Marine aquariums: fish and equipment selection, launch rules

The seabed with exotic fish and coral reefs is a beautiful creation of nature! It is a lifetime with its own rules and laws. Sea anemones, clown fish, starfish - everything “breathes”, pulsates and amazes with a variety of colors. Fascinated by this beauty, many aquarists instead of a freshwater aquarium create a marine and successfully keep it at home.

A marine aquarium is a complex ecosystem that mimics the sea with its inhabitants. Such a reservoir is populated with exotic species of fish, and at its bottom create stunning coral reefs in beauty. Other creatures are also hooked into the aquarium: hermit crabs, shrimps, starfish and hedgehogs. The color of many marine inhabitants is very bright, sometimes fluorescent, due to this, such an aquarium looks gorgeous in the interior.

To start it, you need to properly prepare the water, buy "live stones" and connect a lot of equipment. Marine life is very sensitive to environmental changes, so you have to constantly monitor such water parameters as temperature, hardness, alkalinity, acidity and calcium content.

Pros of a saltwater aquarium obvious:

• the bewitching beauty of the underwater world, such an aquarium will transform any interior;
• you can contain unusual sea creatures, it is very interesting and informative;
• breeding of exotic fish is a profitable occupation, fry of some species are not cheap (about 7-10 thousand rubles per individual).

A marine aquarium, of course, is very attractive, but it is worth knowing about the disadvantages of its content:

• full technical equipment is needed, equipment may even require a separate rack;
• to start the aquarium and topping up the environment it is very difficult to prepare water that meets all the parameters;
• a marine aquarium is a financially expensive pleasure, equipment and marine inhabitants themselves are expensive.

Sea aquariums are different, 3 main types can be distinguished:

• with fish;
• with fish and with "living stones";
• reef.

The first species involves keeping only fish in an artificial pond. This is the most economical option for a saltwater aquarium. But caring for him is not so simple, and it will be difficult for a beginner. Firstly, there may be problems with the launch of the aquarium, since without the “living stones” the ecosystem is much longer and more complex to form; secondly, it is necessary to monitor the water parameters more carefully and install powerful filters.

In one aquarium you can keep several peaceful species or limit yourself to predators. It is also recommended to hook up other sea creatures: snails and hermit crabs. They will help control the growth of harmful algae.

The second view is an aquarium with fish and live stones. This is the most preferred option. “Living” are called sea stones, inside which various microorganisms live, and when the necessary conditions are created, they begin to grow and develop. Due to this, the ecosystem necessary for marine life is formed quite quickly in a marine aquarium. Also, the "living stone" provides natural filtration in an artificial reservoir and eliminates nitrates from the water. Caring for such an aquarium will be easier, but you should know that “living stones” are not cheap - about 600-800 rubles per 1 kg.

The third type of aquarium is a reef, the most difficult in content. For the growth and development of different types of corals, it is necessary to create ideal conditions. This is high-quality lighting, and the purchase of various additives, and daily monitoring of water indicators. Despite this, many are attracted to just such an option for the aquarium. Sea reefs are literally dazzling with a riot of colors and a variety of shapes. Soft corals look interesting, they sway beautifully in time with the flow, and hard corals have a wide range of colors. But you should know that not all invertebrate organisms are friendly with each other, so you should carefully select their neighbors.

The size of the saltwater aquarium may vary. The larger the capacity, the longer the purity is maintained and the more stable the environmental parameters in the reservoir. But you should not choose a tank that is too large for the first time, since powerful and expensive equipment is required for aquariums with a volume of 500-1000 liters. Therefore, for beginner aquarists it is recommended to purchase a tank with a volume of about 100-200 liters - this is optimal for the first experience.

Some fish can also be populated into a small aquarium; preference is given to peaceful and small-sized species. However, it is worth considering: it will be more difficult to establish biological equilibrium in it, many additional reagents and constant monitoring of all indicators will be required.

For the organization of the sea pond choose a strong, reliable tank.If the tank starts to leak when the artificial sea starts, all the work done will be wasted. Therefore, when choosing a tank, you should pay attention to the following points:

• glass thickness (aquarium up to 30 l - 4 mm, from 50 to 120 l - 6 mm, from 200 to 300 l - 8 mm);
• lack of scratches and chips;
• smooth joints without defects.

It is better to contact specialized stores or a trusted master. When you purchase from them, you will receive a guarantee, and in case of problems, defective goods can be returned. In addition, the new aquarium will last longer.

A marine aquarium is equipped with all necessary equipment. It does not look very aesthetically pleasing in a sea body of water, moreover, it takes up a lot of space, so they install a sump. This is a separate tank in which all devices supporting the marine environment are placed. For a sump, a secluded place is chosen near the aquarium, for example, behind a pond or in a pedestal. Water from the aquarium enters this separate tank, passes through all the cleaning systems, and returns to corals and fish.

In order for the marine inhabitants to feel comfortable, the aquarium is equipped with the following equipment:

• lamps;
• flotator;
• fluidized bed filter;
• flow pomp;
• calcium reactor;
• heater and cooler.

