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Return To Aquariums Article Archive   A Word about Aquariums By Stephanie Whitley The study of fish is called ichthyology. To begin your hobby you must have an aquarium. There are two types of aquariums; a glass fish tank and an acrylic fish tank. A glass fish tank is less expensive and harder to scratch than an acrylic fish tank but it is heavier. It's generally easier to keep a larger tank balanced than a smaller tank. Small chemical changes are easier to deal with in larger tanks because there is more water. There are a lot of opinions out there as to how much space a fish needs, therefore how many fish should be in one aquarium. If you have room in your glass fish tank or acrylic fish tank for more fish, first notice where your existing fish are spending most of their time. Do you have a bottom feeder(s) that spends most of their time at the bottom of your tank? Do you have fish that spend most of their time at the top? Some fish like swimming up and down and some crosswise. Keep these things in mind when you get your next fish. After a lot of experimentation with different size tanks, I've found it best to go with 1 gallon per 1 inch of fish. A larger tank, for instance a 20 gallon tank is easier to keep healthful than the smaller ones. With the small tanks you might end up buying bottles of pharmaceuticals to keep the fish alive. There are other factors that enter into what fish should go into your tank. For instance I have three tanks. One tank has aggressive fish and they don't seem to be intimidated by each other. In another tank, I have very sweet, non aggressive fish that play very well together. My third 3-1/2 gallon contains a beautiful Betta. If you've ever had a Betta, you know they have to live alone. They will take bites out of other fish and if you put two Betas together they will try to kill each other. Don't keep aggressive and non aggressive fish together. Eventually the non aggressive fish may die. The same is true of overcrowding. Fish are stressed by too many fish and will die off. Use water only to clean your glass fish tank and/or acrylic fish tank. You can use mild bleach with no additives, but be sure to rinse thoroughly. You might want to let the rinse water sit in the glass fish tank or the acrylic fish tank for a while before you put in the actual water. Buy an algae sponge to get the algae growth off of the sides. If you have snails in your glass fish tank or acrylic fish tank to keep the algae growth down, make sure whatever cleaning and/or purifying agent you put in your glass fish tank or acrylic fish tank doesn't kill invertebrates. I clearly state here that I am not an aquatics expert; I am a hobbyist and love animals. The subject of this article is not exhaustive. The documents herein are based on my experience and research. Therefore I am not liable in any way for how this information is used. There are lots of articles on the web or talking with your local pet store might be a good idea if you have any questions. Also, there is a feedback page on this site that will accept questions and I will do my best to get back to you with an answer as soon as possible. This article was written by Stephanie Whitley owner of the online pet supply store "Pet Stash". You can view that site by clicking the following link =>http://www.petstash.com I am a former government employee, a designer and developer of database applications, websites and desktop publishing. I recently resigned to start my own business; an online pet supply store. I've also been singing in choirs and choruses for 12 years. I hang out with my two best buddies (felines) Harry and Max. I spend time keeping 3 aquariums going, as well. Watching fish really relaxes me. keywords: Aquariums | fish tanks 55 Gallon Fish Tank Stand

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