Fish Tank Size Requirement (How big is enough for a fish aquarium)

A fish tank of the proper size is one of the very first requirements for setting up an aquarium correctly.  People often overlook its importance. Undersized fish tanks can cause many problems including but not limited to: Unstable water perimeters; quicker build-up of harmful chemicals; lack of enough oxygen; hard to keep clean; and not enough swimming room for the fish. Most of these problems can lead to the death of fish.

1. Unstable water parameters
Too little water can result in unstable water temperature, hardness, and PH. Fish dislike the fluctuation in water parameters because it can shock and even kill them.

2. Quick build-up of harmful substances
The aquarium nitrogen cycle is critical to keep a healthy aquarium. Fish constantly produce ammonia. Too little water can mean the ammonia concentration level will increase faster than the aquarium filter system can convert it. Many fish die in tiny fish tanks or bowls because there is just not enough room to install a proper aquarium filter system. Even when the filter system is supposed to be sufficient enough, the byproduct of aquarium nitrogen cycle – nitrate will still build up too fast for you to maintain a healthy aquarium.

3. Too little oxygen
Less water means less oxygen in the water. Limited water surface in a small tank also can prevent enough gas exchange from taking place between the water and the atmosphere. Fish will die from not enough oxygen.

4. Hard to keep it clean
A significant amount of fish poop and uneaten food can result in a dirtier tank if the fish tank is small. You may find yourself in a situation where the fish tank is always dirty despite your best effort to clean it frequently.

5. Not enough swimming room
All fish need a certain amount of swimming room. If they can’t move around freely without bumping into each other or onto the side of the tank, they will become stressed. Stressed fish will have a weaker immune system which might result in catching diseases or even death.

Now we know the terrible consequences of having a small fish tank.

The question now is – How big of a fish tank is big enough? What size of a fish tank do you need?
You may have two different approaches. One, you may get a fish tank first before you decide on what fish species and how many fish are suitable for it. Two, you may research the fish species first and make up your mind on what fish you will get, and then get a fish tank with the size suitable for your plan.

How big of a fish tank you should get is not only determined by your available budget, space, but it should also be decided by what species and the quantity of fish you plan to have. Each fish species has its minimum requirement for the tank size. There are hundreds if not thousands different pet fish species raised by people as a hobby. There is no need to get the exact number for required tank size on each of them. While it is true the tank size should be determined by the fish species; there are always some general rules which can be applied in most cases.

Rule #1 – Stay away from fish bowls and any fish tank under 5 US gallons in size!
It is highly recommended to get at least a 5-gallon fish tank for even just a single Betta fish (also known as Siamese Fighter Fish). In fact, we recommend a 5-gallon as the bare minimal tank size for even the smallest fish species. Anything smaller is not ideal to keep fish healthy due to the fact it will be harder to keep the water parameters stable.

Now you may wonder why there are fishbowls of one, two, and three gallons. There are smaller than 5-gallon fish tanks and fish bowls in the stores; they are in fact unsuitable for fish at all. It is all about marketing and profit without caring about the well-being or the basic living condition of the pet fish in mind. It is hard to keep fish alive in those tiny fish bowls. Therefore, we recommend staying away from them. The shape of the fishbowl is also awkward. It has a smaller water surface area for gas exchange. It also means less oxygen for the fish. Moreover, the small size of fishbowl does not have enough room for proper installation of equipment necessary for the survival of the fish.

Rule #2 – For the fish tank size, the bigger the tank, the better!
There is no such thing as too big when it comes to the size of a fish tank. You should get the biggest fish tank you are willing to pay for if you have space at home. From the economical point of view, a basic 5-gallon glass fish tank goes for only $11 in most local stores, and a 10-gallon glass tank is just $14. The prices might be different depending on where you live, but it can’t be far off. Obviously, a 10-gallon is a better choice as the lowest budget aquarium if you have space at home for it. With adequate filtration, a 10-gallon fish tank should be fine to house up to 5~6 tropical fish species of less than 3 inches in length.

If you have more space available at home as well as the budget, go for a 20- gallon fish tank or even a 29-gallon fish tank as your first fish tank. These tanks are still considered small-sized tank by aquarium standards, and they are still cheap to get. With a bigger fish tank, you will also have more options when it comes to stock it with fish. A 29-gallon tank should be enough for most small and medium-sized fish up to 6” long. Please note that these numbers are not the absolute rule.

Some of the starter kits with most things included are fairly cheap and easy to set up.
10-gallon aquarium kit
20-gallon aquarium kit
The article of How to set up an aquarium will tell more details on what equipment you need to set everything up.

