Design and shape of the aquarium
Long and narrow, high and short, aquarium just made of glass or with a frame?
As with the size, the shape of your aquarium may be more than just a matter of taste. Fast and frequent swimming fish need longer aquariums than quiet fish species, such as discus fish which instead require a larger amount of aquarium height and depth. Please ask your specialist shop for advice regarding the demands of your "desired" fish and the aquarium format needed.
The first people to keep aquatic animals in their homes or workrooms were students and scholars who housed and observed them in mostly round glass containers. The Romans too kept marine fish such as moray eels in captivity as edible fish. What we recognise as the earliest "aquariums" were mostly accumulator jars made of pressed glass. Only later did frame tanks appear, but the panes were not glued in, they were fixed with window putty, later window putty mixed with red lead.