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in House & Home

Choosing the right fish tank for your family

My son really wanted a pet of his own, and my lovely sister got him all set up for his birthday last year.  A cool 1 1/2 gallon tank and a date with Auntie Cindy to choose gravel, plants, decor and a Betta fish were his birthday surprise. He was over the moon. My sister was, too. But we noticed quickly the Betta didn’t move much. He also died after a short time.  His replacement did as well, so we looked for another kind of fish to get that might last longer…and in doing so, we learned that almost all fish, Bettas included, need at least a 10 gallon tank to thrive.

That’s when we decided that we needed to go bigger and get a set up that would make for a happy, safe environment for several fish, regardless of what kind, and our friends at Petco were kind enough to send us some gift cards so that we could do our aquatic purchasing at a local store.

What size tank do you need?

Well, I recommend at least a 10 gallon.  Chances are, if you want to have fish in your home, you are wanting to watch them swimming, and what fun is watching one swim if you could have many? We decided on a 20 gallon tank, because that’s the size that would fit in the space we have available in our living room to fit a tank set up.  Totally rocket science, right?  But really, that’s the key for most things.  Choose what you have the space for.

How do I know what tank to get?

Well, there are actually a huge variety of tanks out there. Rectangles, squares, bow front, tall, wide, round, hexagonal, glass, plastic… and it’s hard to decide.  Really, they are all pretty much a guarantee to be water-tight and not leak…so again, go for what you like and what works in your home.  A bow front tank is pretty- and we were torn between one and a rectangular tank- but it also juts out further into your room, which for us meant it was more likely for someone to bump into…and that made the decision easy. Whatever you do choose, make certain that you have a sturdy base for your tank… that can be a dedicated spot on your counter or island or a free standing stand built for your size tank.  We prefer a cabinet style stand so that we have storage easily accessible for tank supplies.

Should I get a kit?

You can buy ready to go kits and have many of the components you need already in a box for you. You’ll still need gravel, plants, accessories, fish and food, but they usually come with a light, hood, filter, and heater.  This is a great way to make life really easy on yourself. If you are going with a tank for a gift, the kits are great because you can wrap them up and put a bow on them.  It’s a one stop shop thing and super convenient. You’ll probably also save a little cash.

Some folks don’t opt for a kit tank because there is no control over the components you are choosing. For us, we like to have a larger filter than the tank size “calls for” so if we were to do a kit, we would need to purchase an additional filter anyway. This go round, we wanted to do an LED light and a glass top in place of a “hood” for the tank, so kits were out.

I will note, the manager at our local Petco told us that the heaters in kit tanks are often pre-set at one temperature, so consumers aren’t able to adjust that, which some fish folks prefer to do, especially if you decide to do a different kind of fish down the road that may prefer cooler or warmer water.  That is also be something to consider when purchasing a kit vs. separate components.

Do I need ALL of this stuff? There are so many *things* in the fish area of the store!

You do need several things to get a tank up and running.  You’ll need some gravel or sand for the bottom of your tank. Pick one you like! We would have opted for some natural looking gravel and rock combination, but given that this was for the kiddos, we have a nice black with neon colors scattered throughout the tank. I’m quite ok with this. My husband is adjusting. 🙂

What kind of fish do I get?

That’s largely due to your preferences.  And the most fun part of having a fish tank in the house.  Enjoy the fish choosing. My kids spent weeks (no joke) making lists of the pros and cons of different fish and how they were with other kinds of fish and did they eat live plants and so on.  W E E K S of lists of fish on scraps of paper in every room of my house (but did I take photos? No, because I am a failure. Apologies). (I could probably take photos of the lists of chicken breeds but that’s another posts).

Ultimately, figure out what you would LIKE to get, and when you arrive at the store, talk with someone who works there about which breeds will co-habitate peacefully with one another. You really don’t want to set up a tank for your family to realize too late that you chose one breed that will eat the others.  (Trust me!!). Fish like to be in schools so try to get at least 3 of each variety you choose.

Do I have to buy special water for my tank?

Most of us don’t.  If your water is overly chlorinated or hard, you will want to speak with the staff at your local store to find out just what they suggest for your tank. We used Quick Start to get things moving on the aquarium cycle and some Stress Coat when we put the fish in.

What do I feed my fish?

You will want to make sure that the fish food you choose is suitable for the kind of fish you select.  A lot of it is personal choice. We like to use the pellets, not the flakes, but there isn’t a particular reason. It’s just our preference. Since our dog, the cat, the hamster and all of our chickens get treats, the kids always insist on having treats for the fish now, too.  Again, personal preference.

