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Many different types of pets reside in aquariums, from fish to reptiles to amphibians. Your pet will likely spend the rest of its life in this little box, so you want to make sure you make a good decision when purchasing your aquarium.
How does one go about doing that? If I decided today that I wanted a turtle, for example, I’d have no idea what sort of aquarium to purchase for it. I’d need research or help to determine what I should buy.
That’s the key: be informed, or seek the help of someone who is. Chances are if you’re looking for aquariums you already know what sort of pet you want. Ask advice of the employees at the store either where you’re procuring your new pet or where you’re purchasing its home; they’ll know what you pet needs and what aquarium would be best for it.
As is important when bringing home any new pet, you should do research on that pet’s needs before purchasing it. Researching appropriate aquariums is part of that.
Surprisingly, there aren’t necessarily just fish aquariums, turtle aquariums, salamander aquariums, and so on. Obviously some are more designed to be filled with water and others to be filled with plants and light, but even within that, many types of aquariums are suitable for a variety of pets.
Once you’ve made sure that the aquariums you’re looking at are right for the type of pet you want, there’s yet another surprising thing to consider: location. Where you’re going to place your aquarium is a very important factor in deciding what type you want.
Aquariums are heavy. A ten-pound aquarium will always weigh more than that when you’re trying to move it, because of it being filled with gravel, sand, or water. Water-filled aquariums will often be nearly ten times heavier than their base weights once the water’s inside.
Remember that you’re going to have to regularly clean your aquarium and that it’s going to be heavy. Make sure that you don’t place it somewhere difficult to reach or far from the space in which you’ll want to clean it or you’ll end up not cleaning it often because it’s too much work, and that can be unhygienic for your pet.
Thus if you’re a first-time aquarium owner you might want to go with something smaller, only 10 or 20 pounds. If you’ll have to lift your aquarium to clean it, consider getting one that will be easier for you to lift, such as a cylindrical one instead of a rectangular one.
If this is your first aquarium, you also want to be careful where you’re getting it. Yard sales are a great place to find used aquariums that are in good shape, but if you’re not sure exactly what you’re looking for you might not want to purchase one at a yard sale, because without help you might not know if you’re getting what you need. If you bring along someone knowledgeable in aquariums or if you know just what you’re looking for, however, it might not be a bad idea to peruse some garage sales, as long as what you find is in good shape.
Aquariums can be turned into great additions to a room’s decor, but remember first and foremost they’re the homes for your pets. Make sure you’ve made the perfect choice for the needs of your pet and you.
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*(This image by Katie@! is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License.)
