Aquarium glass will be an excellent gift for beginner aquarists, as well as for adherents of minimalism. You can make a glass using several types of algae and populate it with cockerels or small catfish. Caring for such a large vase requires a minimum of time, and the original appearance of the aquarium in the form of a glass will be a great addition to the interior.
Advantages and disadvantages
Aquariums in the form of wine glasses have a different volume. Most often, these tanks have a capacity of 5 to 16 liters. Glass aquariums are not suitable for accommodating schooling flocks. The volume of the aquarium up to 16 liters is suitable for living only one individual. If the tank capacity exceeds 16 liters, then such an aquarium is suitable for settling a couple of smaller individuals.
The advantage of the aquarium glass is primarily its practicality. Tanks are made of acrylic glass or environmental plastic, which makes the product quite durable. There are other pluses.
- Due to its shape and light weight, the aquarium-glass can be easily moved from one place to another.
- In the summer, such a container can be placed in fresh air.
- Of the advantages, it is worth noting the ease of care. The pond is easy to wash and clean.
The disadvantage of such a tank is its equipment. Most often, with mini-aquariums, a filter, a pump, a cover, a backlight are included. A good filter requires a powerful filter, which cannot be said about a filter for aquarium glasses. Illumination in a small pond promotes heating of the water, which negatively affects the well-being of some species of fish. After turning off the backlight, the water cools quickly.This leads to temperature differences, which also does not contribute to providing good and stable living conditions for the inhabitants of the tank.
Besides, it takes a considerable time for the beneficial bacteria to settle in the filter. This takes up to 6 weeks. Therefore, at hand should always be protected water. At first, it is required to replace 25% of the fluid at least 2 times a week.
Problems may arise with the heater. Not every device is designed for a small volume of water.
The shape of the glass has several limitations:
- the height of the product is greater than the width, and this significantly limits the movement of fish;
- curved walls distort the image;
- the amount of soil in the aquarium is minimal, so only certain plant varieties can be planted;
- a small filter gets dirty very quickly, and cleaning it is much more problematic than a larger device.
Settling the aquarium and its design
When populating an aquarium in the form of a vase, the features of a spherical shape should be taken into account. In such a reservoir, the presence of oxygen in the water is not enough for some species of fish. In addition, the curved lines of the glass distort and refract light, which is a great stress for fish and can affect their well-being.
Small specimens are suitable for a small tank. For example, in such an aquarium you can populate a small catfish. It’s good that the catfish themselves clean green plaque from the walls of the tank.
In a small pond, males, neons, lilies and guppies feel great. In most cases, the cockerels live in the glasses. The fish is very bright and noticeable. A cockerel can regularly swim to the surface and swallow oxygen. Fish prefers warm water temperature and bright lighting. If a cockerel lives in the aquarium-glass, you should take care of buying a heater to constantly maintain a comfortable temperature in it.
And also it should be remembered that over time, small individuals begin to breed. The number of copies must be controlled. Overpopulation of such a small aquarium can be dangerous.
Some believe that a goldfish is considered an ideal option for a glass aquarium. This is an erroneous opinion. In conditions of a limited amount of oxygen in the tank, goldfish can hurt and develop poorly. Goldfish is more suitable for large reservoirs with dense vegetation.
The following equipment for the aquarium glass is required:
- a filter;
- a heater;
- compressor;
- lighting.
The power of the devices should be selected depending on the variety of inhabitants of the aquarium. When choosing, you should purchase compact equipment designed specifically for small ponds.
The main principle of designing a small aquarium is minimalism. At the bottom, you can place a small amount of soil and add it all with algae. Experienced aquarium enthusiasts are advised to purchase a pair of living plants that do not need rooting in the soil. It is not necessary to fill out the vessel with plants in layers. Such planting of vegetation can lead to problems with sanitation and the growth of bacteria.
You can complement the decor with various decorative elements, but they should be in moderation. Fish should always be in sight.
Wine glasses are always complemented by a lid. And also this option is suitable for those who have a cockerel living in the aquarium.
It should be noted several advantages of glasses with a lid:
- prevents fish jumping out;
- protects against various objects;
- on the cover you can fix the lighting in the form of a backlight.
Glass Capacity Care
Such an aquarium has its own characteristics in the care.
Water should be changed once a week or once every 10 days. Replace should be up to 25% of water. Water should not be from the tap. It is better to use settled water for a shift.
During the cleaning of the aquarium, you need to transfer the fish to another tank so as not to cause harm. To do this, use a special net.
The glass walls of the tank are cleaned regularly using magnetic scrapers or blade scrapers. The bottom also requires thorough washing.
All decorative elements are wiped and disinfected to avoid infection of the aquarium with dangerous bacteria.
To remove residual excrement from the soil, use a compressor or siphon. To remove organic residues, the soil is siphoned up to 3 times a month.
When buying an aquarium-glass, it is recommended to immediately purchase a biological filter. The device cleans the soil from pollution, excrement and algae.
Necessary tools for cleaning the tank:
- special net for fish;
- container with fresh water;
- paper napkins;
- scraper.
It may seem to many that an aquarium-glass causes more problems than a large tank. This is not true. With the timely prevention of disease care and the proper maintenance of its inhabitants, a vessel in the form of a glass will become not only an aesthetic addition to any interior. The design of such tanks is a pleasure, and watching the fish helps to relax in the evening.
Overview of the aquarium glass in the video below.
