One of the most challenging pets to keep are fishes and other aquatic animals as well as plants. Whereas dogs and cats require very minimal maintenance, keeping an aquarium requires an understanding of the living conditions of a variety of fishes that you put in your tank. Maintaining a thriving aquatic environment is often an endeavor of trial and error for the newbie aquarium owner. Nevertheless, getting an aquarium for your home can have many startling benefits. That’s why we came up with the top ten aquariums for you to consider.
Our Top Picks for the Best Aquariums
How We Chose the Aquariums in Our List
In choosing the aquariums in our list, we had to look at the overall construction of the aquarium. It makes no sense at all to get an aquarium that will not be able to fulfill its primary function: to hold the liquid environment upon which everything else will be depending on. This means that it must be made of the highest possible quality of aquarium glass with panels that are joined by a super water-tight seal. If there’s a leak, then what’s the use?
Secondly, the different features that have been built into the aquarium must serve a purpose and not there just for aesthetic reasons. It is important to look at the integrity of these electrical systems including the water pump that drives the filtration system as well as the lighting system, if any. Safety is very important as water and electricity are never the best of friends.
To aid us in narrowing down our choices, we had to rely on the comments, reviews, and feedbacks of other customers. The ease of installation as well as the dependability of the fish tank have been determined from these customer feedbacks and comments.
It was quite a challenge getting the list down to just 10 simply because there’s just so many of them that are great products in themselves. Regardless, we’re proud to say that we did well in our shortlist.
Benefits of Having an Aquarium at Home
Benefits of Having an Aquarium at HomeAn aquarium is an excellent décor to improve the aesthetic appearance of your home. The light above the aquarium illuminating the underwater ecosystem can really provide a very remarkable landscape, a respite for the eyes which may already be tired of looking at drab walls in your living room. Add colorful marine fishes in bright blue, red, yellow, orange, and purple hues and you have a living rainbow right in your house. But more than mere aesthetics, having an aquarium in the home can provide plenty of benefits as well. Just look at the following.
- Great stress-busters.
Maybe you haven’t noticed but simply looking at an aquarium can actually bring a sense of calmness to you. There’s something about water and marine life that helps calm nerves, making you feel much more relaxed, and totally in control of whatever it is that’s bringing you stress. There have been several studies showing the effects of aquariums on the levels of stress. These studies support the popular notion that fish tanks can really provide for an excellent method of relaxation. If you don’t believe us, just try going to some health and fitness centers and try to ask about their fish spa therapy. Maybe you’ve already seen this in malls and other public places where you have people sitting on a big pool of water with their feet fully submerged and letting fishes swarm over them. It won’t hurt to try it at least once in your lifetime. Watching aquariums have been shown to lower blood pressure and increase feelings of relaxation and leisure satisfaction.
- Excellent in calming fussy and restless children.
Young children are naturally curious. Fortunately, this curiosity can come in handy as they can get distracted and not become restless. For example, some studies show that fussy or restless children have a better chance of calming down when brought to a place with an aquarium. Exactly why this occurs, no one knows. It is believed that the natural movements of marine life inside the aquarium help stimulate curiosity among young children such that their anxious energies are redirected towards the appreciation of these wonderful creatures.
- Aids in work productivity.
You might not believe it but workplaces with aquariums have been shown to have more productive and happier employees. The workplace is also more relaxed. There’s no tension. And even if there is, it is usually muted to the point that you won’t even recognize that it’s there. Aquariums are excellent stress relievers that workplaces that are known to be very stressful were transformed into a more peaceful working environment with the addition of an aquarium.
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- May help patients diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
Who would have thought that an ordinary tank with bright colored fishes can actually help people with Alzheimer’s disease? A study from Purdue University showed that Alzheimer’s patients were calmer, more alert, and more relaxed when they were made to watch brightly colored fishes in an aquarium. The patients were also observed to be able to eat a lot better. It should be understood that Alzheimer’s is a very complex neurodegenerative disease where the individual’s cognitive processes have already declined making them more restless and fidgety. Aquariums have shown to help these patients stay calmer. So, if you have someone in your family who has Alzheimer’s or even dementia, having an aquarium is not really a bad idea.
