Setting Up a Tank Once you have determined the type of aquarium setup you would like to create or the species of fish you would like to keep, the next step will be deciding on the size and dimensions of the aquarium itself. While custom or show sizes (extra tall, extra long, etc.) can be slightly more flashy, it is much cheaper and easier to find equipment tailored to standard sized aquariums. The most common, mass-manufactured sizes are 10 gal, 20 gal ,29 gal, 45 gal, 75 gal, 125 gal, 150 gal, 200 gal, 250 gal, and 300 gal. Whereas anything between 10 and 45 gallons is adequate for a non-aggressive, "community" set up, something 45 gallons or larger is necessary for the quantity of fish necessary for a diverse cichlid aquascape or a brackish set up. Many of your "oddball" fish (certain eels, catfish, knifefish, and others) can get several feet long and could require aquariums 300 gallons or larger. Planning in advance and researching fish before a purchase can prevent the experience of a fish outgrowing an aquarium.

Although fish can be slightly stunted by an aquarium which is too small or too densely stocked, it is extremely unhealthy for the fish. Moreover, it is a myth that fish will remain small if placed in a small aquarium. We have seen many circumstances in which hobbyists grew a fish in too small an aquarium, and many times the fish grew until it was unable to turn around. There are things other than size you will want to consider when picking out the aquarium itself. Although, the brand of the aquarium is of little consequence, some aquariums are acrylic, some are glass, some are sold as complete sets (or all-in-ones). Acrylic is much lighter than glass and, therefore, easier to move from one part of the house to another. However, glass is much harder to scratch than acrylic and acrylic will need special “made-for-acrylic” scrapers and cleaners to keep clean. All-in-ones are often a little more expensive than buying all the pieces separately, but brands like Red Sea Max and BioCube have clean, simple profiles and are truly top-of-the-line setups.

The quantity of fish you can keep in an aquarium hinges more on filtration than the size of the aquarium (take note cichlid lovers). Filters will state the flow rate (the number of gallons of aquarium water flowing through the filter media each hour (GPH)) and the recommended maximum tank size. These numbers usually reflect that each gallon of your aquarium water should flow through the filter (or “turnover”) 4 times an hour (for example, a filter with a 400 GPH flow would be rated for a 100gal aquarium). However, if you want to heavily stock your tank (which may be necessary for cichlid communities, planted aquariums and large fish like Oscars and catfish), you will want to have you tank "turnover" a little more often (10 cycles per hour has been a personal goal). Filters come in an array of styles and form factors. These are divided into two major categories. Canister filters often sit under or behind the aquarium with an intake and output pipe leading to the aquarium. These are often the hardest working, most customizable and easiest filters to hide, but can be a little trickier to clean.

Hang-on-the-back filters (HOB), are exactly what they sound like. The filter hangs on the aquarium with an intake pipe in the water, the water gets sucked up through the pipe, pushed through a filter, and cascades down like a small waterfall back into the aquarium. clothes cleaningThese are usually significantly cheaper and easier to clean, but are slightly less efficient and, by design, must hide in plain sight on the back or side of the aquarium.55 gallon fish tank terrarium Because the filter is the "heart" of the aquarium, it is a good back-up to have a second filter on the aquarium should one go out. 6 foot fish tank for sale brisbaneThis is where we have a little tip: use one canister filter and one HOB filter. custom fish tanks richmond va

Two filters will get you much closer to the aforementioned 10 "turnovers" per hour, but why one of each? The HOB is easier to reach and, therefore much easier to clean. corner fish tank lightingIf the HOB filter is cleaned weekly, the canister will need cleaning far less often, resulting in far less work. fish tank filter fryMoreover, although activated carbon is a great all-purpose filter media, the canister is more customizable, meaning there are often inserts you can buy to address specific filtration issues. Air Pumps and BubblersI can provide air pumps, tubing, stones etc. Give me a bit to get them up on the site (and I can probably get other sizes of stuff if necessary but I’ll start off with the things I have already used myself.) The vague rules of thumb I’ve been operating under for the last several years are, you want about a cubic foot of air per minute for each 400 gallons of fish tank.

It takes aprox 1 psi to push air through the air stone and 1 psi to push air down under each 28 inches of water depth. So for a 300 gallon tank that is less than 28 inches deep, look for an air pump that can deliver .75 cfm at 2 psi and you should be good. Make sure you get enough air stones rated for the amount of air flow that will be available at the water depth you will have since restricting the flow out of an air pump by not letting it go somewhere will heat up the pump and shorten it’s lifespan. See the air stones have a rated amount of air that can pass through them in a given amount of time. Now if there is plenty of water flow a system might not need supplemental aeration from an air pump but I always find, especially in our warm summers, that the fish eat better when there is extra aeration and the extra water movement provided by the air bubbles tends to help move the solid waste out of the fish tank and off into the grow beds. Too much air would be if you are boiling the poor fish out of the tank with the bubbles or when there is no water in the tank.