Starting out with your first fish tank can be one of the most satisfying experiences you may ever have. However, making a wonderful environment for your aquarium fish is something that needs attentive planning. Things to consider when starting out would be the kind of aquarium tank you want. A huge mistake that many rookies make is selecting the wrong size of tank before they have even thought about the type of fish they are going to put in it.
It is ideal for learners to learn first about the animals that they plan to bring home. You must do your research. This is because the capacity of the aquarium you choose is relative to the size and amount of fish that you want to put in it. Also, recognizing the nature of your choice of pet will direct you on the fish tank equipment that you need to buy or prepare. This info will also help you on how to go about your fish tank’s up keep.
There are lots of choices available and the first one you will have to make will be whether you pick a saltwater or freshwater fish tank. Each type of fish has different demands in terms of food, compatibility, breeding and maintenance. The fish you find at your pet store come from various freshwater and saltwater sources from around the world like lakes and rivers and of course the many oceans. Saltwater species tend to be less adaptive and less tolerant to fluctuations in their environment. This is why, beginners are recommended to start with easier to maintain freshwater animals such as anabantoids, catfish, livebearers, rainbow fish, and loaches.
As you are now aware there are many different set ups available and they all offer the right environment for many types of fish. The reason a freshwater set up is recommended for a newbie is because the fish tank supplies are generally less costly and because freshwater pets are known to be highly adaptable and they are cheaper to buy also.
Now when it comes to saltwater tanks they are usually prepared with live rock that acts as a natural biological filter. Protein skimmers along with specialized equipment that control and monitor the environment of the tank are also required.
You can see that a saltwater fish tank is the more costly route, but it is known to be the ultimate experience. The reason for this is because the aquariums are usually bigger and they are better designed to allow a large variety of marine life like jelly fish, coral reefs and anemones.
Aquariums tanks come in many shapes and sizes. Glass and acrylic tanks come in sizes that can handle 10, 20, 29, 30, 40, 50, 55 or more gallons of water. Besides the rectangular shaped aquariums tanks, they are also available in hexagons and shapes with bowed fronts. Acrylic tanks are made less heavy, stronger and more durable than glass aquariums. While, acrylic is more suseptable to scratches and more difficult to buff. For newbies starting out with a larger tank can be a better idea simply because it is less likely to have sharp temperature changes keeping the water conditions more reliable and healthy for your pets.
One option that is gaining in popularity with aquariasts of all levels is the biorb fish tank. To give you an idea what a biorb is, it is typically a combination of old school meets new in a way that it can be used like a classic style fish bowl but it also uses the latest filtration technology generally used in a larger style tank.
On a final note if you do decide to get a bigger tank or any fish tank for that matter you should also be looking out for a stand for it. Whether you have a glass or acrylic tank you can be sure it will weigh a lot once it is filled with water and accessories. It is important to remember not to put the tank where it will be exposed to direct sunlight this helps to prevent accelerated algal growth.
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