An aquarium is a kind of glass case in which plants and animals dwelling in water are given shelter. Aquariums are a home to fishes, invertebrates, marine mammals, amphibians and marine plants. The word only suggests i.e. ‘aqua’ means water and ‘arium’ means a place relating too. An aquarium can be of any shape and size. They are generally constructed of a strong plastic or glass. A cuboid aquarium is fish tank and a fish bowls are aquariums of the shape of a bowl. Sizes vary from a small tank to large aquariums.

So you like keeping fishes as pets. But always remember to set up an appropriate aquarium for your fishes even before you bring them home. They will need a proper and ready environment to survive in as soon as they are included in your family. Reading a lot about aquariums is always helpful to those who plan to take up fish keeping as their hobby.

The aquariums come in various shapes and sizes so choose one that is most suitable to fit in your room. If you are a beginner so start with a ten or twenty gallon aquarium. Make sure that your aquarium has a cover as this will prevent the water to evaporate. Avoid placing it in direct sunlight as that may damage the temperature of the container to some extent. Make sure that you check the aquarium before you finalize the deal for small cracks.

All the aquariums consist of a filter to keep the water fresh. If you are planning to keep tropical fishes then your aquarium should include a heater also. Decorations are something of a mandatory ingredient for your aquarium. Decide on a kind of gravel, plants (living or artificial), natural wood and much more. These decorations will enhance the way your aquarium looks and your fishes will also feel good. Before setting up your aquarium make sure that you read all the possible instructions printed on your instructions booklet regarding, the temperature, filter, fish, decorations etc.

The water fillings are also to decide upon, fresh water or salt water. For beginners, fresh water is recommended as it will be easier to maintain. Always prefer clean tap water while filling your tank. You will need around ten to twenty gallons of water depending on the size of the aquarium. Also, let the water stand for some days so that the chemicals present in the water like ammonia and chlorine get much time to evaporate. These chemicals are very harmful for the fishes so they need to be dealt with. The water needs to be clean as the fish also excrete some water. Filters of various kinds are readily available like under gravel filters, outside filters and box filters.

While the decorations are important so is the lightning. If you are using live plants then use fluorescent bulbs as they enable the plants to grow and do away with little amount of heat. If you want your fishes to stay healthy then cleaning the aquarium regularly is your task. Change the water every week or two so that you remove all build up chemicals. Never empty it completely, change 10 to 25 per cent of water each time.