Fish Tank buying guide

Are you looking to pet some fish in our home? Invest in suitable fish tanks to give them proper space and habitat to live comfortably.

While selecting a fish tank, you have to ponder over several aspects. A comprehensive buying guide presents all the information under a single roof. You can quickly go through the pointers and funnel down the best variant.

So, without any further ado, let us dive deep into this pool of information.

What are the benefits of having a fish tank?

It is obvious that the fish tanks are used to keep your pet fish, but they can also enhance the room décor and make the room look more beautiful.

Some of the practical benefits of having aquariums in your home or office are given below:

1. Reduce anxiety and stress

By watching a fish tank, you can quickly achieve a fantastic feeling of relaxation, which can reduce stress and anxiety issues. Also, it boosts your mood to a great extent.

2. Calm down your kids

With a fish tank in your room, you can calm down hyperactive kids effectively. It can be great entertainment for the little members of your family.

3. Improve your work productivity

Whenever you watch the school of fish's movement, it will reduce your blood pressure and stress as well. Therefore, you will be able to complete your work with more concentration and achieve your target successfully.

4. Help Alzheimer's patients

It is very common for Alzheimer's patients to forget their food and medicine. Aquariums can positively impact Alzheimer's disease because they can make the patients calmer and eat properly. They can get rid of their aggressive behavior if there is a fish tank in their dining room.

5. Ensure better sleep

If you have a beautiful fish tank beside your bed, you will have a quality sleep at night. You can decorate the aquarium with colorful LED lights, and when you look at the fish, it will reduce your restlessness and help you sleep peacefully.

Things to deem about while selecting appropriate Fish tanks

Size

It is essential to check the size of the fish tanks before buying. Factors like the size, type, and the number of fish you will put in the tank and the available space will help you figure out the tank size.

You should check how big fish you will be keeping inside the tank and then decide the tank accordingly.

Usually, you will need one gallon of water for one inch of fish. So, if you want to keep a single betta, guppy, tetra, etc., a small tank with a one-gallon capacity can efficiently serve your purpose.

Similarly, for a larger fish, you will need a larger tank. However, you can choose one size up than the minimum tank size to ensure that the fish can thrive properly.

Moreover, you should measure the space where you want to keep your fish tank to make sure it is appropriate for the tank's dimension. If you have limited space, you must consider a smaller size.

On the other hand, you can use a larger aquarium to divide up a bigger room. On this note, you should remember that larger size tanks are easier to clean and maintain than a smaller tank.

Shape

Not all the fish tanks have the same shapes, and it somewhat depends on your personal preference, which shape you want for your fish tank.

You will see the tanks with conventional rectangular shapes or hexagonal shapes. You should consider the space where you want to fit the aquarium before choosing a particular shape.

It will be better to look for a fish tank shape that views the fish, plants, etc.. If you choose a hexagonal or round shape, you will have an optimal view from all the corners.

So, when you select the shape of your fish tank, you should pay attention to all these factors and get a tank that meets up all your requirements effectively.

You can go for the acrylic tanks instead of the glass tanks for better diversity of shapes and get precisely what you want.

Material

Glass

Fish tanks made up of glass offer you a fantastic view of the moving fish, and there will be no distortion. Glass is strong and sturdy enough to handle the heavy load of water for an extended period.

If you want to have a durable fish tank that will last long, you must select the glass tanks. They are hard to scratch and thus maintain a crystal clear view easily.

But, glass tanks are quite heavy, so you may find it difficult to move the tanks from place to place. This is why they are more prone to breakage.

Also, you can have an issue of leakage because of the silicone-sealed seams. They will absorb water and become weak over time, and that will lead to leaks.

Acrylic/Plastic

Aquariums made with acrylic are more resistant to shatter and crack. Basically, acrylic is a kind of plastic that is very strong and pliable.

Due to the seamless construction, they can withstand more water pressure for an extended period, so they are less prone to leakage.

They are also lighter compared to glass tanks and come with a wider variety of shapes.

However, acrylic plastic is not resistant to scratches and becomes yellow with time. You must be careful about the plastic's toxicity, so it will be better to choose BPA-free plastic.

Weight

You must check the fish tanks' weight before making your purchase. Glass tanks are naturally heavier than acrylic tanks. So, if weight is an issue, you should choose the material accordingly.

You should keep it in mind that a fish tank that has 15 gallons capacity or more will weigh not less than 200 pounds when filled with water.

This more massive tank should be put on a strong stand instead of a desk or shelf. Also, you should make sure that the aquarium can not get in touch with direct sunlight. Extreme temperature can be very harmful to the fish.

In addition, you should choose a place that is ideal for getting wet frequently. When you clean the tank, add or remove fish, there will be splashes of water all around that place.

Location

It is possible to have an experience of underwater scuba diving by keeping a fish tank at your office or home. You will be able to enjoy the spectacular views of the underwater environment without any difficulties.

