The quiet, relatively dark place where noise, traffic and fluctuation of temperature are lessly found. That is the answer you are looking for. Below, we will discuss in details why such places could be the right location for your fish to find peace.

Remember one thing that though it is possible to relocate a fish tank, it is deemed troublesome to do so as you nearly re-set up everything that is already well-established. Therefore, thinking of the right location for your aquarium beforehand is a must and not less important than any other things when you decide to have a go for this hobby.

It is not difficult and time-consuming to select an appropriate area if you take a couple of things into account. Of all, the weight of the fish tank is a prioritized factor.

1. Weight of the fish tank

The purposes of keeping fish could be varied but may be common in one point: pleasure. Pleasure appears when you feel calm and tranquil every time you look at your fish community. Hence, a good place to put a fish tank is the place that allows your eyesight to approach and be leveled with. This means there is unlikely a case that a fish tank is put directly on the ground. Generally, most aquarists will place their aquariums on a stand. That stand could be a table, concrete base, stool, or anything else that can hold the aquarium and support its balance. However, not all the stands are suitable to do so. The main reason is because of the weight of the aquarium. 

Weight of the fish tank comprises the weight of many things put into that tank, including total amount of water, decorative materials, fish and other living creatures, live plants, aquarium devices. 

Let’s take an example. A tank of 10 gallons could weigh up to around 121 pounds (54kg) when filled with water only. And a tank of 15 gallons, with the similar condition, could weigh up to around 178 pounds (80kg). 

The figures themselves remind you of an issue that never disregards the tank’s attachments when you estimate the weight of your fish tank. This will help you calculate and evaluate accurately whether your ground floor and the chosen stand could do their jobs. 

Why do we mention the ground floor here? It is because not all house’s floors are in proper conditions to support large fish tanks, especially if you live in an apartment. In fact, the weight of an aquarium will not be a worry if you go for a small one. Yet, a big tank is a different situation. If the home ground fails to support the aquarium’s weight, it will soon collapse. And the consequences are not only limited to your apartment’s boundary but the neighbor’s below. 

That said, you are worry-free when living in a house. Old houses still possess the said risk that if it is disregarded, you may find your beloved aquarium broken into a thousand pieces of glass, fish struggling on the floor, and water running everywhere it can. We believe you do not like such situation, and neither do we. Hence, carefully check the specification of the stand and your home’s floor to ensure they are compatible with your chosen fish tank.

Balance is the next matter to be concerned about. If the tank is placed unevenly, all weight may burden on one side leaving the other free of charge, which forces the silicon seams to pull away from the glass, causing a catastrophic leak. To prevent this happening, examine carefully if the place you intend to put the fish tank on is even or not. In addition, we recommend using a specialized aquarium stand to hold the tank instead of other beautiful stands which are not strong and balanced enough to support the aquarium’s weight.

You, also, should not forget the dimension of your fish tank. Because, even if you qualify all of the above, you cannot have your tank in place if the room is not large enough to fit it in.

2. Factors that may affect the vigorous health of your fish 

In this section, we would like to discuss the noise and traffic which emerge quite close to the fish tank. Why do they matter? To understand this, we should get back to the temperament of fish. Whether your fish are regarded as peaceful or aggressive, most of them are relatively shy to the outside world. They really don’t like the areas surrounded by too much noise or high traffic. If they are forced to live in such conditions, you highly likely notice that the front of your tank is empty most of the time. This is because your fish are getting startled and stressed which makes them hide in their shelters, seeking for peace. Enduring this for a long time, there is no doubt that your fish are easily prone to diseases and die eventually. Just like you go fishing. If you are not quiet, fish will not come to you. 

Notes: Tap to the aquarium glass, whether the tapping noise is not loud, can trigger the anxiety of your fish. Hence, if your home has children, they should be aware of such behavior so as your fish could thrive happily in captivity.

High traffic causes a similar effect to your fish community. How much they react to the noise is how much they will do to traffic nearby. Further, if the people passing by are careless, they may cause harm to the aquarium. Although the aquarium's glass is not easily broken, too many scratches or bumps could knock out the tank soon. Avoid hallways or entrance areas where travels mostly happen, and opt for shady corners of the room. Your fish will be grateful for your thorough consideration.

3. Factors that may adversely affect water conditions of the fish tank or make the maintenance much inconvenient

Temperature: 

Temperature directly affects the biological processes of all aquatic life. The specification is not new to the fishkeeping community as fish, plants, snails, or shrimp all require stable water temperature to survive and thrive. Therefore, if you place your tank near the areas that are subject to extreme fluctuations in temperature, it will adversely affect the quality of aquatic life. 

Avoid window locations because the sunlight may pass through it and likely change the heat in the fish tank as well as promote the growth of algae. Air conditioners, HVAC duct, and wood stoves are the next areas to be considered as the temperature there is often fluctuating. Locating the fish tank around these areas makes it hard for you to control the water temperature, even when you use the aquarium heaters.

Electricity sources:

Speaking of aquarium heaters, we could not skip the matter of electricity sources. Indeed, many aquarium devices (such as filters, heater, lighting systems, power pump, etc.) need electricity to run. And, positioning the fish tank nearby does help a lot in keeping the aquatic life doing well. Besides, the aquarium’s surroundings will look neat and appealing since the cables of the equipment do not lie messily around.

During the setup and maintenance of aquariums in relation to electricity, always strictly comply with electricity safety regulation. Make sure you mount the power strip off the floor and away from potential water splashes or leakage to prevent electrocution and/or short circuits. Carefully configure power cords in a drip loop so water if accidentally running down won’t go into the electrical outlet.

Water supply and disposal:

Water change is an inevitable task that every aquarist has to perform regularly. We don’t recommend you put your fish tank near the water supply or disposal but in an area convenient for the water change to be performed. By doing so, it will take you less time and effort in carrying or pumping water to fill in or top-off the tank (sometimes, cleaning the water fall on the floor during the carry).

One may argue that the factor may not affect the consideration of a suitable location for the aquarium. Indeed, it would be correct in the case of nano fish tanks. However, imagine you own a large aquarium, you will agree with us wholeheartedly.

Best viewing location:

Last but not least, such location must offer the best view for your fish tank. Every pet-keeper loves to see their pets almost all of the time. Therefore, if you hide the aquarium in a far approaching corner, the purpose of keeping fish seems not to be served. How to define a location as the best viewing place depends on the perspective of each specific fishkeeper. Some prefer the living room, some opt for  their own private bedroom. Wherever places are chosen, remember that you have already taken the above analysis into account.

We understand that a location which could make all of the above requirements in harmony is hardly found in your house, unless it is well-designed to keep fish tanks at the beginning. Hence, you do not need to look for it seriously. This is because our article helps you list out the common points that you should especially mind upon while choosing the location for your tank, rather than forcing you to comply with it strictly. That means there are some issues you could compromise, some cannot be (for example, electricity issues, or weight of the tank). What you need to do is go through the list and grasp some practical ideas appropriate for your case.

Splashy Fish Store is happy if the above information is useful to you. Fish-keeping hobby should bring joy rather than concern. We hope this article could somehow help you realize it.

At Splashy Fish Store, we supply a wide range of aquarium fish and invertebrates and live aquatic plants which come from reliable sources. We further guarantee that all of our aquarium fish and invertebrates and live aquatic plants will go through the quarantine process for a period of 14-day before sale. We care about the quality and strive to provide you the best we can. Visit our store to find what surprise is waiting for you.