Post by Allaquatica on Jan 28, 2007 18:30:46 GMT -5
Why is Aquarium size important?
Aquarium size is very important as fish need Oxygen to breathe. They get this oxygen from the surface of the water that is open to the air. If the area is not large enough then the fish will not be able to breathe and die.
The ammount of water the tank holds is also very important. remember that a fish excretes (pees and poos) into the water it lives in. This waste can be toxic when concentrated in a small area, the smaller the space, the quicker this waste will build up and make fish ill. If the tank is too small this will also mean much more work for you when you need to do more waterchanges.
Swimming space: Some species require more space to swim than others, not having enough room may make some species stressed, more agressive than normal.
Growth: almost all fish sold at petshops are juveniles, 99% will need room to grow to their full size, some need 10gal tanks, some need 75gal tanks depending on their eventual size. it is good to research ANY fish and its eventual size before buying.
How do I tell what size tank I need?
No.1: always research the fish you are buying BEFORE purchase, then get species you can acommodate in the size tank that you want to buy. Remember to alway account for the fishes FULL SIZE rather than the baby fish you purchase from the shop, that three inch pleco may need a 75 gal tank in a few years!
no.2 A general rule of thumb for beginners is 1 inch of fish per gallon of water ( or 1cm of fish per litre) . this is based on a tank with no airation or filtration so allows a good margin for beginners, again remember to take into account the fishes eventual size.
A good beginner tank size?
For beginners a 10 gal tank is a good size to start with. it is also the smallest tank that can accomodate a community of assorted small fish easily and with ease of maintenance. The larger, the more fish you can have and usually less maintenance so go with the largest tank you can afford.
Avoid novelty tanks, bowls, betta hex and other tiny tanks as in reality these are unsuitable as a permenant home for any fish or creature and can lead to the loss of your pet. these are often sold so the unsuspecting fish owner will need to make a second purchase of a more suitable home, usually at greater cost. Best to just avoid this scam in the first place!
Aquarium size is very important as fish need Oxygen to breathe. They get this oxygen from the surface of the water that is open to the air. If the area is not large enough then the fish will not be able to breathe and die.
The ammount of water the tank holds is also very important. remember that a fish excretes (pees and poos) into the water it lives in. This waste can be toxic when concentrated in a small area, the smaller the space, the quicker this waste will build up and make fish ill. If the tank is too small this will also mean much more work for you when you need to do more waterchanges.
Swimming space: Some species require more space to swim than others, not having enough room may make some species stressed, more agressive than normal.
Growth: almost all fish sold at petshops are juveniles, 99% will need room to grow to their full size, some need 10gal tanks, some need 75gal tanks depending on their eventual size. it is good to research ANY fish and its eventual size before buying.
How do I tell what size tank I need?
No.1: always research the fish you are buying BEFORE purchase, then get species you can acommodate in the size tank that you want to buy. Remember to alway account for the fishes FULL SIZE rather than the baby fish you purchase from the shop, that three inch pleco may need a 75 gal tank in a few years!
no.2 A general rule of thumb for beginners is 1 inch of fish per gallon of water ( or 1cm of fish per litre) . this is based on a tank with no airation or filtration so allows a good margin for beginners, again remember to take into account the fishes eventual size.
A good beginner tank size?
For beginners a 10 gal tank is a good size to start with. it is also the smallest tank that can accomodate a community of assorted small fish easily and with ease of maintenance. The larger, the more fish you can have and usually less maintenance so go with the largest tank you can afford.
Avoid novelty tanks, bowls, betta hex and other tiny tanks as in reality these are unsuitable as a permenant home for any fish or creature and can lead to the loss of your pet. these are often sold so the unsuspecting fish owner will need to make a second purchase of a more suitable home, usually at greater cost. Best to just avoid this scam in the first place!