Therefore, you should determine where you want to keep the fish tank before you buy one. This will help you to determine the right size and shape of the aquarium so that it can fit well in the allocated space.

You can choose the fish tank to place on a table by the wall or a desk at your office. If you want, you can keep it on your kid's dresser or a corner table.

Most of the fish tanks are designed to enhance the décor of your room to make it more attractive. You should consider a place carefully to ensure the tank will be easily accessible and visible from all directions.

However, you should not keep the aquarium near the door, window, and keep it away from direct sunlight.

Cost

If you are thinking that you can get a fish tank without spending much money, you will be wrong. To get good accommodation for your pet fish, you should not limit your budget to fifty dollars.

The standard-quality fish tanks come within a price range between $150 and $200. Therefore, you should fix your budget beforehand. It will be significant to narrow down your choices quickly.

Type of fish

1. Rasboras

You will find different types of Rasboras and harlequin rasbora, and lambchop rasbora are the most popular among all.

They have a deep orange body, and there is a black patch near the tail. This triangular patch adds a distinctive look to these fish.

Rasboras can grow not more than two inches, and they are very peaceful by nature.

2. Common Goldfish

Beginners prefer to have goldfish because they are easy to maintain and resilient as well. But they will grow large.

Common goldfish can grow up to 14 inches, so you will need a larger fish tank. You can also keep them in an outside pool so that they can thrive easily to adult size.

3. Tetras

Tetras are small fishes that come in different varieties such as neon tetras, black neon tetras, and more.

You can take care of them very quickly. They require waters having a neutral pH between 7.0 and 7.8.

Tetras are schooling fish, and they feel safe in numbers, so you can keep them with Rasboras or other schooling fish.

4. Corydoras

Corydoras are also schooling fish like tetras and rasboras. But this species of catfish mainly prefer the bottom of the tank.

They can grow from 1 to 3 inches, and they like crumbs a lot.

Panda Cory, Bronze, and Albino Cory are extremely popular species. You can keep 3 to 6 cory fish together to increase the beauty of the fish tanks.

5. Platies

Platies are livebearers and can be 3 inches long.

They are renowned for their robust size, which is even more than guppies.

Usually, Platies like harder waters, and they can withstand pH starting from 7.0.

Platies can eat any type of food as they belong to the omnivore community. Variatus platy is the most common species that people like the most.

6. Betta Fish

Betta fish can be an excellent choice for beginners because they are easier to take care of. They come in a small size with a wide variety of colors.

You can keep only betta fish in a 5-gallon tank, or you will need a 10-gallon tank to put them with other communities.

These species like to have meat to feed them with frozen blood worms, betta pellets, etc.

7. Barbs

Barbs are super active, and they look so good inside your community fish tank. They can grow at least three to four inches.

Tiger barbs and Cherry barbs are very popular. You should buy at least six barbs together to avoid fin nipping.

They are very good with tetras, corydoras, and rasboras, but you should not keep any long-finned fish with barbs.

8. Bolivian Cichlids

If you are looking for Cichlids, you can buy the Bolivian ram, which is quite similar to the German ram.

They can grow up to 3 inches, so they are very appropriate for a medium-size community tank.

Their black and yellow color, unique behavior, and easy breeding differentiate them from other types of fish. They like harder waters and medium to high temperatures.

9. Kuhli Loaches

Kuhli Loaches can be fascinating to look at as they are more like 4-inches eels. You may also confuse them with a snake.

These nocturnal fish are very shy by nature, and they love to hide behind the ornaments. So, you can buy at least six Kuhli together so that they can enjoy safety.

They are also bottom dwellers and keep on searching for food between the rocks and on the grounds.

10. Angelfish

You can find an angelfish easily because of their unique shape and distinctive fins. They have a beautiful striped pattern.

Usually, angelfish grow larger, so you will need a larger fish tank to keep them. They go well with tetras, rasboras but it will be better to keep them separately to avoid fighting.

Filtration

To keep your fish tank healthy, you should choose proper filtration, and there are three stages that you should follow:

1. Mechanical Filtration

It helps to collect solid debris like food particles, fish waste, etc. You can choose the filter cartridges that will work for mechanical filtration as well as chemical filtration.

2. Chemical Filtration

In most fish tanks, activated carbon is used to adsorb pollutants dissolved in the water. They can make the water discolored and create odor. Unlike mechanical filtration, filter cartridges filled with activated carbon are used in chemical filtration to attract and hold pollutants.

3. Biological Filtration

This is the final filtration type, which requires useful oxygen-loving bacteria that can reduce the accumulated nitrite and ammonia from the water.

This culture of bacteria produces nitrate from toxic nitrite and ammonia that can be removed by changing the water regularly. This beneficial bacteria culture grows naturally on the rocks and plants inside the tank and promotes biological filtration.

