There are four main types of aquariums to choose from. Each will need different equipment and maintenance.

Fish-Only Freshwater Aquariums. Freshwater fish-only tanks are the easiest tanks to maintain and are excellent for beginners. They need minimal equipment and can help you learn the basics of fish-keeping without a large initial investment. Further reading: What Is Absolutely Needed For A Fish-Only Freshwater Aquarium—The 12 Products You Definitely Need.

Planted Freshwater Aquariums. Freshwater planted aquariums have been growing in popularity and are like little underwater gardens. Planted tanks are not as expensive to set up as most reef aquariums, but the fast growing plants will require trimming and fertilizer additions. Further reading: What Is Absolutely Needed For A Planted Freshwater Aquarium—The 16 Products You Definitely Need.

Saltwater Fish-Only Aquariums. Saltwater fish-only tanks require only basic equipment and allow you to keep many beautiful saltwater fish that you can’t keep with corals, such as eels, puffer fish, and sharks. Because many popular saltwater show fish grow rather large, many saltwater fish only tanks are over 100 gallons. Further reading: What Is Absolutely Needed For A Saltwater Fish-Only Aquarium—The 16 Products You Definitely Need.

Reef Aquariums. Reef aquariums are saltwater aquariums that have both fish and invertebrates (corals, anemones, clams, shrimp, and sea stars). Reef aquariums are as close as you can get to seeing what you see when you scuba dive. They have become easier to care for based on new advancements in technology. Yet, corals can be very fragile and require a great deal of attention to detail. Reef aquariums can be less than 5 gallons or more than 500 and can be as simple or complicated as you wish. Further reading: What Is Absolutely Needed For A Reef Aquarium—The 20 Products You Definitely Need.


Once you've decided what kind of animals you want to keep, you should decide where you want to put your aquarium. Wherever you choose, make sure that there is a nearby electrical outlet and a solid level surface that can support the weight of your tank. Before putting in water make sure there is enough room between the wall and tank to accommodate all the equipment you want to use ( some equipment may hang off the back of the tank). Avoid excessive ambient light as it can cause algae.

Here is a list of popular places to put a tank, and tanks that fit well in those locations.

On a counter or desk?
Having a small aquarium on your desk at work. at home. or on the kitchen counter can be an excellent conversation starter, and it can also be great for people with limited space. There are many small tanks that work well in these spaces.
- AquaTop Eurostyle Bowfront Aquariums
- AquaTop High Clarity Glass Aquariums
- AquaTop Pisces Aquariums
- Aqueon Shrimp Aquariums
- BiOrb Aquariums
- Dennerle Shrimp Aquariums
- Lifegard Full View Aquariums
- JBJ Rimless Desktop Series Aquariums

In a small room against the wall?
These tanks are small and can usually be put in place by a single person. They also can be purchased with stands so they can stand alone against a wall without needing a surface to set them on.
- Coralife BioCube Aquariums

In a large room against the wall?
Large aquariums are best purchased from your local fish store or local big box pet store. We don't sell them. The cost of shipping to your home is quite high for tanks over 32 gallons. But we have the equipment needed to turn a standard glass tank into a beautiful aquarium setup. Visit our Aquarium Builder section for help with the equipment you will need for a larger aquarium.

As a room divider?
It is popular to use an aquarium as a room divider or peninsula where both large sides are viewable. For these applications a peninsula style aquarium is an ideal fit.
- Lifegard Crystal Aquariums w/ Side Filters

At MarineAndReef.com we do not carry tanks larger than 32 gallons. We recommend you buy larger tanks from a local fish store (and then get everything else from us!). Large tanks are difficult to ship, and the cost of shipping directly to your home is quite high.


There are three main kinds of aquariums when it comes to where the equipment is kept.

Standard Aquariums
Standard aquariums are simple glass boxes. All equipment will need to hang on the back of the aquarium. This design is perfectly fine for small aquariums with simple equipment, but as more equipment is added the tank can look cluttered. And once the tank gets large enough you won’t be able to find equipment that will fit the tank. Standard aquariums are what most people start with and are excellent for beginners. We recommend you use a different style of aquarium for any aquarium over 100 gallons.
- AquaTop High Clarity Glass Aquariums
- Aqueon Shrimp Aquariums
- Lifegard Full View Aquariums

All-In-One Aquariums
All-in-one aquariums have a built in filtration compartment that hides the aquarium equipment. Some also have a lid with integrated lighting. This style of aquarium allows you to maintain a clean looking display while having larger and more effective equipment. Most all-in-one aquariums are less than 50 gallons.
- BiOrb Aquariums
- Coralife BioCube Aquariums
- JBJ Nano-Cube Aquariums
- Lifegard Crystal Aquariums

Drilled Aquariums
Drilled Aquariums have holes drilled in the back or bottom of the aquarium along with an overflow box (also known as a weir). These tanks are designed to have filtration underneath the aquarium using a sump filter or Nu-Clear Canister Filter. This is the best option for large aquariums over 100 gallons.

Drilled aquariums are best purchased locally (they're not a good internet product because the shipping will cost much more than the product). We carry the necessary plumbing, filtration and sumps for use with these tanks.