GO AHEAD, GIVE IT A WHIRL
Is there a difference between a Fish Tank and an Aquarium or is it just a matter of semantics?
The answer is Both. Although the terms are used interchangeably today, a fish tank is supposed to be a simple setup used to keep fish. An aquarium, however, is probably more complicated and aesthetically significant and could be used to keep any marine animal.
Now that we got that out of the way, here we go:
Many people who are considering purchasing their first aquarium like to start with the smaller and less expensive 10 gallon fish tank. Most of us started with the good old fashioned gold fish bowl with probably one or two easy to keep and hardy fish. As we become more and more enthusiastic about keeping fish, we being to think about the possibility of “graduating” to a 10 gallon aquarium.
It is important to understand and research all that we can about keeping aquariums as they can be more complicated than a simple fish bowl. There is a lot of information on the internet about keeping a aquariums but I have waded through most of it and below I present the basics pros and cons of buying a 10 gallon fish tank.
Pros:
- A 10 gallon aquarium does not require much space and can be made to fit inside pretty much any room in the house.
- The cost of a 10 gallon fish tank should be around $8-$15 depending on the type of material the aquarium is made of.
- A 10 gallon fish tank does not require too many fish. You can keep a few expensive or exotic fish in a small tank rather than keeping schools of common fish in a large tank
- 10 gallon fish tanks are relatively less heavy than their larger counterparts. Water weighs around 8lbs a gallon so a 10 gallon tank is about 80 lbs (excluding the rocks and gravel)
- You can get them in a lot of different shapes such as cubes, rectangles or even hexagons. Remember the larger the surface area of a tank, the more fish it can support and the easier it will be to aerate. So, a rectangular long tank is easier to keep than a tall and deep tank.
Cons:
- Contrary to popular belief, smaller fish tanks require more maintenance than larger aquariums. This is because the Ammonia and Nitrite levels can build up to dangerous levels rather quickly. Large tanks have more space for waste dispersion.
- Smaller tanks are more easily affected by ambient temperature. For example, if you are cleaning your room one day and you decide to put your little 10 gallon aquarium on the window sill, it won’t take much time for its temperature to rise because of the sunlight. This will have a bad effect on the health of your fish.
- Small tanks such as the 10 gallon aquarium can’t support many fish. The old rule is to keep one inch of fish per gallon of water. Different fish require varying levels of space. Large Goldfish may require more space per goldfish than other smaller species that swim in schools.
- There may not be enough room for ornaments and decorations. It is easier to beautify larger tanks than smaller 10 gallon aquariums.
10 gallon fish tanks could be right for you if you want a good solid hands on approach to keeping an aquarium. You will learn a lot more about your fish and also keep your costs down. Small aquariums can be a great way to teach kids about responsibility and pet maintenance.
