A common question when it comes to keeping aquarium fish is how big your aquarium should really be. And of course this isn’t an easy question to answer.
One the one hand we all typically only have a limited amount of space available for a tank, and also limited funds. Obviously the larger an aquarium is, the more expensive it will be to buy and run.
On the other hand a larger tank is typically far more imposing and attractive and of course one can also keep a far larger number of fish in a large aquarium which consequently can maker them considerably more interesting.
Also bear in mind that there are some fish which may grow too large for a small aquarium and so depending on the species you choose, a larger aquarium may be called for.
But the killer fact really is that smaller tanks typically suffer more from fluctuations in water temperature and chemistry which can make keeping fish in them far more challenging and because of this I would advise you to try and select the largest fish tank that you can afford (within reason!).
For tropical fish, a bare minimum would really be a 3 foot long tank though 4 feet long would be even better. Marine fish require even more space and so I would suggest 4 feet long as a minimum for them.
It is often better to wait a short while, save up some extra funds and invest in the larger tank for all the reasons discussed above rather than to jump in and only start off with a small tank. Your aquarium will look better, you’ll be able to keep more fish and your fish will remain far healthier in a larger tank than a smaller one.
