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How big should your aquarium be? Aquariums come in many shapes and sizes. It is advisable to choose an aquarium that is at least 10 gallons / 40 L, since small aquariums are much more difficult to maintain. The waste build up in small aquariums is quick and quite large in comparison with a larger aquarium. A small aquarium will therefore require very frequent water changes. Changes in temperature or water chemistry will also take place more quickly in small aquariums. Rapid changes in the temperature or water chemistry are harmful for fish and aquatic plants.
Expert aquarist recommended a 30 gallon/120 L aquarium to novice aquarist, since this will provide enough room for more fish and is easier to maintain as it has enough water volume to dilute fish waste. A larger aquarium will naturally be even easier to maintain, but the benefits of an aquarium that is larger than 30 gallon /120L is not as significant as the difference between a 30 gallon / 120 L aquarium and a smaller one. A 30 gallon/120L aquarium is large enough to buffer against to rapid changes in water values, and It is therefore an ideal beginner size.
Planted aquariums come in many shapes ranging from rectangular to hexagonal or even cylindrical. While making your purchase, it is not only the beauty of the piece that counts. Mundane matters like how easy it will be to clean out the aquarium regularly, and how to keep all the nooks and crannies hygienic are important considerations.
The height of the aquarium is also a very important aspect. An aquarium that is very deep is complicated to keep for the beginner aquarist. Increased height means greater difficulty when cleaning and your aquarium might therefore always carry some amounts of waste even after a thorough clean up. Poor light penetration is another problem with a deep aquarium. Plants will not thrive in water that has poor light penetration and special lighting is therefore needed in deep planted aquariums.
The art of arranging aquatic plants in aquarium or Aquascaping require nutritional support regularly to maintain the fertility of the water plants. This can be done if we know exactly the volume of aquarium water. Knowing volume of aquarium water is also important to calculate the filter pump capacity which needed, and it is also useful for us to provide nutrition or medication for a sick fish in the right dose.
