[Sandwich]

Should I get a 55 gallon tank? I found a good deal on one, 100 bucks for tank, 2 filters, undergravel filter, pump, heater, light ballast, stand, NO hood, and no decorations. I have a 10 gallon at home (am at school) that i've had for a while without major catastrophe. What can I expect out of such a large tank? I plan on putting it in a little cubby hole in my room, it's about 4 feet up, and I don't really know what's underneath. The only way to test it was to have me and two of my roomates (roughly 580lbs) stand on it, and it seemed fine.

I'd need gravel and plants and probably a glass hood, but should I do it? I am in college, and my permanent address is 5 hours away. I have experience with aquariums but nothing over 10 gallons.

Should I go for it, or wait for a good deal on something smaller?

 

[Skookum]

No you're in college it can only mean trouble.....

 

[quadricolour]

Undergravel filters suck, you should avoid them. Large tanks, however, are actually easier than smaller ones, due to the inherent stability of a larger volume of water.

 

[Curb Hucker]

yes large tanks are much easier than small tanks, and yes undergravel filters do suck major balls, get an eheim canister or a penguin hang on filter theyre both great filters. I had a 55 gallon for a while until i sold it, and actually had a reef tank that was only 10 gallons for about a year, all was well until i went on vacation and had the neighbor kid look after it, all hell happened, i now have no fish

 

[Ciaran]

Glass or acrylic? What type of fish/animals do you want to keep in it? How stable is your environment? (Temperature, do you have alot of people in and out all day? Will other people mess with your tank when you are gone?)

Yes, UG filters suck but are servicable till you get something better.

What they said. Canister filters rock. Wet/dry's are awsome if you are ready to be a junior marine biologist. (Which I am). Don't get goldfish, or a plecostomus as they are extremely dirty fish.

Larger tanks are more stable as was said but remember that they are also more expensive. You said that you are in college and so you may be on a budget. (Then again, maybe not. You might be a rich kid.)

Hope I can help.

 

[Sandwich]

All glass, probably regular tropical fish and no salt added....

Everybody seems to be so interested in the UG filter...but the guy has two hangonback aquaclears that I would use.

My biggest question is the maintenance issue and storage...i think the shelf can hold, but what can I expect?

I know someone else mentioned the cost, well, expect ~150 for the tank, plus gravel ornaments and fish. Is it going to be massively more than a 10G, running cost wise? I know I need about 25$ in gravel, plus whatever I put in the tank to make it look nice, and then fish, which I'll have two or three times as many as I could ever fit in my 10g, but in the long run....more difficult? Easier? get something smaller? The tank will be relatively stable in all ways...