I would go for a 40 breeder over a 55 gallon; it allows for more aquascaping potential with the wider footprint (18" vs. 12").
A Beginner!!!
- Thread starter The.Kid9
- Start date
I think alot of you are trying to make him jump into hobby and blow alot of money quick. I think he should start small with a 20-30 gallon and a few convicts to see how he likes the hobby. I've ssen many friends start big and end up not liking it and then they have a big tank they have to take a big loss on in order to sell. 20-30 gallon and some convicts would be a great start. You said you dont want oscars and Fh cuz of their size and hunger needs but the fish you said you liked get so much bigger than the fish you dont like. Start simple then figure out what fish you like and begin to upgrade
^ I agree with Aquamonster... i've seen a friend crash and burn in the hobby coz he went too big, too fast and thought he had the time to deal with a 3.5ft tank about 75G...
So i would say get a feel for the hobby first and see if you can see yourself enjoying it on a long term basis before jumping in head first, otherwise, you could end up spending a lot of money and then turning around in less than a year selling everything...
Also, i would say if you make a big mistake on a small tank its going to cost a lot less to rectify the problem compared to if you made a big mistake on a big tank...
So i would say get a feel for the hobby first and see if you can see yourself enjoying it on a long term basis before jumping in head first, otherwise, you could end up spending a lot of money and then turning around in less than a year selling everything...
Also, i would say if you make a big mistake on a small tank its going to cost a lot less to rectify the problem compared to if you made a big mistake on a big tank...
If you like the RTC, then a bumblebee catfish is a much smaller and more manageable option that will be fine in your current aquarium. They only get to be about 3" long, but they're little monsters in their own right and have been known to take down smaller tankmates at night. You could also add an African butterfly fish to the mix; they're like a mini arowana and are closely related to the arowanas. Those two species plus another that prefers to keep to the middle would give you a pretty cool mini monster aquarium for a pretty low cost.
I really got my start by buying a 29g kit for my son for xmas and filling it with different community fish such as tetras and guppys. I know it's not a favorable combo among those here, but it was very colorful, easy to care for and it sparked my interest to the point that I've since upgraded twice to larger tanks and am now looking to build.
I personally think starting out with a 55 gallon is good idea. The larger the tank, the easier it is to maintain. And if down the road you decide it isn't for you, 55 gallon tanks are easy to re-sell. If you're concerned with your fish getting too big, than I would definitely not get a Peacock bass, RTC or Sturgeon. Those fish get massive! Sturgeons can reach 4 feet+ and Peacock bass can easily get 2 feet. If you're planning on putting your fish in a 20 gallon, I would do a school of tiger barbs or something of that sort. As a beginner, you're going to make a lot of mistakes. Everyone does. That being said, I would recommend starting out with something small and hardy. If you're eager to get bigger fish right away, I agree with soccernut5824 on getting a 55 gallon and some African cichlids. Mbuna's are really great, beautiful fish. Best of luck to you! 
Read and understand this first it will save you a ton of grief
http://aquarticles.com/articles/management/Pearce_Les_Filtration_Nitrogen_Cycle.html
http://aquarticles.com/articles/management/Pearce_Les_Filtration_Nitrogen_Cycle.html
I would get a 30 gallon with a HOB filter and some cheap fish like tetras, danios, swordtails, or maybe a small school of tiger barbs. these are all fish that are easily replacable and perfect for you as a beginner. Keep it simple.
