Fish Tank Aquariums

An aquarium fish tank can create a magnificent impact to any room of the house, setting the scene with the lights down low. Purchasing and installing a fish tank aquarium will please the whole family.

Home aquariums have wide possibilities which are affordable to any budget, ranging from the popular goldfish fish tank bowls, to huge tropical reefs built into structures.
Building your own fish tank could be an option if you want to create a large fish tank on a tight budget. Always seek professional advice before building a large aquarium.

Salt water and fresh water fish tanks

The term; tropical fish, refers to the fresh water environments. Although in nature, tropical fish are species found around the equator both in fresh and salt water. It’s expected that when we speak of keeping tropical fish as pets, we are talking about fresh water fish tanks.

The term; marine fish, refers to salt water environments, expect as above.
Fresh water fish tanks (tropical fish tanks), are more popular and what we usually picture when imagining fish tank aquariums. Tropical fish tanks accommodate bright and vibrant, attractive fish, a good example of the typical tropical fish kept as pets are illustrated in the well known kids film, Finding Nemo.

Tropical fish tanks have to be carefully monitored for harmful bacteria, algae and fungie. Keeping your fish tank aquarium away from strong natural light will reduce the speed in which these spread.

Saltwater fish tanks require a little more work, not only do you need to replicate the natural temperature; you also have to keep the salt levels exact. Salt levels should be at a consistent ‘salinity of 1.025’. This can be measured accurately with a Refractometer.
Other chemical levels you will definitely have to measure are; Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, Magnesium, Alkalinity, Calcium and Phosphates. Follow this link for more information on salt water fish tanks.

Glass or acrylic aquariums

Glass fish tanks are heavier compared to an acrylic fish tank. Also, glass tanks are always at risk of a heavy blow – shattering into pieces. Not recommended around children.
Acrylic tanks being light weight and stronger do have their weaknesses, such as being very easily scratched. Small rocks inside the bowl or box can scratch up against the plastic when being moved around. Although repairable, extremely scratched tanks lower the viewing experience.
Glass or acrylic comes down to personal tastes, home situations and budgets. It’s recommended to take a look at both options.

Common mistakes

A common mistake for new owners of fish is to over feed them, this opens the door to health problems within the fish, as you would expect with any animal. Seek professional advice for the specific fish you are caring for and keep the food away from children.
It’s highly recommended that you read up on the health and stability of your new pets, in the nature of the tropical fish breeding business, the health of the pet comes second to profit. Understanding and knowing how the fish should act and behave is the key to purchasing healthy long-living fish.

Don’t be afraid to ask the shop owner questions about the pets and ask for them to be feed in front of you. It’s been known that some unhealthy fish will not eat at the given opportunity.

Hopefully you have now discovered a little more about fish tank aquariums, stick around as we will be discussing saltwater and fresh water aquariums in more detail.