Should You Buy In Wall Fish Tanks or Wall Mounted Fish Tanks?

So, should you buy in wall fish tanks or wall mounted fish tanks?

Let’s go over a few things before we answer that question.

The wonderful thing about in wall fish tanks and wall mounted fish tanks is that they provide a nice decorative look to your home while allowing you to save space.

They come in a range of sizes. Some sizes are best to avoid altogether and some might be worth considering.

Most are somewhat expensive and cost quite a bit more than your average fish tank, and that includes fish tanks of the same size.

And believe it or not even poorly constructed wall fish tanks usually come at a pretty high price.

My History of Owning a Wall Fish Tank

Some years back… too long ago to remember exactly when, I ran another website called Simple Living Tips. During that time I came across a website and began promoting their wall mounted aquariums.

It was during a time when wall fish tanks were rare and very few people knew about them as opposed to now.

Anyway, I brought a lot of traffic to the site and eventually the owner sent me a free fish tank. The wall mounted Portrait Aquarium to be exact. When it arrived, I was amazed at how beautiful it was and how well they’d packed it. It took my breath away.

Anyway, I gave it to my mother as a gift. We lived together, so it was no big deal… I got to feast my eyes on the aquarium anyway.

We don’t have it anymore but you’ll be excited to know I took some photos before we gave it away so that I could show you what it looked like.

And this is what it looked like…

click on thumbnails to enlarge

In the beginning we had a lot more fish in it. Some came and went. Probably because we weren’t very good at taking care of them in that tank and because most of them were too big for it (like the fish you see in the photo).

In my opinion, the fish in the picture is way too big to be in that aquarium. He was much smaller to begin with but eventually he grew bigger, which made it hard for him to turn around in the tank.

The good news is he is still alive and even quite a bit bigger now that he’s in a bigger tank. He’s buddies with another fish in the tank and they are as lively and greedy (for food ) as always.

We are also much better at caring for fish. I’m a research guru and I actually take the time to learn about the pets I own now. Rather than just winging it and killing a handful of them before I gain some sense.

Anyway, when it comes to the visual appeal of the Portrait Aquarium, it is great. The quality of the tank is fantastic. It’s very sturdy and gorgeous to look at.

Throughout the years we received repeated compliments on the tank. Truthfully, the only flaw in having one was really how bad we were at maintaining it. So I really don’t have anything bad at all to say about these tanks. They are fabulous—well built and very reliable.

The flaw was essentially us. Not the tanks themselves. We were novices and not very attentive to the needs of our fish and had no idea how to even maintain a basic aquarium properly.

These tanks are not meant for everyone and we’ll talk about who might be best at owning a wall mounted aquarium (or in wall aquarium) below.

What to Consider Before You Buy a Wall Fish Tank

Before you think about buying an in wall fish tank or a wall mounted aquarium, you should at least ask yourself the following…

How much experience do I have?
How frequently does the tank I’m purchasing need to be changed?
What is the actual size of the wall fish tank I’m interested in?
How heavy will the wall fish tank be?
What fish will work well with a fish tank of that particular size?

I know it’s a lot to think about, but in the long run it’s worth it. It will keep you from making a bundle of mistakes if you think long and hard about what’s best for you and the fish you plan on purchasing.

Getting a wall fish tank means that someone is going to have to change the fish tank and care for the fish. Will that person be you? If so, have you researched what you need to know or are you fumbling into it with a blindfold on?

If you’re fumbling into it with a blindfold on, let me help you out a bit by clearing some things up.

What You Need to Know Before You Buy a Wall Fish Tank

Well, the first thing you need to think about is if you’re a beginner. If you are, honestly a wall fish tank is not the best tank to go with for first-timers.

Why?

Because beginners are recommended to at least start with a 20 gallon fish tank. You could buy a 20 gallon wall fish tank but even still a lot of wall fish tanks are harder to clean than your usual fish tank.

But concentrating on size again, the reason you’re recommended to have at least a 20 gallon fish tank is because they do not need to be cleaned frequently and that will allow you plenty of time to concentrate on keeping your fish alive.

They are also large enough to allow you to put big fish in them if that is your preference.

With a 20 gallon tank, you’ll have the opportunity to start out simple and expand rather easily.

As implied above, the problem with many wall fish tanks for beginners is that they make it much harder to change the water.

And if the wall fish tank is under 20 gallons that means you’ll have to change it a lot more, thereby increasing your chance of killing your fish and having a less than enjoyable experience as a fish enthusiast.

And what about the weight of the wall aquarium?

That is another thing to consider.

If you’re going to hang the tank on the wall, you should make absolutely certain your wall can support it with no problem. There’s no doubt you’ll need to find studs in order to hang your wall mounted tank (unless you’re mounting into something like solid wood like we did. In cases like that, studs may not be required).

So, if you want one you’ll have to go the extra mile to have one.

