Aquarium hobbyists have many choices when it

comes to tanks.   

Glass Tanks: 

Glass aquariums or all glass tanks are still the most

popular.

Made of plate glass and sealedwith nontoxic silicone

that allows for widening when the tank is filled

withwater. Glass tanks resist scratching and provide

a good viewing area (unless if it is panoramic tanks).

One disadvantage of

glass is the difficulty of drilling holes for filter parts, something that is easily can be done with acrylic tanks.

Glass tanks are also much heavier than acrylic tanks and can be difficult to move, especially when the tank

is large. The glass must be increasingly thicker as the tank size gets larger to support the increased water

pressure. Glass tanks can break, too, leaving you with enormous mess to clean up. Fortunately, such

disasters are rare but it is happen. With decor such as rocks and gravel inside the tank along with the

 water pressure these type of tank can be quite heavy. 

Acrylic Tanks: 

Acrylic tanks made in amazing shapes and sizes (rectangles, squares, hexagons, octagons and more).

Far lighter than comparable glass tanks, acrylic aquariums can be drilled withordinary woodworking tools,

if necessary, to install equipment such as filter parts. Acrylic tanks are more expensive then glass tanks

and scratch more easily.An acrylic tank creates a small amount of visual distortion, due to the bendingof

the material during construction.  

Photo by: killer

Tank Shapes: 

Several things to consider before choosing the shape of your tank: The temperature of the water and the

oxygen content of water in collateral relation to the surface area of the tank, warmer water have less oxygen

than colder water. Since tropical fish prefer warmer water, the amount of oxygen in the tank may be limited

but vital oxygen must enter the tank, and toxic carbon dioxide must leave the tank otherwise fish will start

to die. Gas exchange occurs at the water surface the top of the tank. The more surface area a tank has the

more room for gas exchange at the surface more opportunity for oxygen to enter the water and toxic gases

to leave. Therefore, the larger the surface area of the tank, the more fish the tank can hold.An aquarium’s

shape affects the surface area. A tall, narrow tank has a small surface area and will accommodate much

less gas exchange than a shallow, wide tank, which has a larger surface area.

The surface area of the aquarium also determines the number of fish that itcan hold.  

Tank Size: 

To ensure that your new fish have a sufficient surface area for stable water conditions, I always say

 the larger the tank, the better. Water conditions tend to remain more stable as tank size increases.

The more top surface area a tank has the more room for gas exchange. A tall, narrow tank or a bowl

has a smaller surface area than a shallow, wide tank.

The larger volume of water resists major temperature fluctuations. Wastes accumulate more slowly.

Don’t forget: In small tanks there is no room to mistakes.  

Tank Weight: 

The weight of the tank is an important factor in deciding what tank to buy.

 Make sure you get a strong stand for your new tank; you don’t want to find fish swimming in

your living room.