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Buying A Tank
General Tips

Choosing a fish tank can be fun and there are only a handful of guidelines that you really need to follow.
A tank is merely an open-topped container that is suitable for housing a given number of litres of water, yet there are many different shapes and sizes. Ultimately your choice will be determined by three factors:

1) Your budget.

Your available budget will usually determine the brand and size of tank that you can afford. An important thing to remember when considering the cost of a new tank is to factor in the additional components that you'll need. These may include pumps, filters, heaters, bags of sand, etc., as not all tank packages will include the bits you need.
Tank prices vary from £30 to £3000 depending on size, brand and materials.
Tank stands are typically £20 to £200 but are specifically engineered to hold the weight of the tank and its water, evenly.

2) Your environment.

You will need to carefully consider the placement of the tank in your home. Will your choice of tank fit the area? Is it a flat, level surface? Is it able to support the weight of the tank and its water? (water is approximately 1kg per litre).

3) The species of fish you intend to keep.

Larger fish will of course need a larger tank but there are other requirements to take in to account, such as the swimming habits of certain species. For example, Angelfish prefer taller tanks while Kuhlii's will appreciate a longer one.
Keeping sets of territorial fish will require larger tanks so that they can co-exist in there own portions of the tank.

General Buying Tips:

Buy the largest tank you can.
Popular, reputable brands include Juwel, Rena, Hagen and Aqua One.
Longer tanks have a better surface area for oxygen exhange than a taller narrower one.
Perspex tanks are lighter but scratch easier than glass ones.
Larger capacity tanks require a better build quality than smaller ones.
Many local fish shops will price match or throw in bits if you haggle.
Avoid tanks smaller than 30 litres if possible as they do not offer sufficent space for the majority of fish.
  

Article posted on 4/1/2007 by darxide

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