Choosing The Best Size Fish Tank For Your Bedroom
Owning an aquarium can be a fascinating way of bringing aquatic life into your home. The benefits of pet fish are numerous and keeping a fish tank can give you a wondrous world of color and movement to enjoy anytime.
Photo by Krys Amon on Unsplash
But what about if you want to keep a fish tank in your bedroom? How big should it be? Where should you place it? And is it even ok to keep an aquarium in your bedroom in the first place?
Let’s take a look at the answers to these questions which may help if you’re considering keeping a fish tank in your bedroom.
1. Can You Put A Fish Tank In Your Bedroom?
In short, yes you can keep a fish tank in your bedroom. Not only is it ok to do so, but there are actually a number of benefits. Watching your fish before you go to sleep is a very relaxing activity and can help lower blood pressure, for example.
You can also benefit from the gentle sound of your fish tank’s filter as a steady stream of white noise. But it’s important to find a quiet aquarium filter appropriate for use in your bedroom so that any background noise is kept to a minimum.
One point to note though, is having an aquarium in your bedroom can increase the humidity. For that reason it’s important to keep your tank covered with an aquarium hood. Not only will this reduce the humidity in your room, but it will also retain more water in your tank.
2. Where To Put A Fish Tank In Your Bedroom
As with any other room in your house, you need to make sure you carefully situate your fish tank in the right place in you bedroom. Firstly, make sure it’s located away from direct sunlight as sudden temperature changes can cause harm to your fish.
You’ll need your tank to be close to an electrical socket to power the filter and other equipment. But don’t place it next to a TV or other electrical devices. And when you plug in your aquarium equipment, make a ‘drip loop’ in the cable to stop water running down towards the socket.
You should also keep your aquarium away from doors or anywhere where there will be a lot of through traffic as your tank could get accidentally knocked. If you have an alcove in your bedroom or a corner where it won’t be disturbed that’s ideal.
3. Is A Fish Tank Good For A Bedroom?
A fish tank can be a great addition to your bedroom in many ways. It can be a relaxing form of entertainment which is actually much more appropriate to a bedroom when you are trying to drift off to sleep rather than watching the TV or scrolling through your phone.
Watching your fish before bedtime can also help with your mood and reduce any anxiety you may have from the day, leaving you relaxed and ready for sleep.
Many of today’s modern fish tanks also have LED or MCR (multi-color LED) lighting which is programmable. This allows you to choose from a wide range of colors and even dim the lights, meaning you can dim your tank and program it to switch off before you go to sleep.
4. How Big Does My Fish Tank Need To Be?
In many bedrooms the most appropriate fish tank is likely to be a smaller nano aquarium that you can place on your cabinet or dresser. These tanks are under 10 gallons in volume.
The weight of your tank is also important to consider. A 10 gallon aquarium will weigh around 10 lbs empty, but once filled with substrate, decorations, and of course water, it can weigh about 120 lbs. For that reason you must make sure it is properly supported.
If your room is a large master bedroom, you may have space for a bigger aquarium. But if you choose a tank that is 10 gallons or over then you should always use an appropriate aquarium stand. Fish tanks are heavy when filled with water and standard furniture won’t support them.
5. What Size Fish Tank Is Easiest To Maintain?
It may surprise you that larger aquariums actually tend to be easier to maintain than smaller ones.
The reason is that waste produced by your fish and uneaten food causes ammonia and other toxins to build up in your tank. And this happens much quicker in smaller aquariums where the volume of water is less.
But it’s still perfectly achievable to maintain a smaller aquarium. As long as you check the water parameters using a test kit on a weekly basis, fit your tank with the right size filter, and carry out around a 20% water change every few weeks your tank will stay in good condition for your fish.
The Bottom Line
Keeping an aquarium in your bedroom can be a great source of entertainment and add to the sense of relaxation and calm. As long as you choose the right size tank appropriate to the space, with a quiet filter and accessories you’ll have a wonderful aquatic addition to your room.
So if your considering it, why not swap the late night TV for a calmer alternative and look into getting a fish tank for your bedroom?
Author Bio
Andy is the owner of Simply Aquarium and manages the team of experienced writers on the site. He loves helping fellow aquarists and introducing new people to the hobby!