Degener8
Active Member
Choosing Your Aquarium
When a person decides to start into the
exciting endeavor of keeping a saltwater aquarium.
The first order of business for most
would be aquarists is choosing the tank. Some people want the
simplest setup they can get and an All in One aquarium could be just
the ticket for them.
Here are 2 examples or All in One aquariums:
Bio-cube made by Oceanic
JBJ Nano Cube
These are 2 great options for all in
one aquariums. Each comes in a range of nano (sub 40 gallon) sizes.
These tanks although setup with filtration, water flow and lighting
for some leave something to be desired. There are many articles on
the internet and various forums for modifications that can be made to
these tanks. This opens up a whole world of opportunity for you and
your aquarium. Take some time before choosing an all in one solution
to make sure it will fit the bill before purchasing. Even with all
the modifications possible with these aquariums there are still
limitations. I personally modified my Bio-cube 29 gallon to the point
it was a normal aquarium plumbed to a sump. I did not fully consider
the limitations of this tank. I spent a lot more money on this
aquarium plus modifications than I would have just buying the
appropriate aquarium and associated equipment I ended up with
anyways.
Then there is everyone else. A lot of
aquarists are equipment geeks at heart or they just want to keep all
their options open. For these people (my self included) there is a
vast array of aquariums from a few gallons to hundreds of gallons.
Time and time again people new to the hobby don't take this step
seriously and buy an aquarium they either can't care for long term or
are unhappy with its space or performance.
Things to consider when choosing an aquarium are:
Size- Several things will determine the
size of aquarium that will work for you. The most obvious size issue
is the type of fish you want to keep. You also need to consider the
long term effects of the tank size on the animals you wish to keep.
While the cute 2 in Nemo will fit in a 5 gallon aquarium. Nemo will
grow and require a much larger aquarium than 5 gallons.
Shape: The most common aquarium shape
is rectangular. There are a large array of shapes however. Bow front,
Cube, Cylindrical or just a few others each has its advantages and
draw backs.
Placement in your residence: While you
can buy a stand for about any shape of aquarium something that has to
be considered is the placement in your residence. You want to put
some real thought into this often overlooked. If you put the aquarium
in the main living space everyone can enjoy it but them you have
lighting that can cast onto its surroundings and may not be
appreciated by all when they are trying to say watch a nice scarey
movie and the tank is casting light on the television. Maybe placing
it in the bedroom is the ticket for some but don't forget that there
is some sound involved in this and you may find it distracting when
trying to fall asleep. So don't take this lightly, the last thing you
want to do is get your aquarium all setup and beautiful only to find
out that its placement makes it unlivable. Then you have to disrupt
the entire system and move it to a more favorable location
Occupants: Yes you need to actually
consider the animals we house and how their new home is going to
impact them. Putting a tang in a 20 gallon tank isn't the best long
term. Know your occupants adult size and plan accordingly when
choosing your tank if the fish is a must have for you.
This is by no means a conclusive list
of what should be considered but it should be the process started for
you. Once you start to consider these things you will come up with
your own questions that you will need to seek answers to.
The last aquarium type I would like to
cover are custom built aquariums. The sky is the limit when it comes
to custom aquariums. If you can imagine it, its likely that a
aquarium builder can build it. If your the handy type you can likely
build the aquarium yourself.
You might be asking yourself... with
all the pre made and engineered aquariums available why would I need
a custom aquarium. Imagine that you live in an apartment (maybe not
much imagination needed for some) and you can't renovate or modify
the space but you want the largest aquarium you can fit on the 3 foot
6 inch partition wall at the end of the kitchen. Now a standard 3
foot tank such as a 40 gallon breeder would fit here but would leave
6 inches to spare which aesthetically you don't find appealing. Lets
also assume that there is only one outlet available and you live in a
2nd floor apartment so taking the correct steps to not
flood the place and the apartment below. This would be a great place
for a custom aquarium assuming the above things. You could have a
3'6†tank built with a custom designed area for your return pumps,
skimmer, heater, refugium, media rack or what ever configuration you
think you need. You would be able to fill the entire space as
desired, make it into an all in one minimizing the potential for
flooding your apartment.
There is a large base of information to
help guide you down the path to making a good choice for your
aquarium. Right here on Reef2Reef there are hundreds of great
people each with their own ideas and insights through their own
successes and failures. Don't be afraid to as questions. If you can't
find the answer using search engines on the internet ask it here. If
you don't as we can't help. In my opinion it's also a good idea to
start a build thread before even purchasing your aquarium. Often
times checking your plan with the masses will spark a comment or
personal story that can save you time and ultimately money.
