Exactly where will you put it?

The size of your new freshwater aquarium tank will depend upon exactly where it will go in your property so this must be your initial decision. Keep the tank away from direct sunlight considering that this will nearly constantly encourage excessive algae growth. Also you should not location the tank where it will be tricky to sustain the correct stable temperature, e.g. near draughts from windows and doors or near radiators. In an perfect world your aquarium ought to be situated in a reasonably tranquil part of your home exactly where the fish will not be unduly alarmed by human site visitors or noise.

Acquiring your Freshwater Aquarium Tank and Equipment

Acrylic or Glass Aquarium?
As a common rule acrylic tanks are costlier than their equivalent in glass. Just for the reason that glass is more affordable it does not mean that acrylic is better than glass. Every single material has a number of positive aspects and disadvantages. Poor scratch resistance is the greatest disadvantage of acrylic. Acrylic tanks have the major benefit that they can be formed in almost any shape. On the other hand glass is tougher to scratch but it can smash and crack also it weighs a lot more mainly because it has to be thicker.

Here is a list of Acrylic Fish Tanks vs Glass Aquariums pros and cons :

Acrylic Aquarium

• Very easily scratched
  
• Light
  
• Hard to break or crack - kids safe
  
• Can be moulded into just about any shape
  
• Wants a stand supporting the complete of its weight otherwise it can split with the weight of the water
  
• Thinner and simpler to drill by means of for filters etc.
  
• Less distortion given that it is thinner
  
• Can yellow with age
  
• Additional pricey

Glass Aquarium

• Challenging to scratch
  
• Heavy
  
• Can break or crack - may well be a hazard when youngsters are about
  
• Restricted to certain shapes mostly rectangular while bowed front glass tanks are now readily available
  
• Extra rigid so they can be placed on an open stand
  
• Thicker and hard to drill through
  
• Even more distortion due to its thickness
  
• Does not yellow with age so they preserve clarity over a long time
  
• Much less expensive

Acrylic tanks have to be alot more cautiously maintained than glass making use of acrylic safe tools especially those utilised to scrape off algae.

To sum up, If you just want a regular rectangular tank then it is almost certainly best to go with glass. You will commonly have to go with acrylic if you want a particularly significant tank or one with an unusual shape.



Other Equipment

You should cautiously choose the correct equipment for your aquarium. A reputable dealer will aid you with this and it is a decent idea to develop up a decent relationship with your fish man.

You ought to have some knowledge about what else is necessary, filter, heater, lid with lighting, substrate, backing material and such things as rocks and genuine or plastic plants. You will require additional accessories like a water conditioner, net, test kits etc as soon as the tank has been set up.

The Golden Guidelines

1. By no means acquire the tank and fish on the exact same day. Curb your impatience to come property with every thing you want all at when!
   
2. Get the largest tank that space and your budget makes it possible for. Little tanks sold as perfect for beginners are a mistake. Larger tanks are more stable in terms of their water chemistry, temperature, etc. Water conditions will take longer to alter in a big volume of water so modifications for the worst are much less likely to take you by surprise. A 3 foot long (92 cm) aquarium holding roughly 100 litres (about 25 gallons) of water is a fine size starter tank.
   
3. Preferably spot your tank on a tailor created stand, failing this it need to be a strong piece of furniture. A massive tank full of water weighs an huge amount. Water weighs 1kg (2.two pounds) per litre. A normal tank size, say 36x12x18 weighs approximately 110kg or 242 lbs plus the weight of the tank, gravel, lid and decor.
   
4. Prepare your tank and have it running with freshwater aquarium plants, heating and filtration for at least a week before the fish arrive. This provides the water a chance to settle down as far as its quality is concerned and makes it possible for the wonderful bacteria a likelihood to multiply to a level exactly where the tank is 'cycling'.
   
5. Do not load the tank with more than 1 inch of fish to each gallon of water and remember that your new fish are likely babies so they will grow fast. There are a number of aquarists who like to be even far more conservative employing 1 inch of fish for every single two gallons of water keeping fish waste levels low.
   
6. Don't just tip them in add your new aquarium freshwater fish cautiously. Float the bag in the aquarium for about 20 minutes so that the temperatures equalise, open the bag and add some aquarium water to it for a further 20 minutes and then finally gently add them to the tank.

Conclusion
So what you have to do before you buy freshwater aquarium tank. Very first make a choice about where your fish tank is going to live and then you can decide on its size and the material that it is to be produced from. Your home freshwater aquarium will be a success from the start off if you follow the six golden guidelines.

