Freshwater

Appendix
Tank Figures and Facts
Maddy’s math teacher once told her that she looked exactly like a
zombie from a B horror movie when mathematical equations and formulas
were presented to her in test form. Let’s be honest: Numbers can be
more boring than your neighbor talking about his last round of golf. But the
fact remains that numbers are important in the aquarium hobby. Numbers
tell you how big your tank is, how much it weighs, and how many fish you
can safely put into it during one shopping spree.
So in order to preserve your mental health, we have included a few tables to
help you get a better idea of just how much room your aquarium really has.
How Big a Tank Should I Get?
You want to make sure that when you set up your mega-aquarium that it does
not end up in the apartment downstairs. Don’t laugh, because this has actually
happened on numerous occasions! If you live in an upstairs apartment,
you probably don’t want to place a 200-gallon tank directly over the downstairs
resident’s bedroom. Homes with older floors my have weak spots that
cannot be seen. Always use common sense when choosing an aquarium size
to match the home you live in.
In order to give you a better idea of what an aquarium weighs when it is full
of water, and also empty, we provide Table A-1. All weights in the table are
accurate to within a few pounds, depending on what equipment you use,
the amount of gravel in the tank, and other factors such as the weight of
decorations.
Table A-1 Tank Measurements
Tank Size Outside Dimensions (in.) Weight Full Weight Empty
10 gallon 20 1 ⁄4 x 10 1 ⁄2 x 12 9 ⁄16 111 pounds 11 pounds
10 gallon long 24 1 ⁄4 x 8 1 ⁄2 x 12 5 ⁄8 116 pounds 16 pounds
(continued)