Tiny Tanks, Big Savings: Why Small Aquariums Are the Best Choice For Beginners

[@AquariumCoop]

*What's your favorite small aquarium size to keep?* Check out our favorite nano fish ideas for your next small tank: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l3-bYZeOlLeeqqM

[@derekeaton4021]

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.

[@sherrydwire7908]

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.

[@Ichthys_Aquatics]

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.

[@TheLiddojunior]

Planted beta tank is the best starter tank. The fish is so interactive so you tend to interact with the tank more

[@dixsigns1717]

Cory, why do you always make so much sense when I watch one of your videos?

[@steviesfishandplants]

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.

[@vansa14]

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.

[@michellep4792]

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.

[@Julieb615]

@@michellep4792 I agree! Nano fish are awesome!

[@thomasholman3992]

I agree with you Cory 66 years young 😂 Started with a 55 ,thin a 20H ,and now a 10 angled went backwards, but love the Hobby!

[@Lisa.Sparkman]

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.

[@heaven7360]

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.

[@TheMrcooldjbigones]

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.

[@xxxxxxxx3476]

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 .

[@basicperson4245]

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.

[@Evade-houx]

You can try walstead method

[@Liz-g3s]

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.

[@Scaperoot79]

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!

[@JustHi3132]

Couldn't have explained my thoughts better

[@mattkinsella9856]

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.

[@csharpe5787]

I wonder if it’s the American way. Bigger is better?

[@al77709]

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.

[@billburghgraef1651]

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.

[@tree.65]

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🙂

[@WonderFactoryOfficial]

👍👍👍

[@ritapita519]

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!

[@heaven7360]

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.

[@ItsWuLx]

I only have 1 55 gal tank now, best choice I've made

[@b1oh1]

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.

[@Sea-forest]

I love mine and want another one ❤

[@angiebear8727]

Was going to make the same comment.

[@alexbwja]

Not everyone has the privilege to have a 20 gallon.

[@Sea-forest]

@@alexbwja I like my 5.5 gallon tank and the ten gallon tank is great too easy to take care of

[@alexbwja]

@@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

[@smob0]

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 🤔.

[@ReneesZooTube]

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

[@AlmightyThagomizer]

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.

[@curgunner]

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.

[@TheRealTMar]

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.

[@paigeladd6701]

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.

[@WonderFactoryOfficial]

So nice!

[@Outside-InAquatics]

I am a huge fan of 20 longs and smaller. Super easy to setup. Affordable and low stress as far as setup💚💚💚💚💚💚

[@andystokes8702]

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.

[@jeff-ds2pr]

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.

[@voultronix761]

​@jeff-ds2pr I 100% agree ! My 220 gal was easier to maintain then my 3 tier 20 gal stand. It's easy to do one big tank all in one go and like you said , the waste doesn't build up that fast in a bigger tank

[@daniellavin5874]

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

[@briancastillo8014]

I have 15 nano fishes in 3.5 gallon planted tank 2” substrate and stopped doing water changes for a few months now it’s a mini community tank!

[@matthew_thefallen]

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!

[@DannysAquariums]

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.

[@solidtenpin]

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.

[@James-ForbesBirnie-tq2ld]

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.

[@neilmartin99]

Use a sponge on the filter intake. The little shrimpy dudes won't get sucked up. 😊

[@WonderFactoryOfficial]

Make sense!👍

[@jgvet08]

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!

[@deedeedamnit406]

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.

[@pattykake7195]

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…👍🏽👍🏽.

[@adriad4855]

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!

[@ReneesZooTube]

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.

[@goodenoughmn]

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!

[@WonderFactoryOfficial]

Nice!👍

[@cyndifalk]

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!

[@billsnanos]

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

[@Lisa.Sparkman]

I just subscribed to you a few days ago❤

[@TheReal_Pim_Tool]

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.

[@garg4531]

Personally I’d recommend a 10 gallons. Doesn’t seem like much of a difference but double the volume means more space and stability for the betta^^ I also agree that a betta fish would be a great entry point for the hobby: they’re hardy, readily available, do well in small tanks, come in a wide variety of forms to choose from, and perhaps most importantly, having to care for a single betta is a lot more manageable than having to maintain a large school or community of different fish species, you can keep a closer eye on them plus you become more attached and more invested in their care as a result Those are just my thoughts tho

[@sarahwoodring5587]

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.

