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Advice From a Former Aquarium Shop Owner

by Carol
(U.S.)

Juwel Lido Aquarium

Juwel Lido Aquarium

I agree.... Do your homework before you purchase a fish tank! I was in the Aquarium industry for over 14 years!
Buy one from a reputable dealer, so that if you have problems (such as the tank leaking, or filter or heater not working etc.) you can get the problem resolved. Those bargain yard sale/flea market finds are not in your best interest! Reason being.... if someone got tired of the tank and stored it away... maybe in a spot that was warm... the silicone holding the glass together will dry out, causing future problems to the next person who fills it with water.(Think leak.. as in the middle of the night, lots of water on your floor)

Next; Buy the biggest tank you can afford! Space allowed of course!
Soo...... many people would buy little Sarah a tiny tank (just to try it and see how she does) Rubbish! To be fair to little Sarah...It's harder to keep fish in a smaller tank! The water gets polluted easier, most have little to no filtration.

Don't be fooled by those really tall deep tanks! They are a big pain to clean! You'll be diving in, with your significant other holding on to your feet so you can reach the bottom! (Yes you do still have to clean the tank....filter or not!)

Buy a tank with a decent Filtering system! Or purchase the filter separate.
If you choose to keep Goldfish, or have a saltwater tank, buy a good size tank! No little tiny ones!
Even Goldfish...one little fancy one in a bowl might survive (by chance), but they will always do better in a bigger tank. Goldfish excrete more ammonia into the water, therefore they should have a filter, and a source of air in the tank (air-stone etc.)
Fish keeping is a great hobby, but you should know what kind of fish you want to keep before purchasing a tank!
I'd say my 14 years of being in the business of selling fish, and fish tanks, allows me the right to call myself an "expert". My customers always liked my honesty, because I never sold anyone anything they didn't need. (Others said I was my own worst enemy, because I lost a lot of sales that other business would have made..) So trust in my words...and heed my advice...you'll save yourself a ton of frustration!

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