Many years ago, success in the aquarium hobby was far from guaranteed. There were so few aquarium supplies that options were limited, and the ones you had were far from easy to use. (The term "user-friendly" would not be used for at least another 50 years!) Once a hobbyist grew beyond the glass bowl stage, the next step was a fish aquarium, usually 20 to 60 gallons in volume.
This is a common tale of woe experienced by way too many aquarium hobbyists. You have decided to upgrade your filtration system, ordered the new filter from Petsolutions or your local pet store, and, as soon as it arrived, you put it together, placed it in operation and removed the old filter.
Once I started working at my first pet supplies store, I immediately started to plot how to fit more aquarium tanks into my house. At this time, most aquariums were kept in the basement (I did not have one) or the bedroom. My 30 gallon tank fit easily on top of my old desk, and the 20 gallon sat on top of my dresser.
There is no simple “basic” set-up, as today’s aquariums offer a variety myriad types, sizes, and equipment. To keep your fish happy in an aquarium, however, there are a few basic rules.
The first thing to consider when deciding what size aquarium tank or aquarium system to purchase is location. Aquariums do best on an inside wall of a room, away from direct sunlight.
Don Roberts