DIY PART 2 – WHY DO YOU WANT AN AQUARIUM?
Now you might be wondering just why the “why” is important here, that’s fair. Who am I to question your motives for entering this hobby anyway? Believe me, this question is solely for your benefit. In order for you to begin on the path to your very own underwater ecosystem in a box, you must first understand why you want one and what you want most out of it. So, why do you want an aquarium?
This could be for many different reasons, do you want to look into an aquarium and feel like you’re peering into a grass filled landscape with hundreds of different guppies, killifish, platies and mollies? Do you want to reminisce on your favorite scuba diving trip by recreating the reef environment? Whatever your reason(s) may be, write down this goal and keep it in mind as you move forward.
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE IN YOUR AQUARIUM?
Is there a certain fish or invertebrate that pushed you over the fence and into aquarium ownership? If so, you’re going to want to design and plan your aquarium to suit its’ needs. You can save a lot of time, money and headaches if you do the necessary research beforehand.
For example, if you put a juvenile pair of clownfish and a lionfish together, it won’t be long before you have the opportunity to witness the circle of life in your aquarium. Taking the time to list out what livestock you want to include in the aquarium keeps you from tearing apart your aquarium later on. Believe me, you don’t want to be chasing fish down constantly.
SUMMARY
This was a short and simple yet extremely important step towards your very first aquarium. Before the ever exciting feeling of a new aquarium rushes over, we must take a step back to look at the bigger picture. What kind of inhabitants do you want? How much do you want to spend on an aquarium setup? What do you want to see happening with your aquarium in the next 12 months? The next 5 years?