40 Litre Aquarium – Glad Outdoors

We’ve put together this 40-liter aquarium buying guide to help you find the perfect aquarium for your life.

Best 40 Litre Aquarium

An aquarium of this size can hold about 15 tropical fish or 7 cold-water fish about 3 cm long as adults. This makes it one of the smallest aquariums on the market and one that is perfect for a beginner’s or child’s first aquarium.

Setting up a tank of this size is relatively simple, and you can even buy kits that include everything you need. If you choose to purchase it separately, remember that you’ll need proper light, heater, and filtration system.

Before buying fish, you should set up a tank and let it stabilize for about three days. What you need for this may vary depending on whether you choose a tropical or cold water tank, so it is best to seek professional advice.

Once you’ve decided on the type of tank you want to operate, it’s time to think about how you want it to look. Themed aquariums are becoming increasingly popular, and there are many to choose from, including shipwrecks, beaches, etc. But if you want something different, why not try a space theme? This can be done easily and effectively, even by choosing fish that look like aliens.

First, choose some substrate (gravel) in a funky color scheme and mix it up before spreading it on the bottom of your aquarium. Next, choose a mix of live and fake plants to decorate your tank.

Live plants are generally a calmer color than the pinks, purples, and other shocking colors you can find in the fake plant line. Still, they produce oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide and ammonia to keep the fish healthy. The calmer real plants will look pretty cool and mixed with funky, bright fake plants. Finally, add some rock caves and floating rocks. Available on many websites, floating rocks will give your aquarium a very spacey look, and they are easy to install. Leave your tank ready to use for about three days.

If you’re looking for an aquarium to show your kids, a 40-liter aquarium is perfect for kids. They are large enough to hold a decent number and variety of fish, as well as all the decorations and equipment that go with it.

Children often get bored easily, and giving them an aquarium large enough for them to sculpt their miniature world will be a great way to keep them interested and increase their enjoyment.

At the same time, this aquarium is not so large that it will require an overabundance of support equipment or involve a lot of work to ensure regular cleaning and maintenance. Nothing will destroy a youngster’s interest faster than dealing with a large, complex aquarium like the aqua one line of aquariums.

When considering a new aquarium, there are a few questions you should ask yourself before you go ahead.

What kind of fish would you like to keep?
How much space do you have?
Do you want a glass or acrylic tank?
What type of filter will you need?
What kind of lighting do you need?
What is your budget?

Once you have the answers to these questions, you can narrow your search. For new owners or those with time constraints, one of the best ways to get started with your aquarium is to purchase a complete kit. These kits come with everything you need (except the fish, of course)

Installation of a 40-liter aquarium

What you will need

Setting up a 40-liter aquarium for tropical fish is relatively quick and easy. Many aquariums are now offered complete kits containing everything you need to start. This means that all you have to do is assemble all the perfectly matched parts.

Aquarium professionals design these kits to be about as foolproof and worry-free.

However, if you buy a tank on its own, you’ll also need to buy the right support equipment to go with it. You’ll need a filtration system with a high enough flow rate and capacity to keep the water in your tank clean and waste-free.

You will also need proper lighting. As a rule of thumb, you can estimate that the appropriate wattage for your lights is one to two watts of light per liter of water in your tank, which is more than enough.

To heat the water to the right temperature for tropical fish, 24 to 27 degrees centigrade (75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit), you will also need a suitable aquarium heater. Opinions differ on the best way to install heaters in your aquarium. Some think using two smaller heaters rather than one larger one is better. And some think it’s better to place the radiators closer to where the return line from your filter feeds the tank for better circulation, while others say it creates stress on the radiator’s glass housing.

In addition to the above, you will need

Aquarium sand or gravel – This comes in various colors and textures, so you can create just about any effect you or your child likes.
Plants – Live plants are best for the aquarium as they help clean the water and maintain oxygen levels. Still, faux plants can be more colorful and vibrant for kids and are easier to replace as your child evolves the aquarium into their ideal vision.
Ornaments – The variety of ornaments and figurines you can find for your child’s aquarium is endless. There is a trend to theme your tank with many options available. Themes like soccer teams, TV characters, unicorns, and aliens are very popular now, but it’s hard to go wrong with timeless classics like castles, divers, and treasure chests.

Aquarium set-up procedures

Thoroughly wash everything that goes into your tank, including the gravel. DO NOT USE SOAP OR DETERGENT. They are very toxic to the fish. Just rinse them with water until they are clean. A large strainer or colander is a big help here but not necessary.

Put your gravel in your tank.
Place a saucer at the bottom of your tank. This helps keep the gravel from being swept up when you add water.
Fill your tank with about a third of the water by pouring the water over the saucer.
Hang your overhead lines and other equipment, and then place the plants and figures in the bottom of your tank.
Finish filling the tank and let it sit for three days before adding fish. This time is needed for the water to eliminate its chlorine content.

Starter fish for your child’s starter tank

There is a plethora of fish for your child’s new tank. A tank of this size will only hold about 13 fish, each about 3 cm in adult length, and some fish prefer to be in small groups, others alone or in large groups.

Here are some possibilities:

Cichlids
Bettas
Barbs
Cory Cats
Plecos
Guppies
Platys
Grouse
Goldfish
Darius

These species are quite hardy and will be easy for your child to care for.

Final thoughts

There are many choices when it comes to 40-liter aquariums. Interpet and Aqua One seem to be solid choices regarding build quality and after-sales support.