I've been lurking unregistered for a long time, about two years. My favorite catfish are pl*cos and otos, both of which we have kept over the years. I particularly like to keep planted tanks. I'm down to only a small tank at the moment (3Gal: no cats, but lots of easy-care Java ferns) but would like to gradually work my way back to a larger tank. I am married with two kids, one already out of the house and one, a senior in high school (who has also kept fish). She's already noted that it will be an adjustment to sleep in a dorm room without the bubble-hum of a tank nearby!
Susan
Howdy
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MatsP
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Welcome Susan.
It may sound strange, but bigger tanks are actually easier to care for. The bigger volume of water means that they are less likely to change suddenly (called a crash). Also, bigger tanks means a wider choice of fish - there's nothing saying you can't keep small fish in big tanks, but you can't keep big fish in a small tank. Obviously, not all fish will go great together (some larger fish will eat smaller fish, for example).
I'd, in my personal opinion, recommend that you get a 50-75 gallon tank, assuming of course that you have space/finances for this.
The only difference is that bigger tanks mean bigger water changes, so think about where the tank is located and where you get the water from...
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Mats
It may sound strange, but bigger tanks are actually easier to care for. The bigger volume of water means that they are less likely to change suddenly (called a crash). Also, bigger tanks means a wider choice of fish - there's nothing saying you can't keep small fish in big tanks, but you can't keep big fish in a small tank. Obviously, not all fish will go great together (some larger fish will eat smaller fish, for example).
I'd, in my personal opinion, recommend that you get a 50-75 gallon tank, assuming of course that you have space/finances for this.
The only difference is that bigger tanks mean bigger water changes, so think about where the tank is located and where you get the water from...
--
Mats