Freshwater Aquarium Types

There are a lot of shapes, sizes, and materials that aquariums can be made of.

Glass vs. Acrylic

An acrylic aquarium is surely lighter, firmer, and longer-lasting than a tank made of glass. Since acrylic is more malleable than glass, tanks can be made into different shapes and have a rounded or curved edge which gives the tank a rather "smoother" look. However, acrylic can be easily scratched and in the long run can become looking "dull" while glass is harder to scratch and continues to have that crystal clear view provided that you put the effort to clean it regularly. When talking about leaks, this can be much avoided with acrylic because most of the time, the tank is formed as a whole. Glass tanks are formed using silicone on the edges to form the sides of the tank. There are times when the silicone gets removed thus the tank leaks. What is usually done about this is to replace the silicone BUT you would still have to go through the hassle of dealing with the leak.

Capacity: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 70, 100 gallons (and more)

Keep in mind that freshwater aquarium types in terms of water capacity bears an important value on how you will be able to maintain the tank. A general rule is that a gallon of water can accommodate a maximum of 1 and a half inch of slender fish. This means that a stand alone fish like the male Betta can be put in a 10-gallon tank but an Oscar that can grow really big can not be put in that tank. If you plan to put together a community of different types of fishes, it would be best to get a much large tank so that your pets will have more room to swim around in as well as establish different parts as their territories. Smaller tanks also require more maintenance than larger ones. This is because conditions may easily change within small tanks but not as much in the large tanks. Smaller tanks get dirtier faster than large tanks. Small tanks acquire waste easily because they have a smaller surface area where the waste and chemicals may be distributed to.

Shape

Freshwater aquarium types come in different shapes People have come up with different shapes deviating from the regular rectangular type. Tanks with multiple sides like the pentagons, hexagons, even octagons are not that suitable for medium to large fishes. They can only suit small fishes and only in very limited number. These unique shapes somehow restrict the fish from swimming to and fro. Elongated shapes much closer to the regular rectangular tank, although not as unusual like the above-mentioned ones, are the most ideal options. They give a wide view as well as a wider area for the fish.