Modern fish tanks come in many shapes and sizes, but to set up a successful aquarium you need more than just a fancy tank. There are filters, heating, plants, gravel and lighting to take into account.
First of all there is the tank to take into consideration. Nowadays there are many different ones available to buy at relatively inexpensive prices. A large 4ft tank might seem quite appealing at £45 but when you consider the costs of the heater, gravel lighting and stand etc the cost can soon add up.
If you are just starting out I would recommend a 24"x12"x12" tank to start out with. These range from approximately £15-£25 for the tank alone. To heat this you will need at least a 75 watt heater, these range in price from £7-£20. A filter is next depending on the type anywhere from £10-£40 for this. Then some gravel for the bottom, at least 2" (5cm) is advisable, again £5-£20. Then some plants £5-£20. And if you've not got a solid place to put the tank (as full it will weigh approx. 70kg-80kg) a tank stand £15-£40. As you can see it is a costly business setting up an aquarium even at the low end of these costs you are looking at spending approximately £60, and that's before you've got any fish.
I've got a 48"x15"x12" aquarium and that cost me in excess of £300 to setup, without putting any fish in it.
There are of course many different reasons for choosing the size of tank that you do but please make sure that you don't over stock it. Use the Tank Calculator to work out how many fish you can safely keep in you new tank.
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