[@simulacraet2155]

I have a 29 for my first tank and it's been amazing!!

[@clarence0075]

I still have my original 29 gallon.I still use the day thirty years later 💪🏾💪🏾

[@charlottesmom]

I was eyeballing a 29 but due to the fact that I knew with my first “bigger tank” (I’ve only had 5’s and below) I wanted it heavily planted with neons in it. The cost to plant a 29 would have broken me, so I went with a 10 and adore the heck out of that tank. We have 5 neons and 3 baby female bettas in it so far, I do want more neons but the store was out of them. 🐟

[@jamesmoriarty100]

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.

[@cmaddog]

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!

[@bdawg202787]

I have been doing aquarist stuff for about 10 years now. The biggest aquarium I have ever had is a 20h. Many small tanks also lets you have several biomes and species focused tanks. I can have my CPD tank, my Apistos and community tank, my guppy breeding tank. And my total gallonage is under 150 gallons. Many aquarists have more than that in *one tank*.

[@peterphan227]

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.

[@Aiden-V2.0]

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.

[@luciad5988]

My hub is an experienced fish keeper. He has a 100 gallon saltwater tank downstairs. I asked him to help me put together a 10 gallon freshwater tank for our living room for my birthday. I am very excited to choose some nano fish! Now I have to be patient until the tank is ready for fish. Thank you for your great videos!

[@arthurgiannakis2156]

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.

[@kencharm2909]

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.

[@the_realist_John_Doe]

5 gal, 10 gal, and 20 gal long are basically my main go-to tanks for shrimp/fishkeeping. Everything bigger is reserved for turtles and snakes. This has worked for me since shortly after I got started. I started out with 40 gal breeders for fish and even thought those were bigger than I needed... and more than I wanted to keep up with all the time.

[@edmorris1437]

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.

[@christophertaylor8166]

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.

[@MandyJane123700]

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.

[@TheCaphits]

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.

[@miashadows]

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!

[@andrewwhittaker2908]

When I started in the hobby 20+ years ago a 75gal was considered a big tank. The 125 to 150 gallon was MONSTROUS and very few hobbyist went past a 55gal.

[@lam4517]

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.

[@AlexS-oj8qf]

I have my 2 Gallon Tanks and despite people insist that it's too small, my fish and plants are thriving in it.

[@beaka63]

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!

[@vasteelrealm5505]

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.

[@Trigillia]

Your smile looks great Cory!

[@katryn77]

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.

[@BrandonSorenson-fb3gg]

Since starting this, ive found more enjoyment from the maintenance tasks, filter cleaning and scaping

[@Aexzer88]

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.

[@samb1055]

I have two 10 gallon aquariums. One has a female betta and pygmy cories, and the other is full of endlers. I love them both. Maintenance is minimal; I have enough plants in them that I rarely have to do water changes (just topoffs and removing floating plants, and occasionally filling the watering can for the houseplants). Mostly, I don't have more because my tap water is pretty terrible. I have to do some pretty significant conditioning to reduce the hardness and up the pH. I do this in a separate 15 gallon container, and softening the water takes ~8 hours. If I had big tanks, water changes would be practically impossible. Just filling a single 40 gallon tank would take two days. I know the "solution" is a reverse osmosis system, but I just don't have the space for that.

[@raymondsecker2338]

I am 31yrs old and live in Western Australia and about 7yrs ago I got a 16 litre fish tank (4.23 US Gallons) and then because I loved keeping fish in it I then got a month later a 4ft 270 Litre tank (71.33 US Gallons) and loved every minute of keeping fish but I also learnt more things now like (angel fish are cichlids and how to minimise their aggression level as well as other cichlids) because I am going to restart my fish tank again in the next few months. So I just want to say thanks for the helpful tips from you folks and other people who have been in the fish keeping industry a lot longer than I have.

[@leftyo9589]

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.

[@dancurran8977]

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.

