said, size DOES matter... mostly because you're always going to find more fish than you want. Good luck!

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~

If budget is a problem, check out http://bigalsonline.com. Their prices are half of what they are in pet stores.

Once your tank is cycled with zebra danios, I would suggest a pair of dwarf cichlids. Not only colorful, but intelligent.

i would see how much more a 30g or 40g is as a 20g doesn't give a lot of options especialy with schooling fish. also look at drsmithandfoster.com they have cheap stuff too

I'd get a 29, filtered with a Millenium 3000 power filter.

For starting out, I personally would buy the biggest tank your budget and space will allow. If you buy the tank new and the essential equipment second hand, it will save an awful lot. That way, if your interest in the hobby diminishes or you can't commit to it fully, you haven't wasted too much. If you develop a strong enough interest, then saving for new equipment as required will be well worth it.

If you want go by inches of fish per gallon, that guideline is based on length of fish minus tail fins. For a Zebra Danios, most people only count 1 3/4" or 2".
I've had my Zebras for over 9 months, and the biggest isn't even 2" with the tail.

get the biggest tank you can. try fishless cycling.

Thanks everyone for the good ideas, I will certainly investigate some of the things mentioned.

Christine

A word of warning, though. Zebra danios can get to 2.5" and are fin-nippers.

I started with a 10 gallon but found out that was definatly not enough. So I got a 29 gallon and it has been great. A real nice community tank. Enough room for a school of small tetras, school of cory and a couple dwarf gouramies. Just some thoughts.

The bigger the better if you can afford it.

Do a fishless cycle.