(False) Rules of Thumb on Fish Tank Size

The inch per gallon (false) rule
There are (wrong) rules regarding the fish tank size and fish stocking. One of the most common ones is the “inch per gallon rule.” It is (wrongfully) said that you should get no more than a fish of one-inch-long per gallon of water. This is wrong because a lot of fish species have different body mass and appetite even when they have the same length. One extreme example is the goldfish. They can weight 5~10 times as much as a tropical fish of the same length. With more body mass, they produce more waste and thus requiring a much bigger fish tank. While you should not follow this false rule, it has to be noted that it might not be too far off for most tropical fish species of less than 3 inches long.

The case of goldfish is extreme. They are incredibly messy and will grow to be huge quickly. A minimal 20-gallon fish tank for just one Fancy Goldfish is highly recommended and no less than 30 gallons for two of them. A Common Goldfish requires a minimum 40-gallon fish tank for the first one, and you need a 55-gallon for a pair. It is essential that you get the tank size above the bare minimum requirement, or you will have a problem to keep the ammonia level at bay.

The fish will not outgrow the tank (false) assumption
There is another wrong assumption that fish will only grow to be as big as the tank allows. Some people say the fish will stay small if the fish tank is small. This assumption is wrong! There is entirely no reason for fish to stop growing just because the fish tank is not big enough. When the tank is too small for a particular species, the fish will outgrow the tank and make the tank maintenance hard to keep up. It might cause ammonia spike which can kill the fish. You must use the full adult size instead of the current size of the fish to measure the fish tank size requirement. Do not get a small tank just because the fish is still young. Unless you are certain that you will get a bigger fish tank very soon.

Fish tank length requirement
Another general unwritten rule is the tank length should be at least seven times longer than the fish. So if you have a Betta fish of 2.5” long, you need a tank with at least 17.5” in length. This rule is false. Some fish such as slow-moving Betta do not move around very fast. Thus they will do fine in a smaller tank than some fast moving fish such as Zebra Danios. Under normal circumstances, more active and fast swimming species require more swimming room.  Therefore, they need a bigger fish tank than the timid fish species.

Some important points to pay attention to when it comes to the fish tank size

School Fish
Some fish such as Tetra, Rasboras, Corydoras are school fish. Most school fish species need a minimum of 5~6 in each group. Not having enough of them in the same aquarium can result in their being shy and stressed, thus not displaying their natural behaviors. When you plan to get a certain species of school fish, you should keep the minimum recommended number in mind. More fish will obviously require the more swimming room as well as overall water volume to sustain them.

Fish Tank dimension
Certain fish species have a “weird” shape. Angelfish, for example, has a very tall body shape comparing to most other fish of the same length. They require those taller dimension tanks. (Not all tanks of the same size have the same dimensions). Another example is that many species of catfish need to go to the surface for air.  As a result, they like shallow tanks. 

As long as the bare minimum is met, there is no absolute rule or any magic number for how to decide on the size of a fish tank. You should get the biggest fish tank you are willing to pay for if you have space at home. Just use your common sense when it comes to stocking your aquarium with fish. Some research on the requirement of individual fish species might be helpful if you are already sure on what fish you want to get.

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29 thoughts on “Fish Tank Size Requirement (How big is enough for a fish aquarium)

  1. Hi! I have 3 Comet Goldfish almost 6inch each in my pond, and they also have babies. I need to winterize my fish because I live in Canada and the pond size is not deep enough to keep them in over the winter. I am looking into tanks, should I go with at least 55 gallon? I am not sure what sizing to get, but I am willing to pay to keep my fishes. Please help!!

  2. My family has a 30 gallon tank with multiple cichlids. They reproduce a lot, and over the last two years some of the babies have grown large enough to fend for themselves. There is about 25 fish ranging from an inch to 5 inches. We are worried that we have too many fish for the space provided and need to expand. Could you point us to anywhere we could get more information or if we should expand the tank?

    • Hi Gretch,
      If your cichlids keep reproducing, they will eventually overpopulate your aquarium if they are not already. When it comes to the fish tank size for a community aquarium, it is the bigger the better. You may want to get a minimal 55 gallon or even larger fish tank if your budget and time allow it. The aquarium filter system should be upgraded along with the fish tank. Or you can simply move over the old filter, while adding a new one to run along side of it.

      If you have any more questions, please use our forum. It is easier to discuss back and forth on the forum.

  3. I’m sorry, that is not true, I have 4 fish, and I don’t know how big of a tank to get, I need it in square feet, and I have no idea.

