New Fishkeepers - Choosing The Right Fish Tank For Your Tropical Fish Hobby

My first tank was a 60 litre Marina tank, but that was so long ago that it hasn't been made for years. The main problem with this tank for newcomers was that it was just the tank, no filter or heater, leaving the newbie at the mercy of the shop for advice on which equipment to buy to go in it. For example, I was sold a Fluval 1 filter, rated for tanks up to 45 litres!
However this tank sprung a leak a couple of years ago and rather than risk trying to reseal it I bought a new tank. This one is still available and in my opinion would make a good starter tank. The only downside is that the quoted volume is right to the brim and as you have to leave space between the water and the rim, the usuable volume is less than the manufacturer states. This is unfortunately an all too common feature of modern tanks.

The tank in question is the Eheim Aquastar 54. It comes with a heater, Eheim Pickup filter and a thermometer - one of the liquid filled ones not a stick on type. Despite being labelled as 54 litres, it isn't and that should be borne in mind when it comes to stocking. However the footprint, at 60 x 30 cm, is the same as my old 60 litre Marina tank, it is just not as tall.
The filter contains just sponge as its only medium, no carbon cartridges to lure a newcomer into spending money on replacements. And the heater is an Eheim Jager, reputedly one of the best makes on the market. The light is one 15w T8 fluorescent tube.

I know this isn't my first tank but in my opinion it is suitable as a first tank, provided the purchaser is aware of the volume. As long it is stocked with suitable (ie small) fish, it should allow a newcomer to make a good start to the hobby.

My first tank was a Marina 55L, W60 x H37 x D30cm (including canopy), it came with a Marina i110 filter and a 50w heater. I ended up ditching the filter and getting a fluval U2 as the marina filter just had cartridges filled with  zeolite and carbon which you were supposed to change every 4 weeks and a plastic grill inside which was there for the bacteria to stick to. I did try customising the cartridges but it didnt really work out.

With hindsight I'd probably have bought a 100 litre as a first tank.

Although I bought all of my tanks second hand, I turned down the opportunity to bid on several more because they came with totally unsuitable (i.e. large) fish that I couldn't accommodate. Be very wary of anyone who says there are "a few fish" included unless they can tell you what they are or you might find you are the new owner of half a dozen Oscars.

The tank I bought which leaked was one that had been left dry for a long time, I suspect the sealant had dried out and the seller didn't know about the leak, which is actually near the top. I'll get round to resealing it one day as it's a nice tank. But I'd beware of buying a tank if the seller says something like "it's been sitting empty in the garage for a couple of years".

Great contributions everyone! First hand accounts are gold dust for newbs 

I thought I'd also add a link to this post from Richard ( link)   as it may assist a casual browser considering their options