A beautiful aquarium can be the main decoration of the house. The fish swimming in it will delight the owners, creating a favorable environment in the room. But if the first aquarium is installed, where to start to do everything right? To do this, you need to select all the elements, as well as follow practical startup tips.
Types of aquariums
Where to start the aquarium? First you need to purchase a fish tank. It is important to determine its design, shape, so that the aquarium fits the interior of the room. For the product, you need to choose a suitable place so that it stands where it will not bother anyone.
By design, aquariums can be on a stand, legs, as well as suspended, angular, frame, frameless. The shape of the products is different, but the main types include:
- spherical;
- cubic;
- rectangular;
- panoramic;
- prismoid;
- pyramidal.
When choosing, it is important to take into account the number and size of the inhabitants of the tank: usually the calculations are based on the ratio of “1 liter of adult fish per liter”. The choice of a suitable aquarium is important so that the fish are comfortable there. And then leaving will be much more convenient.
Purchase accessories
If you are interested in where to start the aquarium, it is important to consider the issue of acquiring accessories. Lids that have built-in lighting and cabinets under them are offered for tanks. If there is no specific place to place the aquarium, then you should use this offer.
Thanks to the backlit lid, the fish will not jump out. This protects against water evaporation, and also provides lighting for plants, helps to monitor daylight hours in a pond. The cabinet is used to store various devices: a net, tubes, suction cups, feeders, books, feed.
Lighting
When considering where to start an aquarium, it’s important to think about quality lighting. There is a classic set of equipment:
- backlight (lamp power, lighting duration is determined depending on the occupants);
- water heater (preferably purchased with automatic temperature control);
- aerator and filter for water (power is determined by the volume of the aquarium).
Which soil and scenery will be chosen depends on the inhabitants, but fine-grained rounded gravel without sharp edges is universal. The thickness of the soil should be 5-7 cm, so that the plants will perfectly root. Locks, sunken ships and other accessories are used for decoration.
Heater
Many aquarium fish are considered inhabitants of warm tropical rivers. Therefore, they need an appropriate temperature - 26-27 degrees. It is important to control the temperature regime. Because of this, you need a heater for the aquarium. If the temperature is controlled, then the fish will be comfortable.
To purchase a suitable heater for the aquarium, you need to pay attention to:
- the presence of a temperature controller;
- power (selected depending on the volume);
- instrument quality (no defects).
A 10 W heater can heat 4.5 liters of water. Many aquarists use the calculation: 1 W per 1 liter of water. But it is better to choose equipment of greater power. Perform all operations with the device when the power is off. Turn on the heater after immersion in water.
Inhabitants and vegetation
Where to start an aquarium if there were no fish before? It is better to choose viviparous inhabitants:
- molliesia;
- swordsmen;
- Pecilia
- goupia.
They are beautiful, elegant, hardy. They do not require complicated care. The maintenance and reproduction of such inhabitants will help to learn the basics of aquarium farming. Viviparous fish can be kept together with small catfish. They have a special coloring, body shape and behavior. Catfish will make the aquarium more elegant. From the bottom plants, you can choose elodea, wallisnergy, cryptocarin, and from the surface ones - richia or duckweed. You can choose moss - cladophora and Javanese moss.
Sand
An aquarium is a whole ecosystem in which every detail is important. Soil is important. Sand is needed for the aquarium. It is inhabited by beneficial microorganisms. The decorative function of sandy soil is also important - aquariums with it look spectacular.
The advantages of sand include:
- creation of natural conditions for fish;
- pollution protection;
- the formation in the sand of fertile soil for plants;
- many species of fish like sand.
It is important that the sand for the aquarium meets the following requirements:
- grains of sand should be the same in size, otherwise caking occurs;
- you need to choose a substrate with fractions of at least 1.5 mm in diameter;
- sand should not affect water;
- if the sand is mined independently, then you must choose a clean reservoir;
- no need to choose colored sand, as it can contain substances that are dangerous for fish.
Launch aquarium
To start the aquarium from scratch, you must adhere to several rules. Before starting the fish takes about 2 weeks. In one day it is carried out:
- soil laying, planting, installation of lighting, heating, filter aerator;
- filling with water;
- heater and filter aerator connection.
Then you have to wait a week, during which chlorine disappears from the water. Normalizers are added to the liquid to improve properties. Before using them, it is better to consult with competent aquarists and sellers.
When the week has passed, it is necessary to launch the hardy inhabitants - snail-ampullaria, newts, frogs, shrimps. Water becomes stable for a month, after which it may become cloudy. Then it will clear and become transparent. And only after a week you can run the rest of the fish. This ends the equipment of the aquarium. It remains to properly care for him.
Decor
How to arrange the aquarium correctly? You need a background that is created before pouring water. If it is voluminous, then non-toxic materials must be used. Often fiberglass and polystyrene foam are used for this. If there is no possibility to create a volumetric background, then a special film is glued onto the back wall from the outside or the glass is simply repainted. You can use cardboard, carpet, plastic. Each zoological store offers various design options for aquariums.
Stones are suitable for decorating a fish’s home. They also serve as shelters for many inhabitants. Stones serve to strengthen the terrace. With them, it will turn out to hold plants near the ground so that they do not float. In the aquarium, you can create a specific landscape. If fish from flowing reservoirs live in it, then stones should be selected rounded.
How to design an aquarium so that the fish are comfortable there? For this, driftwood is also used, which serve as a shelter for many inhabitants. They attach plants. It is better to choose the root of the tree, sunk in peat in a swamp. The branches of maple, ash, alder, willow, beech are suitable. Only at first everything needs to be cleaned of dirt.
In pet stores you can find various decorations for the aquarium: galleons, castles, chests, skeletons, skulls and other themed items.
Products are made from plastic, ceramics and other safe materials. They allow you to perfectly decorate the aquarium. Only decorative elements need to be selected in accordance with the size and type of the aquarium so that the fish are comfortable there.
Aquarium cleaning
After starting the aquarium, it is important to monitor its cleanliness. This is a responsible process. It is important to timely remove the remains of rotten food and decorations. Every week you need to change the water to clean, but not completely change. Cleaning the aquarium at home is done without any problems. A container, an algae scraper, a siphon with a hose and a gravel vacuum are needed.
Before doing work, you need to prepare new water. The old must be removed by 30%. If sea fish is contained, then suitable proportions of sea salt for water must be prepared for it. For washing, you need to take a new container, which will be used specifically for these purposes. It is necessary to turn off the filter and disconnect it from the aquarium.
First you need to wash the walls of the tank. Do not use detergents. This is dangerous for the inhabitants of the aquarium. There are other options. Traces of soil are removed with a special scraper. Cleaning the aquarium at home can be done using a special solution that is safe for fish. Sell it at pet stores. You just need to ask the seller a question.
Water must be carefully drained with a siphon with a hose. Then it’s important to sort the scenery, sand and gravel. It does not take a lot of time. The bottom also needs to be cleaned with a gravel vacuum. It is necessary to clean plants, wooden decorations. Accessories can be washed with an algae scraper if they are very dirty. They must be washed in the sink. Sometimes a solution of water with table salt is used.
After washing, the decorations should dry. Only then can they be used. At the end of cleaning, new water is poured into the aquarium, after which heating and lighting are turned on. If you regularly wash the aquarium, as well as take care of it, then the fish in it will be comfortable. Such inhabitants will make the house cozy. Follow all the rules if you decide to purchase an aquarium and arrange it at your own discretion. And then he will delight you and your loved ones with his beauty for a long time, creating peace and a special atmosphere of peace.