[@matthewsmith22]

I think people from the cichlid or fish only tanks dominated the conversation early in the online scene where a lot of rules of thumb were given. The planted tank hobby back then was way more niche, I think nano fish were way more niche as well. So, with that as the back drop, bigger was definitely easier. For us planty folks, smaller is way more achievable for lots of folks without committing a fortune to plants, substrate, hard scape, lights. I'm probably wrong (the Internet usually tells me I am 😂). Love the Chris story! Since I downsized recently I do my water changes with a watering can now, love it!

[@heatherdam6926]

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 :)

[@jessm.2779]

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.

[@jackiechang1758]

I really appreciate you sharing this revelation and perspective on smaller tanks for beginners! I've been very interested in starting a beginner's tank and feel intimidated by some of the advice online about tank size and stocking and plants and maintenance. I'd like to set up a small tank for my home office to incorporate some nature into my environment and am constrained by space. I went as far as to buy a 10gal tank because I felt it was the smallest tank that was aqua-manely acceptable, but find that footprint was still a tad too big for my space. I'm def going to check out Chris' content for more inspiration!

[@LulaMae21]

Try a 5.5 gallon tank. They're a nice size for something like a betta or shrimp, smaller than a 10 but easy to maintain. If you're committed to making it work, it's very doable. I suggest some Java fern and anubias, both low light options that are good for beginners. My earliest tanks were 2.5-10 gallons, and after nearly 20 years, I've never gone bigger than 20, and never for long. I just find sub-10-gallons more comfortable and more doable.

[@NinniAquariums]

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).

[@1993KJD]

My personal recommendation for beginners is 15 gallons. Start with some easy plants (anubias, moss ect) easy fish (tetras or guppies) and see how it goes. If you find it fun then dive in. If you don't like it well hopefully it didn't break your budget and you learned from the experience.

[@legionaquatics]

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.

[@finchfry]

I love my 10. I picked out low waste nano fish for it (chili rasbora, loreto corys, sparkling gourami, and amano shrimp) and a variety of aquatic plants. I hardly ever have to scrape algae and I do a 25% water change 3 times per month. It takes about 15 minutes to clean the tank start-to-finish so long as I don't get distracted. I'll probably increase the amount of time between water changes soon because my water tests very clean even right before water changes. My 5 gallon actually takes longer because I do have to scrape algae. I suspect I get algae because it's very difficult not to overfeed such a small aquarium and also it's really difficult to find a good light for that size that provides the brightness needed for my plants without overdoing it.

[@mariemalie369]

So glad I came across this video! I am new to the hobby and so so many people focus on bigger tanks. I have a 6 year old son and other pets, so I know the 10 gallon I settled on will be manageable and still fun.

[@lizzieb6311]

Great video!! I struggled with small tanks for years…a 40 gal tank suddenly made my life “easier”….what I discovered it was the TYPE of filters I was using in 40 gallon tank (sponge filters)..one at each end. I discovered the world of sponge filters on your channel! Well, I bought a two small sponge filters for my 10 gallon and ditched the hang on filter - suddenly it was easier to maintain. That is my experience. I really love my 10 gallon and am in process of downsizing my 40 gallon by selling the juveniles back to the breeder I bought from.ill be glad to regain the space the 40 gallon takes in my home.

[@kennykenny5273]

I have one 7 gallon tank and a 2 gallon miniature tank. I just love those tanks. Maintenance and expenses are so easy too.

[@foreverautumn2315]

Wow - thank you for being brave enough to come around in your way of thinking. For those who are not independently wealthy, fish keeping is a hobby that's daunting to afford - and many newcomers become discouraged when told they have to go big or go home. I have small tanks, nothing larger than 20 gallon. I love plants and watching them grow, and I haven't bought plants in years and years. I used to have MTS, so there was no way I could afford to buy plants for every tank or mini pond. I would just steal from older tanks. I do sponge filters because they work best for what I stock and are very inexpensive and easy to maintain. I keep shrimp and nano fish so I don't need or want big tanks and lots of equipment. And being heavily planted, I rarely do water changes, mostly just top offs. Maybe once a month I rinse the sponge filters. I now only have two tanks and two mini ponds. When I had MTS I had tanks everywhere, but even with small tanks that's still a lot of trimming plants and rinsing sponge filters and the like. All this effort tempered my enjoyment - so I started getting rid of tanks. I truly enjoy the hobby MORE NOW with ONLY 2 nano tanks and 2 mini ponds than I ever did with all the tanks I had all over creation. And if a nano tank leaks or break, that's far less devastating than if a 75 gal does the same - so another benefit of small tanks. From the start I never went big, could not afford to, so always went small, and stayed with small, but even multiple smalls is a chore, and I mostly just had shrimp - a million different COLORS of shrimp so every time a new color popped up each color had its own tank. But I now find it far more enjoyable to just have mutt colonies of neos because different colors always pop up, they do not completely revert to all brown forever and always like everyone claims will happen. I've had mutt colonies for several years now and still get interesting colors popping up - which is a really pleasant surprise.

