By Larry Getz
You have made that important decision to start your aquarium, but don't feel overwhelmed by all of the home aquarium supplies that you will need to get. Here is a nice list of equipment and terms that you should know before hand.
The first and most obvious thing that all aquarium aficionados need are aquarium tanks. Gone are the days of the boring ten gallon rectangular tank that can either be for your fish or your hamsters. Nowadays, you can find just about any size or shape that you can think of. Any amount of space you have will work no matter what the size.
Now before you go out and just buy something that fits, there are some things you need to think about first, the most important one being what kind of fish you would like to keep. The three main types are saltwater, freshwater and brakish. All three are great, but each require a different set of aquarium equipment. The full grown size of the fish, the type of water chemistry they need, what other fish will live with them are all factors to take into consideration. As far as size goes, A freshwater aquarium can take fish about one inch for every gallon of water and a saltwater tank should take one fish the same size for about every three gallons of water.
Once you establish all of this, choose a tank which fits you space, keeping in mind that a twenty gallon tank weighs about 170 pounds. Make sure the base can hold up under all the weight.
The next few things you will need are aquarium lighting, gravel, aquarium filters, air pumps, and heaters. You will need to investigate which type of each of these items will best suite the type of fish you have chosen. We can however talk a bit more about each of these items first just to give you some general information.
There are several types of aquarium lighting available. Again, the determining factor is not so much the fish, but whether or not your tank has plants and or reefs in it. Each one of these types of tanks have their own requirements, so it will take a bit more research to determine which kind of lighting to use. If you are planning a tank with only fish in it and no live plants, then you can go with a fluorescent or incandescent lighting setup.
A good aquarium filter is a definite must. There are three kinds that can work and it does depend on what type of fish and plants you are planning to keep. The three types of aquarium filters are mechanical, chemical and biological filtering. You can use one type or a combination to make sure your aquarium is one hundred percent clean and the water composition is correct.
Gravel is a must, and the type and size used is determined by the size of the fish you will keep. The type of biological filter system can also effect the size gravel chosen. As always, check with your pet shop pros to make sure that you are not making any wrong decisions.
One of the final pieces of equipment you will need is the tank heater. As you can see, the general theme here is that everything you decide on depends on the type and size of the fish, and this is no exception. Tropical fish can die if not kept at the correct temperature so care must be taken.
So that is a basic list of most of the home aquarium supplies that you will need. You can either purchase these items separately, or in a kit that has everything you need. Do some research and most importantly, enjoy your new aquatic friends.
Lary Getz is the owner of Aquarium-at-Home.com where you can find all the information you need on how to set up and maintain your new home aquarium and which home aquarium supplies you will need before you go out and buy the wrong stuff.
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