    • Well, first we must know the species of your fish. It is only then we can know their maximum adult size and choose a suitable fish tank accordingly. When we talk about how big a fish tank you need, we usually talk about the minimum requirement. Anything bigger than the minimum will be fine.

  4. Hi! I’m a fish amateur, but i would really love to get an oyster toadfish. I know that they get to max 38cm (14in). Would buying a tank that is big enough even be possible for me? I’m a college student so it’s not like i have an over abundance of money, but maybe any suggestions on suitable size?

    • Hi maria,
      While I am not familiar with that particular fish. In general, most experienced fish hobbyists believe the minimum you will need a fish tank that is 7x the length of your fish’s maximum adult length. Yes, there are large aquariums of 150~200+ gallons, or even bigger. 96″ long fish tank is almost 7x. I have to warn you, the bigger tank comes with bigger responsibility lol. You will have to change a lot more water during each maintenance than if you have let’s say … a 10-gallon.

  5. I have 3 common goldfish and 2 common plecos. The biggest goldfish and the biggest pleco are about 8 or 9 inches long each. The 2 other goldfish are about 7 inches long each and the other pleco is almost 6 inches long. They are in a 150-gallon tank that has the dimensions of 4’Wx2’Dx3’H. Is that size tank ok, or am I going to have to get something bigger? Thank you!

    • Hello Darojka,
      Pleco can grow up to 12~24 inches long. Once it is full grown, your tank might not be big enough for it to live comfortably. You may upgrade the tank when it is necessary. Meanwhile, make sure your filter is sufficient. These fish are messy and produce a lot of ammonia.

    • Hi Lisa,
      One of the general accepted unwritten rules is that the fish tank needs to be at least 7x the length of the fish (max adult size).
      If your cichlid is already at its max size, then a 36-inch long fish tank should do fine. My 40-gallon fish tank is 36″ long. So 40-gallon or up, and with the required length. Of course, the bigger the better.

      Feel free to come to our forum if you have more questions. 🙂

  6. I am very sad. Brought in a Koi fish to my fish tank and he ate my two smaller tetras, now the 2 remaining large tetras are scared and hide. What can I do?

    • Hello Dave,
      Separate them immediately. They do not belong in the same tank. Tetras are tropical fish. Koi is not. You need a heater for Tetra, but not Koi. Koi is more like a pond fish, as they will grow to really large size.

  7. Hi, my dad and I just saved a bunch of fish from a dried up lake, about 3 sail fin mollies and a couple of minnows and 2, 3 inch catfish. I have a very small room, 6×12 and my sister and I share it, so we have a small shelf that doesn’t have much space. I have them in a 1 gallon bowl, and they are really small fish, so they look fine, but the two cats are pushing each other around and stuff, so I’m afraid that they will hurt each other. I also have a betta in a small bowl, and I feel really bad after reading all of this stuff online, but I’m out of space and I cant afford a bigger tank for him. It seems to be about a quarter or half a gallon, and I plan on upgrading his tank in the future, but I must save up first. How long will he be okay in there for?

  8. My dad had 4 small gold fish, 2 large gold fish, and a large scum sucker in a 55 gallon tank. While at his house today noticed the tank was leaking. The largest tank at the pet store was a 29 gallon. They said they will get larger tanks in a month. Will the fish be ok in that small of tank?

    • It should be fine in short-term if you use the same filter from the larger tank. It is the filter doing the biological filtration after all.

    • As long as you have moved over the old filter to the 29-gallon tank, it should be fine for a while. Keep up with the weekly water change.

  9. Very nice article enjoyed reading !!!
    I have a 10 gal aquarium with a filter(made for 20 gal) a heater and an air pump(air pump is not open 24/7).Do you think I could fit 5-6 neon tetras a betta and a small pleco?
    If not what can I do to keep the tetras they are my fav fish?Thanks you so much!

    • Hi ugig,
      Nope. Your set up is wrong on several levels.
      1. It is not a good idea to house a betta fish with other middle-level swimmers such as Neon Tetra.
      2. A single Pleco will outgrow a 10 gallon tank, and thus not a good idea.

  10. I have a 50 gallon tank with a black banded cat shark and a snowflake eel. Right now the eel is about 1 foot and the shark is about 6 inches. Will I have to get a bigger tank and if I do how big.

  11. hi im planning to do a fish tank of 200cm L x 75cm H x 30 cm Depth, do you think that it will be fine for discus or marine cause I haven’t decided yet if I go to marine or tropical
    at the moment im browsing to have some more expert ideas and I came across your comments
    regards
    Claudio

    • Hello Claudio,
      A fish tank of your described size is enough for discus. As for marine, it depends on what fish species you will get. They do not come in the same size. 🙂

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