Aquarium Stores in Lebanon: Freshwater, Marine, and Corals for the Home Tank

The most important thing about an aquarium is the unseen biological filter — the bacterial colony that converts toxic ammonia from fish waste into less-toxic nitrate. Skipping the 3-4 week cycling phase is the single biggest cause of dead fish in new tanks.

Tank Sizes & Stocking

• 20L: 1-2 betta or shrimp — minimum livable tank.
• 60-100L: small community (tetras, corydoras, dwarf gourami).
• 150-300L: medium community + centerpiece (angelfish, discus pair).
• 400L+: full community or specialty (Malawi cichlids, planted Amazon).
• Marine: 200L minimum — smaller is unstable.

Equipment Essentials

• Canister filter sized for 4-6x tank volume per hour.
• Heater (1W per liter) for tropical species.
• LED light — sized to tank depth and plant requirements.
• Test kit: ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, KH.
• Marine: protein skimmer, RO/DI water, salt mix, refractometer.

Cycling a New Tank

• Fishless cycle: dose ammonia, monitor weekly until ammonia + nitrite both drop to 0 within 24h.
• 3-6 weeks typical.
• Add fish slowly — 1-2 per week after cycling complete.

Common Disasters

• Aggressive fish bullying tankmates — research compatibility before purchase.
• Overfeeding — leftover food spikes ammonia.
• Tap water with chloramine — must use a conditioner.
• Power outages without backup — marine tanks need UPS or battery air pumps.

Pricing

• 20-60L freshwater starter kit: $50-150.
• 200L planted setup: $400-1,000.
• 300L reef tank (full): $2,500-6,000.
• Corals/marine livestock: $20-300+ each.