Bizarre Aquariums Issue 58

Thinking about a large home aquarium? Even if you aren’t, there are plenty of good reasons for getting one. Perhaps you’d like to house a really big fish or two, or several aggressive fish in the same tank, or maybe you’d just like to put LOTS of little fish in one tank. Or maybe you’re an aquarist who is now ready for the challenge of setting up and maintaining a bigger aquarium.
Large aquaria have much to offer those of us "in the hobby." In addition to satisfying the space requirements of big fish, large tanks tend to offer more stable water conditions than do similarly stocked and filtered smaller tanks. If properly set-up and maintained, a large aquarium can be an extremely impressive addition to your home.

How to install a "Jumbo Wall Aquarium" inside your wall.

Diagram: Non-supportive,inside wall
Here's a basic diagram of a 16" stud wall and Jumbo aquarium. There should be atleast a 2" gap between the sides of the tank and studs and a 4" gap above the tank for access. The access space will be hidden under a border with a removable top peice. With a 4" space you'll need a 4 1/2" border to cover it.

This month's feature fish is the Fancy Guppy.

The Fancy Guppy is arguably the most popular aquarium species in the world. Small, beautiful, peaceful, lively and hardy, there's a myriad of colorful variants that can be collected and easily bred. The Guppy is one of the best choices for beginners in the hobby, especially children.

The guppy is the ideal beginners fish, although in my experience it does not seem to be quite as hardy as it used to be, possibly through excessive inbreeding. An easy livebearer to breed, it is a good idea to obtain male and female from different sources to prevent the problem of inbreeding since fish from the same source are probably related.

Personal note

It's funny how once someone really becomes involved in the aquarium hobby it almost always 'snowballs' into something bigger. One tank turns into two and two to three and so on. Sometimes, the following question comes to mind: "How can this hobby help pay for itself?" or even better, provide an income? Two common ideas are breeding fish or starting an aquarium maintenance service. Breeding fish can certainly help pay for your hobby but running an aquarium maintenance service can actually generate profit.
The best advice I or anyone can give is this: ask yourself if you want to turn your hobby into a business and are you willing to dedicate a little money and a lot of time to make it work. If the answer is no or I'm not sure, you probably should take some time and enjoy your hobby. Who knows, you might decide to try it later when the time is right. If the answer is yes, however, then jump in with both feet and go for it. If you are excited about the idea of your business and are willing to put forth the effort, then you are on your way to an exciting and profitable journey into yet another aspect of this wonderful hobby.

Blaine Lantz

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