# Advice on Tank Size/ Petco $1/gallon sale



## Drift Woody (Aug 21, 2013)

Hi guys!

So I have myself a little 10 gallon tank setup and I just setup a 5 gallon for a quarantine as well. 

But I feel like I need something larger to get the aquascape I really want. 

I was considering a 40 or 55 gallon from the petco $1/gallon sale (freshwater). Any suggestions as to which size I should go for? What would be easiest to find lights for and what other concerns might I have?


I want it to be a planted aquarium with a driftwood centerpiece. Just not sure I can afford saltwater, plus I'm a bit of a novice.


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## dalfed (Apr 8, 2012)

40 breeders are great tanks


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

What makes them great planted tanks is that they are 18 inches wide as opposed to 12 inches wide on a 55. A lot easier to plant and look good.


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## Laurencia7 (May 19, 2012)

40 gallons is a great size. It's not too small and not too big. Look in your Petco, the 50-55 are extremely large and long. They weigh a lot and take up a lot of room. The 40 is more square. I lucked out and got a 50 wide which is near the size of the 40, and not super long. Is the 1$ sale going on now? Jump on it! I got mine there, it's great. 

Like anything the larger the size, the bigger the lights and more expensive. I have a Marineland single bright led, works great and fits most tanks. Though it's pricey. You want to establish your driftwood piece, they can be expensive too, before adding fish. Try Drs Foster and Smith for large driftwood, they have better prices, and real wood. 

You have to soak the wood in a clean bucket for several days or boil it, the natural tannins will turn your tank water brown. I have had great success with the petsmart brand java fern as a starter plant, and anubias. Both are great in low light, and grow fast. Just attach the plants to the wood with clear fish line, and they will grow into the wood. Java grows the best. Anubias takes longer. 

Just plan out your tank, and get to the sale soon the tanks go really fast. While your there research the best fish with planted tanks, the staff might help but some don't have a clue. Tropicals do best with plants, goldfish munch too much. I have SAEs and danios in my planted tank, if you really want to get lots of plants remember live ones should look good (not wilted) and they are expensive. They need plant food, and good light. You can even get a CO2 system, but for simple plants like java fern it's not necessary. 

You can mix fake plants in too until your plants grow more, it's gonna take a while. Those planted tanks on youtube have been established for years, and most without fish. 

Also, the stands for the tank will cost more. The petco sale is great if you only need a tank, but if you need a stand they are pricey. There are better deals online.


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

40B are better,they have more surface area than 55's and you can use shorter lights.The dollar per gallon sale is unbeatable,but don't buy anything else there.Everything else is cheaper online!


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## yekoms (Jul 7, 2013)

We have a 45gal planted fish tank 36"L x12"W x22"H. It was the biggest the I could do with the stand that we already had. The 18" wide would be nice. I would suggest to anyone to not go smaller than 40gal. 
The plant stuff is almost as much fun as the fish stuff. Our tank is a simple beginner's Tetra tank with driftwood (boiled and baked) rocks, and easier type plants.
Do an advanced search on me and see the little issues that I had and the help that I was given.


the Cannister AND hob back filters that were suggested to me really work great for filtering and current flow. The fish, plants are doing great and the tank is real stable.


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