What to Know Before Buying an Aquarium for Your Pet Fish
While fish pets aren’t as popular as dogs and cats, keeping them offers many benefits. Besides being quiet, clean and calm, fish pets can significantly boost your moods and, in turn, help keep your blood pressure in check. As such, as far as your choice of pet is concerned, you wouldn’t have made a better choice.
Since that is settled, the next thing that you should think about is a suitable aquarium for your fish. What factors should you consider when sourcing one? Here we’ve discussed six essential things that you must know before buying an aquarium.
1. Types of aquariums
There are two types of fish tanks – salty water fish tanks and freshwater fish tanks. While you will find freshwater fish tanks easier to set up and maintain, salty water fish tanks appear more colourful and vivid. So, it all comes down to what your priorities are.
Some fish thrive in salty water and others in freshwater. In some cases, some specific types of fish do well in warm water and others in cold water. Don’t forget this when shopping around for a fish tank to avoid getting the wrong aquarium.
Do you have a strict budget? If yes, then the cost of an aquarium is a factor you need to consider. You can get an aquarium for as little as AU$25; for the small ones and the relatively big and complex ones, you will be required to chunk as high as AU$450 to over AU$1000. It all depends on the desired size, type and, of course, your budget.
The aquarium market has something for everyone. Note that some fish tanks may require aquarium supplies to be bought separately. It is important for you to first ascertain what you are paying for before doing so.
Obviously, the bigger the fish tank, the more the maintenance requirements. If you feel the need to reduce the maintenance needs to minimal levels, go for a relatively small one. This is remarkably advisable to first-time aquarium owners. However, if you feel you are up to the challenge and can afford a bigger aquarium, go for it.
While at it, though, remember that small aquariums say, less than 38 litres, are likely to accumulate toxins very fast. Also, anticipate changes in water chemistry and temperatures just as quickly. The opposite happens in large-sized aquariums.
Weight is an essential factor because of where you will place the aquarium. A fish tank that accommodates over 57 litres weighs more than 90 kilograms. This means that it can neither stand on a shelf nor a desk. It would be best if you got an aquarium stand.
Have you thought about the number of fish you wish to get? Your decision will directly impact the size of your aquarium. If you are a first-time fish pet owner, consider beginning with a small number and then adding as you gain more experience and confidence.
By paying attention to the above six factors, you can confidently shop for a suitable aquarium for your home or office. You will learn many other things as you progress. Just remember to keep an open mind while shopping for your aquarium.