Selecting a Saltwater Aquarium

Georgia Aquarium FishImage by Mike Johnston via Flickr  Author: Simon Hemmings

When selecting your saltwateraquarium choose the largest you can possible afford and ensure the aquarium’s location is adequate and it’s within your budget.

Don't think buying small is good for your first saltwater aquarium as you will very quickly find out that you are unable to fit all the fish you desire and there will be limited oxygen in a smaller aquarium.

When you choose your saltwater aquarium, consider the water surface area, as this is related to the oxygen content of the water. Surface water is defined by the surface area that is exposed to the air.

Therefore the more surface area the aquarium has the greater the transfer of oxygen into the water and carbon dioxide escapes.

Aquariums come in all shapes and sizes and two aquariums may have the same amount of volume,but there may be a large difference in surface area. Shorter and wider aquariums have
more surface area and is better for gas exchange.

Other factors when buying your saltwater aquarium is the number of fish you want, overloading of the aquarium with fish will only result in overloading your filtration system and cause water issues. Likely fish will end up stressed and will lead to diseases between fishes.

Most people use fish length and tank volume to estimate the number of fish the saltwater aquarium can hold. Larger fish will of course consume more oxygen and more aquarium space.

I would prefer to have fewer fish rather than too many to be safe!

So when selecting an aquarium, think about that this as an investment of money and time!

About the author:
Simon is the author of Saltwater Aquarium BeginnerGuide where you learn and understand whats involved in starting up and maintaining your aquarium.
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6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have a aquarium and few gold fishes Can u tell me the best food for the fish which helps to stay health and quick growth ...

Anonymous said...

adidas-
Goldfish do well with a pellet-type prepared food.

Anonymous said...

Hey i am some related question ...I have 21 inc Aquarium How many fishes can i keep in it and can u tellme the best

Anonymous said...

Buytiffiny-
Hey thanks for stopping by. Great questions, however need more information in regards to your tank dimensions (Length, width, height). A great site that allows you to plug in your tank dimensions is Calculating Aquarium Volume. It also answers your question about how many fish you can have under the title 'Tank Population.' In regards to your question about what kind of fish, that is up to you, their are alot to choose from. I'm not sure if you are talking about saltwater or freshwater fish, either.

Anonymous said...

I have also a very big aquarium but with only 4 fishes. How much should I add more? 5 ? 10 ? Thanks!

Anonymous said...

I have an aquarium with 10 fishes.How much should i add more?