# 25 Gallon Tank



## tropicalfish (Mar 4, 2011)

Hi! I'm looking into getting a 25 gallon tank and I had a few questions about it.
1. The one I was looking into was cube and I was wondering if this was okay for a zebra danio. Because the tank isn't long I didn't know if this was enough swimming space for them. 

2. Is there any benefit(s) to a cube tank or is a long tank better? Are they the same?

3. Is 25 gallons big enough for my clown loach? Do clown loaches need schools? 

4. Is this a worthwhile upgrade from a 10 gallon tank? 

I know this is a lot of questions, but I want to make sure that the tank I am looking into is good. 
Thanks so much!


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## grogan (Jan 23, 2011)

Sounds like a good tank but with that clown loach a 25g is only a temporary solution. You should shoot for a 55 gal+


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## humdedum (Feb 18, 2009)

Clown loaches can grow to 11 inches, and they do indeed like being in schools! Having at least three will keep them happier, although you will need more room. As grogan said, 55 or larger would be best.

Long tanks are better because there is more surface area at the top for oxygen/carbon dioxide exchange. And then, there's more room at the bottom for any aggressive fish you may have to set up their territories. 

Also, zebra danios are basically color in motion, and may bump into the sides of a tight tank while playing/swimming/cavorting. I would recommend a 20 long instead of a 25 gallon if you want to keep happy danios.

I would say a 20 long is worth the upgrade from a 10! In 2009, I upgraded my very first tank, a 10, to a 20 long and there were no problems at all; I just moved the filter from one tank to the next.

Hope this helps!


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## tropicalfish (Mar 4, 2011)

Because I am limited on space, I can only get the cube tank. Is it worthwhile upgrading?
Am I limited on which fish I can get because of this? I know the zebra danio is out of the question because it needs swimming space.


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## mousey (Jan 18, 2005)

Deep tanks tend to have oxygenation problems. Also you can only keep the same amountof fish in the cube tank that you would keep in the smaller tank because of the lack of surface area.
I moved my fish from a 20 regular to a 30 high and found the fish suffocated until i caught on to the fact that the oxygen level was decreased and the co2 level went up. Now I leave the tank down an inch or so and run an extra bubbler on hot days. I keep the same fish in that 30 as I would in a regular 20.
The decreased surface area means less oxygen can be absorbed thus the need for extra splash to turn the water surface.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

relative to depth square tanks provide more surface area for gas exchange than do long tanks.
actually ; clown loaches can grow to 15 inches...yes....they are more active and out and about when in groups..the more ; the merrier.
here's a pic of my old group....had 25 clowns in that tank...smallest one was about 4 inches or so...they are awesome fish..









the 25 cube will be ok for for a few clowns for a year or two..but look at something moire like a 75 than a 55..almost the same footprint...or in the same length of space you could build a 120 gallon tank...my favorite medium size tank...24 x 24 x 48....


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## tropicalfish (Mar 4, 2011)

mousey said:


> Deep tanks tend to have oxygenation problems. Also you can only keep the same amountof fish in the cube tank that you would keep in the smaller tank because of the lack of surface area.
> I moved my fish from a 20 regular to a 30 high and found the fish suffocated until i caught on to the fact that the oxygen level was decreased and the co2 level went up. Now I leave the tank down an inch or so and run an extra bubbler on hot days. I keep the same fish in that 30 as I would in a regular 20.
> The decreased surface area means less oxygen can be absorbed thus the need for extra splash to turn the water surface.



Should I even bother upgrading then if it won't allow me any benefits?


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

hmmmmmm...mousey...did you know that if you place an airstone near the bottom of your tank it will do an excellent job of oxygenating the water ?
after all...the bubbles rising from the bottom of the tank pull the co2 laden water up with it..as the bubbles break at the surface the co2 is released and oxygen is taken in...
why just run the aeration on hot days ?? i run air diffusers on all of my tanks 24/7..


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## grogan (Jan 23, 2011)

What kind of space are you looking at? I have the same problem so I bought a 56gal marineland 30lx18dx24h. Lots of tank , small space. I use two power heads and force air through them with a pump and control air flow with a valve. No problems with oxygen yet. Their are a lot of guidelines for general tank maintenance but as you get better you will learn that many of these rules can be broken with general common sence.


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## tropicalfish (Mar 4, 2011)

I'm not sure where I am putting it, but I don't want a tank that is that big. I think that this is a good size. I would get an air stone and currently have one in my 10 gallon as well. Without it, the fish were gasping for air at the top of the tank.


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## mousey (Jan 18, 2005)

Hi Loha, Yup I know that the airstone at the bottom does a great job. but the hydro here is getting so darn expensive that I try to cut costs where I can. I can do that with leaving the water down about an inch. I have a 30 gallon high tank with an Eheim that can handle a 150 gallon.
My tanks are all planted so that adds extra cost too. We are on time of use hydro- basically the hydro idiots want everything done in the dark!. They did give us an extra 2 hours of 'cheap' time because people were complaining that they don't want to be running the dishwasher and doing the laundry when they would rather go to bed. So in comprensation for the extra 2 cheap hours they raised the rates again.:chair:
I guess what we all tell is what works for us, and we all have found different ways of successfully keeping our fish.
Certainly not a cut and dried hobby.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

I have had a little experience dealing with hydro...they tend to kind of weird and anal about things..i used to build the electrical switching gear they used...


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