So you finally plan to make the move and buy an aquarium! Next step is finding out what type is right for you. There are a wide number of aquatic models that can be portrayed through the lens for your aquarium. Tropical freshwater, Saltwater, Coldwater and Betta tanks are some of the most common types of underwater economies that can be assembled in the aquarium. Although all can be put together beautifully and and bring life to a room, they all require different care in order to be able to ensure the well-being of the aquarium. It is wise to articulate beforehand which sort of base would work best with your lifestyle.
Most models can function great with just a few moments of your time each day. Things such as requirement of maintenance is to be deterrent between getting a large or small tank. If you'd prefer not to have a larger number of cleanup duties the a larger tank may not be in store assuming a larger tank would require a higher maintenance demand. More in-depth individual research would be recommended to ensure you are entertaining the proper option. Here are a few differences between the many options.
What's the best aquarium type for you?
Freshwater (tropical) aquariums are easiest to maintain and most commonly used. These can be your typical goldfish tanks. Some of the common housekeeping requirements would be things such as proper temperature control, timely feeding, algae maintenance, lighting schedule, proper filtration to name a few. These aquarium obligations are some of the universal objectives when running an aquarium. However, there can be more in depth factors that must be taken into account such as if there will be live rock or live plants, breed of fish, amount of fish, tank size, etc.
Saltwater (Reef) aquarium are the more difficult aquariums style to obtain considering the larger number of housekeeping and maintenance duties. These are usually left to the more experienced aquarists. Reef tanks more times than not have a different type of fish housed that in that of a freshwater. They also tend to have corals and live rock or plants in them which consists of individual care itself.
Visit our "Saltwater (Reef) Guide" page to learn more about saltwater aquariums.
Size
Location, price and maintenance are important when it comes to aquarium size that's best for you. Location considering the amount of space is available for aquarium placement. It wouldn't be the best idea to get a 10 foot aquarium in a spot that is only 9 feet wide. It would be wise to plan according to available space you are comfortable with placing tank. Considering larger aquariums are more costly than the smaller ones, it is important to know how much you are willing to spend. This would be without already purchasing fish, food, equipment, etc.
Maintenance needs to be a concern because there is going to be much less maintenance on a smaller tank than that of a larger one. If cleaning the tank regularly is going to be difficult for you then a smaller tank may be in store for you. Incorporate these things into one to determine a tank size that would be best suitable.
Material
Glass vs Acrylic
Glass tends to be much better with resisting scratched being that its a much more stronger material which also makes it a heavier material. On average it will take a glass aquarium much longer to erode, looking new for a much longer time. Looking at fish through the glass and water will give a distorted effect due to the light transmission through the glass may make fish look a slightly different size, color, or position. This can be noticed in a home aquarium, however if it was to be seen in a larger public aquarium it would be much more noticeable. This is part of the reason most glass aquariums are rectangle, there are some tanks such as bowfront that can be glass but the distortion really comes into affect. Glass wont change color overtime like acrylic can. Overall great long-term option.
Acrylic is the more modern option. Allows for easier heating efficiency considering acrylic heats faster than glass. This material is much more absorbent to impact and will not shatter. Although it is prone to scratching, it does not mean the efficiency quality of acrylic is worse than glass. Acrylic is flexible making it capable op being sculped into many different aquarium styles. Lighter weight option although acrylic is slightly pricier.
Shape
When it comes to choosing the shape of an aquarium preference rules. Rectangular tanks being the most common although more diverse aquarium shapes have been developed over the years. Most aquariums even though may have a different shape, don’t pose any concerns and operate as usual. However, some tanks such as tower tanks for example have a long, skinny, tall body that has lower surface area than that of a rectangular tank.
Oxygen is able to get in the water with broken up surface tension in a aquarium. Applying this knowledge to a tower aquarium one could see how it may be hard to get oxygen through the entire tank. These are the slight obstacles having a shaped aquarium can propose. Shaped aquariums can however be fully operable and unique. If your on the edge of going shaped, I’d say go for it!
Tell us how you feel about this post. What would you add? How do you do go about handling these topics yourself? Comments are appreciated.
