Reviews of Fishtanks and Aquariums

It starts when your kids start pestering you for a pet, and you end up at the pet store buying a fish bowl and a goldfish. Maybe you eventually move up to a home aquarium with half a dozen fish, a few snails, some plants. And then eventually as an adult, you have a glorious saltwater or freshwater bookshelf aquarium built into the wall of your living room, a 200 gallon tank of tropical underwater ecosystem right in your home. Well, OK, it doesn't always work out like that, but having a fishtank or aquarium is a popular hobby for millions of fish enthusiasts. It's easiest to start with a small tank, like the Marineland Eclipse family of 3, 5, 7, and 12 gallon fishtank aquariums (see more below).

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Aquarium Fish - Tropical Fish - Aquarium Tips

The first consideration when buying a started aquarium is size. For a child's room, a small 3-10 gallon tank is adequate, capable of sustaining a 3-6 fish. Next consider the material of the tank - acrylic plastic tanks are much lighter than glass tanks, and generally better for use with younger children since they don't crack or chip. The clarity if often better as well with the thinner acrylic not causing the same refraction seen in glass tanks. Keep in mind that tropical fish require warmer water, which means the addition of a water heater - cold water fish are hardier and suited for room temperature water. Goldfish are an example of cold water fish. It is also best to add only 1 or 2 fish at a time to a tank - take it slow and see how they do before throwing a bunch in together. Remember that fish are normally fed once or twice a day, so they do take some responsibility to care for and children may need assistance in their care. Aquariums should also be kept out of direct sunlight and away from heating and cooling vents. Populating your tank with fish is not expensive. Typical gold fish can be had for $3-$8, while something like a Red Oscar or Long Fin Swordtail sells for about $12. Expect to pay about $4-$9 on average for 2" fish. A great site for buying fish or just for getting information on fish and their care in an aquarium setting, check out AquariumFish.net - great site with lots of information. They have tips for setting up your first fish tank, tips for selecting the right fish, advice on cool water and warm water aquariums, and lots more. How do I set up an aquarium? They got it! What kind of fish are best for my fish tank? They have recommendations for you.

Buying the Best Aquarium - Your First Fishtank!

Where can I buy a small aquarium or fishtank? Your local Petsmart store or PetSmart.com carries a good selection of starter aquariums. These small Eclipse systems are inexpensive and perfect for a desktop or bookshelf, with a lighted hood and BioWheel filtration system to keep your fishtank healthy - the 3 gallon unit is just $37, while the 12 gallon tank is $89. The 12 gallon tank is 21" x 11" x 8" high, making it still a good fit for a small space. Another nice model is the biUbe 9 gallon tank in an acrylic cylinder design that is beautiful to look at ($120, filter replacement kit $9). Medium aquariums run 15-30 gallons, and a nice one in this group is the vertical hexagon style SeaClear 15 gallon model, at $125. The acrylic shell lets you see everything, and the tanks are chip resistant, strong, and resistant to leaks. For $179 you can get the SeaClear 26 gallon flat black hexagon aquarium and hood, this is a bigger tank at 36" x 12" and 16" tall. Larger tanks are 30+ gallons, like the 40 gallon SeaClear Eclipse 3 model ($219). You always need to make sure your tank is big enough for your population of fish, otherwise you will problems. Ask your pet store fish expert if you need assistance.

Visiting an Aquarium - Monterey Aquarium, Baltimore Aquarium, Shedd Aquarium

Often a visit to a public aquarium sparks a persons interest in fish and fishtanks. Some of the finest aquariums in the country can often be found within an hour or two drive from most populous regions. The Shedd Aquarium in Chicago is popular all year round - you can get directions and aquarium hours at their website: SheddAquarium.org. In California, if you are in the San Francisco Bay Area, a 2 hour drive south brings you to the Monterey Bay Aquarium (mbayaq.org), with spectacular kelp gardens and windows looking out into the bay. The National Aquarium in Baltimore is another favorite (Aqua.org), close enough to Washington DC to make the trip. In the northwest, the Seattle Aquarium sits on Pier 59 on the waterfront (SeattleAquarium.org). And the New England Aquarium (NEAQ.org) in Boston makes for a great day trip with the kids. Whichever aquarium is closest to you, you owe it to your kids (and yourself!) to visit every few years and learn about the underwater world that covers most of our planet.

Fishtank Screensaver and Wallpaper

Everyone loves to decorate their desktop with aquarium fishtank and wallpaper. Visit WallpaperWorld.com for a selection of thousands of beautiful wallpaper images, and ScreenSaverHeaven.com for thousands of great screen savers, including colorful tropical fish aquarium scenes.

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