Livestock in the house is very good, especially for children. Develops a sense of responsibility for our smaller brothers, disciplines and forces us to take care of those who are weaker and cannot survive without outside help.
If you are just on the way to deciding on pets and are leaning towards aquarium fish, it will not hurt to know that this matter is not so simple.
What, how and why
A home aquarium, no matter how small it may be, is a complex ecosystem that functions according to its own rules and requires their strict adherence. Violation or non-compliance with even the slightest can lead to deterioration of the condition and ultimately to the death of pets.
In order to properly equip your home pond and breed beautiful fish, you need to study all the nuances and decide, first of all, for yourself whether you need it or not. After all, having once taken upon ourselves responsibility for our smaller brothers, we no longer have the right to abandon them to destruction. Especially if children become witnesses to such behavior.
Aquarium plants
An aquarium in its classic form is a comfortable coexistence of fish and plants. It is the latter that provide the microclimate in the glass reservoir. Let's look at what exactly plants need to live in captivity:
- proper lighting;
- carbon dioxide or bicarbonate (for plants that need it);
- mineral salts dissolved in water or contained in aquarium soil.
By creating ideal or close to ideal conditions for vegetation in your home pond, you bring its conditions closer to natural ones, which are considered the most comfortable for fish.
Lighting
How to arrange an aquarium in such a way that the lighting is as close to sunlight as possible? As it turns out, it's not that simple. After all, it is almost impossible to reproduce solar radiation in spectral terms. It is only possible to get as close as possible to ideal indicators using special lamps or a combination of them.
Today, there are specialized lighting devices for aquariums on sale in pet stores, which are designed for growing aquarium plants. Their significant drawback is their significant cost.
For those who cannot afford such luxury, you need to be patient and start combining lighting lamps.
Often, in order to equip an aquarium with the correct lighting, fluorescent lamps with maximum radiation in the red and blue regions are used. They will bring your light levels closer to the solar spectrum. But the quantity must be calculated experimentally.
In addition, branded aquariums have one drawback that can make it slightly difficult to install additional lighting fixtures - there are only two places provided in the aquarium lid. And you will need at least twice as many lamps. To install them, purchase additional equipment - removable cartridges and ballasts. You can place the lamps directly on the side of your home pond, and the devices in a box under the aquarium.
And here are the three golden rules of normal lighting:
- Artificial lighting lamps need to be changed at least once a year. Even if it seems to you that the brightness has not decreased, change it anyway. The light from fluorescent lamps is already much dimmer than sunlight. And for those who have served for some time, even less. And keep the surface clean. Dust and water splashes refract the light and make it dimmer.
- Select the number of lamps per 1 cubic meter. water, the power of the lighting device should be up to 1W.
- High aquariums (over 55 cm) are very difficult to illuminate to the very bottom. Aquarium plants grow poorly in them and do not bring aesthetic or practical benefits.
Carbon dioxide
How to properly equip an aquarium so that plants not only receive the necessary lighting, but also grow, a simple component will answer - carbon dioxide.
What it is needed for is photosynthesis, which is impossible not only without good daylight, but also without this gas itself.
In nature everything is extremely simple. Plants take carbon dioxide from the surrounding water, which is much more than in a home pond. And if there is not enough of it, then they either stop growing or throw out floating leaves, which absorb vital gas from atmospheric air. With an aquarium everything is more complicated.
If your plants aren't growing as promised at the pet store, try adding carbon dioxide to the water. A miracle will happen and your plants will begin to grow and develop. And with them, the fish will become livelier and more beautiful. After all, along with oxygen, the mineral component of water will also be produced, which is very important for the normal functioning of the ecosystem of your aquarium.
There are also plants that are able to extract carbon dioxide from bicarbonates. But the presence of such plants is very ambiguous. After all, they tolerate a significantly high pH, which more sensitive plants that cannot break down bicarbonate will not survive.
So in this matter, the main indicator will be the ability to determine the pH and adjust it for your reservoir.
So what to do if the level of carbon dioxide drops or is insufficient for the life of plants and fish? There are several ways to adjust these indicators.
- Tablets designed specifically for aquariums. They are designed to hold a certain amount of water, so ask your pet store for instructions.
