Before you work out exactly which fish you want, you need to work out have many inches (or centimetres) of fish you can accommodate in your new aquarium.
The fish will obviously have more room to swim and set up their territories in a larger aquarium, but more important than the size of the aquarium is the shape and proportions of the tank. A long, shallow tank will hold more fish than a short deep tank, even if they have exactly the same amount of water in each.
The reason for this is that the oxygen content of the water depends on how easily it can be supplied. The only place this can happen is where the air meets the water, which is at the surface of the tank, so the larger the surface, the more oxygen available. Similarly, the carbon dioxide that the fish exhale has to be expelled from the water, and this also happens at the surface.
So, to work out the capacity of an aquarium, you need to multiply the length of the aquarium by the depth to get the water surface. For instance, if your aquarium is 24in (60cm) long by 12in (30cm) deep, the answer is 288in2 (1800cm2).
The next thing you need to know is how many inches (or centimetres) of fish you can accommodate, and this will depend on the type of fish.
Freshwater Tropical Fish – 12in2 per inch body length (75cm2 per cm body length)
Freshwater Cold Water Fish – 30in2 per inch body length (187.5cm2 per cm of body length)
Marine Tropical Fish – 48in2 per inch body length (300cm2 per cm body length)
So, in our example tank above you could fit:
24 inches (60cm) of Freshwater Tropical Fish 10 inches (25cm) of Freshwater Cold Water Fish 6 inches (15cm) of Marine Tropical Fish
To calculate the number of inches (or centimetres) of your fish, measure from the mouth to the start of the tail, and don’t forget that the fish you see in the shops are normally juveniles and are not fully grown, you need to allow for the size they will become!
Get this right, and you’re well on the way to having a successful aquarium.
The first thing you will need to decide is whether you plan on keeping fresh water fish or saltwater fish. Generally speaking freshwater fish are a lot easier to keep so if this is your first fish aquarium I would advise a fresh water fish aquarium would be a good place to start.
You will need to make sure you do not add too much food to your fish aquarium, research the type of fish you are keeping before throwing in too much or too little food, adding too much food could be harmful to your tropical fish as they can over eat, also adding to much food could potentially pollute the tank.
Having a balanced diet is essential for aquarium fish, I would recommend that you buy any fish food in small bags or containers rather than bulk buying, this is because over time the vitamin content will gradually decline so to keep your fish food in optimum condition and as fresh as possible buy smaller bags and keep them in a cool dry place.
Anything that is introduced into your fish aquarium should be properly taken care of and monitored, it is important to keep the water in the tank clean by checking for parasites, fungi and bacteria.
Although maintaining a fish aquarium is an ongoing task certain fish can lighten the load, it is well worth investing in fish that scavenge as they will clean the tank for you however it is vital to research the type of fish you buy to ascertain if they can live peacefully with the other fish residing within your tank.
It may be a good idea to create yourself a daily monthly and weekly 'to do' list so you can be sure that you have made all the necessary checks on the temperature control, lighting and feeding.
Toxic and harmful products can be caused by the breakdown of protein, investing in a protein skimmer can be extremely effective, a protein skimmer will remove impurities and residue from the aquarium and will purify the water.
Never keep your tank in direct sunlight, this will increase the growth of green algae making your tank unattractive and hard to see into. Having a fish tank in direct sunlight will also cause the water temperature to rise making it harder to control
The bigger the fish aquarium the easier it ill be to maintain a stable water temperature, having a larger tank will also give your fish more room to move, it is also very important to give them lots of places to hide, believe it or not the more places they have to hide the less they will hide.
If you can keep on top of the maintenance then you are sure to have a clean and happy tank.
Both Jackie Robinson & Allen Jesson are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Jackie Robinson has sinced written about articles on various topics from Aquarium Fish, Tropical Fish and Puppies Dogs. Jackie Robinson is a keen hobbyist and has kept tropical fish for many years. See more information about choosing your aquarium, and other useful information about tropical fish at her website. Jackie Robinson's top article generates over 1000 views. to your Favourites.
Allen Jesson has sinced written about articles on various topics from Engagement Rings, Shopping and Gift Ideas. Allen Jesson writes for several sites including and. Allen Jesson's top article generates over 301000 views. to your Favourites.