Also, in case you’re wondering how to factor in how much your wall fish tank will weigh, there’s an easy way to figure it out.

You can actually figure it out by understanding that every gallon of water put in the tank is about 10 pounds. So, if you have a 10 gallon tank, that’s at least 100 pounds hanging on your wall.

Although the size of wall aquariums can be relatively large, the truth is a 20 gallon wall fish tank is not the same as your everyday average fish tank.

The usual fish tank is much wider and definitely more fish-friendly because of that.

In spite of the fact that wall aquariums are pretty long, they are quite narrow which leaves very little room for fish to move around. In light of that most fish enthusiasts would not recommend them.

It has been said, the larger the fish tank the better off the fish.

It isn’t to say that small fish wouldn’t do very well with wall fish tanks, but in all honesty an average 20 gallon tank at a much cheaper price would be a better buy than an expensive 20 gallon wall fish tank.

And it’s likely that your fish will be much happier in a normal fish tank by comparison.

Truthfully I cannot personally recommend wall fish tanks but they are not terrible inventions when used correctly. If you have the right amount of knowledge, dedication or the willingness to learn, then a wall fish tank is not a bad investment at all.

However, if you’re a beginner and you do want one, I would at least recommend that you buy a normal fish tank first and experience taking care of fish on a basic level, before investing your money in something much more expensive.

Take time out to give yourself a trial period and see if it is for you. If not, instead of purchasing a wall fish tank you can then invest in something more worthwhile to you.

Once you’ve convinced yourself that you’re in it for the long run, then you can purchase a wall fish tank. Instead of buying one prematurely and wondering why the water in the fish tank is always brown and why the fish keep on dying.

Or another alternative is to hire someone who knows what they’re doing and ask them to teach you how to care for the fish.

They can even advise you on the type of fish to get for the in wall aquariums or wall mounted aquariums.

If you’re wondering how many fish to put in them. As a general rule it is said that you can put a one inch (freshwater) fish in a tank per gallon. But keep in mind you’re dealing with a wall fish tank here.

You may need to put even less in it since thinner aquariums like wall aquariums offer less oxygen than a standard aquarium.

By the Way…

If you have no one to help you avoid unnecessary mistakes, plan to do a little research before you buy the fish.

Take a trip to the pet store. Check out what kind of fish they have and write down the type of fish you like. Then go home and find out about them online or check some books out from the library. Research and find out if the particular fish you want will work well together.

Be careful about mixing big fish and small fish together since they tend not to get along in terms of eating. The big fish tend to bully the smaller ones and gobble up all of the food. So a mixture of both are not recommended.

Find out the basics. I know they are fish but if you could spare the life of one by actually knowing about them first, isn’t it worth it?

Tread carefully. Make wise choices about which wall fish tank you get. The bigger the better. Even for narrow ones. Again, I don’t recommend them but if you’re going to go with a wall fish tank you might as well know of a trustworthy manufacturer who sells them.

You can find a very nice solid selection of in wall fish tanks and wall mounted fish tanks here.

One last thing. Try not to go with fish tanks that are too tall, they tend to have less surface oxygen than other tanks and result in killing the fish.

Choosing the Best Wall Fish Tank

So, what is the best wall fish tank? Well, the best wall aquariums would be at least a 20 gallon, but if you can’t afford that try and at least go for one that’s 10 gallons or as close to it as possible.

You will have to change the tank more frequently with the smaller ones though. You will also not be able to put big fish in those tanks since they are so narrow.

If you want big fish and you want to be fair to them then it is recommended you go with a normal 20 gallon fish tank and you forego a wall fish tank altogether. That way you can concentrate on caring for your fish rather than dealing with having to clean it too often.

Remember that if you are hanging a wall tank on your wall then it’s about 10 lbs. per gallon. They can get pretty heavy so you will most likely need to use studs to make sure it’s got good support.

You definitely wouldn’t want one of these things falling down on you.

Also keep in mind that you can avoid a lot of mistakes by being patient and taking the time out to respect the life of a fish. Head to the fish store and find out what fish you want and then go home and do research on them.

Be very careful about taking advice from the staff at the pet store. Most of them have no clue what they’re talking about.

They once told me when I first got a dove that doves didn’t like company. Thankfully I’m an avid researcher and did research on them because it turns out they were wrong. Doves love being in pairs. So as you may already know, most pet store workers love looking smart but they’re really not.

You’ll have a much better chance of keeping your fish alive if you verify any information given to you or assumptions you may have by researching how to care for them yourself.

Go the extra mile. It will pay off. In the end you’ll have a beautiful tank and hearty and happy fish to show for it.

And that can be such a fulfilling experience. You’ll be a part of the My-Fish-Aren’t-Dead-and-It’s-Amazing Club and that will be a reward in its own.

How many people can actually say that?

You’ll be one of the few!

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