Whatever it is, these people have created beautiful, living, pieces of artwork.

I'll admit, not all of these are home aquariums. Many are created specifically for competition. But that's not to say they couldn't be used as home aquariums. Given the fact that this is a freshwater aquarium blog, I tried my best to exclude saltwater/reef tanks, but it's not always so easy to tell.

12. Seefu's Freshwater Tank

Very vibrant tank full of cichlids. I also really like the starfish (which I imagine are ornaments).

11. Groovysuvi's 5 Gallon Tropical Community Tank

Cute and colorful.

10. Ewanr's Tropical Aquarium

Simple and bold. Great lighting.

9. Calwhiz' Cichlid Bowfront

Bowfronts are always beautiful especially when decorated with such a nice collection of rocks, perfect for the electric yellow in the picture.

"Decorated with boulder rocks, Texas holey rocks, and a lava rock."

8. Peter Hilt-Klein's 375 Liter Aquarium

7. somenametoforget's 20 Gallon w/ Bamboo and Gate

Very cute tank with small Chinese gate and mini bamboo shoot.

6. 2gallon by nycbone

This 2 gallon tank is very minimalist, with great contrast and lighting.

5. Green Cloud II

The name of this aquarium is so perfectly fitting.
Also an entrant in the AGA 2009 Aquascaping Contest

Massimo Faberi, Aquacube.it

4. Shou Stone Ridge

This beautiful underwater mountainscape is not your average home aquarium, but dang is it gorgeous! It also took 2nd place at the AGA 2009 Aquascaping Contest.

Kam Wong at bubblesaquarium.com
Hong Kong, China

3. The Phoenix & The Dragon

The Phoenix is on the left, Dragon on the right. Looks like there's an assortment of tetras floating around as well. The plant life is really what makes this aquarium shine though.

Kam Wong at bubblesaquarium.com
Hong Kong, China

2. Discus Haven

Michael Milliner, Alexandria VA USA
m.milliner at comcast.net

I don't know what's more impressive, the tank or the discus themselves!

1. Beyond the Nature

I really don't have many words for our number one pick. This fantasy landscape is breathtaking.

This aquarium actually took 3rd, just behind our personal 4th pick, in the AGA 2009 Aquascaping Contest. However, we think this one easily takes the cake for the number one pick.

Click the link for more pics, you won't be disappointed.

Gary Wu Kwok Fai at www.cau-aqua.net

The most important guideline to keep in mind is that if you have a 20 gallon tank, you need at least a 20 gallon filter. If you have goldfish, you may even want to go higher.

Power Filters

These are by far the most common aquarium filters, especially for freshwater aquariums. These are the filters that you hook onto the back of your aquarium. The stem should be fully submerged in the water, which will gather floating particles in the water, that then get filtered through the filter pad.

The filter pad, which should be replaced at least every month, is usually filled with carbon or other media to neutralize ammonia, nitrates, and other toxins that contaminate the water.

Power filters are perfect for the beginner home aquarium owner because they are simple and low maitenance.

Recommended Power Filters

Penguin BIO-Wheel 100 Power Filter - up to 20 gallon

The feature that seperates this filter from most other filters is the use of the Bio-Wheel. This is basically just one more added filtration system that prevents waste and toxins from getting put back into the aquarium.

The product I've linked to is for aquariums up to 20 gallons, but this line of filters goes well into the 150 gallon range (though these are far more complex systems).

This filter is only $21.79 at That Fish Place similar filters without the Bio-Wheel are just about the same price. You can also get pads and replacement wheels for this filter for under $5.

AquaClear 30 Aquarium Power Filter - 20 to 30 gallon

This is my second favorite filter available. I actually used this on my first ever Cichlid tank, and I never had much problem with it. Though I really like the bio-wheel which is why this is my second choice.

It is also a little more expensive than the Penguin product, but less moving parts, means less chance of something breaking on you. However, this product has a warrenty covering and manufacturer defects.

You can get the Aquaclear 30 for under $30.

