Choosing an Aquarium

Practical Advice For Your

First Aquarium, continued

Space

The first step when choosing an aquarium, before you go shopping, is to know where you are going to place the aquarium and how much room you will have for everything. You will need a spot near an electrical outlet and not in the direct sunlight or air conditioning vents, I’ll explain why later. I would suggest you actually measure the space don’t just guess; Measure - width, length and height.

Size

If this is your first foray into the world of tropical fish, I would suggest you start small(ish). I would suggest that you choose an aquarium that is between ten and 20 gallons. This size tank is just right for you to learn how to keep tropical fish alive. Usually the smallest tank at a pet store is ten gallons (they are sometimes used as a terrarium for small turtles and such.) You will spend anywhere from about $20 -$35. You can usually find great tanks at discount stores, but be careful about getting your fish anywhere without a experienced fish person.

Shape

When you choose an aquarium you will need to decide what shape will fit best in your space and décor. They actually come in all shapes from the standard rectangle to octagons and hexagons. You can also find square/cube or cylinder shapes. The reason you see the rectangle more than any other is because it is easiest to maintain and is the least expensive plus as a bonus, this shape also looks larger than it is.

Material

Aquariums aren’t all glass anymore and you can get a them made from Plexiglas (acrylic), this is how they get the rounded corners which can look great. The problem with most types of acrylic is that is scratches easily. On the other hand glass doesn’t scratch but it is heavy, and although you don’t move an aquarium very often, you should consider if this is a consideration for the set up or on the rare occasion you will move it after that.

Stand?

You don’t have to have a stand to set the aquarium on, you can set it on a self or table or counter. It really doesn’t matter, it’s a matter of preference and where you want the aquarium to sit. Just as I said earlier, make sure it is out of the direct sunlight and near an outlet.

The sky’s the limit when it comes to stands; you can buy them online or from a pet store or discount place, or even make one yourself. Keep in mind that each gallon of water weights nine lbs so make sure you know how much weight the place you will be setting your tank can handle the weight. (Make sure you take the tank weight into consideration.)

Another issue is water – let's hope you don’t ever have a tank leak, but if you do, make sure wherever you set the tank can handle the water or is protected. You will also have a bunch of stuff, see the shopping list, that goes with the aquarium, and although it’s not mandatory it be stored near the tank, it sure makes life easier.

Hood

You really need a hood, first to keep the water evaporation to a minimum and second to keep your fish in the tank. (Yes they sometimes seem to throw themselves out to the floor.) Here again, you will have choices. Hoods can be as simple as two sections of glass connected by a hinge to a hood with a light.

Light

Although direct sunlight is not good for your fish – the sun through the glass can warm the water in the tank up actually high enough to kill the fish. It also encourages the growth of algae. They do need some light. Fluorescent lights (not grow –lights) provide enough light to admire your beautiful fish by, light for the plants (if you use live plants), without putting out unwanted heat or costing a fortune to run.

Filtration

The less you want to clean your tank the more you should put into a better filter system for the tank. No matter what system you choose you will still need to clean the tank Link>>> cleaning a tank to keep your fish alive, but there are some real nice systems out there. Ask for the advice of the fish store expert, they will know about what you can expect from the different types and brands. But don’t let them intimidating you into getting what you don’t need. Filters can get very expensive so be a comparison shopper. The simplest type is a power filter with a removable cartridge you change every so often. Click Here for more info on filters

Temperature

You will need an aquarium heater to keep the tank at the right temperature for tropical fish. The temperature needs to be a steady 76 to 79 degrees for most tropical fish. (This is why air conditioner vents are not good for your tank.) You will be able to choose from two types of heaters, one that hangs over the edge of the tank and the other is submersible. Here again there are different brands etc., get the right size heater for the size tank you are setting up. A thermometer is also important so that you can check to make sure the tank is at the correct temperature.

There are things that are necessary and things that are just to make the tank pretty. Let’s start with the necessary:

Gravel - this falls under necessary rather than pretty for two reasons. One gravel is necessary for filtration and because it is necessary to hold the plants and other items on the bottom of the tank. As for making it pretty, dark gravel will bring out the colors in your fish more than light colors will, but it’s really up to your color preferences. You have a lot of choices from sand, to crushed coral to synthetic mixtures.

Plants - these are important to give the fish places to hide etc., the choices are whether to get plastic or live. The plastic can look so real its hard to tell they aren’t real but some fish do a little better with real. Live plants are one more thing to keep alive, but can be easily replaced so it’s really dependent on your fish and/or your personal preference.

Decorative items - this falls into both areas again, the fish need places to hide and they make the tank more attractive, just don’t overcrowd the tank, and look for items that have places the fish can get into or swim around.

Tank Back Sheeting - this is purely decorative, pictures or color paper you place on the outside of the back of the tank to look through, this is decorative only, but can be fun and bring out the colors of the fish even more.

So, there is how to get started chousing and aquarium and the things that go with it. Check out the other Tame That Wild Thing! Tropical Fish information on Setting up your aquarium Choosing a Filter, choosing fish for your aquarium and cleaning and maintenance.