Best Fish Tanks of 2020

Whether you are beginner or an experienced fish keeper, in order to keep fish, you have to have somewhere for them to live. Arguably the most important piece of your fish keeping equipment, we’ve researched and reviewed a variety of fish tanks to make our ohfishal recommendations.

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

BrandGallon SizesTank MaterialShapesParts IncludedLink
Koller1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4.5, 5, 6.5, 7,PlasticBow Front, Hex Tanks, 360 Tanks, Bowls, Half-Moon, Standard RectanglesPower Filter, LED Lighting, HoodsCheck Prices
Marineland3, 5GlassContour, PortraitPower Filter, LED Lighting, HoodsCheck Prices
Tetra1, 1.8, 3, 10, 20, 28, 55GlassStandard Rectangle, Hex Tanks, Half-Moon, Cube, BowlsPower Filter, LED Lighting, Heater, Fish Feeder, HoodsCheck Prices
Aqueon1, 1.6, 2.5. 5, 5.5, 7.5, 10, 15,GlassMiniBow, Standard Rectangle, Column, Betta Falls, Bow FrontPower Filter, LED Lighting, Heater, Hoods, ThermometerCheck Prices
Hygger4, 8, GlassWide View Curved, Power Filter, LED Lighting, Background, HoodsCheck Prices
GloFish3, 5, 10, 20Glass360, Crescent, Potrait, Standard RectanglePower Filter, LED Lighting, Heater, Hoods, ThermometerCheck Prices
Fluval2.6, 5, 6, 13.5, 16GlassStandard RectanglePower Filter, LED Lighting, HoodsCheck Prices
Marina0.7, 5, 10, 20GlassStandard RectanglePower Filter, LED Lighting, Hoods, ThermometerCheck Prices
SeaClear15, 20, 26, 29, 30, 40, 46, 50AcrylicHexagon, Standard Rectangle, Bow FrontPower Filter, LED Lighting, Hoods, Reflector, ThermometerCheck Prices
AquaCulture10, 29GlassStandard RectanglePower Filter, LED Lighting, HoodsCheck Prices
PennPlax1.5, 1.85, 2.7, 3.4, 5, 7.5, 10GlassCurved Corner, Standard Rectangle, Power Filter, LED Lighting, Hoods, ThermometerCheck Prices
Coralife16, 32GlassCubePower Filter, LED Lighting, HoodsCheck Prices
TopFin1, 2, 3.5, 5, 10, 20, 29, 37, 55GlassRectangle, Hexagon Power Filter, LED Lighting, Hoods, Heater, ThermometerCheck 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.

Kid with Fish Tank

Best Beginner Fish Tank Kits

Best Saltwater

Top Fin Essentials Starter Kit

Relatively cheap and pretty sturdy, this kit will be more than enough for what you need to get started. Comes with Filter, Lights, and a Heater, you can refine your craft with this kit and then graduate to different tanks from here. We recommend the 55 or 37 gallon to start.

Best Freshwater

Tetra Complete Aquarium Kit

For a freshwater tank, this kit will come with 4 artificial plants to get you started, not to mention the heater, filter, and lights. We recommend the 20 gallon kit which will give you enough room for a school of one type of fish, or a few different species.

Best Small Tank

Marineland Portrait Aquarium Kit

This 5 gallon kit comes with lights that can recreate sunlight as well as moonlight. It also has a hidden filter. With the sleek portrait design, this kit will not only do the job functionally, but also aesthetically.

Globe Fish Tank

Best Aquarium Fish Tanks of 2020

Best Overall Fish Tank: SeaClear System II Acrylic Aquarium
Best Saltwater Fish Tank: Top Fin Essentials Starter Kit
Best Freshwater Fish Tank: Tetra Complete Aquarium Kit
Best Budget Fish Tank: Koller Products Aquarium Kit
Best Small Fish Tank: Marineland Portrait Aquarium Kit

Factors To Consider

Budget

When it comes to a tank, the first thing you need to consider is your budget. How much you can spend will determine what types of set ups you can afford, what kind of fish tank material you can choose (glass vs. acrylic vs. plastic), the tank shapes you have available (rectangle, the standard shape, is normally cheaper), and the size of your tank (the more material you need, the larger the price tag). Setting a specific range for your budget will aid you in your search for a fish tank.

What Type of Setup

Remember the first section of this page – “Types of Fish Tank Setups”? Understanding this will be huge in determining what tank you choose. Depending on what you want in your tank will influence the size of your tank as well as the accessories you need to your tank to be compatible with. Before buying a tank, you should have a loose understanding of how many and what kinds of fish you want, if its saltwater/freshwater, if you want it to be a planted or reef tank, etc. Make sure to get enough tank to support your needs.

Tank Placement

Before you get a fish tank, you should understand where you plan to put the tank. This will determine what shapes of tanks you can/should get, as well as the size of the tank. A few questions you should ask yourself before buying a fish tank: Do you have a stand for the tank, or do you need one? Can the aquarium fit where you want to keep it? Are you choosing a location that you can leave your tank in? Does your location have access to electricity? Moving a fish tank, especially a larger one, is not easy, and should be avoided if possible.

Frequently Asked Questions about Fish Tanks

How big of a fish tank should I get?

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.

How often do you have to clean a fish tank?

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.

How much does a fish tank cost to run?

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.

Should I get a glass or acrylic fish tank?

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.

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