When you purchased your first aquarium, you were happy with every small piece of equipment. Everything was new and exciting and you did not need exotic fish to be happy. However, now you that you have started to love this hobby more and more, you want to take things to the next level.
A bigger tank means additional fish and more luxurious plants. You need time to adjust to all of this, but you are more than happy to spend your time researching the next steps to take. Since you don’t want to waste money on useless equipment, you are wondering if you should get an aquarium stand. Is it worth it? Do you really need it?
Well, take a look at these points before making a decision:
- How big is your tank? Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes, so you don’t have to feel bad if you have a small aquarium. You have a bigger chance to beautify it since you don’t need expensive equipment or too many fish. However, this also means that you don’t need a stand for it. Basically, you can put your tank on any piece of furniture and it will look just fine. When you are ready to upgrade your tank and get something bigger, you can decide on a stand then.
- How much money do you want to invest? Aquascaping is not a cheap passion and sometimes you have unexpected things you need to take care of. For example, if your filter suddenly stops working you will have to replace it immediately, otherwise you can compromise all the effort you made until now. Considering this, you have to decide if you have the money to care for such a piece. An aquarium stand is more than a few pieces of wood glued together, and it can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to thousands. It all depends on the shape and size that you want as well as how your tank capacity.
- Do you have a place to put it? A stand can be immense, especially if it needs to support a large capacity tank. If your house is already full of furniture, it may be difficult to find the right space and still make your aquarium the focal point of the room. In addition, it is not recommended to keep your tank next to electronics, such as right under the TV. If you live with other people such as roommates, you will have to discuss this aspect because some of them might be disturbed by the new piece of furniture that you are planning to add.
- How heavy is your aquarium? If you are really into aquascaping, you are probably thinking about getting a 90-gallon aquarium (if you do not have one already). No matter what kind of furniture you have in the house, no table can support this weight without breaking within time. You would not want to have this quantity of water in your living room, so you need to have the proper support for your tank. If your tank is extremely heavy, you might need to get a custom stand that is appropriate for the weight. Also, think about what can happen if you or someone else accidentally hits the table on which you keep the tank. Will it break or fall over? Will it make the aquarium break or fall over? In this situation, you should seriously consider investing in a proper stand.
- How many accessories you have? It is not necessary to have a dozen devices within your tank. Some species of fish can live happily even without a heater or a pump, so you will not see many cables and wires. On the other hand, if your tank is fully equipped and you don’t have a proper stand, all these cables can destroy its looks. A professional stand will have specific places to conceal all the wires and make your tank look clean and enjoyable. You can keep the food and the accessories in the special compartment (almost every stand has one).
Conclusion
All these factors need to be considered before purchasing a stand. Remember that you need something appropriate for your house and resistant enough to support a huge weight without any damage. Once you have decided on attaining a stand for your large aquarium, speak with a professional on the right size and type for your aquarium.