How to choose an aquarium?

If you are planning to have a fish for the first time in your life, then one of the first things you should do is to decide on what kind of aquarium you are going to put them in. But as a first-time owner, we bet you probably don’t have any idea regarding it.

Our goal of writing this article is to provide you with all the minute details regarding aquariums, so that you can take an informed decision. As they say, devil is in the details!

It’s going to be a long article, so feel free to skip to the part that interests you more.

Table of Contents

• Deciding factors in aquarium purchase
• Aquarium size will depend on Fish type
• Aquarium size will depend on your budget
• Maintenance time
• Should I opt for a wider or a taller aquarium?
• Aquarium material

Deciding factors in aquarium purchase

First things first. What are the basic things that you should keep in mind, before even going out shopping for an aquarium?

Here’s a list:

• Budget - It’s the first thing that you need to consider. Bigger the tank, the more you will have to pay.

• Available space - You should have a clear idea where you are going to put that aquarium, and the space available in your home/room.

• Fish type - Before even buying an aquarium, you should be very clear about the kind of fish you want to have. Believe us, it’s really important.

• Fish quantity - Your aquarium choice will also depend a lot on the number of fishes that you will have. No rocket science here. More the fishes, the bigger the aquarium.

Now, let’s dive deep into some of these factors.

Aquarium size will depend on Fish type

You will have to buy aquariums of different sizes for different species of fish. Bigger fishes need more space.

Best way to find out the appropriate aquarium size is to know the maximum possible size of the fish that you have. Don’t buy aquarium based on the size of the fish babies. Remember that, they are going to grow. If you do not know how big they eventually are going to be, you will not be in a position to make correct decision.

To get to know about the size of the adult fish, you may:

• Browse the internet.
• Visit a local aquarium shop and have a look at all the fishes there. Chances are that your fish will be present there.
• Consult an expert. You may talk to a vet or someone in the aquarium shop. They will not only tell you more about your fish, but will also guide you to get the right aquarium for it.

If you are still in doubt, then you should go for a bigger aquarium. Small aquarium might be an issue, but a large one won’t.

Aquarium size will depend on your budget

Bigger aquariums cost more. This is because of various factors:

• Initial cost of larger aquariums is huge.
• Equipment (e.g. lighting, filtration, heating etc.) and the decorations are going to scale in price as you get a larger aquarium.

Maintenance time

The issues with large fish tanks are the area they occupy, and the time that’s needed to maintain them. There will also be more water volume to change, that will consume some time.

Should I opt for a wider or a taller aquarium?

The horizontal area covered by a fish tank is more important than its height. That is, if you have a choice between two aquariums having the same volume, go for the one that is wider side to side and front to back, than it’s tall.

A fish requires more space to move horizontally. Just observe how fishes move in an aquarium. You will understand!

Also, a tall aquarium can be a lot more cumbersome to work on. You will really need to have a long pair of arms if you’re to reach to the bottom. So, maintenance time will also increase somewhat.

Moreover, in a tall fish tank, probably the plants and corals will be really tall too. You will have a harder time providing light all the way to the bottom in such a tall, deep tank.

Aquarium material

Fish tanks are made from different materials. When you go to buy a fish tank, apart from different shapes and sizes, also notice the material of the aquarium.

Generally, you will find fish tanks made of three types of materials:

Glass aquariums

They are the most common, and probably the first ones that come to our mind when we think of fish tanks. But glass is pretty heavy and prone to break if it falls. So, avoid putting glass aquariums in places where kids play.

Plastic aquariums

You will get a lot of variety here, shape-wise and colour-wise. Apart from rectangular shape, you will find hexagon shapes, zig-zac shape etc.

But most of the plastic tanks come in small sizes. And there’s a reason behind that. They are very light but very easy to crack. So, they cannot hold large amounts of water. This restricts your fish species options and also the number of fishes that we can keep.

They’re also extremely easy to scratch. So, be extra careful while cleaning them, e.g. use soft sponges. Otherwise soon the walls of the tank will lose their transparency and it will become harder for you to see inside the tank.

For all these reasons, you should rather go for glass fish tanks, especially if you are new to all this. That is, beginners should rather opt for a big enough glass aquarium.

Acrylic/Plexiglass aquariums

These aquariums are very strong, and chances of them leaking is pretty low. We can even say that they are almost indestructible.

Acrylics are also extremely light weight, as acrylic is much less dense than glass. So, they are easier to move around.

As far as clarity is concerned, they are even more clear than glass aquariums. Glass does have a little greenish/bluish hue, which is not the case with acrylic material. Though good quality low iron glass is much clearer than regular glass, but plexiglass is even better.

It’s a very flexible material and can be mould in various shapes. So, you can get them custom made. Imagine a fish tank that just fits well under your staircase or in the corner between your corner table and the wall.

However, there are some downsides to acrylic material too. They are expensive. So, people generally opt for glass tanks. Plexiglass aquariums are generally custom made for customers that have no budget constraints.

They are also easily scratchable. This is not that big an issue with glass aquariums, but it’s with plexiglass. So, clean them with soft sponges, or microfiber cloth. Be extra precautious while cleaning the insides of the tank, as any small gravel or stone that gets caught up in the cleaning cloth may leave a pretty bad scratch.

Winding Up

If you are new to all this, then we recommend you to get small fishes and a 20-gallon glass aquarium. Such a small aquarium is relatively cheaper, easier to handle, and maintain, and still big enough to allow you to keep a variety of fishes.

If you want to provide yourself more fish options, then you may even go for 55-gallon fish tank. This size is not too large and so it’s easily maintainable.

You may get small aquariums with a starter kit, that may include other basic equipment, like lighting, heating and a filter. It will save you some more money.

Obviously, you may opt for smaller or larger aquariums too depending on the species of your fish. For a single male betta even 10 gallon may be enough, but for African cichlids you should consider getting a fish tank larger than 55 gallons.

Conversion Formula

1 gallon = 3.8 litre