Discount Power Filters on Ebay

NEW MARINELAND BIO WHEEL 350 AQUARIUM POWER FILTER    US $28.90

Aqua Clear 110 500 Power Filter AquaClear Aquarium NEW    US $50.99

AquaClear 30 150 Aquarium Power Filter Aqua Clear A600    US $23.99

AquaClear 70 300 Aquarium Power Filter Aqua Clear A615    US $37.88

Under-gravel Filters

Under-gravel filters work by placing a series of plates underneath the gravel which pulls the waste and other floating particles below it. This type of filter only provides biological filtration benefits. However, many aquarium owners use these in addition to power filters to keep the water free of debris.

The main problem I see with these type of filters is the cleaning process. To remove the debris you have to take the filter out from under the gravel, and when you do the waste will end up back in the water. So when you do change the filter you will have to do a 50-75% water change.

Recommended Under-Gravel Filters

Since I don't ever use under-gravel filters, I unfortunately don't have any recommendations for you. However if you absolutely must have one, get a Top-fin under-gravel filter from PetSmart, they have a lifetime guarantee.

Cheap Under-Gravel Filters on Ebay

Penn Plax Under Gravel Aquarium Filter 55 gallon CFU55    US $15.58

29 20L Under Gravel Filter Air Diffusers Algae Scrubs    US $5.95

Penn Plax Under Gravel Aquarium Filter 10 Gallon CFU10    US $8.54

Penn Plax Under Gravel Aquarium Filter 10 gallon    US $7.60

Canister Filters

Canister filters are usually used in larger tanks 30+ but I usually see them in larger 50+ gallon tanks. Though don't let me discourage you from using them for whatever tank you may have. Canister filters are hands down, the best at their job. Your water will be more clear than ever.

They usually cost a little more, but again, if you are serious about your aquarium hobby, I highly recommend them. And if you have a large saltwater tank (I know, not the right blog for this discussion) it is almost a must.

People typically hide these ugly filters underneath their tank in the stand, or behind it. The smaller canister fiilters aren't too loud, but if you have a high power canister filter, they can get a bit noisy, but not as bad as one would expect.

Recommended Canister Filters

Marineland C-220 Aquarium Canister Filter - up to 55 gallon

Nothing all that fancy about the Marineland Canister filter from tetra. Then why do I recommend it, you ask? Well it gets the job done and is easy to use. Like most Tetra products, this canister filter is made so that people with all different levels of experience can get it up and running in no time.

This is the only canister filter I've ever used, and I will continue to buy this filter for my larger tanks, because it just works.

This is one of the smaller models but other Marineland canister filters go up to 150 gallons if I believe. The 50 gallon model (pictured left) will only run you $154.99 and comes with a 3 year warrenty.

Cheap Canister Filters on Ebay

Fluval 405 Hagen Canister Filter Aquarium Marine NEW    US $139.99

Fluval 305 Hagen Canister Filter Aquarium Marine NEW    US $109.99

New Hagen FLUVAL 305 Canister Fish Aquarium Filter A211    US $109.99

New Hagen FLUVAL 405 Canister Fish Aquarium Filter A216    US $139.99

There are 2 common solutions to this problem; automatic feeders and vacation feeders.

Automatic Feeders

The concept behind automatic feeders is simple; according to a set time, the feeder will rotate releasing a predetermined amount of food. This allows for periodic feeding with little effort required from you. All you have to do is set the intervals and food amounts, and fill it with food when it starts running low.

The advantage automatic feeders have over the dissolving vacation feeders, which will be discussed in the next section, is that they won't leave your water murky, and an automatic feeder can feed your fish much longer.

Recommended Automatic Feeders

AquaChef Automatic Aquarium Fish Feeder

This product from AquaChef is one I've had personal experience with. The setup is easy, and if you do have problems, they have an easy to follow guide.

It can handle all kinds of food as well (flakes, pellets, sticks). The only food I would avoid is frozen or life stuff for obvious reasons. This automatic feeder has more customization than other feeders out there and isn't all that expensive compared to similar products.

The cheapest I could find it for was $28.39 at That Fish Place. You can get more details about it on their site.

