Building Your Tank: A Guide to Standard Aquarium Sizes

Watching fish swim around in an aquarium can make you feel more at ease. Caring for a tank acts as a great lesson in responsibility for children. Having an aquarium can even help you sleep better at night. 

Before you can enjoy these benefits, you’ll have to choose between the standard aquarium sizes. For many enthusiasts, a small fishbowl isn’t going to cut it, but beginners may find a table-sized aquarium easier to manage.

After a while, you can upgrade to a medium or large tank, filling it with distilled water from Golyath.co.uk or a similar top rated supplier. Distilled water can be a good option for tanks, as it does not contain most of the dangerous impurities (like lead and mercury) that can harm your fish.

Are you ready to get started with your next favorite hobby? Keep reading to learn more about choosing the right sized aquarium.

Small Aquariums 

Small is one of the most common aquarium sizes for beginners. They can hold in between 2.5 to 15 gallons of water. For the most part, small aquariums are tiny enough to fit on a bedside table or computer desk. 

That means you won’t have to dish out any extra money on a stand. Speaking of cash, most tiny aquariums are on the inexpensive side. A 3 gallon fish tank is ideal for smaller fish like tetras. 

We will warn you that smaller standard aquarium tank sizes don’t come without their problems. On the one hand, it doesn’t take as much water to fill up the tiny tank. On the other hand, caring for it is difficult. 

The less space you have to play around with, the easier it is for pollutants to fluctuate throughout the tank. If you don’t keep an eye on it, the environment could quickly become fatal for your fish. 

Medium Aquariums

Medium-sized tanks can get up to about 40 gallons. Despite their larger size, they are a great start for beginner enthusiasts. They can hold a lot of fish that the smaller tank can’t, such as Angelfish and Clownfish. 

Since they carry a little more heft than the small tanks, you will need to invest in a stand. Some medium aquariums come with one. You can check these out if you’re interested. 

If you don’t have the money to invest in a stand, you can use a sturdy kitchen countertop. Since medium tanks hold more water, they’re easier as far as upkeep goes. 

Large Aquariums 

Large aquariums can range anywhere between 50 and 180 gallons. Due to their size, you’ll have to do a lot of careful planning before you buy one. 

As you can imagine, it will take up a lot of room in your home, so you’ll have to measure your space. When you’re measuring, don’t forget to account for the larger pieces of equipment like the filters and sumps. 

Once you get over 75 pounds, your floor might not be able to support the aquarium even if it’s on a stand. If it can support it, you’ll be able to enjoy taking care of a wide range of fish. 

Understanding the Standard Aquarium Sizes 

Having a fish tank is great for managing your stress levels, and it can teach your children responsibility. Before you go shopping, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with the different standard aquarium sizes. Each one comes with its own level of difficulty and fun. 

For more tips that will help you manage your new fish tank, check out the Daily Life section of our blog.