If you are new to keeping fish you may be unsure which is the best aquarium to buy. What size is the best? What shape should you choose? Is is best to buy a traditional glass or an acrylic aquarium? We’ve put together this guide to give you the information you need so that you can choose the best aquarium for your room and the fish you will be keeping.

Aquarium Size

While many people believe that it is right to start off with a small aquarium, this is not actually the best choice since smaller tanks are much harder to look after and require much more effort to keep in a healthy condition. The reason for this is that smaller amounts of water are much more rapidly affected by any disturbances, hence if the outside temperature changes severely, for example, there will be a rapid change in the condition of the water inside your tank. A much larger fish tank will be a lot more stable. In addition, in a larger fish tank, the toxic waste from the fish, is dispersed over a larger area and will be less able to harm your fish. We recommend a 40 gallon tank at a minimum.

Glass or Acrylic?

Now you need to decide between a glass or an acrylic fish tank. You also need to have the shape of the tank you prefer in mind because some shapes, cylindrical for example, are only available in acrylic. Glass aquariums are in general less expensive than acrylic tanks but are a good deal heavier. They also tend to leak after a few years but this is easily fixed using silicon aquarium sealant. They are not offered in such a wide variety of shapes as acrylic tanks. If you are looking for an exotic shaped aquarium you will probably have to buy acrylic.

Acrylic tanks are pricier than all-glass tanks but are lighter and, because they are designed in only one piece, don’t have a tendency to leak. You need to take care not to scratch the exterior of the fish tank and not use any abrasive cleaning materials on the acrylic because this will scratch the outside causing it look cloudy.

The Shape of the Aquarium

The conventional rectangular fish tank is certainly the best shape for an aquarium because of it’s high surface to water ratio which allows the best gas exchange. Nevertheless if you desire a more interesting shape then you will have to make certain aeration is good to allow the fish to receive adequate amounts of oxygen. Acrylic tanks are made in a wide variety of shapes which includes cylindrical, hexagon, octagon, round and also wall mounted or made into coffee tables.

The Best Location for Your Fish Tank?

When thinking about the location for your fish tank ensure you have enough room and that the weight of the tank can be accommodated. A fifty gallon filled tank will weigh about 65 pounds so you must be careful that the floorboards and table are sturdy enough. Wall aquariums can be used on a dividing wall to allow viewing the aquarium from both adjoining rooms and can be a brilliant addition to a room.

Source:ezinearticles.com

A marine fish tank, also known as a saltwater fish tank or aquarium is a fun and rewarding hobby. What makes a saltwater fish tank so exciting and rewarding as compared to freshwater fish tanks is that the variety of fish and plants are much more robust. There are more species of fish and plant life that you can choose from all in a variety of exciting colors, shapes, and sizes. Of course, the beauty of these fish and plant life do require more of a time and money commitment then there freshwater fish friends. In this article, we will discuss some tips that will help with your saltwater aquarium set up.

One of the first things that you will want to do before you get started is some research in order to find out what types of fish and or plant life that you would like to have. You can go online, to your local aquarium or fish store, your local library, etc to conduct your research. When making your fish and plant selections make sure that, the fish and plant life that you choose are compatible. The last thing you want to do is select fish that will eat each other or that cannot live in the same conditions as the other fish and plants that you choose.

After you have chosen, the fish and plants that you want to inhabit your marine fish tank you should choose a proper tank for them to live in. There are a variety of options, styles, and sizes available on the market today. Make sure to choose a fish tank that is appropriate in size for the number of fish you intend to put in the tank. You do not want to add too many fish to the same tank as it will likely result in the death of your fish. You will also need to purchase whatever additional equipment you may need in order to run your aquarium. Be sure to consult with an aquarist or conduct your own research in order to determine what equipment you will need for the fish and plants you have chosen.

The final step in your saltwater aquarium set up is preparing your new marine fish tank with saltwater. After you have made the saltwater mixture, you will need to let the water circulate in the new tank for a minimum of thirty days before you begin to add fish. Once you add fish to your tank you will need to maintain the water to ensure the chemicals are at the appropriate levels and clean the tank about once week on the outside and change out 25 percent of the tanks water every thirty days or so.

Source:ezinearticles.com

If you have the same mindset I did years ago and you think that you need to drain your aquarium and scrub your tank clean frequently, you seriously need to read this post because you’re putting your fish in danger!

Before I get into the aquarium cleaning procedure, there are a few things you need to know. These things are actually more important than the actual procedure because anyone who owns an aquarium MUST know this if they want their fish to remain healthy.

What you must know first:

Fish were made to swim in ponds, lakes and rivers, not glass cubes full of treated water. However there are people like you and me who love caring for them, so over time we’ve figured out how to have them as pets, while continuing to provide them with a healthy environment. Here are a few things you MUST know in order to provide that ever-so-important healthy environment for your fish.

Fish need clean water to live. However, “clean” water to a fish is completely different than what a human would consider “clean.” If water isn’t crystal clear to us it’s dirty, right? Well that’s not necessarily the case with fish.

When a new aquarium is established a natural cycle begins. This cycle is called the biological filter and it is basically colonies of good bacteria which convert nitrite (harmful pollutants) into nitrate (harmless.) The nitrite is created by the fish waste and excess food, which also turns into ammonia.

This process can take a month or longer to fully be established and during that period of time your aquarium will need weekly 1/4 tank water changes to keep the harmful pollutants at bay! However, the average fish owner does not know that. THIS is why most beginner aquarium owners see their fish die very quickly!

When you drain all the water, replace the filters and scrub it all down, you’ll starting the natural cycle all over again, putting more stress on your fish and keeping them open to disease!

Steps to Clean your Aquarium Correctly

1. Remove all large ornaments and/or plants that get in the way.

2. Using a gravel vacuum, remove all waste and food from the sand or gravel. I like to shove the tube into the gravel quickly so it’s stirred up and waste gets knocked loose. I continue to do it, driving the tub into the gravel up and down until I’ve gone across the entire tank. Don’t stop until 25 – 50% of the water in your aquarium has been drained. The water will be very dirty, that’s FINE! As long as you get the big stuff from the floor, the fine particles that are floating around will settle and/or go through your filter.

3. Fill a bucket full of water (chlorine removed) and rub your hand across each filter until all of the heavy “slime” is off of it. Do NOT use any type of cleaner on the filter and don’t use tap water directly out of the sink (it has chlorine!) You can get it clean enough with your hand believe it or not. You just want to get the heavy stuff off, that’s all!

4. Use an algae scraper to remove the algae from the aquarium walls. It would be best to leave it, but it’s just not impressive for guests to visit you and see a green fish tank and it’s not that big of a deal, as the tank as a whole will still have some algae and bacteria.

5. Use a brush to clean all ornaments and plants, NO chemicals! You can use a soap and water mix, that’s it! After you’ve scrubbed them rinse them thoroughly.

6. Replace everything and fill your aquarium up with clean, treated water. Be sure to use some type of chlorine removing solution and it doesn’t hurt to use some conditioning salt as well to help prevent Ich and other diseases.

That’s it Now you want to do that monthly. bi-monthly is actually ideal, but monthly is fine too.

Source:fishcaretips