- Complex electrical devices that dose carbon dioxide into water. The disadvantage is the high cost and complexity of installation.
- Simple devices, so-called “brew generators”, which supply gas into the water in sufficient quantities, but not in doses.
It’s not entirely simple at first glance, but if you really want to, it can be done.
Mineral composition
It depends on the amount of macro and microelements appearance, the ability to grow and grow wild in aquarium plants, as well as those growing wild in natural reservoirs. But if in wildlife, especially in streams and rivers, the mineral composition suits the flora quite well, but in a closed reservoir, such as an aquarium, things are somewhat different.
Without a sufficient amount of mineral salts, plants stop growing normally within 8-10 days after planting in the ground. And adding artificial fertilizers and mineral compounds is not always beneficial. After all, it is difficult to determine what exactly vegetation needs. And manufacturers often do not indicate the composition of their “miracle drugs.”
The situation will be corrected by changing or partially changing the water in your home pond. You need to change the water at least once a week. You need to completely change the liquid at least once a month to a month and a half, depending on the volume of the aquarium.
And of course, fish waste plays an important role in the condition of plants. Properly selected aquarium inhabitants will take care of each other.
Well, the fish
Actually, these inhabitants will become the main asset and decoration of a home glass pond. It is necessary to make their life in captivity as comfortable and convenient as possible.
To do this, you need to follow many rules and use additional equipment for cleaning, filtering and aerating water. But this is a topic for a separate article, because there is so much information and it needs to be digested before you decide whether or not you want to admire the beautiful spectacle of the graceful dance of veiltails or make wishes while looking at goldfish.
A home aquarium with fish is the dream of many, but some people are afraid of the need to install and maintain an artificial pond, because an aquarium is a complex ecosystem. It is important not only to know what is needed to start the tank and how to properly install the equipment for the aquarium, but also to choose the right fish, plants and decorations. However, following simple instructions, even beginners who are interested in aquarium hobby will be able to set up an aquarium with their own hands.
Creating a home artificial pond with your own hands is a responsible and complex process, but quite doable if you follow the rules and recommendations of experienced owners. Setting up an aquarium includes several stages, the most important of which are the following: choosing a tank model, and what equipment is needed for the aquarium in order for the artificial pond to function normally.
Choosing an artificial reservoir model
Setting up an aquarium for fish always begins with choosing the tank itself. It is best for novice aquarists to give preference to small containers - 60-100 liters in volume, since caring for huge bodies of water is much more difficult. Best form tank - a rectangle or square, in which both fish and vegetation will be comfortable. Other forms of aquariums look more original and unusual, for example, round tanks or glass aquariums, but you should know that setting up an aquarium of such forms is more complex and time-consuming, and besides, pets will be uncomfortable in them.
Before installing an aquarium at home, experienced aquarists recommend considering the following points:
- the number and types of fish that the owner wants to place in the reservoir;
- types of desired flora;
- equipment.
Equipment
No body of water can exist for long without technical equipment, which is necessary to care for the tank and provide comfortable living conditions for fish and plants. You can install equipment for an aquarium with your own hands, following the simple instructions on the packaging of the equipment, but to do this you need to know what you need to buy from technical devices. So, before equipping an aquarium, you should choose the following devices in the store:
- filter;
- aerator;
- heater;
- thermometer;
- lighting.
This is a minimum list of what each fish tank requires. Models of devices are selected taking into account the requirements of future residents and the size of the reservoir. In addition to equipment, you should not forget to purchase tank care items:
- nets;
- sponges for washing;
- containers for placing fish;
- a lid or glass to cover the pond;
- glass scraper.
Having purchased the necessary equipment, you should not install it right away - you first need to take care of the soil.
Laying out the soil
Choosing a soil is an important step in how to set up an aquarium, because a lot depends on the type of substrate. aquatic environment. The most popular and convenient types of soil are sand or gravel, which contribute to the natural design of the pond and are easy to clean when dirty. You can buy soil in a specialized store, or get it yourself in nature. Before placing the soil for plants in the tank, the selected soil is treated by rinsing well in running water and calcining in an oven to get rid of bacteria and dirt. If the soil was purchased in a store, it must also be thoroughly washed.
