Freshwater Aquarium Tank – Choosing The Right One For You
September 1st, 2010 by KittyKitty
Where will you put it?
It is important that you decide where you are going to put your new freshwater aquarium tank before you buy it because this will dictate how large it can be or how small it has to be. Keep the tank away from direct sunlight since this will almost always encourage excessive algae growth. In addition you should be careful to avoid places where it could be difficult keep the right constant temperature, e.g. near draughts from windows and doors or near radiators. In an ideal world your aquarium should be situated in a reasonably tranquil part of your house where the fish will not be unduly alarmed by human traffic or noise.
Buying your Freshwater Aquarium Tank and Equipment
Acrylic or Glass?
As a general rule acrylic tanks are costlier than their equivalent in glass. Just because glass is cheaper it does not mean that acrylic is better than glass. Each material has a number of advantages and disadvantages. The biggest disadvantage of acrylic is that it is so easily scratched. Acrylic tanks have the big advantage that they can be formed in almost any shape. Alternatively glass has to be thicker than acrylic so it is much heavier and it can break and crack but it is much more difficult to scratch.
Here is a list of their pros and cons:
Acrylic
- Easily scratched
- Light
- Difficult to break or crack – children safe
- Can be moulded into almost any shape
- Needs a stand supporting the whole of its weight otherwise it can split with the weight of the water
- Thinner and easier to drill through for filters etc.
- Less distortion because it is thinner
- Can yellow with age
- More expensive
Glass
- Hard to scratch
- Heavy
- Can break or crack – may be a hazard when children are about
- Limited to certain shapes mostly rectangular although bowed fron glass tanks are now available
- More rigid so they can be placed on an open stand
- Thicker and difficult to drill through
- More distortion due to its thickness
- Does not yellow with age so they maintain clarity over a long time
- Less expensive
Acrylic tanks have to be more carefully maintained than glass using acrylic safe tools particularly those used to scrape off algae.
In summary go with glass if you just want a bog standard rectangular aquarium. It is likely that your only choice will be acrylic if you want a tank which is either very large or an unusual shape.
Other Equipment
It is important that you select the best equipment for your tank. A good fish dealer will assist you in this, you should encourage a good relationship with him.
You should have some knowledge about what else is required, filter, heater, lid with lighting, substrate, backing material and such things as rocks and real or plastic plants. You will need extra accessories like a water conditioner, net, test kits etc once the tank has been set up.
The Golden Rules
- Never buy the tank and fish on the same day. It may be tempting to arrive home with everything you need including the fish but some patience and restraint is called for initially!
- Buy a larger tank if space allows and you can afford it. Small tanks sold as ideal for beginners are a mistake. The larger the tank the more stable it is in terms of its water chemistry, pH, temperature etc. Things are much less likely to go wrong suddenly in a large tank because conditions change more gradually the greater the volume of water. A three foot long (92 cm) aquarium holding approximately 100 litres (about 25 gallons) of water is a good size starter tank.
- Your tank needs to stand on a sturdy piece of furniture, for preference one that has been specifically designed for the purpose. Water is very dense, large quantities of it weigh a great deal. Water weighs 1kg (2.2 pounds) per litre. A regular tank size, say 36×12x18 weighs approximately 110kg or 242 lbs plus the weight of the tank, gravel, lid and decor.
- Prepare your tank and have it running with freshwater aquarium plants, heating and filtration for at least a week before the fish arrive. This gives the water a chance to settle down as far as its quality is concerned and allows the good bacteria a chance to multiply to a level where the tank is ‘cycling’.
- Do not load the tank with more than 1 inch of fish to each gallon of water and remember that your new fish are probably babies so they will grow fast. A few like to be even more conservative and go by one inch of fish for every two gallons of water to keep fish waste levels low.
- Don’t just tip them in add your new aquarium freshwater fish carefully. Float the bag in the aquarium for about 20 minutes so that the temperatures equalise, open the bag and add some aquarium water to it for a further 20 minutes and then finally gently add them to the tank.
Conclusion
So that’s it. The first step is to decide where the aquarium is going in your home then it should be clear how large it can be and what it will be made of. Your home freshwater aquarium will be a success frrom the start if you follow the six golden rules.
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