[@suegrubb4275]

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

[@czaczaja]

Very eye-opening video. Especially for someone just looking to get into it

[@ShaneO-nm2hh]

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.

[@keith161]

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.

[@FNDwheels]

I started with 8 20ltr tanks before I upgraded to my 120ltr then to the 180ltr nothing wrong with having a few nano-shrimp-livebearer tanks ❤️

[@AnodyneRain]

I have a very small 1.8 gallon tank that I absolutely love. It sits right on my desk and I watch it regularly. It has 6-8 sky blue velvet shrimp, 2 bumblebee gobies and a nerite snail (along with some bladder snails that came on my plants). The tank itself has some java moss, a java fern, hornwort and some duckweed and water spangles. Other than that there's a small 3 inch hollowed out piece of cholla wood. Granted I've only had it for 5 months but everything inside is healthy and thriving and it's so great to just sit and watch so closely from the comfort of my desk.

[@oliviaC-K]

In the 30 years I've kept fish I've never had anything larger than a 29 gallon. I currently have planted tanks in sizes 2.5, 3.5, and 20 long and a 29 gallon reef (my 1st reef tank was 5.5 gallons), so I'm a big fan of small tanks. I can't say how they compare to large tanks though since I've never had one. I would like some angels some day, so I may get a larger tank in the future.

[@AngelofPluto]

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.

[@englishtime5327]

I started with a 10 gallon, then I moved up to a 20 gallon. Now I have a 55 gallon. It's my absolute favourite size. It's stocked with nano fish, oddball fish and inverts. I have an eternal filter, which I maintain every three months. My plants came from my previous aquariums so no cost. My substrate came from my other tanks with the addition of another bag. My driftwood and rocks were all collected, so free. The only thing I do is feed once a day, six days a week. I do a 30% water change every week. That's it. I am absolutely sure that the more we fiddle with our tanks the more problems we have.

[@joybuckeye7493]

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.

[@scorpio663]

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. 👍 🪴🐠🍂🐠🐠🐠🐟🐟🐟🌾🌿🌱🐟☘️🍀🐡🍃🪴🌱

[@Shidohari]

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.

[@Lyryn2214]

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!

[@thekitchencoven8374]

I have a 2 gallon cylinder tank & a 10 gallon standard. I adore them. Tank maintenance is Sunday morning while I'm enjoying my coffee. It's so relaxing to me & it's not overwhelming at all.

[@DelfinoGarza77]

I got a small pond 500 gallons and I just let a cat tail grow in there and the water is super clear most of the time. I use the water for plants too. I have lots of sailfin mollies and one large gold fish.

[@jgooseaquatics]

Couldn't agree more. I have a 90g cichlid tank that's a lot of maintenance, and I can't have live plants. I have a 50g and a 20g that are planted and require much less maintenance, and the fish are peaceful. I've considered downsizing and getting away from cichlids but they're hard to give up. The small to medium tanks are where it's at and you get to play around with aquascapes without breaking the budget.

[@karenhansen388]

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.

[@sleepytASMR]

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.

[@mademoisellenseven]

I’m broke (but happy!) and couldn’t afford to stock (and as a beginner, potentially loose) a big aquarium, I learned as much as I could about micro fishes, small invertebrates and miniature flora. 5 years later, I have a 3 tanks filled with shrimps and nano fishes. I love it. 4 gallons/9 gallons/15 gallons: 30 minutes of maintenance weekly. To get everything done. My favourite thing with nano tanks is how close you can look at your pets ant plants. They’re literally in your face, and usually you get good lighting since it’s a smaller area to cover. Thank you, I enjoyed the video.