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How to choose between the acrylic and glass aquarium? As complement of the previous article Arylic vs Glass Aquarium, glass aquariums usually cost less and do not get scratches as easily as acrylic aquariums. Glass aquariums are also stronger, as they are bonded together by a silicone sealant. They need support only on the edges, unlike acrylic aquariums. Glass aquariums are very durable, and can last for many years without any problems. Proper aquarium lighting will make glass aquariums look almost as clear as acrylic ones. On a negative note can be said that glass aquariums are always much heavier than acrylic.

However, if you are looking for irregular shapes, than these are easier to obtain as acrylic aquariums. Acrylic aquariums are much clearer than glass, and have better insulation. This means that you can use a smaller heater in your aquarium to maintain the proper temperature. Acrylic aquariums do however scratch easily and can therefore only be cleaned with specially made soft pads. Removing scratches from acrylic aquariums can be quite a troublesome procedure.

The price can also be an important factor when it comes to buying your first aquarium. Glass aquariums are usually the cheaper alternative and there is also a wider selection of second hand glass aquariums than there is of second hand acrylic aquarium since glass aquariums are more durable.

When you have selected the best aquarium for your needs, it is time to take it home. Here is a checklist that you need to consider:

• Look for any scratches on the aquarium before you make the purchase.

• Test to see if there are any leaks in the aquarium.

• Take care not to load any heavy items inside the aquarium while you carry it home. This may lead to scratching or even breakage.

Get a tight fitting hood for the aquarium when you buy it. An open aquarium is never a healthy option. More water will evaporate form an aquarium where the water is open to sunlight, heat etc. Evaporation will lead to the water becoming concentrated with waste and animal- and plant debris, and can also cause water damages and mildew in the room around the aquarium.

Contamination from falling waste is another problem. With an open aquarium you will also risk casualties since fish often jump out of an open aquarium, and ending up on the floor is more often than not fatal for the fish unless you immediately spot it and put it back in the aquarium. Thus an aquarium needs a good and sturdy hood. These hoods come in various decorative shapes and colors. There are various aquarium accessories that go with your aquarium, other than the hood. An aquarium is a complete set of a number of equipment that works together.

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In aquarium design determined the glass thickness and strength is the most important before started the glass tank construction, arguably even more important than choosing the basic shape aquarium. Because glass thickness and strength will determine the durability of the glass aquarium in weight-bearing and water pressure. Glass aquarium which full of water if rupture it could be fatal to the humans who are nearby!

When the glass aquarium was first filled with water you must conduct special strength checks whether the aquarium glass curved or not after filled with water three-quarters or more. If yes, stop filling the water then drain it again from the aquarium.

The following are the comparison guidelines of the water pressure strength for float glass, tempered glass and laminated glass for aquarium design and construction (kg / m²).

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Acrylic aquariums are growing ever more popular in today's aquarium industry. Acrylic was introduced to the public in 1933. Advantages besides weight acrylic 45% lighter than glass aquarium are also more clearly visible than ordinary glass. Shaped acrylic aquarium can be designed according to our wishes, for example convex or hexagon, and without connections.

Acrylic aquariums are slowly moving glass out of the spotlight for a variety of reasons. In this article I will be going through and detailing the strengths and weaknesses comparisons of glass vs acrylic fish tanks.

Glass is much denser than acrylic, which means it also weighs a lot more. Glass aquariums weigh up to 10 times as much as their acrylic counterparts. When purchasing an aquarium, it would be best to go with acrylic.

Acrylic aquariums are much lighter, and will cause much less stress on the stands and structures you will place them on. You can also purchase a larger acrylic aquarium that weighs less than a glass one, so you can bend the rules a little bit on weight restriction for your stand.

Acrylic aquariums may weigh less than glass, but don't let that fool you. Acrylic is a very strong material, and it takes significant force to break an acrylic aquarium, and anyone who has every owned a glass aquarium can tell you about how even little bumps can cause cracks in the aquarium and cause it to be structurally unstable.

Even though glass is thicker than acrylic, it is much weaker. Acrylic fish tanks are very resistant when it comes to bumps, however they are more easily scratched than glass aquariums.

When it comes to customizing the shape of your aquarium, you are pretty limited when it comes to the glass aquarium. Glass is relatively brittle and rigid naturally, and because of this, its shapes and styles are very limited. Acrylic fish tanks on the other hand, can be molded to fit any shape and design that you could wish for.

