Aquarium mainsail: selection and manufacturing methods

The grotto for the aquarium is not only a decorative element, but also serves as a shelter for fish. To create a unique design, you can do it yourself. Both special materials and improvised tools will come to the rescue, for example: shells, polystyrene or clay.

The mainsail is a rather large-sized decorative element. Because of this, not all aquarists agree to install it. But in some cases, the presence of this accessory is necessary, since it is able to perform protective functions and hide weaker fish from their aggressive and hostile counterparts.

Nevertheless, the choice is often made in favor of this decoration. It can be either purchased in a store or made with your own hands. The second option is chosen more often by people with a rich imagination and striving to create a unique design. It all depends on the preferences of the aquarist, his abilities and the availability of free time.

There are a lot of materials from which grottoes can be made. It can be both glass and wood, and, for example, ordinary clay. If it was decided to create an accessory on your own, the owner of the aquarium first of all needs to worry about so that the materials meet all safety requirements. If this is not followed, decoration can adversely affect the composition of the water, as well as the health and life of the inhabitants of the aquarium.

It is necessary to control so that the composition is not too high in iron. Its excess will lead to an increase in the number of adverse algae, respectively, the aquarium will have to be cleaned much more often, as well as filtered.

If the mainsail is made independently, the aquarist will need glue. In this case, experts advise stopping on such an option as silicone sealant: it is most harmless.

As for the finished structural elements, need to make them as smooth as possible. On sharp corners, active and nimble fish can get hurt. Also, wood that is capable of releasing tar should not be used. It is not recommended to use, for example, oak components. Better to choose something more secure.

Some aquarists are quite happy with ready-made models of grottoes, presented on store shelves. This is justified, since such a design can be purchased and simply placed in a container, thereby saving time and effort.

Decorations are chosen different: in shape, size, color scheme. When choosing, you need to consider that a small grotto will be lost in a large aquarium, so the value should be appropriate. Most offers from specialist outlets include clay options with many benefits.

However, one must not forget about the forms. There are some of the most sought after by consumers. Among them are the mainsail ship, mainsail castle, mainsail rock and mainsail skull.

Ship shaped mainsail often seen by aquarists. Usually it looks like a wrecked pirate ship, broken into several parts. Most often there are quite a lot of compartments where fish can take refuge. In addition, it is in it that you can hide the atomizer from the air compressor, often negatively affecting the appearance of the composition.

Grotto in the form of a underwater castle It looks just fabulous. It seems that the real sea kingdom is located in the aquarium.

Main rock Designed for those who love naturalness. Aquarists often place live plants next to it, and the grotto looks like part of the natural landscape.

And finally, lovers of unusual and mysterious decor will like skull-shaped grottoes. Some people prefer to drop several coins previously coated with waterproof varnish. They will help to create a brighter surroundings and decorate the composition.

Most often, aquarists choose natural materials for making the grotto, considering them more environmentally friendly and simple to use. However, there may be some nuances. For example, you need to consider that places where poor ecology is prohibited for the selection of parts for future construction. Also prohibited are stones with streaks of rust color. They say that the iron content is increased in the element, respectively, living aquarium inhabitants can be poisoned.

The scenery will need care. They must be regularly washed properly and even boiled. This will help eliminate problems such as the presence of parasites and pathogenic bacteria.

You also need to remember that the mainsail can be quite heavy. In order not to damage the aquarium, you will need stands capable of distributing weight. In addition, the design must be installed close to the fittings.

Aquarists often decide to make shelter from fairly large flat pebbles. Some of them can be fixed with silicone sealant if the fish are overly active and have a tendency to displace elements. Best used good quality plastic colorless glue.

Regardless of whether the mainsail is glued or not, the stones should not fall apart initially. The area of ​​contact of the surface affects the quality of the seams. Elements should be degreased using a solvent. You also need to consider that the first time volatile compounds will be released. To get rid of them, it is necessary to place the structure for 3-4 days in replaceable water.

It is quite easy to work with limestone. It does not cause difficulties during processing, but without it it is able to greatly increase the acidity level of water, therefore it requires washing and soaking. It should not be used with a soft liquid.

Sandstone also affects water, increasing its hardness. In addition, it leads to more active plant growth. Shell rock is able to regulate acidity and protects against excessive acidification.

As for lava, they are not able to change anything in the composition of the liquid. However, it has a rather high cost. And in order to prevent the release of substances, live plants and algae should be planted nearby.

Pebbles are much smaller than ordinary stones. Therefore, work with it can be disassembled step by step:

• flatter pebbles are first selected;
• then a template of the future grotto is made of cardboard;
• the dome is centered.

When choosing wood, you need to pay attention so that it is not resinous. Do not place the bark in the aquarium, you should also process the outer part and smooth the sharp edges. Caves are drilled, and their edges can be treated with a blowtorch. A wooden grotto is necessarily fixed.

When choosing clay, preference should be given to white. It has virtually no harmful impurities. The consistency of the material should resemble plasticine, then you can work with it. Many clay accessories are also sold in specialized stores.

When the desired shape is formed, the grotto needs to be dried. The process takes from 3 days to a week. If the product is wet, it will crack during firing. When working at home, an oven is used for firing, which gradually heats up to about 250 degrees. Hurry in this situation is not worth it. Firing time - up to 6 hours.

Coconut mainsail is a natural product that does not emit toxins and does not adversely affect water. The main condition - coconut must be ripe, but not stale.

To begin with, coconut is opened, milk is poured from it. After that, the back area is sawn off and the flesh is removed. The shell is boiled 2-3 times for half an hour with the obligatory draining of water and its washing.

If the pulp still remains inside, it must be removed with a stiff brush. After that, the necessary holes are cut out, and the accessory itself is soaked in replaceable water until it stops painting.

This is another convenient material for making the grotto. You can remove the neck or bottom of the bottle as follows: the rope is soaked in gasoline, the necessary area is tied with it, set on fire. The glass warms up, after which it must be lowered into a cold liquid. When the bottle crack in the right place, the chip is processed or melted.

Next, the tank is lubricated with aquarium glue and rolled in pebbles or sand. You can place pebbles or other decorative elements on top.

You will learn how to make a grotto for an aquarium from a plastic bottle from the video below.