Since moving into our first house recently, my partner and I have longed to have a small aquarium in the front room. There is a space where a fish tank cabinet would fit perfectly.
The only thing that’s holding us back somewhat is the fact that we know nothing about fish and keeping a thriving environment for them. We don’t want a simple tank & water setup you see, we would like to provide the fish a real environment with aquatic plants. It will also feel much more rewarding.
It’s just a little overwhelming with everything you have to think about, that we don’t know where to start. The only thing we have decided on is that we’d like a beech cabinet with the tank on top. We have visited a couple of aquarium shops, ooh-ing and aah-ing at all the pretty fish and weird species we will probably never buy because they need ridiculously warm temperatures to survive. It costs so much to keep the optimum temperature for many fish, and we want something that’s going to be fairly cheap to maintain, which invariably leads to very boring looking fish.
But on our next aquarium visit, we will ask for some advice and perhaps they will show us some interesting fish that prefer lower temperatures. I’m also interested to see the new gadgetry that can be bought like specialised filters. These sorts of products are often sourced at trade shows such as the Aqua trade show, something I’d love to go to, if only I was a retailer! Trade shows like this showcase an awesome array of new gadgets and equipment for aquariums to use and sell in their shops, as well as other bits and pieces like till systems from companies like Intelligent Retail.
I can’t wait to finally get our aquarium up and running. One thing I’ve learned is that it’s not a quick process – first you have to set up the aquarium and have it running for three weeks before putting any fish in it. Otherwise, the shock of freshly chlorinated water may kill off the fishies before you’ve had any time to admire them!
