Before you decide to start an aquarium at home, you should familiarize yourself with the simplest rules of caring for it. In fact, for beginners in aquariums there is nothing difficult, and, having understood some nuances of keeping fish, you can watch the underwater world without leaving your home.
Choice Aquarium
Arrangement of the underwater world in the home begins with the acquisition of glasshouses for fish. In specialized stores and on the websites you can find aquariums of various sizes. It is preferable to give preference to standard rectangular aquariums; it is also desirable that it was a fairly large tank. The fact is that in large tanks designed to contain fish, the most stable bacterial environment is formed. Besides, in such tanks, it is possible to place various algae and settle a larger number of fish, which will further breed the offspring.
Requirements for the placement of a home aquarium
When installing a home aquarium should adhere to certain requirements, including:
- Free access to an electrical outlet to connect equipment.
- The ability to easily carry out cleaning and feeding of fish.
- Reliability and stability of the surface on which the aquarium is installed.
- The absence of direct sunlight, as well as minimization of a nearby located noise source.
Water preparation
Before you fill the aquarium with water, it is worth preparing. For this, you need to defend it during the day. Also, make sure that there is no large amount of chlorine and harmful impurities. For the first bay, you will need special tests that will help determine the level of water hardness. For example, some fish are recommended softer water, others – more hard. Make water softer, you can use boiling or freezing. It is possible to add rigidity to the aquatic environment with the help of additional shells and river stones.
Necessary equipment
To provide all the necessary conditions for maintaining the life of fish and plants, you must purchase additional equipment in advance:
- External or internal filter. For small aquariums fit the internal filter, whose work eliminates stagnation and excessive turbidity of water. To filter the liquid in spacious tanks, you should purchase a more expensive external filter.
- The work of the lamp will ensure optimal growth of the aquarium flora, as well as help the fish to create conditions as close as possible to the natural habitat.
- Thermometer and a temperature controller is necessary to monitor the temperature and maintain a comfortable temperature.
- With the help of a compressor for saturating the water with oxygen, you will be able to provide the inhabitants of the aquarium with a comfortable life.
To care for the aquarium should take care in advance about the availability of necessary equipment. First of all, you should buy:
- Scraper for cleaning the walls of the tank;
- A net (better if it is several nets of different sizes);
- Siphon for cleaning the soil.
To make the aquarium look more attractive, you should additionally purchase decorations and decorations. They can not only create a certain atmospheric landscape but also contribute to the breeding of young stock. Indeed, in the decorative snags and walls of underwater castles, fry often hides from mature individuals who can eat them.
The most suitable fish for beginners aquarists
Among the most unpretentious fish that fit the role of the first aquarium pets, the following can be identified:
- Catfish;
- Viviparous guppies, swordtails or mollies;
- Cardinals;
- Lyalius;
- Danio rerio.
These fish are not picky about their temperature, water characteristics, and feeding. As for food for the inhabitants of the aquarium, you should pay attention to the ready-made mixtures intended for fish, depending on their size and habitat. So, for small individuals it is worth buying food in flakes, for larger pet’s granules are suitable, and for bottom fish, you should stock up on pressed food in the form of tablets.
Plants for the home aquarium
To create an aesthetic appearance of the aquarium and the comfortable living of its inhabitants should also pick up aquatic plants. Among their diversity, give preference to the most unpretentious options, among which are a roach, elodea, Javanese mosses, peristristum, and Thai fern.
An important point before launching purchased plants into an aquarium is their treatment with an aqueous solution with hydrogen peroxide. To prepare the solution should be in a liter of water add 1 teaspoon of 3% hydrogen peroxide.
Do not forget to periodically wash the algae, remove dead leaves and shoots, as well as prune the processes.
Basic rules of care
Those who believe that the fish and algae need only feeding and periodic change of water are deeply mistaken. Caring for an artificial reservoir is a concern for a small artificially created underwater world. Full life aquarium depends on the constant attention and care from the owner.
All concerns can be divided into several groups. On each of them in the future, we will stop in more detail.
- Daily procedures include feeding and inspection of inmates, as well as equipment testing. It takes all this no more than 10 minutes.
- Weekly care is to flush the filter, cleaning the walls of algae and soil from the remnants of food and waste of the inhabitants. All these procedures will take you no more than an hour.
- Monthly care is to replace the water and pruning plants.
Cleaning the walls of the aquarium
To clean the glass, use special scrapers and sponges. The use of sponges for washing dishes is categorically not permissible, since detergent may remain on their surface, which is detrimental to the inhabitants of the aquarium.
Recently, special magnetic scrapers have become popular, which are very convenient for cleaning glasses not only inside but also outside at the same time. Also often for this purpose, use scrapers and brushes with a long tip that allow you to clean the walls without soaking hands.
Weekly cleaning equipment
The key to the proper operation of the equipment is its regular cleaning. Filters perform several functions simultaneously: they retain dirt, remains of feed and particles of dead organic matter, and also are a source of microorganisms and bacteria for the biofilter.
In the event of a weakening of the jet should carry out a complete cleaning of the filter. To do this, all filter elements must be rinsed with clean water without adding any detergents. Also, use a clean cotton swab to flush the engine compartment.
Clean water replacement
The frequency of water changes in the aquarium is directly dependent on the size of the tank and the number of inhabitants. The first time after the launch of the fish should be replaced with water no earlier than 2 months; otherwise, there is a possibility of destruction of the ecosystem, so necessary for the life of fish and algae.
After 2-2.5 months, you can make a partial replacement of water. At the same time, no more than 20% of the total should be updated. In the future, for a young aquarium, it is recommended to replace water at least once a month, and after 2 years, when the ecosystem is fully formed, it is necessary to pour water more often – once every two weeks.
When replacing water, use the following algorithm:
- Put on the glass aquarium mark, which will not allow draining too much liquid.
- Using a hose or siphon, drain some of the water (up to the mark) from the bottom of the aquarium.
- Drain the water for 36 hours using a ladle, carefully pour it into the container to the mark. When pouring liquid, try not to disturb the inhabitants and not to damage the decorative elements.
Completely update the water in the aquarium should only be in emergency cases, which include:
- Sour soil;
- Diseases of the inhabitants;
- The appearance of mucus on the walls and decorative elements;
- Water bloom due to the rapid growth of algae.
Temperature adjustment
During the hot summer period, it is very difficult to avoid overheating of the water in the aquarium. It is possible to prevent the heating of the liquid from direct sunlight by using thick curtains and curtains. If the water has already become too warm, then it can be cooled with the help of plastic bags with ice.
Common mistakes in the care of a home aquarium
The following activities are not allowed during care:
- Frequent washing and complete replacement of the soil. This procedure can cause incredible stress in the fish and kill all the beneficial bacteria contained in the soil and aquatic environment.
- Use of household chemicals during the cleaning of the aquarium.
- With a partial replacement of water, it is not necessary to catch the inhabitants every time and place them in a new environment. With a careful replacement of the fish will not even notice the interference in their ecosystem.
- The periodic shutdown of all equipment. If lighting devices are even recommended to be switched off at night, then filters and temperature regulators should work constantly – they provide water purification and prevent sudden temperature fluctuations.
With proper and regular care, you will be able to enjoy the beauty and splendor of the colors of the inhabitants of your underwater world for a long time.