After processing, the substrate is laid in an even layer on the bottom of the tank. The optimal thickness is 3–4 cm.
Scenery
One of the most exciting activities in arranging an artificial pond is the selection and placement of decorative elements. They can be presented in the form of stones, driftwood, sunken ships, houses, caves and other colorful and attractive objects. Here you can give free rein to your imagination and create a unique pond design using decorations to suit your taste. However, it is important not to forget that decorative elements, as well as the soil, should be thoroughly washed and treated before immersion. This is especially important for stones and snags taken from ponds or forests, as dirt, germs and bacteria can remain on them.
After laying out the soil and decorations, install the necessary equipment in the tank, fill the container with water and turn on only the filter, aerator and heater to create a temperature of 24–25C. The lights in the tank must be turned off.
Vegetation
Three days after filling the aquarium with water, you need to start planting vegetation. For beginners, unpretentious types of flora such as ferns, mosses, varieties of cryptocorynes and echinodorus are suitable. Aquarium flora is divided into several varieties, each of which is planted in a specific place: for example, flowers with a long and strong stem are planted in the background of the tank, and small and low shrubs are planted in the front.
Setting up an aquarium that is about to be launched for the first time should include planting many plants, since a small number of flowers will not cope with harmful algae and bacteria. Having placed the selected types of flora, you should turn on lighting fixtures for the growth and development of vegetation.
Fish
After five to six days, having carried out the necessary measurements and tests, and having made sure that the water indicators are acceptable for living, it is necessary to proceed to the last stage. The final and most enjoyable stage of setting up an aquarium is the selection and stocking of fish and shellfish. Beginning aquarists setting up a tank for the first time should give preference to unpretentious and colorful phenotypes, for example:
- catfish;
- guppy;
- neons;
- swordtails;
- zebrafish;
- gourami;
- angelfish;
- cockerels.
The number of pets depends on the size of the reservoir and fish. It should also be remembered that not all species get along with each other, so you should select neighbors for a species tank taking into account the compatibility of the fish.
Setting up an aquarium is a responsible process that requires compliance with rules and recommendations. Having selected the necessary equipment and launched an artificial reservoir, you should not forget to care for pets and vegetation, keeping the aquarium clean and tidy.
Video about setting up an aquarium
Content
Aquarium fish Quite often found in modern houses and apartments, as an option for pets. A beautiful aquarium can become a bright element of room decor and will decorate any room. It is important that it is clean, well-designed, and that healthy fish swim in the water.
For those who first decided to put an aquarium at home and equip it, it is important to take into account several rules and understand what main function he will carry. There are different types of aquariums: plant or animal, freshwater and sea. In addition, the methods and methods of caring for it also depend on the type of fish that will inhabit the home pond.
Before choosing an aquarium, you need to understand how many accessories and devices will be needed to fill it. All these are financial costs, so you need to initially decide what size container to choose, where to place it and what to fill it with. Major purchases that accompany the purchase include:
- the container itself is an aquarium of the required volume;
- aquarium cover and lighting;
- water filter;
- soil and plants for the aquarium;
- water thermometer and thermostat;
- compressor;
- aquarium cleaning products: scraper, hose, water conditioner;
- decor and accessories.
The range and choice of all accessories for an aquarium today can make you doubt even experienced breeders fish To decide what exactly to choose, in what quantities, and from which manufacturers, it is better to consult with consultants in the store or aquarium lovers who have been working with fish for a long time. They will tell you which accessories are really necessary and which you can do without.
Choice
The size and shape of an aquarium that can be installed at home depends on many factors. The main one is a place for a future fish house. If you have a suitable cabinet or table, then you can select the dimensions of the container to match the dimensions of the stand.
The most popular shape of aquariums is a rectangle, one of the options is an uneven and curved front wall, the so-called panoramic one. If you want to install a small home pond, it can be round. It is the round container that looks more harmonious and aesthetically pleasing in any interior. Although usually round aquariums have a small hole diameter and are more difficult to clean. A wide rectangular aquarium is easier to care for.
Depending on the material, the aquarium can be glass or acrylic. A container made of acrylic is much lighter than glass, and at first it will be more transparent. But over time, acrylic will become cloudy, so glass is more durable.