Choosing the right fish tank for your family can be a really fun experience. We are so happy to have a tank up and running in the house again, and the decision to put it in the living room where the family can all enjoy it was a good one.  It’s so calming to watch the fish swimming, and the kids all love it.  (So does the cat, it’s like kitty TV).

You can find ALL of the items mentioned here at your local Petco store (and many online at Petco.com). Have fun choosing the right fish tank for your family!

 

 
Enter to win a $25 Petco Gift Card!

Thank you to Petco for inviting us to be part of their #PetcoCommunity Ambassador team and sending us the gift card to set up our new tank.

 

About Brett

I'm a 40 something lifestyle blogger living in Connecticut with my husband and our 3 kids, plus our two rescue pups. We love to hike, travel, play games, watch movies, and just be outside together! Having 3 active kids makes for a hectic schedule and I try to share content, recipes and other things that can help to make today's busy family life simpler, easier, or just plain more fun!

I started working full time at a local middle school in fall 2021 and some of my students are insistent that I am mean.

Comments

  7. Sue C. says

    I’d love to have the heavier items we buy on a regular basis delivered especially cat litter and big bags of cat food.

  20. Laniee says

    I would love to order setup for a hamster since my daughter has been wanting one for a long time now

  21. Claudia Davis says

    I am ordering a case of Wellness 3 oz cans of minced chicken for my cat Slippers.

  22. Kimmy Ripley says

    I would get my dog a cute new collar: Good2Go Pink Reflective Bone Dog Comfort Collar

  24. Kathy Hanley says

    I would love to order a new bird feeder since all of mine were destroyed in Hurricane Sandy and I have not been able to replace them.

  25. susan smoaks says

    i would love to order some dog food and treats from petco.com for our baby girl.

  34. Jeanna says

    I would stock up on some Blue Buffalo Wilderness Wolf Creek Stews Adult Canned Dog Food, Chicken!

  35. Evans B. says

    I always order cat food and fish food, I take advantage of free shipping and promo code sometimes.

  37. Andrea Williams says

    I would order some dog food for my mom’s dog. I am not sure what brand it is exactly but I know they buy it at Petco!

  42. Kelly D says

    I would buy the Nutro MAX CAT California Chicken Supreme Dinner Gourmet Classics Adult Cat Food.

  43. Christina says

    I would love to get my girls a couple of toys or chews, we had to say good-bye to one of our dogs last week and the other two are missing her lots and sad pups. Maybe the Leaps & Bounds Medium Rope with Bones Toy or Leaps & Bounds Nubby Shark Dog Toy

  44. Amanda Alvarado says

    Our dogs need new collars/harnesses for when we walk them so I’d use it towards that!

  48. Kathy says

    Great info for a beginner! Petco is my go to for all my furry, scaly, fluffy and creepy friends! I have goldfish right now! I need an algae eater though, a must for beginners!

  61. Dawn says

    I’d like to order a harness to walk our cat. He is able to slip out of the ones made for dogs too easily.

  70. Jen R says

    I would like to order a high quality perch from Petco for my parakeets like the A&E Cage Company Multi Branch Java Perch, Small.

  71. Barbara says

    My spoiled kitty needs either new toys or more likely, I’d pick up a couple bags of the expensive litter I use for her.

  77. Lisa Bristol says

    I have had fish tanks for years. It is a fantastic hobby. My kids love to watch the fish swim. We have some guppies that have babies and it is always fun to watch them grow.

  78. Ann Bacciaglia says

    I would love to have a salt water tank. The fish are so beautiful. I am worried it would be to much work. Watching fish can be so relaxing.

  81. dawn says

    when growing up we used to always keep a fish tank in the house. my mom always bought some of the most pretty and exotic fish.

  82. Dawn Lopez says

    We have had fish tanks before but didn’t have very much luck with them. I can definitely sympathize with accidentally buying cannibal fish. That was not a very good day. 😉 Maybe with your tips and suggestions we can try again to get a fish tank up and running again.

  83. Kathy says

    I use to have fish, but not anymore. I wouldn’t mind getting a couple of them again. My father use to have a huge fish tank, but I think that was way to much for him. They can be a pain to clean. That’s why I would love to have a small one for my family.

  84. Sandy VanBirkirk says

    I would love to get live plants for my tank, the baby guppy’s could hide in them to be safe

  85. Shauna says

    Oh my goodness, this is such helpful information… as we were just talking about getting the girls a fish and had no idea where to start. I know there are so many options, so thank you so much

  86. Jennifer says

    This is such a great resource. I wish my sister had had this to go by when she was trying her hand at a fish tank (both times). She’s not exactly fish friendly. =/

  88. Melissa Lawler says

    We used to have a rather large fish tank. One day we brought home and albino shark. Turns out the shark had ick and infected the whole tank. Very sad.

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