Tips on Buying a Tropical Fish Tank - Bigger is Better

You may assume that it is the manufacturers of tropical fish tanks who encourage you to buy the largest tank you can afford and fit in your house, but the truth is that there are numerous reasons why you should opt for the biggest tank you are able to and they have nothing to do with giving the manufacturers of the tanks more money! Purchasing a large tropical fish tank benefits you, the fish, and is good for your hobby in general. Here are a few reasons for this.

Remember that water is self-cleaning to a point, so with a larger tropical fish tank the water will remain cleaner than in small tanks. This means you will have to clean the large tank less often than you would a small tank; usually they require cleaning every 10 days instead of every week, like a small tank. Also, large tanks need less water during a water change, requiring only 10-15% whereas smaller tanks typically take up to 25-35%. So, it's natural to assume that a larger tank means extra cleaning, but in reality it can actually reduce the amount of work you put into your tank!

Obviously, the bigger the tank is, the more room your fish will have to swim, and this makes for happier, healthier fish. People use exercise to circulate oxygen through the body and stay healthy, fish have swimming for this. In smaller tanks fish can get crowded quickly and they might not be able to swim as much as they would in a large tropical fish tank. Also, more space will help keep any aggressive fish away from the quiet ones, as there will be room to share and more places to hide if they need to.

It's understandable that not everyone has the space or the money to run out and purchase the largest tropical fish tank they can find, but this doesn't mean that keeping tropical fish isn't a great hobby for you. It does mean, however, that you must be willing to scale back the size and amount of decorations, vegetation, and species and number of fish you add to your tank. Think of decorating a smaller tropical fish tank as you would a smaller apartment - a few necessary items that fit well, but not too much extra stuff - and your tank should be just fine. Decorations and smaller plants that are designed just for small tanks are available at almost any pet store. You should also take some time to learn about different species of fish, as some may get so large they will outgrow the size of your tank. These varieties of fish are not meant for a smaller tropical fish tank, so opt for smaller fish to keep them healthy and happy. Your pet store employee will be able to offer advice on the fish that are best suited for the size tropical fish tank you have so you can avoid the problem of having fish that are too big for your aquarium.

Need more information about tropical fish tanks? Then head over to Tropical Fish Tips 101 to receive your FREE 10 page report loaded with tips on how to care for your tropical fish.

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