What is a Vivarium Tank? The Many Different Types

Understanding Vivariums Tanks: A Dive into Their Many Types

A vivarium serves as a semi-natural enclosure or container tailored for the care and observation of animals. Whether for study, display, or as pets, vivariums create an environment that closely mirrors the animal’s natural habitat. This guide sheds light on the diverse kinds of vivariums that aficionados use today.

Different Types of Vivariums

Aquarium

A staple in many homes and offices, the aquarium stands as a familiar type of vivarium. Regardless of its size, owning an aquarium offers a glimpse into its origins. Jeanne Villepreux-Power, a French naturalist, crafted the earliest known glass aquarium in 1832. Yet, it was the British Philip Gosse whose work defined the modern understanding of ‘aquarium’. Frequent freshwater residents include Goldfish, Guppies, Betta Fish, and Angelfish. Marine aquarium enthusiasts often house species like the Mandarin Fish, Clownfish, Flame Angelfish, Blennies, and Wrasses. Due to its ubiquity, many often mislabel other vivarium types as aquariums, leading us to the other varieties detailed below.

Oceanarium

An expansive counterpart to the aquarium, oceanariums can either function as marine mammal parks or extensive aquariums. For instance, in Australia, the Melbourne Aquarium and the Sydney Sea Life Aquarium exemplify the grandeur of oceanariums.

Paludarium

In the realm of vivariums, paludariums offer a harmonious blend of land and water elements. They mirror natural ecosystems by integrating water, air, and land within a single enclosure. The evolving art of aquascaping draws its essence from paludariums, aiming to emulate nature’s innate elegance. Characterised by its partially water-filled environment and high humidity, paludariums have gained traction among hobbyists.

Riparium

Drawing parallels with paludariums, ripariums fuse plants and aquatic life. However, the central distinction lies in the riparium’s predominant water environment, in contrast to the paludarium’s humidity-centric atmosphere. Ripariums aim to mirror wetland or brook shoreline settings, primarily hosting aquatic animals and excluding semi-aquatic or land creatures.

Terrarium

Deriving its name from the Latin word ‘Terra’, which means ‘earth’, terrariums offer a terrestrial haven for specific plants, insects, and animals such as scorpions, ants, land crabs, snails, and praying mantises. Setting terrariums apart is their exclusive focus on land-based inhabitants, distinctly differentiating them from the other vivarium types mentioned above.