Opening of the tank

You should not overlook the opening of the fish tanks while you are choosing one for you. It is needless to say that fish do need oxygen to breathe like any other animal.

So, when you keep more fish in a small aquarium, there will be a lack of oxygen, and it will be suffocating for the fish.

Having a larger water surface means your aquarium will get more oxygen, and thus, more fish will breathe appropriately without any suffocation.

The surface area of the water is more important than the size of the fish tank to limit the number of fish you will be able to keep inside the tank.

It does not matter whether one tank has more height than others or not. If they have the same size, they will come up with the same surface area, and they will hold the same number of fish.

So, you should always go for a larger surface area of the water for more oxygen.

Accessories

1. Aquarium Decor

You should search for those fish tanks which look good aesthetically and provide excellent accommodation to your pet fish. So, you can add rocks, plants, treasure chests, etc. to your aquarium that can provide better hiding places for the fish.

2. Lighting and temperature

A majority of the fish species is tropical, so you should maintain a temperature of almost 80 degrees. Also, you can use an aquarium heater to regulate the temperature effectively.

If you use live plants for aquarium decor, they will need lighting to grow. LED hoods on the top of the fish tank ensure a daylight feel.

3. Testing equipment

You should consider the testing kits to check the pH level of the water. It will help you to regulate the quality of the water so that the fish can live in a safer environment.

4. Fishnet

Fishnets come in handy when you need to add or remove fish safely and securely.

5. The foundation

You can use sand, rocks, pebbles, gravel, and a natural foundation that will not be harmful to your fish.

6. Cleaning items

Having an algae scraper and a gravel vacuum will help you remove and clean the aquarium debris effortlessly.

Common mistakes to avoid

1. Staring with a smaller size

You will find many mini-aquariums available in the market, but they are not ideal for beginners. Experienced aquarists sometimes find it challenging to deal with a too-small aquarium. So, beginners should opt for bigger fish tanks to avoid mistakes.

2. Adding fish before time

You should not add fish too quickly. If you add fish just after setting up the fish tank, there will be a high chance of losing some fish. Sometimes, people lose all the fish. You should give proper time to stabilize the water.

Before adding fish to the aquarium, you should make sure that the filtration system and aquarium heater are working properly.

3. Filling tank with too many fish

Beginners are more likely to add more fish simultaneously, which leads them to make mistakes.

You should make sure that a beneficial bacteria culture has grown in the water and then fill the aquarium fully with different fish. It is better to wait at least for some days and add a few fish per week.

4. Overstocking the fish tank

As a newcomer, you should avoid overstocking. Having a 10-gallon aquarium filled with 20 fish will need expertise.

Otherwise, you will create blunders while maintaining the fish. The ratio of the aquarium volume to water should not be more than 80 %.

5. Putting incompatible fish

It is very natural that beginners will be attracted by the good looking fish. But, before choosing an appealing fish, you must know about the environment they require for living. Some species are very aggressive, where others may start territorial fighting.

Therefore, you must examine the nature of the fish before choosing their tank mates. You should always go for peaceful species that require the same water condition to thrive.

6. Overfeeding the fish

Generally, fish look for foods almost all the time, but it does not mean you will need to feed them frequently. Initially, you should give food to the fish once a day.

Also, you should remove the leftovers, if there are any after five minutes, and give less food accordingly from next time. You can feed your fish twice per day after the ammonia and nitrite levels reach zero.

7. Insufficient filtration

You must pay much attention to the filtration because it is essential to maintain healthy water. You should choose a filtration that is able to pass all the waters around three times within an hour.

A small filtration can not do this properly. So, you should opt for a larger filter. You should not over-filter. Similarly, under-filter also can be harmful to the fish.

8. Not testing and changing the water

You should check the pH level and temperature of the water to make sure that they are appropriate for the species you are keeping in the tank.

Furthermore, you must change the water on a regular basis to maintain a clean and healthy environment for the fish.

FAQs

1. How to maintain fish tanks?

Maintaining fish tanks takes most of your time. You have to perform these four tasks regularly to ensure the proper maintenance of the tank:

1. Constantly check the filtration system

2. Clean all the gravel as well as ornaments

3. Keep changing the water of the tank

4. Check nitrogen, pH, and ammonia levels

2. What are the top fish tanks for beginners?

Any fish tank with a capacity of holding 1 to 20 gallons of water can be bought for beginners. The best part is that they are quite affordable and suited for fish lovers.

3. Do you consider acrylic safe for the fish?

Yes, Acrylic is considered food safe and BPA free for both fish tanks be it freshwater or saltwater. Also, owing to its leak-proof technology, it is the right choice for fish tanks.

Final Verdict

With all the information under your possession, why are you looking here and there? Here, in this guide, you will find all the critical pointers that define the usability of different fish tanks.

Scrutinize the option by using the information here and purchase an elite tank for your home.