In this article, we will shed some light and provide you with some food for thought to determine whether an aquarium is suitable for your lifestyle and your family. We will therefore look at the 10 main questions to ask yourself before buying aquarium fish or an aquarium.

First question, why do you want an aquarium?

Is it to make the living room or kitchen look nice, or do you just want a decorative element? Or perhaps you simply love animals and have become interested in the biology of fish, or you find it interesting to share the biology of an aquarium with your children? Is it to please the youngest one who absolutely wants a cat or a dog?

Suppose you finally agree and tell yourself that a fish will be the lesser of two evils—but no! Your child will quickly get bored of the aquarium because it wasn't really a fish they wanted, but another animal to pet or play with. And it certainly won't be with a fish that they can do that. You will therefore end up with the maintenance of the aquarium because your child will no longer be interested at all in the fish that you will then have on your hands.

Second question, have you ever had an aquarium before?

Perhaps you had an aquarium in your childhood. But was it you or your parents who took care of it? Have you ever truly taken an interest in its biology and the biology of the fish as well? It would be wiser to research fish and fishkeeping before buying an aquarium, and especially before buying fish. If you have already had an aquarium in the past and were the one personally handling everything from installation to maintenance, we can say that you already have the basics of fishkeeping; however, it can still be interesting to review a few fundamentals, especially the nitrogen cycle, to be sure not to miss anything and to start your new aquarium with real peace of mind.

Third question, is your living situation stable?

Here, we are mainly talking about your housing. Indeed, an aquarium, regardless of its size, is not easy to move. It requires very specific organization, and movers do not handle it. You will therefore have to take care of moving the aquarium yourself. Also, if you have a job that requires you to move very regularly every six months or every year, perhaps having an aquarium will not be very practical for you?

Fourth question, are you ready to commit to your aquarium in the long term?

Contrary to what one might believe, aquarium fish can live for a very long time. Some have a lifespan of up to ten, fifteen, or even 20 years. The smaller ones, like the Siamese fighting fish for example, can live between three and five years. You must therefore be sure that you will continue to enjoy fishkeeping during this period and that you will not get bored of the aquarium very quickly.

Fifth question, do you have enough time to dedicate to the maintenance of your aquarium?

You must dedicate at least an hour every week to look after your aquarium, especially when you are a beginner. There are several small things you need to take into account and check. And most importantly, this is to prevent algae outbreaks or your fish from getting sick.

Sixth question, who is going to take care of the aquarium? Who will perform its maintenance? Who will feed the fish?

Normally, the whole family could participate in the aquarium's maintenance, depending on their abilities and age, or by taking turns. Unfortunately, in real life, it doesn't really happen like that, and it is often Mom or Dad who ends up taking charge of the aquarium. If you are parents, be very aware of this.

Your children will drift away from the aquarium, and it will be you who bears the responsibility, and consequently, continues the aquarium's maintenance for the well-being of the fish you adopted with your children.

Seventh question: can you afford the financial burden of an aquarium and aquarium fish?

We very often hear that fishkeeping is an expensive hobby, and we are not going to contradict these claims. It is true that fishkeeping represents a significant investment. Especially at the beginning, because we need to buy everything: the aquarium, plants, fish, substrate, lighting, the filter, etc.

We will have various kinds of expenses to gear up; small accessories that will be useful for maintenance and for the life of the fish. Starting without breaking the bank is not impossible, but you will still need a budget of at least €50 to €100 for an aquarium, even a small one, between accessories, fish, and everything else.

Eighth question, how will you organize things for vacations and weekends?

As you have understood, an aquarium is not like raising a dog or a cat.

We cannot take it with us, nor drop it off at a boarding kennel. You must therefore be able to rest easy and leave the aquarium at home. It is also out of the question to cut the electricity while you are away on a long vacation, as the aquarium needs lighting and a filter to continue operating correctly for the good health of your fish. Furthermore, there is also the food aspect, so something to ponder.

Will you really be able to manage if you go on vacation and go away for weekends often?

Ninth question, are you a neat freak?

This may seem strange, but just because an aquarium is a well-organized cube does not mean there won't be dirt everywhere. During aquarium maintenance, when we trim plants or when we want to add new fish to the aquarium, we always get a bit of water on the floor.

So if you have hardwood floors that you care about a lot or a carpet that you don't want to damage, perhaps having an aquarium will quickly cause you problems. So pay attention to this aspect. People who are a bit particular or people who simply value their furniture might find that having an aquarium in the home will be problematic.

Last question, are you patient?

This is very important. Fishkeeping is a calm hobby that requires a lot, a lot of patience. The typical example for starting an aquarium properly is when you have to wait at least four weeks before adding the first fish. Why? Simply because there is a biological cycle that will be created in your aquarium. And this cycle needs at least four weeks to establish itself in your aquarium, so that you can add your fish in complete safety and serenity.

Another example is that some aquarium plants will grow quite slowly. You will therefore need to be patient to have a beautiful and well-planted aquarium. So, if you are someone who wants everything right away—the aquarium, the water, the fish, in an instant—it will be a bit complicated, because nature needs to take its time.

But nature is also very well-designed, as during these four weeks of waiting, you can put that time to good use to research and learn about the future fish in your aquarium.

In conclusion, it is important to understand that fishkeeping is a very particular hobby because having fish as domestic pets is truly unique. A certain number of you must even be thinking that it is truly a big commitment, that it is a major constraint to have an aquarium. But if you are passionate about animals and love to learn, fishkeeping can be a fantastic hobby.

However, like all animals and all passions, you will have to invest time in fishkeeping, in the maintenance of your aquarium, and in setting up your aquarium. It requires reflection. You must also want to learn. The desire to learn is truly important because we cannot know every fish and every aspect of fishkeeping. Even after decades of practice, it is ultimately by asking the right questions that we make the right decisions.