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Buying your Freshwater Aquarium Tank and Equipment

The first golden rule is never buy the tank and fish on the same day. It may be tempting to arrive home with everything you need including the fish but some patience and restraint is called for initially!

If you have enough space and your budget allows it, go for a larger tank. Small tanks are often sold as “ideal for the beginner” but this is not really true. Larger tanks are more stable in terms of their water chemistry, temperature, etc. Conditions will change more gradually in a larger volume of water, so things are much less likely to go suddenly wrong. I would recommend a tank of between 5 and 10 gallons capacity as a good size tank to begin with.

I can recommend the Fluval Edge Aquarium which comes with all the pumps and filters and other equipment necessary to keep the tank clean and running well and its all hidden away including the power leads. Alternatively the very sophisticated 9 gallon clear biUbe Pure Aquarium with halogen light looks amazing. Both of these are designed to be easily maintained. See my article on the Biorb and Biube aquarium range for more information.

Go here to see a large selection of aquariums and fish bowls from Amazon.

You need to choose the right equipment for your freshwater aquarium tank. Read my articles about freshwater aquarium set up and aquarium maintenance which will help to give you a good start.

It is helpful to have some advance knowledge of what is required, basically this means a filter, heater, a lid with lighting, substrate (gravel or sand), backing material and other décor such as rocks, wood and real or plastic plants.   Once set up, you will need additional accessories such as a water conditioner, net, test kits, etc.

Positioning the aquarium tank

The freshwater aquarium tank should be placed on a sturdy piece of furniture, preferably designed for an aquarium tank. Large volumes of water are very heavy. Water weighs 1kg (2.2 pounds) per litre. A tank measuring 36x12x18″ and holding approx. 110 litres would therefore weigh 110kg (242lbs) plus the weight of the tank itself, lid and decor.

Avoid placing the tank where it will receive direct sunlight, this will almost certainly encourage excessive algae growth.
Avoid placing the tank where it will be difficult to maintain the correct stable temperature, e.g. near radiators or draughts from windows and doors.

Try to avoid locations where your freshwater aquarium tank will be disturbed excessively by passers-by, opening doors, etc.