Choosing a freshwater aquarium is an important first step in beginning your hobby of caring for fish. To begin with, you need to decide what types of fish you wish to have. Certain types of fish will grow to be more than ten inches long, so if you decide that you want any of these types, you will need to purchase a large aquarium. In choosing a freshwater aquarium, you should keep in mind that smaller tanks need to be cleaned more often than larger ones, because toxins and algae will develop in smaller tanks much faster than they will in the bigger ones. Larger tanks, however, require more maintenance overall, so it will be a personal decision for you to decide which type of tank will suit your needs best.

In choosing a freshwater aquarium, the second decision that you will have to make will be whether to purchase a Plexiglas tank or a glass tank. Glass tanks are generally cheaper, and are widely available at most any pet retail establishment. On the negative side of choosing a freshwater aquarium of the glass variety, is that glass tanks tend to crack easily and they are more prone to leaking as they age. Glass tanks are also quite heavy, especially if you purchase a large tank. Plexiglas tanks, on the other hand, are much lighter than glass, and they are more pleasing to the eye. However, Plexiglas tanks are not as widely available as glass tanks, and they can scratch easily.

Regardless of which type of aquarium you decide to purchase, please make sure that your aquarium has a top on it, as this will not only keep your fish from jumping out of the tank, it will also prevent evaporation of your water.

In choosing a freshwater aquarium, you will also need to select a shape for your tank. In addition to the traditional rectangular shape, you can also choose tall rectangles or even hexagon aquariums. You should keep in mind, however, in choosing a freshwater aquarium, that only the traditional rectangular shaped aquarium will provide sufficient room for your fish to swim. Having plenty of room is also important for gas exchange.

A final note in choosing a freshwater aquarium is always make sure that you do not overload your tank with too many fish. You will need to consider the type or types of fish that you want, then consider how much room each of those fish will need as they grow. A good rule of thumb to consider in choosing a freshwater aquarium is to have one small fish for every ten gallons of water.