When a person decides to start into the
exciting endeavor of keeping a saltwater aquarium.
The first order of business for most
would be aquarists is choosing the tank. Some people want the
simplest setup they can get and an All in One aquarium could be just
the ticket for them.
Here are 2 examples or All in One aquariums:
Bio-cube made by Oceanic
JBJ Nano Cube
These are 2 great options for all in
one aquariums. Each comes in a range of nano (sub 40 gallon) sizes.
These tanks although setup with filtration, water flow and lighting
for some leave something to be desired. There are many articles on
the internet and various forums for modifications that can be made to
these tanks. This opens up a whole world of opportunity for you and
your aquarium. Take some time before choosing an all in one solution
to make sure it will fit the bill before purchasing. Even with all
the modifications possible with these aquariums there are still
limitations. I personally modified my Bio-cube 29 gallon to the point
it was a normal aquarium plumbed to a sump. I did not fully consider
the limitations of this tank. I spent a lot more money on this
aquarium plus modifications than I would have just buying the
appropriate aquarium and associated equipment I ended up with
anyways.
Then there is everyone else. A lot of
aquarists are equipment geeks at heart or they just want to keep all
their options open. For these people (my self included) there is a
vast array of aquariums from a few gallons to hundreds of gallons.
Time and time again people new to the hobby don't take this step
seriously and buy an aquarium they either can't care for long term or
are unhappy with its space or performance.
Things to consider when choosing an aquarium are:
Size- Several things will determine the
size of aquarium that will work for you. The most obvious size issue
is the type of fish you want to keep. You also need to consider the
long term effects of the tank size on the animals you wish to keep.
While the cute 2 in Nemo will fit in a 5 gallon aquarium. Nemo will
grow and require a much larger aquarium than 5 gallons.
Shape: The most common aquarium shape
is rectangular. There are a large array of shapes however. Bow front,
Cube, Cylindrical or just a few others each has its advantages and
draw backs.
Placement in your residence: While you
can buy a stand for about any shape of aquarium something that has to
be considered is the placement in your residence. You want to put
some real thought into this often overlooked. If you put the aquarium
in the main living space everyone can enjoy it but them you have
lighting that can cast onto its surroundings and may not be
appreciated by all when they are trying to say watch a nice scarey
movie and the tank is casting light on the television. Maybe placing
it in the bedroom is the ticket for some but don't forget that there
is some sound involved in this and you may find it distracting when
trying to fall asleep. So don't take this lightly, the last thing you
want to do is get your aquarium all setup and beautiful only to find
out that its placement makes it unlivable. Then you have to disrupt
the entire system and move it to a more favorable location
Occupants: Yes you need to actually
consider the animals we house and how their new home is going to
impact them. Putting a tang in a 20 gallon tank isn't the best long
term. Know your occupants adult size and plan accordingly when
choosing your tank if the fish is a must have for you.
This is by no means a conclusive list
of what should be considered but it should be the process started for
you. Once you start to consider these things you will come up with
your own questions that you will need to seek answers to.
The last aquarium type I would like to
cover are custom built aquariums. The sky is the limit when it comes
to custom aquariums. If you can imagine it, its likely that a
aquarium builder can build it. If your the handy type you can likely
build the aquarium yourself.
You might be asking yourself... with
all the pre made and engineered aquariums available why would I need
a custom aquarium. Imagine that you live in an apartment (maybe not
much imagination needed for some) and you can't renovate or modify
the space but you want the largest aquarium you can fit on the 3 foot
6 inch partition wall at the end of the kitchen. Now a standard 3
foot tank such as a 40 gallon breeder would fit here but would leave
6 inches to spare which aesthetically you don't find appealing. Lets
also assume that there is only one outlet available and you live in a
2nd floor apartment so taking the correct steps to not
flood the place and the apartment below. This would be a great place
for a custom aquarium assuming the above things. You could have a
3'6†tank built with a custom designed area for your return pumps,
skimmer, heater, refugium, media rack or what ever configuration you
think you need. You would be able to fill the entire space as
desired, make it into an all in one minimizing the potential for
flooding your apartment.
There is a large base of information to
help guide you down the path to making a good choice for your
aquarium. Right here on Reef2Reef there are hundreds of great
people each with their own ideas and insights through their own
successes and failures. Don't be afraid to as questions. If you can't
find the answer using search engines on the internet ask it here. If
you don't as we can't help. In my opinion it's also a good idea to
start a build thread before even purchasing your aquarium. Often
times checking your plan with the masses will spark a comment or
personal story that can save you time and ultimately money.
