10 Gallon Fish Tank

Fish make for great pets. They are low maintenance, attractive, inexpensive in most cases, and most landlords allow them over dogs and cats. In order to make

your own aquatic world for your fish to live in you will first need a fish tank. Fish tanks come in almost every size and shape, from tiny half gallon tanks for gold fish and beta fish, to zoo style fish tanks that can house small whales. For the casual fish lover, a 10 gallon fish tank is the perfect choice. A 10 gallon tank can fit perfectly on a desk or stand, and is the perfect balance between size and maintenance. Larger fish tanks can be nearly impossible to clean effectively because in order to clean it easily, the water needs to be occasionally removed. The 10 gallon size also makes the tanks perfect for office decorations, since they can fit nicely onto a desk in a cubicle type setting.

The typical 10 gallon fish tank size is 20″ wide, 12″ tall, and 10″ thick. These are roughly the same dimensions as a medium sized microwave. Hopefully this gives you a good image of exactly how many places you could place the fish tank. There are also standardized stands that can be bought for your tank, if you want it to set separate from other furniture. The stands are often pieces of furniture themselves, made with fine craftsmanship and offer places to store items like fish food and chemicals.

After purchasing your 10 gallon fish tank, you need to decide whether or not you want it to be fresh water or salt water. Generally fresh water is much easier to deal with, the drawback being the fish are for the most part less colorful. Salt water tanks also make great homes for live coral, sea amenities, starfish, crabs, and other exotic aquarium life. Keep in mind that usually the more exotic the animal, the more work you will have to put in to maintain their health. Salt water tanks require constant monitoring of chemical levels such as pH, salt content, and chlorine levels. Too much or too little of any certain chemical and your entire fish tank population can fall ill or die.

Freshwater tanks on the other hand require much less work. To clean the tank, simply spoon out your fish, set them in a bowl of water, and scrub the tanks, rocks, and anything else in the tank, refill it with water and put your fish back in. The downside to fresh water tanks are the types of fish you can put in them. Fresh water fish tends to be less attractive than fish native to coral reefs. 10 gallons is quite a bit of water, but draining the tank with a siphon is easy. Just move the tank to an area with a sink, get a tub and siphon the water down the drain.

For a beginner, all you really need to start a tank is a 10 gallon fish tank, water, fish, and a pump. The pump serves to help add oxygen to the water. Rocks are often added to the bottom for aesthetics and to help hide and dissolve the fish droppings. If you browse online or at a local fish store you will notice thousands of other fun decorations like little ceramic castles and divers you can put into your tank to give it life and a story. In my opinion this is the greatest part of owning an aquarium, you are making a fun little world for your fish to live in. You can find fish tanks at your local pet store, or many online shops.

Buying a 10 Gallon Fish Tank Cover

A 10 gallon fish tank is a good size for those who want to have a nice aquarium at home but are just beginning. It is not as hard to maintain as the bigger ones,

while providing more swimming room as compared to the smaller ones. As long as proper care is observed, the fishes in the tank will be comfortable and they’ll live for a relatively long period of time.

While some fish owners decry putting on lids on their fish tanks, there are advantages of getting a 10 gallon fish tank cover for your aquarium, not the least of which is making light installation easier.

The most important reason for getting a 10 gallon fish tank cover is to prevent your fish from jumping off the aquarium and landing on the floor. There’s a saying that goes, “All fish will jump some of the time, and some fish will jump all the time,” and that’s pretty true. While there are species of fish that are prone to jumping, like eels, barbs, and cichlids, other kinds may try and jump out of the aquarium too. It’s far better for owners to assume that the fish will jump rather than having an untimely fish death in their hands. Fish that are put in an unfamiliar tank are more prone to jumping, because they have not gotten used to their new home yet.

Aside from jumping, another reason for getting a 10 gallon fish tank cover is that there are some fish like the gourami that need warm air to breathe. The lid traps the humidity in the tank, making it easier for these to breathe.

For those who have kids or other pets at home, a 10 gallon fish tank cover will also prevent them from getting into the aquarium or grabbing the fish. The lid also prevents airborne contaminants from getting into the tank. Sprays like deodorants, air fresheners, colognes, and other aerosol products as well as smoke can also pollute the tank and affect the health of the pets inside the tank.

Evaporation is also a reason for purchasing a 10 gallon fish tank cover. While this is something that will always happen, lids reduce the amount of water that evaporates from your tank after a set period of time, thus lessening the number of times you have to replace water.

Fish tank covers can be home-made to reduce the cost of maintaining an aquarium.