Hey all! I'm a new member and first time poster! Very happy to be a part of the site as I start my new tank. So as a newbie, you can all give me advice on what to buy! haha

Ok, so I'm looking at two different tanks, both of which are 36 long by 20 high, which is exactly what I wanted. Now here is what I found, and where my question comes into play. (stands for both cost the same and are not factored into my question)

38 Gallon deluxe kit by Aqueon with hood and light (comes with heater and filter, other stuff it comes with I'm not basing my decision on. This costs $150 for everything (tank, hood, heater, filter)

OR

46 Gallon Bow front by MarineLand with hood. This costs $200. after adding the heater and filter to make it comparable to the 38 kit above, it will come out to about $280


Now, my question is. What would you do? is the 46 gallon bow front worth the extra $130? I know its a better looking aquarium, and is obviously bigger, but is it worth it for the $130? The other question is, Ive never bought a kit aquarium before, so I don't know how good the heater and filter are that come with it. Am I going to be replacing them after a few months because they arent powerful enough? If thats the case it bring the cost of the two tanks a little closer in comparison.

I apologize if I rambled, or made no sense, but I just want to make sure I make the right decision, and not say "I wasted $180 bucks" or "I should have spent a little more and gone bigger" a few months down the road.

Thanks ahead of time for taking the time to read and respond