[@neurotoksyn]

I would say it's not just smaller is better, it's also fewer is better I used to have 5 nano tanks now I just have a 20 long it accommodates my tiny fish just fine and having just the one tank makes cleaning far less tedious also, the watering can idea is solid, I use a 2 gallon one for my water changes and top ups; it works perfectly and is easy to lug around.

[@des8616]

I think you are spot on! I own 8 tanks, sized one gallon to 6 gallons. I have noticed that I don't get to enjoy the ones that are in rooms in my house that I don't spend as much time in. So I have actually started reducing the number of tanks. My goal is to keep only my two 5 gallon tanks and my 6 gallon tank. They are sitting right next to each other in my kitchen/living room. I see them all day long and enjoy sitting right in front of them in the evening to observe. So I think that will be my " sweet spot".

[@HJ-pm2dx]

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.

[@invaderzim133]

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.

[@ReneesZooTube]

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.

[@Christian-cv5rw]

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😊

[@adkgaladkgal1799]

You are so right! For me I only have 3 tanks. A 50g and a 60g , no substrate. Above the tank DIY filters. So easy to clean. 1- 20g tank with 6 rice fish. All lightly stocked. Sponge filters. 4 Fantails in the 60g 3 fantails in the 50gallon. I Really enjoy them. They are easy to clean. Only have plants with the 6 rice fish.. My favorite tank is the 29g. So easy.

[@mk_cichlids]

When keeping multiple large tanks, using DIY pythons made with pvc and large diameter hose is a must. Greatly increases the speed of draining and refilling. Plus, you can use different lengths of down tubes for different sizes of water changes and multitask at the same time when draining because it will break its own siphon when the water gets low enough.

[@like17badgers]

imo, the optimal size for starter tanks is anything in the 29 to 40 gallon range. if you go smaller you start running into water problems and upkeep problems and having to balance things out constantly. if you go bigger your price starts to shoot up and your upkeep gets longer. Maintenance is a bell curve and one of the things I think is important for new fishkeepers is making sure they are low down on that bell curve cause the last thing you want to do is have this person who's new to the hobby have to several hours of upkeep every week. they'll very quickly burn out.

[@Ad_Astra_321]

I agree with most everything. The only problem I've kinda found insurmountable is keeping the temp down in Summer. It's the biggest disadvantage for smaller tanks.

[@0D1N420]

I've got 1 - 29 gal, 1 - 20 gal, 3 - 10 Gal, 3 - 5 gal, 2 - 3 gal cubes and 3 - 3 gal totes for plants and fry.... I spend way more time watching my fish than I do maintaining. Yes I also have no strict maintenance schedule. every couple days or so I work on a couple tanks. But honestly I spend 10000% more time just viewing my different setups than I do working on them. Also because I have nano fish, those 2 - 3 gallon cubes are my hospital / quarantine tanks. Very, very cost effective on my medicating. If I'm medicating fish in a cube I don't fill it up and keep it around 2.5 gallons now I'm using 1/4th of a packet of para cleanse for example.

[@madcowracing88]

Over my years of keeping fish my absolute favorite tank size is the 40 gallon breeder followed by the 20 long. For NANO the 12 gallon shelf aquarium is king. These longer shelf aquariums are overlooked unfortunately. If you want anything, Nano, do yourself a favor and get a longer shelf aquarium. Most nano aquariums are tall, which limits the substrate square inch size. With shelf aquarium, you get adequate swimming height for nano fish and plants, but a huge amount of useable length which allows for more live stock without crowding. More substrate area for plants and aquascaping, which all leads to more to view and enjoy while also providing more biological filtration and area. Honest truth, there also has to be something about the longer shallower shape that fish like because every fish I have ever kept in the shelf aquarium has bred like crazy. Even fish that are hard to breed and I had attempted in other tanks previously, breed immediately after being put into the shelf aquarium. Mine personally has a small tidal Hob filter on one end directing flow all the way down to the other end where there is a small sponge filter. Not sure if the breeding starts so easily because it flows naturally like a river or stream, but everything flourishing in that 12 gallon shelf tank compared to my 30 other tanks. Give the shelf aquariums a try. I have larger aquariums but always catch myself looking at the shelf aquariums. Plus, since they are narrower, you can see to the back a lot easier.