Aquarium’s Size vs. Aquarium’s Weight

Fish fish tanks can be remarkably heavy when they have lots of water, so prior to filling a new or used aquarium, it’s best to know how heavy it will be so you can ensure the table, cabinet– and even the flooring itself– depends on the load.

Standard Aquarium Sizes

Fish tanks are available in many sizes, from as little as 2.5 gallons to as big as 180 gallons or more. That’s a large range, so finding the right one for you is going to depend upon your goals and your level of experience.

The charts below information the most typical aquarium sizes, consisting of size and empty weight details in U.S. systems, as well as the weight when the tank is filled with water. This is an important consideration, specifically for larger tanks. Keep in mind that a person gallon of water weighs 8.34 pounds, so you require to ensure that your cabinet and flooring can handle the weight of your fish tank.

This information will likewise assist you direct numerous decisions, such as identifying just how much area is required, just how much substrate and the quantity of lighting you will require, advised filter sizes, and other equipment requirements. Also, keep in mind that the surface area of the water in the tank will identify how many fish you can equip.

The weights provided are for glass aquariums; acrylic fish tanks will weigh somewhat less. Also, specific measurements can vary by brand name and the trim utilized on the aquarium. It’s best to take a tape measure with you to the fish store to get specific measurements and to ensure that all your devices– particularly tank hoods and cabinets – fit properly.

Small Aquariums

Contrary to what you may believe, small fish tanks are not suggested for novices. These little environments are very unstable, so a small change in the chemistry of the water– ammonia, pH, etc.– can have a big impact.

If you do decide to keep a little fish tank, bear in mind that it will have a much smaller sized bio-load, so it’s important that you do not overstock it with too many fish.

Also, due to the fact that it is such a sensitive environment, good filtering is definitely essential on small tanks.

Mid-Sized Aquariums

These are the fish tanks that are frequently suggested for newbies. Anything in the 20- to 40- gallon variety has an enough volume that will minimize hazardous results due to chemistry changes in the water, and will be big enough to manage a good stock of fish.

Likewise, these tanks are not so big that cleaning will be hard. This is necessary due to the fact that many people who are new to fish tanks find that staying up to date with upkeep soon ends up being overwhelming. In general, the mid-sized tanks are a nice, workable size.

Large Aquariums

The larger the aquarium, the more fish you can stock. That’s a chosen advantage, but it likewise implies that you’ll need to work more difficult to maintain these tanks. Tanks of this size also come with concerns over weight when they’re filled, so make certain your flooring and cabinet can manage such heavy loads. Owners of large tanks may even find that flooring reinforcement is necessary to support a load that remains in excess of one load.

Larger tanks have a terrific appeal, especially when you want to produce a varied aquarium. Nevertheless, you also need to think about the tank’s scale in relation to the space and its surroundings. Is there enough room for tubes and devices in between the tank and wall? Is it a high-traffic room? Exist area restraints that might cause mishaps and broken glass?

Do you have racks overhanging the tank that may fall down and produce an emergency situation for your fish? These are necessary concerns to ask prior to making such a considerable investment with your time and money.

Calculating Weight of Other Shapes

In addition to basic rectangles, aquarium might remain in the shape of hexagons, pentagons, or perhaps cylinders. If you are buying such a tank, the volume in gallons will currently be specified and you can utilize the charts above to determine the empty and complete weight of the tank. A 50-gallon fish tank will have the exact same weight measurements whether it is rectangular, hexagonal, or cylindrical in shape.

But if you are purchasing or have been given an utilized tank and do not know the gallon size, determining the gallon volume and weight of the tank is truly simply a matter of first calculating the cubic inches of volume. The essential thing to know:

1 gallon of water = 231 cubic inches

If you can determine the volume of any tank in cubic inches, it’s easy enough to translate this into a gallon capability. You can then utilize the charts above to approximate the empty and complete weight of the tank.

The volume of a tank is determined by first determining the area of the base shape in square inches, then increasing this by the height. The most convenient way to do this is by strategizing the shape of the base, then dividing it into shapes whose areas can easily be determined. A hexagon, for example, can be divided into rectangles and triangles– compute the area of each shape and add them together to figure the area of the tank’s base shape. Then increase this figure by the height of the tank to calculate the total volume in cubic inches.

Next, divide the total cubic-inch volume by 231 to discover the gallon capacity of the tank. Finally, find a corresponding gallon capacity number in the charts above, and check out across to find the weight figures for your tank.

The following table lists many of the most typical sized fish tanks, in addition to measurements, weight (empty and full), and whether the tank has actually a tempered glass bottom or not.

Common Fish Tank Sizes and Characteristics

This table is consisted of in the shareware book Fred the Fish and Starting a Freshwater Aquarium, which teaches you the fundamentals of picking aquarium equipment and fish, breaking-in a new aquarium, and preserving your fish tank.