Nutramatic 2X Automatic Feeder

This feeder is far more simple compared to the AquaChef product, but it still gets the job done. This product simply spins every 12 hours releasing food, depending on how far you open the food gate, so it is adjustable in that sense.

I'd even go as far as to say that this product is equally as effective as the above product, you just don't get as much customization. But again, it gets the job done.

This is for people looking for a cheap and easy solution. You can pick this item up for just under $20 at That Fish Place.

Automatic Feeders on Ebay

New Digital Automatic Fish Food Feeder For Aquarium    US $1.55

Aquarium Fish Tank Pond Automatic 5 28 Days Food Feeder    US $1.55

Digital Automatic Aquarium Fish Food Feeder Timer Tank    US $15.62

Used Lifegard automatic fish feeder    US $.99

Vacation Feeders

These have slowly lost popularity over the years since automatic feeders have improved so much. None the less, vacation feeders still have their place. If you are going to be out for the weekend, and you want to make sure your fish are fed, just drop in a 2 day vacation feeder. Its understandable why you wouldn't want to invest $20-$30 in an automatic feeder.

Vacation feeders slowly dissolve with time, releasing food from time to time. The downside is that the disolved "white stuff" needs to go somewhere. It usually ends up in the tank. It's not harmful, just makes the water temporarily murky.

Vacation feeders are sold based on the time period they are supposed to last for. The shortest being a day or 2, all the way up to 14 days I believe. Though it wouldn't surprise me if they had ones that could last even longer.

Again, I recommend That Fish Place. They have excellent service and I've never had any problems with them.

I hope this Buying Guide was useful, since it is the first one, I'm sure there can be improvements made. As always feel free to leave a comment, to let me know what you think could be better, or what you would like to see.

1. Goldfish Can't Close Their Eyes - This makes sleeping a littel different for them. Instead of closing their eyes and falling into a deep sleep, they sleep with their eyes open usually at the bottom of the water.

2. Goldfish Have Been Pets for 1000+ Years - Dating all the way back to ancient China, goldfish have been common household pets.

3. World's Oldest Goldfish - The world's oldest recorded goldfish was 43 years old. Which is just amazing for almost any pet really, and he did very well considering he was won at a town fair. His name was Tish, and he died in 1999 in North Yorkshire, UK.

4. Goldfish Don't Have Stomachs - I don't know how interesting people will find this one, but I thought I'd throw it out there.

5. Through A Goldfish's Eyes - Through a goldfish's eyes you would see a lot more color. Goldfish are able to see ultra-violet and infra-red light. This also mean they have a greater spectrum of visual colors.

6. Their Size Depends On Their Space - If you give a 2 inch goldfish a 55 gallon tank, they're going to make good use of the extra space. Of course, giving a single goldfish 55 gallons may be a little over the top. But if this were the case, they would grow to occupy more space then if they were kept in a 10 gallon tank. Sorry kids, but a goldfish in a  55 gallon tank won't grow to be 4 feet and 200 pounds.

Note: Per request of some readers I'd like to mention that this does in fact stunt their growth, they will thrive if given ample space.

7. Number 2 Only - Not just goldfish, but no fish urinates. But as any goldfish owner will tell you, they compensate with poop.

8. Goldfish Can Live In Cold and Freezing Waters - I wouldn't say they like it, but if a goldfish is left in an outdoor pond through the Winter, they'll likely be swimming around again by Spring. When it gets really cold or freezing, a goldfish's body will slow down dramatically, almost like hibernating. As the waters warm up they spring back to life.

3 Pieces Aquarium Fish Black Floating Plastic Goldfish    US $6.63

3 PCS Aquarium Tank Orange Plastic Floating Goldfish    US $5.00

Live Goldfish 2Fan tail Calico aquarium koi pond 100    US $84.99

4 Aquarium Fish Tank Net Tropical Marine Goldfish NEW    US $2.89

Tetra Goldfish Holiday Blocks 14 days 2 x 12g    US $5.14

2 Contoured Goldfish Dirt Magnet Aquarium Filters NR    US $16.00