Setting up an aquarium
I remember 100 gallon aquarium quite well which we used to have at our place when I was a little.boy. It looked so beautiful along with a few blood parrots and plecos swimming fervently here and there. I used to sit there for hours and hours just watching them, and thus started my own obsession with fish and aquariums. Throughout my fifteen years as an architect, I have built a number of aquariums as a hobby that I passionately keep and adore. At my own apartment, I have 2 aquariums, one being the same 100 gallon aquarium I had as a young boy, and am delighted to say that my 10 year old daughter finds them as interesting as I did when I was as much as old as her.

Here are a few steps you need to consider in setting up you own aquarium.

Tank Size:
what are you planning to set up? Mean is it going to be a marine or a fresh water aquarium? Is it going to a live plant tank or a reef tank? Remember you need to research these things before starting off. A good thing would be to have a clear picture of the cost and time that would take to build any kind of aquarium along with the way it would look in your lounge or living room, or even in your hall. Next comes the fish you will have to place in your aquarium. After that you will know what the size of the aquarium that will be perfect for you fish. However, its better to put your aquarium through these checkpoints before giving it a go ahead.

Freshwater: You need to have about 1” of fish per gallon of water.

Saltwater: You need to have 3” of fish per sq foot. If it costs you more than your budget to keep a big aquarium then I highly suggest that you reduce the number of fish in the aquarium. However, it you really want to keep a number of fish in your aquarium remember maintaining the tank will take more time than you have actually planned to give the tank. It should be noted that larger aquariums are the ones that are much easier to maintain as compared to the smaller ones. This might come off as a rather self contradictory statement but it is actually true!

Tank Shape:
When it comes to how many fish need to be placed in the aquarium, the surface area of the aquarium itself is the most important factor. It needs to be kept as large as it possibly can. If you have a rather unusual shape in your ahead about the aquarium then bear in the mind that the surface area of the tank should be a priority in your own creative design.

Tank Height:
If you want to have an invertebrate reef tank then you the height of your aquarium is also an important issue that needs to be considered. The deeper your aquarium, the more light you will require for it.

The clearance above the aquarium should be at least 75% of the height of the tank to allow for easy removal of decorations for cleaning. If there is not enough room above the tank, it will be very difficult to clean aquarium decorations.