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You might think that it is a simple process to choose a fish tank for your home, but there are so many styles and sizes of aquarium on the market that when you start to shop you might realise that there is much more to it than you first thought. But what types of aquariums are there and what considerations do you really have to make? Well this really depends on what exactly you are looking for, you might just want a small tank with a few fish to brighten up your living room, bedroom or even your office or you might want a real centrepiece in which you can keep a range of tropical or marine fish. Here we are going to take a look at 5 of the leading tank manufacturers and some of the aquariums in their ranges and suggest which fish they would be best suited to. 1)Red Sea Max – This range of fish tank comes in a number of sizes from 130 litres to 500 litres. It is of upmost importance that you decide exactly where this tank it to be situated before you add the water, rocks coral, fish etc as once this tank has been filled you will more than likely find it much too heavy to move. Look to place it away from drafts, direct sunlight or radiators as this will make regulating the temperature much easier. These tanks are attractive tanks which come with a number of accessories such as mechanical filtration, activated carbon and biological media but what is included can vary dependant on the tank you choose so always look at what exactly is included with the model you have selected before you place your order. The 130 litre model is suitable for freshwater, marine and tropical fish and if you were looking more toward keeping freshwater or tropical then keeping around 40-50 small fish (such as Tetra), 5-10 medium fish (such as Gourami) and 4 large (such as Discuss) would be an approximation as to how many fish you could have. If you wanted to keep this tank as a marine tank then you would be looking to keep 6-8 small marine fish (such as Gobies) or 4-6 medium marine fish (such as Clown Fish) fish in this tank along with rocks and coral. Freshwater, Marine and Tropical are also suitable for the 250 litre version and the amount of fish you could keep would increase to around double of that suitable for the 130, if you wanted to add rocks and coral though the number of fish you kept really would depend on the amount of rocks and coral you included in the tank. The 500 litre model is more suited to marine fish and dependant on the type of set up you wanted it would be wise to seek advice as to how many fish to keep before making any purchases. 2)Juwel Aquariums – There are also a number of aquariums available in this range and the models start from 120 litres to 300 litres. These fish tanks come with stands and many of the models are available in a range of different colours including Beech, Dark Wood and Black. There is a range of equipment included with each of the models but this can differ from one to another so it is always better that you check what exactly is included before you place your order. With some of the models there is a high-lite unit and tubes, a heater and bio filter, pump and filter media in with the tank which should help you get started. As with the Red Sea Max range of fish tanks you would really be better of deciding where you are going to put your tank before you start to set it up and it is also recommended that you place it away from any drafts and radiators to make it easier to maintain the temperature. You should also look to keep it out of direct sunlight for the same reason. To give you an approximate idea of how many fish would be suitable for each tank here is a brief guide:- (Example Small Fish = Tetra, Medium = Gourami, Large = Discuss) 120 = Small 40-50, Medium 5-10, Large 4 125 = As per the 120 180 = Small 60, Medium 15, Large 6 190 = As per the 180 240 = Small 80, Medium 20, Large 10 260 = Small 90, Medium 25, Large 12 300 = Small 100, Medium 30, Large 13 This guide dies very much depend on your set up though as if you are looking to keep a marine tank with lots of rocks and coral the amount of fish suggested could drastically change, if you are unsure always seek advice prior to making any purchases. 3)Aqua Medic Aquariums – In this range of fish tanks there is a choice of size and design. The smallest of the tanks is 140 litres and the largest is an amazing 950litres. These ranges of aquariums are designed with keeping marine fish in mind and are an amazing looking range of tanks. The 950litre tank measures L 81.4inch x W 29.4inch x H 67.6inch and so you will need a large space to fit the aquarium in and as with all the other tanks it is highly recommended that you position it where you want it before you set it up as the weight will be far too heavy to move once the tank is complete. The smallest of the aqua medic aquariums (140l) would be suitable for the same number of fish as the Red Sea Max 130 and the largest at 950l it would really depend on exactly which type of fish you wanted to keep. Due to this it would be suggested that you speak to an advisor once you have all the details of how you would like to set your tank up and then the aquatics expert to whom you speak should give you a good idea of how many fish would be suited to your new tank. 4)BiOrb – If you are looking for a smaller aquarium for a living room, bedroom or office then you might be better off looking to purchase a fish tank from the BiOrb range. There are many designs and sizes from which to choose starting with the Baby BiOrb which is 15litres right the way up to the new BiOrb 105 which holds an impressive 105 litres. This type of fish tank can be used for freshwater, saltwater or tropical fish (although for the tropical and marine you will need to buy a conversion kit/heater to get you started) and will be a focus point of any room with the original retro round bowl design or the smart and attractive life and BiUbe designs. There is also a huge choice in décor which has been designed specifically to fit in and compliment the tank making it interesting for your fish and for you. The smallest of the BiOrb range at 15litres would be suitable for a small number of fish, for example 6 Tetra or 1 or 2 Fancy Goldfish, but the largest at 105litres would easily house 36 Tetra or 8 – 10 Fancy Goldfish. 5)Nano Cubes – The Nano Cubes start at 8 litres and the smaller of the tanks are suitable to keep a few tetras in or maybe freshwater shrimp but are not suitable for larger fish as they simply do not have the space that they require. The newest edition to the Nano Cube range is the Dymax IQ3, this tank is made from acrylic making it much lighter than a glass tank and has an LED light which is attached to a dimmer switch making it easy for you to control the light in the tank. The Nano Cubes are available in a number of different sizes which as mentioned start at 8 litres but which include 10 litres, 15 litres, 20 litres, 30 litres and 60 litres giving you a great range of table top/desk top fish tanks to choose from. Although all the guidelines above are approximate and would still need to be checked with an advisor when purchasing your fish, this might give you a little more indication as to what fish tank would be best suited for you and also suited to the size of your home. Always read up on the type of fish you are looking to purchase too as some species are easier to keep than others, although all will need some form of basic up keep and maintenance. When you take on a tank and its inhabitants you have to be willing to make a commitment to them and their wellbeing and make sure that you set aside enough time to carry out any jobs that may need to be done. Mark Cropper works for Swell UK. Swell UK.com is a leading online retailer of aquatic, pond and garden supplies including pond pumps and garden furniture.
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