hi,
at my local Petco I found a 38 gallon tank that includes the stand and everything on clearance for $186. I have 3 small and 1 medium fish. Would 38 be enough?

Also, how long would i have to run the new tank before I can put my fish in it? can I use some water from the old tank to get it started?

Thanks

Well it depends on what type of fish you have, if it would be enough.
What are they?

Yes you can use the old tank water, filters and even the gravel to start the cycle in the new tank.
Depending on their current situation it may or may not be good to put them in the tank before it is cycled.
We will need more information before answering that one.

oops, I have goldfish.
What else would you need to know?
thank you.

Ok well I think I remember from your other thread. You have 4 gf right? What kinds are they?

YOu are welcome.

hi, 3 fantails, 1 oranda.

A 38gal may be enough as long as you keep doing regular waterchanges.

A 38 gallon tank will only hold about 33 gallons of water. So if your fish are still small you can use this tank for a while, but it will not be large enough for four full grown goldfish.

If the filter is part of the 38 gallon package, it most likely won't have enough filtering capacity to support your four goldfish. For four goldfish in a 38 gallon tank it will be very important to have filter capacity that will turn the water over at least ten times per hour.

I tend to think it won't be big enough. And with that heavy of a load it will forever have water problems.
Many water changes (several a week) may (and I say may) be ok for a while (several months) but after that you are going to have to upgrade again.
So I would go for at least a 45 gal or better. To be over a few gals is best.
And Bak2it is right, with gravel and plants, decorations it is never how much it actually holds.

When I upgraded from a 10 gallon to a 29 I wanted a tank and stand and everything! I realized I could save hundreds by using something already here to put my tank on. I have an old dresser that is solid as a rock. We did a little weight testing (Hey! C'mere and see how many peeps we can get to sit on this thing!) and some testing to see that it was stable (Ok, now that we are on it, lets wiggle and try to rock it!). Once it passed the tests I only had to get and tank. Something to consider.

Thanks for the idea. I don't really have all that much extra furniture, though. I just moved out on my own a few months ago.

Well one of my fish died last night so I only have 3 goldfish now.

If you are just starting out on your own then I would guess that cash is tight right now. If you have any more furniture to buy, I would look into a big, sturdy dresser to put your clothes in and your tank on. Unless you want the tank in the living room. There are lots of great stands out there for a good price tho. Check on eBay for sellers in your area, or maybe craigslist or a local freecycle group. Good luck and keep us updated!

So sorry about your fish. The 38gal would still be nice though along with a Marineland emperor 400 power filter. If you have any thrift stores or see a garage sale check for a stand there. I got a stand for my 20gal for 16 bucks. Its very solid with metal braces in each corner.

Thanks a lot. I'll check out sales and the ad5 in the paper, too!