Before purchasing a fish tank, there are various aspects to keep in mind when making your decision. One is size; aquarium sizes depend on what species are desired.
How heavily you stock it also matters; too many fish could overwhelm beneficial bacteria for processing ammonia and nitrite production.
Please select a suitable location for your tank and ensure its weight can be supported by its floor surface. When complete, full tanks and equipment can weigh over 10 pounds per gallon of water.
Size
A large aquarium should contain no more than the types and numbers of fish you can comfortably keep, such as Zebra Danios, which require only short swimming areas, while Koi Carp need much larger spaces to thrive in your tank. Therefore, it is a wise idea to research what minimum tank sizes recommended are suitable for each species you intend on keeping; where possible, adhere to them.
Cichlid fish may become particularly aggressive during the breeding season and could end up harming other inhabitants in the tank or their owners in self-defense. Furthermore, their high metabolisms require them to drink more water than other fish species.
When purchasing an aquarium, please bring a tape measure to double-check its dimensions versus those listed on its box. This step is beneficial if shopping from multiple manufacturers; considering the thickness of glass and material weight will determine how much the tank weighs when empty.
A 10-gallon tank can make an excellent home for some fish species, such as Zebra Danios (only 2 inches long but highly active and preferring more expansive spaces in their tank), who make excellent starter fish due to their easy care needs. Least Killifish also make excellent tank fish as they prefer living among aquatic plants rather than competing with bolder tankmates for attention. Their greenish-brown bodies feature delicate stripes with muted gold and silver hues – beautiful creatures in their own right, yet great additions!
Type of Fish
Stocking aquariums traditionally follow a one-inch fish per-gallon rule; however, this formula may not always be accurate. Therefore, weighing your tank before determining how many fish can fit within it is wise to prevent overstocking and overcrowding it with fish. This step is especially crucial with bowfront tanks, where wall shape impacts weight when empty. Glass and acrylic tanks differ significantly in their consequences.
These colorful tetras add shimmering color and lively behavior to any 10-gallon tank, adding vibrant color and captivating behavior. Their peaceful nature makes them suitable for community tanks with non-aggressive species; in heavily planted tanks that offer plenty of hiding places, they flourish even further.
Harlequin Rasbora Fish are easy to care for and make an attractive addition to any 10-gallon tank, providing soothing soundscapes as they gently croak.
White cloud mountain minnows are another excellent option for novice aquarists. These fish can live for five years in freshwater aquariums, and their vibrant red fins create a striking display in any aquarium. These hardy species tolerate various temperature and pH levels in water environments and prefer group living situations for maximum visual impact. Their synchronized swimming patterns offer a unique visual delight.
Bristlenose plecos are unsung heroes of aquariums, making them a delight to have in any 10-gallon tank. As algae eaters, bristle nose plecos quickly keep your tank looking pristine by devouring any excess vegetation that grows in it.
Filtration
An aquarium’s filter system is of critical importance. To achieve maximum effectiveness, multiple filters should be combined to keep the environment healthy for longer. Of particular note is a filter’s GPH capacity, which measures how many gallons it can cycle per hour – as a general guideline, you should aim for something that cycles four gallons an hour for every gallon in your tank’s volume.
Canister filters are often the optimal choice for larger tanks due to their capacity for holding filter media and bio media (a material containing beneficial bacteria). This makes them suitable for heavily stocked aquariums such as those housing African cichlids and fish that need significant biological filtration.
Fluval’s High-Performance Aquarium Canister Filter is an ideal choice for medium-large tanks. Equipped with twin output nozzles for multi-directional flow return, its twin outputs give you flexibility in fitting different species and habitats of fish into it while its low energy usage of 16 Watts annually ensures efficiency.
Seachem Tidal Filters offer another fantastic choice in various sizes to accommodate different tank capacities. The smallest filter can process 75 gallons an hour, while its giant version can manage 155. This filter includes a large basket for filter media storage, surface skimmers that remove oil from the surface layer of water, and an aerating return flow feature for optimal operation.
Priming is simple with this unit’s user-friendly system: remove the hose from its quick connect and draw air through your mouth to start water flowing. There’s also an array of media for 3-stage filtration – foam pads (mechanical), carbon (chemical), and bio-ceramic rings to maximize performance.
Lighting
Aquarium lighting is an integral component of any fish tank, serving more than just aesthetic purposes – it provides energy and oxygen needed by photosynthetic organisms like corals to thrive within your tank environment.
Your choice of lighting system must match the type and species of aquatic plants in your tank and the fish that inhabit it. Plants require much stronger light sources than fish do; thus, it is imperative that any lighting chosen meets their specific needs by producing enough PAR, or photosynthetically active radiation, to support growth in their growth environment.
If you own a planted tank, select a lighting system with full spectrum illumination. This lighting emulates natural sunlight and will give plants the energy necessary for growth. Furthermore, full spectrum illumination promotes healthy water environments by helping eliminate algae build-up.
For non-planted tanks, both standard fluorescent lighting systems and LED lights will produce sufficient illumination; though LED lights offer greater energy efficiency and produce less heat than their fluorescent counterparts – this may prove particularly helpful if your aquarium is deep; standard fluorescent bulbs might struggle to reach all corners of your tank’s depths.
Be wary if opting for metal halide or multiple bulb VHO lighting systems as they produce considerable heat and may necessitate installing an aquarium chiller or using an auxiliary fan to keep your tank from overheating. Furthermore, these lights may require special mounting hardware, which may prove expensive.
Maintenance
A 75-gallon fish tank is ideal for most home aquariums, offering ample room to house various fish species or plants. Cleaning and changing water on a regular schedule helps prevent too many nutrients from amassing and encouraging algae growth; for optimal results, it should be cleaned thoroughly once every month and 15-20% changed each week, depending on how densely stocked or large your aquarium is stocked it may require more significant changes or more frequent cleaning sessions.
Before conducting a significant water change, ensure all necessary supplies are available. This includes an identical-sized bucket (preferably one used exclusively for this task) and siphon-type gravel vacuum, along with other tools like refractometer, hygrometer, and salinity probes that may come in handy as well as an efficient glass cleaner; regular sponges or scrubbers could contain detergent or chemicals which could harm fish or plants in your aquarium.
Starting the cleaning process involves siphoning off a portion of aquarium water. This should be done for optimal results while leaving all fish still in their tanks, as moving them may disturb their slime coating and stress them out. While siphoning, you can remove uneaten food, waste, and any sand substrate that is too dirty for use in the tank and unexamined fish food that your fish hasn’t eaten or is too dirty to use as a substrate. Don’t forget to flush your filter regularly while also cleaning chemical media such as carbon or GFO that may accumulate toxins over time that will end up in your aquarium environment!
Replace aquarium water with clean, treated tap or reverse osmosis water that matches its temperature, being careful to test for chlorine and chloramine as these may be toxic to fish. An ammonia detoxifier would be ideal to help eliminate these harmful toxins.