If the aquarium does not need to be moved from one place to another, or transported due to frequent moves, it is better to choose a glass container. When purchasing an aquarium, it is better to immediately get a lid for it with built-in lighting, so that later you do not have to take measurements and do not look for the same dimensions. When choosing a cover and lighting, it is important to look at what kind of lamp is there and whether it can be easily replaced if it burns out. It is also important to take into account that conventional incandescent lamps waste a significant amount of electricity, and they also provoke the rapid growth of plants in water. It is better that the lamp is special - fluorescent.
Where to install
The best option for placing an aquarium would be to purchase a special cabinet for it, inside of which cleaning equipment and fish food will be stored, and its design will be designed to support the weight of the container. A wooden table with four legs will not work for this. And for containers with a volume of over 100 liters, ordinary furniture will not work - you need a special stand. 
The design of such a cabinet is designed and made in such a way that the weight of the aquarium is distributed onto reliable supports that can support it. At the same time, the horizontal shelf does not bend under the weight of the load, which means that the aquarium will not deform or crack.
As for the placement of the pond cabinet in the room, choosing a place for it is not so difficult. It is important that it does not stand close to heating devices or radiators, and also that direct light does not fall on the surface of the glass. sunlight. Hit sun rays provokes flowering of plants and water pollution. It is better to choose a free wall along the room with oblique light from the window.
How to choose a good water filter
An aquarium filter not only enriches the water with oxygen, which is so important for fish, but also purifies it from harmful substances. In addition, the filter creates a flow of water and it does not stagnate. The filter must be selected based on the size of the aquarium: a small device with one compartment will work uselessly with a large volume of water, and the water will still gradually become polluted.
The principle of operation of all filters is approximately the same - water is pumped inside using a pump, passes through the filter materials and pours out the other side. Advanced models have several different compartments and levels of cleaning - first mechanical, then biological. Inside the biological compartment there is special remedy With beneficial bacteria, which allow you to purify water from fish waste products.
A good filter can act as a compressor, that is, it enriches the water with oxygen. For a small aquarium, such a two-in-one device will be quite enough. To understand whether you need to purchase an additional compressor for your aquarium, you can watch the fish: if they constantly float to the surface to take a sip of air, it means that the filter cannot cope with the function of the compressor.
From the entire range of filters in the store, a good sales consultant will help you choose the appropriate option that will serve for a long time and perform its functions.
Choosing a thermometer and thermostat
In autumn and spring, when the central heating is not yet working and the temperature in the apartment fluctuates, it is important to maintain the same water temperature in the aquarium, otherwise the fish may get sick or die. To do this, you need to purchase a water thermometer and a thermostat, which is also selected based on the size of the aquarium. A novice fish breeder may think that the thermostat is not such an important thing in an aquarium, but for many fish, temperature fluctuations of more than 5 degrees will cause discomfort or may cause an unexpected reaction.
You should not buy a small or cheap mechanism, it will not perform its function, and sooner or later you will still have to buy a quality device. But you can buy a thermostat with a thermometer function. It will take up less space and save money. 
Soil selection
The soil in an aquarium is not only soil for plant growth, it also performs several other functions. important functions. Firstly, the soil provides water filtration, and secondly, it is a source of food for some bottom-dwelling fish. In addition, it performs a decorative function. Most often, the following are used as soil for an aquarium: small pebbles, river sand, substrate (special nutrient soil) or quartz chips.
Care
In order to always keep the aquarium clean and the water clear, just a filter and soil are not enough. From time to time the container needs to be cleaned and washed. Several devices are used for this.
Firstly, to clean the bottom of the aquarium, you can use siphons - tubes that pump out dirty water. When the soil is cleaned in this way, the required amount of settled water is added to the aquarium.
Secondly, to clean the walls of the aquarium you need to use sponges and special scrapers. You can take a regular kitchen foam sponge, although it is better to buy a soft rubber or plastic brush specially designed for an aquarium.
Thirdly, you need to use water conditioners that normalize its composition. First of all, it is a dechlorinator - a substance that neutralizes the chlorine content in water. It is used when replacing water. To others useful substance for an aquarium is a bacterial starter, which is also used when filling the tank and saturates the water with beneficial bacteria.
