The aquarium tank comes in various sizes, shapes and capacities. The original design and still the most commonly shaped tank are the rectangular shaped aquarium and the round glass bowl. Initially, the aquariums were constructed from glass only.
Today, you can find them made from materials such as plexi-glass and acrylic and can be pentagon, octagon or hexagon shaped. Tanks can also be custom made. There is a growing trend for the more unique designed aquarium tank, such as the coffee table and bar table tanks; also the tower shaped tank is increasing in popularity due to its smaller area space.
The demand for them will also depend on the water capacity. For home, you will find that aquarium tanks with a capacity ranging from 10 gallons to 60 gallons to be sufficient, while for offices or other industrial locations the tanks can be 100 gallons or more. Make sure that the aquarium you do ultimately decide on will fit suitably in your room. Many of the tanks now come attached with filters and pumps already installed, making maintenance much easier.
The tanks that are made from acrylic are much lighter and easier for shipping. They are best suited for the freshwater environments. However, it you are intending on keeping marine fish then you will need to add an additional filter. This can be more expensive than the traditional aquariums but is definitely more aesthetically pleasing. Despite the more modern materials for building the aquarium tanks, many people still favour the glass tanks.
This is mainly because glass is transparent and extremely strong. It also offers excellent pressure distribution within the aquarium. The natural blue-green tints of the glass also make the aquarium look more natural.
The final advantage being that the glass tanks are cheaper. In contrast, the tanks that are constructed from acrylic are lightweight and also can be easily moulded into the various different shapes and sizes. They offer the advantage of being scratch resistant and have much better clarity than the glass aquariums. The electric insulation provided on acrylic tanks is comparatively much better than that of glass and the tanks are easier to clean and polish. The only downside, when compared to glass, is the higher price.
Also, tank the time to look over the aquarium carefully to ensure that it does not have any scratches or cracks. This applies to both glass and acrylic tanks. Make sure to take into consideration all the advantages and disadvantages of the glass and acrylic aquarium tanks before deciding on which tank to purchase.
Darren Lintern is the author and owner of http://www.AquariumSuppliesWorld.com. For more information on Aquarium Tanks, visit Aquarium Supplies World where you will find a wealth of information on Fish Tank Supplies including Pumps, Gravel, Heaters, Stands and other Aquarium supplies for a vibrant thriving Aquarium
