The Fish Bowl - Choosing the Right Tank
By Rochelle Caviness
Before purchasing a new pet, it is always important to plan ahead. When getting fish this is doubly important due to their unique housing needs. A fish will only survive for a few hours in the little plastic bag they leave the store in. Therefore, their tank should be set up before you bring them home.
TYPES OF TANKS
Fish tanks are usually made from three basic materials, glass, acrylic, and wood. Each has its benefits and drawbacks and one is not inherently better than the other.
GLASS TANKS
PROS
Cost for a glass tank is cheaper, per gallon, than an acrylic tank of comparable size.
Harder to scratch than acrylic.
CONS
Glass tanks are heavier, when empty, than acrylic tanks.
Glass breaks easily.
ACRYLIC TANKS
PROS
Lighter than glass tanks.
Harder to break than glass tanks.
Acrylic tanks can be made into a greater variety of shapes than glass tanks.
CONS
Cost – acrylic tanks are the most expensive, on a per gallon basis.
Acrylic scratches very easily, marring the viewing area and creating crevices in which algae will grow. While the scratches can be removed, if they are not deep, it is not easy.
WOODEN TANKS
PROS
You can make really BIG wooden tanks. For tanks larger than 200 gallons, wood is often the material of choice.
Wood is the cheapest material from which to build a tank, which is one of the main reasons larger tanks are usually made of wood.
Wooden tanks can be easily 'home-made'.
CONS
Limited viewing area. Wooden tanks usually have a window on only one side.
Periodically, wooden tanks must e totally drained, dried, and the interior coated with resin.
SIZE DOES MATTER!
When purchasing a fish tank, bigger is better. Even if you only plan on having a couple of goldfish, get the biggest tank that you can afford. There are a number of reasons for this:
Would you want to live in a broom closet? A bigger tank means more room for the fish to swim around.
Fish are addictive. No matter how hard you try not too, you will eventually end up with more fish.
Fish grow and multiply!
As a general rule of thumb:
When deciding how big a tank you need, you should begin by researching the fish you are planning to purchase.
Find out how big they will be when full-grown.
Plan on at least one gallon of water for every inch of fish, in a freshwater aquarium. With proper filtration and aeration, this limit may be pushed to three inches per gallon.
In a saltwater aquarium plan on more space per fish. The minimum requirements, for a small to medium sized fish, is four inches of fish for every 10 gallons of water. For larger or faster growing fish plan 10 gallons of water for every two inches of fish.
When in doubt, err on the side of caution. You can never go wrong by giving your fish more room than is minimally needed. Not only will they be happier, but healthier as well.
ROUND OR RECTANGULAR
Not only does the size of the tank matter, so does its shape. The amount of surface area in the tank affects the amount of oxygen in the water. Consequently, while a round bowl may do for a goldfish or two, it really does not provide a large enough surface area to provide sufficient oxygen for most fish. Rectangular tanks offer a greater surface area, and are therefore recommend.
The shape of the tank needed will also depend upon the variety of fish you plan to keep.
If you are planning to fill your tank with bottom dwelling fish such as Cory Cats, you can get by with a tank that is shallow, but with a large bottom base.
Fast swimming fish like arowanas or tinfoil barbs will do better in a longer tank.
For Angelfish and other flamboyant fish, or for larger fish that need a lot of room, a deeper tank is best.
Choosing the right tank is a matter of esthetics and practicality. You want something that is not going to be an eyesore, but more important, you want a tank that will provide a good home for your fish.