- Excellent sleep aid.
It should be fairly obvious by now that the main benefit of a well-maintained aquarium is relaxation. It should not really be surprising to know that it can also be an excellent sleeping aid. Many of today’s aquariums come in wonderful LED lights that have been shown to produce some sort of a hypnotic effect. This helps us sleep a lot faster and stay asleep in a much calmer state.
It doesn’t matter where you put your aquarium. Whether it’s in your living room, your dining room, or even your bedroom, the important thing to understand is that it provides a calmer and more relaxing environment.
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Considerations in Buying an Aquarium
We have already shared with you how we chose the best aquariums in our list. But, in case you would like to scout for your very own aquarium, there are certain things that you have to consider.
- Location of your aquarium
The very first consideration is where you’re going to place your aquarium. Remember that it is supposed to provide relaxation. So, it should be place in an area of your home where you will be spending most of your free time. Many homes put their aquariums in the living room or even in the kitchen. Additionally, you have to understand that the weight of your aquarium, once filled, will be at least 10 times the capacity of the aquarium in pounds. This means, if you have a 10-gallon aquarium, you’d get a final product that is at least 100 pounds heavier. If you decide to relocate it, just imagine the task ahead.
You’ll have to consider creating a space bubble for your aquarium. This means that the overall structure of the aquarium should be very accessible. Moreover, you’ll have to consider the location of your water source as well as electrical outlets. The proximity of entrances, aircon vents, and other objects or fixtures that can affect the stability of the water temperature must also be considered. As such, you need to place your kitchen away from these heat or cold sources as what you would like to achieve is a relatively stable water temperature. Lastly, consider the setup of the aquarium whether you’re going to place it in a table or a dedicated stand. The point is for you to put your aquarium in a level and stable surface.
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- Size of the tank
The size of the aquarium you’re going to get depends largely on the type of fish that you’re going to put in. As a general rule, the larger the tank, the better it is for your fishes. This is because you’ve got a larger room for error, so to speak. Additionally, larger volumes of water can dilute any toxic metabolites that may be present in the water so it is generally safer for your aquatic friends.
However, you should also consider where you’re going to put the aquarium. Remember what we said about the volume of an aquarium being ten times heavier once filled? So, if you have a 50 gallon aquarium, you’re actually looking at an extra 500 pounds on your floor. Technically, you wouldn’t want your floor caving in under the aquarium. It is best to consult a professional for this.
Here’s something you can do to get an estimate of the size of your aquarium. Determine the weight of your aquarium once filled up. A 50 gallon aquarium will weigh 500 pounds when full. Now, try to measure the space on your floor that it will occupy. For example, it will occupy 4 feet by 1 foot, giving us a floor space of 4 square feet. Next, divide the weight of the aquarium by the floor space. In our example, that means dividing 500 pounds by 4 square feet to give us 125 pounds per square feet or PSF. You will then take the PSF of your floor and the amount of available space to determine the maximum size of the aquarium that you can get.
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- Aquarium construction
Lastly, you need to think about the construction of the aquarium. There are two fundamental types of aquarium construction: glass or acrylic. Glass is cheaper and technically more resistant to scratching. On the other hand, acrylic is stronger and more pliable. This gives you superb selection of different aquarium shapes and styles. It is also not easily broken nor shattered so it’s a good idea to get acrylic if you live in an area where earthquakes are a common phenomenon. Your choice of aquarium construction actually depends on your décor and lifestyle needs.
The Bottom Line
Aquariums can be quite challenging to setup and maintain. But once fully set, they can be excellent sources of happiness in our lives as they help us feel more relaxed. With the top 10 aquariums we’ve listed here, we’re pretty sure you have a much better chance of leading your life more peacefully.
