Aquarium Stands - Fish Tank Stands and Aquarium Furniture

A fish aquarium tank stand is designed to display a fish tank at a height that makes viewing and maintenance convenient. When setting up a fish aquarium, normaly what comes to mind first are the selection of fish and the fish tank. The selection of a fish tank stand is often an afterthought.

IMPORTANCE OF SELECTING A PROPER FISH TANK STAND

Without proper planning, aquarium owners use whatever they can find to place the fish tank. Shoe rack or desk are not suitable. They are not as strong as they seem. Neither are they asthetically pleasing to the eyes if the aquarium furniture colors are not coordinated with the house setting. Don't let your aquarium become an eyesore with messy accessories all over the place.

Setting up an aquarium tank stand is a significant investment, so it is worthwhile to learn how to select the right stand for your aquarium.

WHEN DO YOU NEED A STAND?

Generally, fish tanks under 20 gallon can be placed on sturdy desks or shelves. However if your aquarium is heavier than 20 gallon, consider getting a dedicated aquarium stand.

CRITERIA FOR SELECTING A FISH TANK STAND

To select the right fish tank, there are two main criteria: Firstly it must safely support the fish tank. Secondly, the aquarium furniture should blend with the house setting.

1. Stand Must support the the fish tank.
The support is not only based on the size of the tank but also its filled weight. In terms of size, the length of the stand should be longer than the length of the fish tank. One of the most common errors is underestimating the weight of the tank once it is filled with water. A litre of water weighs one kilogram. In addition to the water, you'll be adding substrate for the bottom, which is also heavy. The actual weight of aquarium also depend on the type of material used. Glass tanks are twice as heavy as acrylic tanks.


2 Aquarium furniture must blend with house setting.
Three factors contribute to the blending - the material used, the color and the design.

a. Material.
The most common materials used for the aquarium stand are wood, metal and acrylic. Let's look at the pros and cons of each material.

WOOD

A Wooden stand is more expensive than metal or acrylic stand. It is harder to shift it around. The appearance is more pleasing. It usually comes with drawers to store accessories. Wood is suitable for heavier size tank weighing above 40 gallon or 152 liters.

METAL

Unlike wood metal get rusty. The advantages are that it is lighter and easier to shift if you want to relocate the fish tank. It is cheaper. It looks decorative with embellished iron scroll. It is suitable for small to medium size tanks (weighing 40 gallon and below).

ACRYLIC

Acrylic has the advantage of being lighter with more choice of color but it is not as sturdy as metal or wood. It is suitable for smaller size fish tanks.

b. Color
The aquarium color should match with the other furniture in the house. Treat the fish stand as if it were a piece of furniture.

b. Design
The are two types of design - open or closed. Metal fish tanks seldom come with drawers. One can improvise it by covering it with a curtain to skirt the front and sides. Wooden aquarium stands are usually closed because they have inbuilt cabinets to store fish accesssories such as filter, pumpfood, etc. It hides the messes from the guests.

WHERE TO PLACE THE STAND

Put it against the wall so that children will not accidentally knock over it. Ensure it is placed on a flat even floor. For the survival of the fish, avoid direct sunlight. The most common place to put is the living room where it can be viewed by guests and share pride of place next to the TV set.

Apply these tips and what you will have is a handsome aquarium stand whose color coordinates with your other furniture, a stand that safely support the weight of your tank, with storage space to keep the accessories and the mess out of sight.

Kurt Rorbakken has more than one interesting site - checkout his Aquariums Saltwater Blog site and also his Saltwater Aquarium Guide. You may reprint this article, as long as you include all of the above text, About the Author box and all the links are working.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com