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Aquarium Tanks

Aquarium Tanks - basic part of an aquarium
Aquarium Tanks - obviously is the most essential piece of equipment called aquarium. There are a variety of size shapes and even materials to choose from. Careful thought is needed before choosing any aquaria.
Material:
All Glass. This is the material most often used. Sheets of glass bonded together by silicone. Advantages - Relatively cheap, Easy to clean, scratch resistant. Easy to repair. Disadvantages - Fragile and brittle, which make it easy to crack. The silicone edge can be peeled away and result in a leak. The tank corners are particularly prone to damage. Scratches that do occur cannot be treated. Curved pieces although available are very expensive. Plastic. Often used for small cheap tanks. Advantages - No joints to fail. Very cheap. Disadvantages - Easily scratched. Easily cracked. Impossible to repair. Usually small in size. Acrylic. Although technically a plastic I am treating it as a different option. Used for large and expensive aquaria and other quality aquatic equipment. Advantages - More clear than glass. Relatively light. Easier to shape. Stronger and more impact resistant than glass. Scratches can be polished out. Disadvantages - Easily scratched. Very expensive. Can't be repaired.
Shape and Size:
Unless the tank has been measured to fit in an alcove I would suggest that you get the biggest size that you are happy with. Most people exchange their first tank because it is too small to meet their needs. Not only that but large tanks offer a more stable environment than do small ones and believe it or not they are easier to maintain.
The next deciding factor is what the tank is for. Discus fish and angelfish require a deep tank of at least 15 inches. Fast swimming open water fish requires an aquarium at least 36 inches in length. African cichlids require a lot of rockwork and unless it is built like a wall at the rear of the aquarium (which looks very unnatural and is no use to the fish) a tank at least 18 inches wide will be required. Obviously it goes without saying that if large fish are to be kept then a large tank around will be required.
There are a lot of odd shaped tanks around now too, and whilst these might look trendy they would be a nightmare to landscape and maintain. I have lately seen:
A 5ft deep hexagonal column 18 inches wide containing angelfish. The problems of maintaining such a tank would be immense. No standard airpump will work at that depth, a temp. gradient would form; cleaning the tank would be a real chore. Hex tanks are bad enough but this with the extra depth, don't do it.
Two tanks connected together by a broad clear pipe. Quite how the connecting pipe would be kept clean and free from unsightly algae and other dirt is anyone's guess. And unless the two halves were absolutely level there is a chance of a very sudden and catastrophic failure.
Picture frame tanks, which are no more than 3 inches wide and hang on the wall. These tanks are so small that they could house no more than 4 or 5 small tetras and soon look tatty because they are so impractical.
It is better to stick to the more usual shapes, which are very practical to use and offer great viewing. They can easily be made to any size and if in/on a specially built cabinet they can be made to fit into any room.
If something really special is called for there are bow fronted aquaria, but one big disadvantage is if they break on the front they are uneconomical to repair.
Consider the application. Are you setting up a marine or a freshwater aquarium? Will it be a reef tank or live-plant tank? Remember good stocking practices and plan ahead. Instead of setting up the aquarium and then selecting what animals will go into it, plan the entire aquarium around the aquatic life you want and you'll be sure of success! Consider these rules for stocking an aquarium when choosing what size of aquarium you'll need:
Freshwater: Roughly 1" of fish per gallon of water. More accurately, 1" of fish for every three square inches of surface area. Saltwater: 3" of fish per square foot of surface area. If the cost of the aquarium you'll need to house the animals you want will exceed your budget, eliminate some of the animals you want! If you try to keep too many fish in an aquarium, you'll spend a lot more money replacing fish and solving problems than if you had purchased a larger tank in the first place.
Remember that the larger an aquarium is, the EASIER it is to maintain. This may sound like a contradiction until you think about it for a minute or two. It is harder to pollute a lake than a pond. The larger the volume of water, the greater the ability of the water to cleanse itself through oxidation and reduction. Take it from a company that maintains
aquariums for a living. It takes us just as long to clean an over-stocked thirty gallon aquarium as it does to clean a properly-stocked 100 gallon aquarium.
The surface area of the aquarium is the most important factor in determining how many fish may be kept in an aquarium. The surface area should be as large as possible. If you are considering an unusual-shape for an aquarium, remember that it is safer to use surface area as a measure of how many fish may be kept.