So, you’re thinking about buying fish – and, by extension, a fish tank. But before you shop around for the funkiest fish, a good deal on an aquarium, or pretty plant life, there’s one key decision you need to make. Where’s the best place to put a fish tank?
It’s all too easy to choose an unsuitable spot for your tank. Especially if you’re only thinking about the aesthetics of your room. So, take a moment to read these top five tips and find the best place to put a fish tank before you go shopping.
1. Avoid sunlight, breezes, and vibrations
It’s no secret that fish are beautiful and many of us set up aquariums as part of our home décor. We look for the spot where we’ll be able to admire them most or fit them against our newly painted feature walls.
But we need to remember that fish also have needs when it comes to where they live, especially tropical fish, which are sensitive to temperature and noise. This means you need to keep your tank away from direct sunlight (which can lead to algae problems), cold breezes, or vibrations from speakers.
2. Put your tank near an electrical socket
Next up, it’s time to remind yourself where your electrical sockets are. You’ll need to plug in a filter, a light, and – if you’re buying tropical fish – a heater. You don’t want to be running extension cables around your chosen room, so choose a spot as close to a socket as possible.
Bonus Tip
When setting up your tank, tuck any cords and wires away (especially if you have children or excitable pets, who may pull these out if they’re not tied down). Get yourself some cable ties to keep these nice and secure.
3. Keep your fish tank away from pets
Speaking of excitable pets, cats and dogs will probably be fascinated by their newfound, strange siblings. Though your tank should have a lid, we wouldn’t put it past a particularly ambitious pussy to get inside.
Aim to put a tank in a spot your pets won’t be able to reach. Whether your tank is high up and out of the way or protected with an additional barricade, you should be able to protect your fish from other pets.
4. Find or buy a sturdy base
Have you thought about what your tank will stand on? You need a robust, flat surface that will fully support your aquarium – one that you won’t need to move when your tank is full of water.
Keep in mind that full tanks are heavy – each litre of water weighs approximately one kilogram. It’s important that your table, stand, or alternative surface can take the weight of your full tank. If in doubt, we recommend using this aquarium tank weight calculator to work out exactly how much your full fish tank will weigh.
Don’t worry if you don’t have a sturdy base to hold your tank. We stock a range of aquarium stands to support aquariums of all sizes.
Bonus Tip
if your tank overhangs your base, not only is it likely to crack or leak, but you’ll also invalidate the manufacturer’s warranty. Therefore, we recommend purchasing tanks that come with designated stands. When you purchase a tank with a stand designed explicitly for that tank, you’ll be in the safest hands.
5. Measure up
When shopping for a fish tank, it’s all too easy to buy a tank that will fit perfectly with your home design, only to find it’s too small. Before you shop, we recommend taking a tape measure to the room you’ll be welcoming your fish to. Work out exactly how much space you have and compare your measurements with the measurements listed for the aquariums on our website.
Don’t worry if you’ve only got limited space – we sell tanks of all sizes, so we should have something you can tuck away in that corner.
Once you’ve found the best place to put a fish tank
Hopefully, following the tips in this blog post will help you find the best place to put a fish tank. Then, you can enjoy the fun bit: picking your fish tank.
Here at Warehouse Aquatics, we sell a huge range of aquariums. So many that we recommend treating yourself to a fun beverage and a decent snack as you sit down to look through them. Whether you fancy one of our designer Biorb Halos with mood lighting or a traditional Ciano aquarium with a sleek, matching stand, we can help you out. And if you’re not sure which tank to go for, our fantastic customer service team will be more than happy to advise you.
About Warehouse Aquatics
The Warehouse Aquatics mission is to offer the most choice at the best prices when it comes to your fishes’ wellbeing. We use the products on our website ourselves and are well-versed in all things fish, so we can give you all the advice you need. We’re not just here to sell aquatic supplies. We’re also here to guide you through your journey as a fish owner and enthusiast.
As a small team, we love to hear from our customers, so please do join the Warehouse Aquatics social media community. We’re always up for a chat, and we’d love to share your aquarium photos with our followers.