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

Well I find that I tend to want a bigger aquarium, but I think it is perpetual. I would lean towards getting the biggest one you can afford and have space for.
As for is it worth $130. That depends on how much $130 is worth to you. I like to think of it in terms of how long it takes me to make that amount of money. So it is not too far off to say that $130 is a typical days wage. So is the advantages of a 46 gallon bowfront worth 1 day at work.

I would say the bowfront would be better. That way you can pick the filter and heater instead of some company tossing in the cheapers heater and filter they can find.

I'll also say keep an eye on craigslist. If your not in a rush, you can find stuff on there all the time as far as filters, tanks, stands, heaters, everything.

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I just pretend I know what I'm doing

I was in the same boat a few months ago. I was new and didnt which way to go. I ended up go with a 56g Column vs a 28g Kit and buying lights, filters, etc. over a period of a couple of weeks. I think spending the extra money was worth it. Just do research and ask questions, everyone on the forum is very helpful.

Bigger=Better. The option to pick ur own equipment is also an advantage.

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I'm so sorry I haven't been on the forum in so long! Don't worry, I haven't forgotten this lovely website! I moved to a different county back in May 2011 and started high school in a totally different school district. So I'm still adjusting and studying hard, and don't presently have any aquariums. But once I do, I'll be right back on this forum!

Once you start, you are always going to want bigger...
get the bigger tank if you can afford it.

Bigger is better, though I tend not to prefer altered shapes such as bowfronts, hexagons, cylinders, etc, because they tend to distort the viewing angle because of the light refraction.

I would suggest looking for more tanks either on craigslist as mentioned or your local pet stores because 130$ seems quite a jump for just 10ish gallons more.

Bigger is always better.

You will be replacing the filter with a bigger/better one - the filters in the kit are not adequate - they package the cheapest equipment possible in the starter kits.

If you're trying to save money - get the tank/stand/hood/lights from Craigslist & then get an Aquaclear 110 (500) on EBay for $50. Thermometers & heaters are cheap.

When I begun I got a 10 gallon tank, three months later I went for a 25 and in less than a year later I had a 75 gallon tank. Now I have a 55. Bigger will always be better! Definitely go to Craigslist or eBay. I got my 55 with a power head, heater, lights and filter for $100. I ended up getting a bigger filter and new heater. Those starter kits are not worth the money.

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[url]www.thefishtankplace.com

lols labecs im there with ya .... I picked up a 28 gallon followed by a 40 tall followed by a 75 and then i jumped to a 195 now im down to nada and starting over but i agree go with the bow front or look for tanks on craigslist and pick out your own filters heaters and lights

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MR_Pat
90 Gallon Community Tank Planted , Cherry Shrimp tank planted, 75 Gallon Turtle Tank with an FX5, 195 Gallon Tank home of LiL sis our Reticulated Python

It's just a couple cents worth of advice, but bow fronts have this "professional display" quality about them that is just killer !

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The EARLY bird may get the worm, but the SECOND mouse gets the cheese !