Types of Fish Tank Set Ups
Saltwater
- Fish Only – This is pretty simple, and it means you only plan to have fish in your saltwater tank. That means no rock, no corals, etc. These are really nice set-ups if you are brand new to fish-keeping or on a little tighter budget.
- FOWLR – “Fish Only With Live Rock” – This common set up also favors more of a beginner, and avoids some of the complexity of plants, corals, and other invertebrates. It also allows a few more opportunities for bacteria to grow and cycles to run smoothly.
- Reef Tank – The complete set up. Fish, Rock, Invertebrates. You can make some truly stunning reefscapes in a reef tank, but it will require a higher experience level and level of effort. Planning what you want your reef tank to be and gradually working your way to get there is the best bet.
Freshwater
- Fish Only – Same as the saltwater version, the fish only is a pretty simple set up, and it means you only plan to have fish in your freshwater tank. That means no plants. You can include artificial decorations to give your aquarium some depth. These are really nice set-ups if you are brand new to fish-keeping or on a little tighter budget. Make sure you have a good handle on what type of fish you want to keep in this set up, as you will need them to get along.
- Planted – probably the most natural version of a freshwater fish tank, the planted tank allows you to provide your fish with as natural of a habitat as possible. This also takes a lot more maintenance and experience than a fish only set up, but also allows your fish to live in a tank like they would in the wild. Make sure you plan of what types of plants you want, and take the time to ensure the roots take appropriately.
Shapes of Fish Tanks
Before we get into specific fish tanks, we think it is important to understand what shape of fish tank you want. There are 3 very common fish tanks that we will discuss – the rectangle, the bow front, and the cube, as well as many other shapes that you can choose from. Each have pros and cons, but we recommend understanding what shape of tank you would like prior to shopping for tanks. There are a ton of options out there for tanks, and this will help shift through some of the clutter.
- Rectangle – the most common type of fish tank, and likely what you’ll get as a beginner, the rectangle fish tank is tried and true. These can fit in and on a lot of surfaces, and there are a lot of stands and kits made especially for rectangle fish tanks.
- Bowfront – named properly for the bow on the front viewing pane, the shape of the glass allows for enhanced viewing of your tank. These are typically more expensive than other types of fish tanks, but can be placed in many of the same places as rectangle tanks.
- Cube – maybe the best shape of tank for the fish themselves, the cube tank has more depth than a rectangle tank to allow your fish more room in all directions. They are also nice for viewing.
- Other common shapes include cylinder, 1/2 cylinder, 1/4 cylinder, wave, bullnose, double bullnose, and pentagon.
Beginner Fish Tank Kits
| Brand | Gallon Sizes | Tank Material | Shapes | Parts Included | Link |
| Koller | 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4.5, 5, 6.5, 7, | Plastic | Bow Front, Hex Tanks, 360 Tanks, Bowls, Half-Moon, Standard Rectangles | Power Filter, LED Lighting, Hoods | Check Prices |
| Marineland | 3, 5 | Glass | Contour, Portrait | Power Filter, LED Lighting, Hoods | Check Prices |
| Tetra | 1, 1.8, 3, 10, 20, 28, 55 | Glass | Standard Rectangle, Hex Tanks, Half-Moon, Cube, Bowls | Power Filter, LED Lighting, Heater, Fish Feeder, Hoods | Check Prices |
| Aqueon | 1, 1.6, 2.5. 5, 5.5, 7.5, 10, 15, | Glass | MiniBow, Standard Rectangle, Column, Betta Falls, Bow Front | Power Filter, LED Lighting, Heater, Hoods, Thermometer | Check Prices |
| Hygger | 4, 8, | Glass | Wide View Curved, | Power Filter, LED Lighting, Background, Hoods | Check Prices |
| GloFish | 3, 5, 10, 20 | Glass | 360, Crescent, Potrait, Standard Rectangle | Power Filter, LED Lighting, Heater, Hoods, Thermometer | Check Prices |
| Fluval | 2.6, 5, 6, 13.5, 16 | Glass | Standard Rectangle | Power Filter, LED Lighting, Hoods | Check Prices |
| Marina | 0.7, 5, 10, 20 | Glass | Standard Rectangle | Power Filter, LED Lighting, Hoods, Thermometer | Check Prices |
| SeaClear | 15, 20, 26, 29, 30, 40, 46, 50 | Acrylic | Hexagon, Standard Rectangle, Bow Front | Power Filter, LED Lighting, Hoods, Reflector, Thermometer | Check Prices |
| AquaCulture | 10, 29 | Glass | Standard Rectangle | Power Filter, LED Lighting, Hoods | Check Prices |
| PennPlax | 1.5, 1.85, 2.7, 3.4, 5, 7.5, 10 | Glass | Curved Corner, Standard Rectangle, | Power Filter, LED Lighting, Hoods, Thermometer | Check Prices |
| Coralife | 16, 32 | Glass | Cube | Power Filter, LED Lighting, Hoods | Check Prices |
| TopFin | 1, 2, 3.5, 5, 10, 20, 29, 37, 55 | Glass | Rectangle, Hexagon | Power Filter, LED Lighting, Hoods, Heater, Thermometer | Check Prices |
Ohfishal Pro Tip: There are a ton of options above, and we’ll break some of them down throughout this article. One major thing to make sure you keep in mind when choosing a fish tank – the larger the tank, the easier it is to maintain and avoid common issues. This is due to increased room for error given the fact that there is more water in the tank.
Best Beginner Fish Tank Kits
Best Aquarium Fish Tanks of 2020
Factors To Consider
Frequently Asked Questions about Fish Tanks
The size of your fish tank completely depends on what you want to have in your tank. There is a common rule of one inch of fish per one gallon of water. Therefore, you should carefully plan how many and what kind of species you want in your tank, before deciding on how big of a fish tank you want. The bigger the tank, the relatively easier it is to take care of as well.
This will depend on the size of your fish tank and things you have in your tank, but we recommend either every other week or once a month to clean your fish tank.
Once you have all of your supplies, electricity for your fish tank should cost about $5-$10/month, assuming a 30 gallon fish tank size. That said, fish keeping is an expensive hobby, and you should be ready for the up front commitment.
When you have the budget and there is an acrylic tank in your budget, we recommend getting an acrylic tank. They are lighter and more durable. That said, they are also way more expensive, and harder to find. Most beginner tank kits also are glass.
