Before you buy a new aquarium tank there are some important factors to consider. It is important to take good advice and you should find the best aquarium shop in your neighborhood, because they will help you to make the right choices.

The most important decision that you have to make is how big the aquarium tank is going to be. This will be partly determined by the amount of space you have in your home, but also by your budget and its location.

You should think about buying the largest tank that you can afford. The equipment required for a tank is going to cost more or less the same amount of money, regardless of the size of the tank. So it makes sense to get the largest one that you can.

But you need to remember that a glass tank is very heavy even when empty, so you need to make sure that you are going to be able to move the tank that you buy. Filled with water it's even heavier, making movement difficult or even possible, depending on the size. You also need to think about whether the floor is strong enough to hold the weight of a full tank.

Most dealers will give very good advice about how many fish you should keep in a particular size of aquarium tank, and you might be surprised at how few this can be. While you might like the idea of having lots of fish in a relatively small space, creating lots of color and movement, overcrowding is bad for fish and will damage their health.

Another disadvantage of a larger aquarium tank is that it will take longer to maintain. The more water and gravel that you have in the tank means more time is going to be needed to change it. You also need to think about whether you can actually reach all parts of the tank once it is in position. Some tanks might be interesting shapes, but they can also make it very difficult for maintenance and cleaning.

But an advantage of the larger tank means the fish have more space in which to move and grow. They means they will often be better tempered and stay healthier. It also gives you more scope for artistic decoration of the tank with weed, rocks and corals, and the chance to have a wider variety of fish and other creatures.

The best aquarium shop is one where the staff are able to help you made a good decision about the size and shape of tank to purchase. They will also be able to help with the equipment needed to go with the tank.

Some tanks come with a complete start-up set of equipment for filtration, lighting, a thermometer, the hood and stand, and heater. This pre-packaged aquarium tank kit is usually cost-effective, but may not have all the equipment that you require to run your aquarium.

It is wise to do plenty of research in advance and get the best aquarium shop advice that you can before making a commitment to purchase.