Pet Information > Others > Pet Articles > Aquarium – How to Select the Right Tank and Fish

Aquarium – How to Select the Right Tank and Fish

28 17:18:44

Fish make excellent pets. You don’t have to have any
special skills for them. You need only have the right fish
and equipment, and then give them the right care.

As a dry spectator to their watery world, you can actually
lower your stress levels – their bright colors and graceful
movements have a calming effect. You can enjoy them if you
have very little space, or if you haven’t time for more
demanding pets.

There are two types of aquariums: fresh water and salt
water. Because fresh water aquariums are much easier to
maintain than salt water tanks, creating a tropical fresh
water fish community is the best place to start.

When choosing the tank, you will need to consider two
things in particular.

1) Where the tank will fit in your home, because that is a
determinant of the size of the tank.

2) The water surface area of the tank, which determines
the number of fish you can have.

In general, it doesn’t matter how deep your tank is so
much as how much water surface area the tank shape creates.
This is because fish need oxygen, and it comes to them
through the water’s surface. If you overcrowd a tank, the
fish can suffocate!

The following formula will help you decide on the right
tank for the number of fish you’d like to have, given the
space in your home that’s available for the tank. For
every inch of fish body length, you’ll need 12 square
inches of surface water area.

So, let’s say you have two one-inch Neon Tetras. That’s 2
linear inches of fish times 12 square inches of water
surface apiece, which equals 24 total square inches of
water surface needed for the Tetras to have enough oxygen.

A 5-inch by 6-inch rectangular tank would create 30 square
inches of surface. That would support those two Tetras
nicely, but wouldn’t be big enough for three of them.

Once you’ve thought about the size of tank you have space
to fit in your home, and you’ve figured out how many fish
body inches that tank can support, the next step is to
select the fish you’d like to have for your aquarium
community. Think this through before you start buying the
fish.

Fish behavior is ultimately more important to your
decisions than color and size. You are creating a
community of living creatures in which all members are
forced to live, so plan ahead to save some of your pets
from becoming another pet’s dinner.

Each type of fish will prefer a different water level
within the tank. Here are just a couple of your many
choices among many tropical fresh water fish families.

The Anabantid Family. This is the family of the famous
and popular Siamese Fighting Fish. Since the males will
fight to the death, it is critical that you only have one
male per tank. In the same family is the calm and peaceful
Gourami, which grow from 1 to 5 inches. The stunning Gold
Gourami and the Kissing Gourami are two types.

The Characin Family. This fish family includes everything
from the tiny neon tetra to the piranha – which is not a
recommended pet! The beautiful tetras, however, are
excellent for aquariums. They prefer the middle level of
the tank. The Hatchet Fish prefer the upper water levels.

There are species in the Characin Family for every water
level. You will need groups of at least 4 fish for the
schooling Characins to perform satisfactory schooling
behaviors.

Careful selection will make your tank interesting and
variable. Do your homework before you start buying the
fish, and you will have long-term pleasure in the community
you’ve created.

Jeanine Hughes has developed her expertise about fish and fishing over the course of a lifetime and enjoys sharing her interest with others. For articles by Jeanine, vist Free Aquarium or Fishing Junky.