Aquarium Advice.info: Everything You Need To know About Looking After Your Aquarium.

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Expert Information And Advice About Looking After Your Aquarium.

Introduction.

Many years ago, goldfish bowls were all the rage. Then, as so often happens, fashions changed and, as they did, the popularity of this once-ubiquitous fish "container" waned. Other factors have contributed to the decline, prominent among these being the oft-quoted declaration that goldfish bowls are "torture chambers".

This, i am afraid, is one of several myths relating to our hobby, that are repeated so often that they are in danger of becoming accepted as self-evident truths. The reality is somewhat different.

If you buy a small goldfish bowl and attempt to keep several fish in it, then without a shadow of a doubt it will become a torture chamber. If however, you install a proper goldfish bowl aeration/filtration kit , and keep just one or, at most, two small fish, and if you establish a sensible maitainance regime, there is no reason why your fish should not live a healthy, happy life.

Its all a matter of demanding from a system something that it can not deliver. In truth, the emotive "torture chamber" label can be attached

to any aquarium, irrespective of size, if we ignore the basic principles of successful husbandry.
This said, it pays to choose the largest aquarium that you can afford, and that will meet the needs of the fish and plants you plan to keep. There are several reasons for this. and all are linked, either directly, or indirectly to water quality.
Contrary to popular belief, smaller volumes of water are more difficult to maintain in a healthy state than larger ones.
The problems with small volumes is that, by their very nature, they cannot easily accomodate fluctuating conditions. Therefore, just as they

react more quickly to heating and cooling, they also deteriorate in overall quality far more rapidly than larger volumes if and when, for example a fish dies and goes unnoticed for some time, or if so much food is provided in one go that some of it remains uneaten and begins to rot, or if a slight overdose of medication is administered, or if stocking levels are exceeded, or if a partial water change is carried out, and so on.

The moral is, if you want a small amount of moderately sized fish, choose a moderately sized aquarium, for example, 60 x 30 x 30 cm. But if your ultimate aim is to have as many species or varieties as possible, you will need a much bigger aquarium in order for it to stay healthy.