More often than not, we make impulse purchases without bearing in mind some important factors. You have probably had a similar experience where you forgot to check if the earphones on promotion are actually compatible with your mobile phone.
It’s all too common, however, in some incidents, the consequences are more serious. Everyone appreciates a beautiful fish aquarium that brings some life and color into their homes, but what you might not know is that failing to provide your fish with an adequate sized aquarium can threaten their lives.
If you are considering installing a fish aquarium in your home, you have come to the right place. In this guide, we will help you provide your fish with the right aquarium dimensions so that they can live happy and healthy life.
Consider How Many Fish You Want
The number of fish is your first clue when it comes to deciding on the right aquarium dimensions. You want to make sure that each of your fish will have enough oxygen to breathe, so if you are limited in space and can only afford a small tank, play it safe and get one or two fish max.
Generally speaking, it is advised to account for 5 gallons of water per fish. Note that some fish species prefer to coexist within a school rather than alone, so this will affect your decision when it comes to deciding on the number of fish you are willing to have.
Using the number of fish alone is not enough since there is no clear rule, it only works when you consider the other factors mentioned below.
Are you Buying Freshwater or Saltwater Fish?
It is extremely important to understand what kind of fish you are buying before you try to figure out the right aquarium dimensions.
Freshwater fish like goldfish and guppies are very common household pets because they need a relatively smaller aquarium and are believed to be low maintenance. Saltwater fish, on the other hand, need bigger tanks to make up for the lower oxygen concentration.
Although saltwater fish aren’t quite as popular, the experts of www.fishlore.com claim that the clown saltwater fish is perhaps one of the main reasons why the fishkeeping hobby has grown in popularity.
If you have kids, they will most likely be asking for a ‘Nemo’ pet, the clownfish from Disney’s animation “Finding Nemo”, so you might need to explain to them how hard it would be to provide the perfect home for ‘Nemo’ if your apartment isn’t particularly large.
Understand Your Fish’s Growth Potential
You can’t just take a look at the pet fish you are considering and calculate its water needs according to its current size, you have to keep in mind its growth potential.
As a matter of fact, too small of an aquarium can actually hinder the growth of your fish as their organs will eventually collapse. Goldfish are one of the most popular examples of species whose sizes are affected by their surrounding area.
In the wild, these fish can grow up to 14 inches compared to a mere 5 inches in captivity. Many people make that mistake and forget to think ahead so they end up splurging on a brand new aquarium to fit their growing fish.
However, you can save yourself a lot of money if you spend some time researching the potential growth rate of your fish before you purchase yours.
Learn About Your Fish’s Temperament
Just like humans, different fish species have different temperaments and behavioral patterns. While a bigger aquarium is always better, having limited space in your apartment means that you have to do thorough calculations.
Some fish get more anxious and stressed out than others when they do not have enough space to swim freely and it’s usually very hard to reverse their aggression and restore their previous calm natures.
This is why you have to learn more about the different attitudes of fish when being overcrowded before you can decide whether or not you will be able to provide them with the right aquarium dimensions.
Consult an Expert
If you are new at this, you should definitely seek guidance from the experts. Request advice from the pet store salespeople, as they usually have tons of useful information about how to create the best habitat for your fish pets.
You can also find lots of relevant information online on specialized aquarium forums where people who are passionate about fishkeeping share important insights that you can benefit from.
Fish aquariums are usually thought of as a nice decorative pieces rather than a home for living creatures. You can’t just go out and buy any random fish to fill out the fish tank you received as a Christmas gift!
It should always be the other way around, and if it’s out of your budget, then maybe you should wait until you have saved enough to afford the right aquarium for the fish you are interested in.
Although fish might seem like easy pets with few demands, in reality, it takes a lot of work to maintain your aquarium and make sure your fish are happy and healthy.
Share the above tips with your kids to make them understand the needs of different fish species.