Acrylic aquariums could be casted and molded into different shapes that were never though possible when only working with materials such as glass. Acrylic fish tanks are also much easier to cut holes into when attaching an overflow system, with glass you need specialized tools and then you run the risk of cracking the whole panel.

The only spot in my opinion, where glass outshines acrylic is in terms of cost, and scratch resistance. Glass is cheaper than acrylic, as it is more readily available. Glass is also very hard to scratch, and acrylic aquariums can be scratched with less force. Glass will also maintain its clarity throughout time, but acrylic when it gets a lot older can develop a yellowing tint to the acrylic.

Well there you have it folks, a couple points to consider when you are weighing your options between glass and acrylic aquariums. If you are trying to get a custom aquarium for plants, I personally recommend acrylic, as it is a lot more durable to bumps and impact and acrylic can be molded to just about any shape.

However, the acrylic also has a weakness that is easily scratched when we clean the moss with algae magnet, or when decorating the aquarium. For example, while rummaging through the sand at the bottom of the aquarium. This is why acrylic aquarium always covered with sheets of acrylic adhesive paper (protective) when shipped from the factory or shop. This is never happen on the glass aquarium.

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Long before Dr. Johnston introduced his first glass aquarium, initial glass production have started in Mesopotamia about seven thousand years ago. Many objects made of glass found with the luxury jewelry made of precious stones.

Glass as building materials began to be used after the flat glass made in bulk in Rome, which is about 30 years BC until the year 345 AD with inflatable technique. Although the flat glass produced in small size and the quality was not good, but the inflatable technique is still used until 17th Century.

In the early 20th century, this technique has a mechanism that can produce glass sheets larger, but a less flat surface, causing distortion of vision. The quality is still quite adequate for the glass window. However, to produce higher quality - for example for a glass mirror two glass surfaces should be polished flat and smooth, so the price is still expensive.

Then in 1959, Pilkington managed to create a process of making glass called the 'float process'. This process can produce excellent quality glass; the surface is flat and free of distortion. The result of this glass is called a Float Glass.

Float Glass

The thickness of float glass ranging from 2 mm to 19 mm - with standard size 305 x 213 cm. While the largest size is 1143 x 305 cm. The varying dimensions give the flexibility to make Aquarium in a large size.

Tempered Glass Aquarium

Tempered glass is a hardened float glass by heating to 700° C, and then suddenly cooled by air spraying evenly on both glass surfaces.

At the same thickness the tempered glass three times stronger than ordinary glass to handle water loads, wind, and collision. "Tempered glass" could not proceed further as cut, polished edges, or make holes. All dimensions and specification must be determined precisely before tempering process.

When you use a tempered glass for aquarium, be careful with the edge or surface damage to the glass because it could be the source of the outbreak of the glass as a whole. When broken tempered glass fragments are dull edge pieces which prevent any serious injuries. Unlike annealed glass breaks into sharp edge pieces.

Laminated Glass Aquarium

Laminated glass is the unification of two pieces (or more) float glass which combined by a layer of Poly Vinylbutyral (PVB) film through the heating and pressing process.

Poly Vinyl film used was very clear, distortion-free, not wrinkled, and did not reduce the glass transparent. PVB film also has a flexible nature and can be very strong blend with glass sheets. Thus, the safety level of laminated glass is very high.

When the aquarium glass breaking then the laminated glass is not going to scatter but it's just cracked. Glass will remain attached to the film and mounted on a frame.

Commonly two sheets of laminated glass used for large-sized aquarium. But for the Aquarium or Glass pond which very large or high usually used three or more sheets of laminated glass.

As well as "tempered glass aquarium" before, the process of cutting and making holes can not be performed on laminated glass. Even if workable it would be very difficult and untidy. So, all sizes and holes must be known exactly before the laminated done.

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In 1842, Dr. Johnston introduced his first glass aquarium but the glass is only in the front side. This aquarium capacity of 20 liters and its filled with sea water.

Discovery still continues, in 1850 freshwater aquarium with a larger size (50 liters) was introduced. The aquarium contains Goldfish, a water plant species Vallisneria gigantean and some snails.

At that time, marine aquarium is more popular than freshwater aquarium. Difficulty of finding freshwater ornamental fishes (except goldfish) - while the marine ornamental fish was having more attractive color and more vary - making marine fish tank more popular.

The First Maanvis Picture

The first painting of Maanvis fish (Pterophyllum scalare) made by Alfred Russel Wallace (1823 – 1913). He saw this fish on trip to Rio Negro, Brazil in 1850s.

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