When people officially decide to include reef tanks in their homes’ design, one of the first things they often think of is where they want their tanks to go. However, not all locations in your home are suitable for a reef environment. Additionally, choosing wrongly can have a negative effect on your specimens. Read this guide on how to choose the best location for your home reef tank. This way, you can ensure it has everything it needs to thrive.
Pinpoint Locations Near Power Outlets
Start your planning process by determining which parts of your home could reasonably support the electrical needs of a reef tank. This requires, at the very least, a large outlet with easy accessibility to each of the different tank components. Otherwise, your tank will be very difficult to service. Additionally, you won’t be able to unplug one thing without deactivating the whole setup.
Find a Spot Away from the Sun
Once you find a few potential candidates, eliminate any others that get too much direct sunlight. Including spots near windows. Aquariums, especially coral reef aquariums, require a certain amount of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) in their ecosystems to survive. This factor represents the amount of light penetrating the surface of the water and feeding your organisms. Too much sunlight can throw the entire environment out of balance. This can result in algae growth or even the bleaching of your corals. Therefore, you’ll want to maintain control over the amount of light in your tank by keeping it away from sunlight.
Consider the Amount of Structural Support
Another thing to think about when you’re choosing the best location for your home reef tank is whether the area can support an aquarium of your desired size. Perching your reef aquarium on top of a nice bookshelf or stand might be nice, but should those items break under the weight, you’ll have a large mess on your hands. This is why you want to be sure that the item on top of which you place your tank is capable of withstanding that amount of pressure. Fortunately, you can test this by placing weights on certain items in the home. This will help you to determine whether they can hold up your aquarium’s volume.
Determine the Aesthetic Appeal
After finding a place that meets all the above criteria, take a bit of extra time to think about how you want the tank to look within the room. Aesthetics are just as important to making sure a tank fits perfectly within your home. By experimenting with different arrangements and not being afraid to try new things, you can find something that perfectly emphasizes your personal style.