Because I live in a very small space and I have no furniture or floor support for a much larger tank.

Because I am a beginner.

Because I want to get really comfortable with stocking appropriately before I even begin to think about greater aquarist ambitions.

I understand that environmental deviations are harder to correct the smaller a tank gets, but I have to try, and I have to be dilligent. My future fishies' lives are at stake!