Decor
There are also many different accessories and devices for decorating an aquarium. Most of them perform only a decorative function, so they are purchased and installed only at the request of the fish breeder. Although if you place an aquarium in a room to decorate and complement the interior, it is better to make it as beautiful and complete as possible.
Often the aquarium is decorated with the following decorative elements:
The background.
The background is pasted onto back wall aquarium and allows all lovers of contemplating the life of fish to look not at the wallpaper through glass, but at a picture that can be chosen at will. This could be a seascape, which will make the life of the inhabitants of the aquarium even more realistic, or it could just be a plain dark background of blue or green, giving the water an infinity effect.
Stones and driftwood.
For realism and similarity to the river bottom, you can put or install several artificial driftwood or stones on the ground. The modern assortment of such decorative elements allows the imagination of every aquarium owner to manifest itself and create the atmosphere at the bottom of the tank that you want.
The only point worth remembering is that it is important to know when to stop. Too many elements at the bottom of the aquarium will prevent the fish from swimming freely, and it will take a lot of time to clean and wash them all.
Artificial plants.
Whether it is necessary to place fake twigs and bushes of algae in an aquarium is a controversial question. On the one hand, they will decorate the aquarium, but will not provoke water blooming. On the other hand, live algae is still needed for the proper functioning of fish. And too much vegetation - live and artificial - can also prevent fish from moving freely inside the container. Fake plants can be used at first, when live algae have not yet grown, and then removed from the aquarium.
Having a freshwater aquarium at home is a wonderful way to bring home a piece of wildlife. In fact, setting up such an aquarium from scratch is much easier than it might seem at first glance. The range of aquarium gadgets and accessories on pet store shelves is daunting, but you'll only need the basics to get started. And very soon you will be admiring the fish swimming gracefully in your brand new aquarium.
Steps
Part 1
Installing the stand and tank- Furniture items such as chests of drawers, TV stands, the edge of a table/buffet, or flimsy wooden tables are not strong enough.
- Search large online pet stores for complete aquarium kits. Kits on sites like Craigslist often sell for a good price, but be sure to check for leaks before using and wash thoroughly before using.
- If you do not buy the equipment as a kit, make sure it is sized for your tank.
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Decide where you want to place the aquarium and stand. For the health of the fish it is very important to choose right place. It should be placed in a place where the temperature remains approximately the same and the light is not too bright. There should be at least 12cm between the aquarium and the wall to allow enough space for the filter. Here are some other things to keep in mind when choosing a location for your aquarium:
- Too intense sunlight will cause excessive growth algae and will turn caring for your aquarium into a nightmare. It is best to keep the inner wall away from bright light.
- It is better not to place the aquarium under the vent - dust will fall from there and get into the water. Plus, it will be difficult to maintain a constant temperature regime, and this is important for almost all types of fish and vital for some.
- It is also important to consider how much the floor can support the weight of a top-loaded aquarium. Make sure the floor structure allows this, or check the house plans and look for cross members.
- You need to place the aquarium close to an outlet, not forgetting how far you have to drag water to clean the aquarium once a week! The cord must not be stretched when you plug the plug into the outlet. In fact, it would be best to get a surge protection filter (greatly useful when the power returns abruptly after a power outage).
- Ideally, the aquarium stand should be placed on a wooden floor rather than on a mat or carpet.
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Select a suitable tank. It should be large enough to hold the required amount of water for the type and number of fish you plan to keep. The 2.5 cm per 3.5 liter (1 inch per 1 gallon) rule works quite poorly for small or big size You would never keep two 12cm long fish in an almost 40 liter aquarium! Various fish They require different amounts of space, and they also produce different amounts of waste. IN general outline, how more fish, the more waste she has, which means the more space she needs. Don't forget that various aquatic plants and aquarium decorations will also take up space.
Buy an aquarium stand. Aquariums of 75 liters and above will, one way or another, require a stand. Buy one that fits the shape and size of your aquarium. Don't underestimate the weight of a tank filled with water! Make sure the stand is compatible with the size of the tank or is designed to be very stable from the start. It is very important that it is stable and can support the weight of the tank. In this regard, the edges of the aquarium should not extend beyond the edge of the stand.
