Selecting Your First Tropical Aquariums Tank Size

So you finally got bit by the tropical fish hobbyist bug and want to setup your very first tropical aquarium. Then you run into the question. What size tropical aquarium tank should I start out with? Let me tell you, this is actually a very important question that you really need to get the answer right. Most people that quit the tropical fish hobby quickly is because of a bad tank size selection.

I will be covering how to select your very first tropical fish aquarium tank the proper way in this article. Since there are many variables and options that go into fish tank size selection, I will be assuming that what you want to start off with is a general community tropical fish freshwater tank. I'll be covering many other types of aquarium tanks in future articles, so keep your eyes out for them.

One of the most common problems people setting up their first tropical aquarium is to think that they should start out by setting up a small 5 or 10 gallon aquarium. These Small aquarium tanks actually take much more work than medium and large size tanks do. Smaller fish tanks are much more subject to rapid heat gain and rapid heat loss due to the environment or equipment malfunctions. Smaller bodies of water are extremely susceptible to rapid environment changes while larger tanks are not. A small amount of pollution introduced into a small tanks environment can reek total havoc on your fish community since the pollution will actually be much more concentrated than it would be in a larger tank. Medium and large size tanks give you and your prized fish a greater margin of error.

Now let's look at cost of setting up your first tropical aquarium. Large fish tanks can get very expensive and need much more room, as well as extremely sturdy floors. Remember, water is actually very heavy. Water weighs a little over eight pounds per US gallon, so make sure the location you select to place your new tropical aquarium can handle the extreme weight.

Tropical aquarium fish tanks come in what is known as tall and long tank versions. For your very first fish tank I would highly recommend selecting a long tank over a tall tank. The long tanks have more water surface which allows for more oxygen to be introduced into the tank from the waters surface.

Now let's select the actual tank size. I would recommend selecting either a 29 gallon long fish tank or a 30 gallon long fish tank to be your very first tropical aquarium. This size of thank allows for easier maintenance than smaller fish tanks and allows for a much larger variety of fish. It also is less expensive and weighs much less than larger fish tanks.

The 29 and 30 gallon long tanks are excellent choices for people just entering the tropical fish hobby. They are easy to maintain and not expensive to purchase. Now that you know what size tropical aquarium to start with, it's now time for you to start researching what equipment, fish and plants you want in your very first tropical aquarium.