Freshwater

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Part I: Aquarium Basics
the case, you would not want to purchase a 2-gallon tank for your living room,
because that would be too small for a thriving group of community species. A
tank of that size would not make a very good conversational piece either. For
your crowded office, maybe a portrait tank would be best Different types of
aquariums are covered later on in this chapter.
After you decide where to put the tank, take a measurement of the intended
space so you don’t end up with an aquarium blocking the refrigerator or
being used as a doorstop. Add 6 to 8 inches on to the back measurement so
that you have plenty of room for aquarium equipment such as filters, heaters,
and pumps. Add at least a foot on to the sides of larger aquariums as well so
that you will have room to move around the tank for cleaning.
Water is heavy
To determine the weight of a proposed aquarium, multiply the total number
of gallons by 10 pounds. That’s right, a 100-gallon aquarium weighs around
half a ton. Take weight into consideration when choosing your aquarium
setup. This method provides a good, rough estimate of the total weight of an
aquarium with the tank, water, rocks, equipment, and decorations all figured
in. Here are a few common aquariums and the weight you will need to take
into consideration on average:
10-gallon tank, 100 pounds
20-gallon tank, 200 pounds
55-gallon tank, 550 pounds
100-gallon tank, 1,000 pounds
125-gallon tank, 1,250 pounds
As you can see, you really need to make sure that your floor can handle the
weight of heavier tanks. If you are unsure, call a contractor.
Watching the tendency to overspend
Before you go shopping, check to see how much money you have available,
taking into consideration that even though your aquarium is probably the
largest piece of fishkeeping equipment you’ll ever own (and the one with the
largest price tag), the cost of all the other hardware — filters, pumps, gravel,
chemicals, and heaters — adds up quickly. A larger tank is not only more
expensive to start with, it requires more equipment. You don’t want to