A fish tank is a place where fish dwell. An aquarium.
Naturally this includes the ocean, rivers, lakes, bodies of water. Unnaturally they may also be in plastic, acrylic, or glass boxes with an opening at the top. Plastic/glass or acrylic fish tanks come in many shapes and sizes. I have a 20 gallon glass tank. Acrylic is very expensive and mainly used for larger salt water tanks. Glass is more common for bigger fish tanks, as it is easier to clean and look through. Smaller tanks are built to be moveable and not situated to stay still, and thus usually plastic so they don’t break. Cleaning tools will vary depending on the type of tank you get: From a toothbrush (which I find the best tool for my 20 gallon tank), to a machine that will go through the tank automatically cleaning and moving through. Algae is universal in all types of tanks, glass/plastic, fresh/salt water.
Two types of water in fish tanks:
Please note - Children will have just as much fun with the cheaper fresh water tank than the expensive salt water tank, so if you are getting a tank for your child, choose fresh water.
Salt water:
Salt water fish are community based, they depend on one and another for various reasons. Oceanic type fish dwell here. Exotic and less common. Example of common types that can live in a tank: Clown, lionfish, zebra goby etc. List of Marine ‘salt water’ dwelling fish at: http://fins.actwin.com/species/index.php?t=3&f=2
Salt water fish tanks cost considerably more money. Equipment is mandatory! Some types of equipment such as a Centipede (used to direct the flow of water), a drain, weir (to control plumbing), protein skimmer (gets rid of waste), etc. They must have special filters to add salt and keep the water at perfect formulas and degrees. Salt fish in tanks eat special frozen foods, worms or other organic materials. The water must be extremely clean and cared for. These are fish you look at, no touching. Salt water fish usually need more room, so smaller tanks are limited to few fish. Tanks smaller than 40 gallons are most likely not salt water tanks. Supportive to all correl, salt fish, Starfish, shellfish, and many kinds of plant life etc. When starting a salt water fish tank, keep in mind most fish need certain levels or other fish to live there first. It takes many months to get a salt water tank to the maximum capacity. Salt water tanks are not for children, they are for grownups who have a taste for looking at exotic and colorful fish. They are perhaps for studying and learning.
- Expensive.
- Exotic, and for adults.
- Colorful.
- Much maintenance.
- Fun.
Fresh water:
All types of fish excluding salt dwellers. Common fish, these dwell in natural habitats excluding the ocean. Fresh fish dwell in rivers, lakes, ponds etc. Fresh water tanks are more common for a few reasons. They are cheap: Fish don’t cost nearly as much, especially if you do not live near salt water. Equipment used for fresh tanks aren’t as mandatory. A glass bowl for a goldfish doesn’t even need equipment. Although equipment enhances the fish lifestyle and may lead to a healthier life. Air bubble equipment and filters are common to put more oxygen into the water. Life sustaining and supportive to live plants (algae mainly)), crabs, shrimp, frogs, snails, and many common fish (Molly, guppy, goldfish). List of freshwater fish at: http://fins.actwin.com/species/index.php?t=3&f=1
When starting a fresh water fish tank, it can be as easily done as adding tap water to a bowl and dropping a fish in. It can also be as hard as getting already algae living water and setting up filters, and other tank materials such as rocks, plants, and other needed fish to keep the tank surviving.
My guppies in my fresh water tank have gone through phases: First I started with three fish in a 2 gallon tank. The population started to increased and then went to thirty and changed into a 5 gallon tank. They then began to speedily reproduce and I changed them into a 20 gallon tank where the hit numbers near two hundred. I immediately went out and bought other fish to control their population (yes, they ate some treats.) My population is now at fifty in a 20 gallon tank. This is more suitable.
- Cheap.
- Easy to handle and take care of.
- Little or no maintenance.
- Fun.
Information on Salt water tanks can be found at:
http://www.tenecor.com/?source=overture
Types of fish at:
http://fins.actwin.com/
Other sources:
http://www.aqualink.com/
http://www.fishlinkcentral.com/
http://dsc.discovery.com/ – Searching for fish and tank information through search box.