Light in a marine aquarium is necessary primarily for corals, so if you are going to grow them, then you need high-quality lighting. It is recommended to purchase high intensity metal halide, fluorescent or LED lamps.

With such lighting, marine life will look even more spectacular. Lamps are installed above the aquarium.

A flotator will ensure the purity of the sea world. Its other name is skimmer or penny. It removes dirt and harmful organics from the aquarium, which poisons marine inhabitants, causes diseases and even their death. It’s better to choose the best one, it’s impossible to save on it. It is fixed on the back of the tank or installed in a sump.

The fluidized bed filter brightens and purifies water. It is a flask into which various fillers are filled. For marine aquariums, biogranules are recommended; they promote the growth of beneficial aerobic bacteria that absorb nitrates and phosphates. The fluidized bed filter is installed in the sump next to the foam.

In addition, corals such as xenia, sarcophytones, sinularia pulsate beautifully and sway under the influence of water flows. The aquarium looks more interesting, it “breathes” and “lives”.

A calcium reactor saturates water with calcium and carbonate. Its installation in the aquarium is optional, since the necessary additives can be added to the water yourself. It is necessary only in the case of hard corals, which require a lot of calcium for growth. But the heater and cooler are best purchased. They will help maintain the temperature necessary for marine life and avoid its sudden changes.

The population in the aquarium is selected very carefully - it is necessary that the inhabitants of the sea are not at enmity with each other, and their living conditions are approximately the same. The following are the 7 most popular saltwater aquarium fish.

• Clown fish - easy to maintain marine inhabitants. Peaceful, active and mobile, like to live in a flock.Body color is bright orange with white stripes.

• Surgeon - This is a herbivorous fish that will rid the aquarium of unwanted algae.

The fish is very beautiful: a blue-blue abdomen with contrasting black stripes and a yellow tail.

• Zebrasoma - peaceful marine fish with a bright yellow color. They love to eat algae, prefer to stick in a flock. They need bright lighting and a spacious aquarium.

• Chrysiptera Sapphire - quite aggressive species of marine fish. The abdomen is painted in sapphire blue color and in bright light beautifully casts with lilac and green hues. In an aquarium with chrysipters, you need to create many shelters.

• Guban pajamas - The fish is territorial and aggressive towards its neighbors. Therefore, it can only be kept with strong fish or alone. The gubana pajamas have a gorgeous color, most often lilac-blue individuals with bright orange stripes, but there are many other color variations.

• Tulle Apogon - The original fish with high x-ray fins.

Apogony peaceful and interesting creatures. Get along well with each other and with other non-aggressive species.

• Parrot - In general, peaceful creatures, but do not mind eating some shellfish and corals. They got their name because of their resemblance to birds - the mouth of a fish resembles a beak.

A marine aquarium is interesting in that it can hold not only fish, but also other no less interesting creatures:

• sea ​​shrimp;
• hermit crabs;
• starfish;
• snails;
• crabs;
• sea ​​urchins.

In a small reservoir with a volume of 50 liters or more, you can populate 2 clown fish and several sea shrimp.

For one individual sapphire chrysipters, you need a 100-liter tank, and for a male and two females - an aquarium of at least 300 liters. For zebras and surgeons, you need a larger aquarium - from 200 liters per individual, and for parrot fish you need a capacity of at least 500 liters.

The design of an exotic aquarium can be any, but preference is given to one that emphasizes the natural marine environment. The landscape of the seabed is recreated from “living stones”, the soil is chosen white, and a blue or blue background is fixed on the back wall - It gives the effect of sea depth. As underwater life develops, new species of coral are added, thereby adding variety to the reef's color palette. If the aquarium starts without "living stones", then the seabed is recreated using artificial decorations.

Before starting the aquarium, it is prepared as follows:

• wash well without soap;
• set on a flat, stable surface;
• place all technical equipment;
• add salt water;
• include filters;
• leave for a day;
• add sand and "living stones";
• include all equipment.

It should be noted that water is salted with the help of special mixtures, and not ordinary home salt. The addition of salts takes place in a separate bowl.

This can be done in a separate container. The stones are washed until the water is clear. Sand is also thoroughly washed.

Usually, the necessary biological balance is established within 2-3 weekswhen it is reached you can launch the fish. Often during the process of starting up an aquarium, one can detect the rapid growth of diatoms. They cover the walls of the aquarium and sand. Do not worry about this, this is considered the norm. When biological equilibrium is reached, diatoms begin to disappear.Many sea creatures love to feast on them, so green fouling will not have a chance of survival.

After a successful launch of the aquarium it is necessary to monitor the biological balance of the marine world:

• 1 time in 2-3 weeks to replace 25% of the water;
• ensure uninterrupted operation of all technical equipment; equipment cannot be turned off even at night;
• check the water parameters several times a month.

In order to prevent overgrowth of unwanted algae, a balance between nitrate and phosphate must be constantly maintained. If any of the indicators drops to 0, then add sodium nitrate or potassium dihydrogen phosphate.

Installed filters and beneficial microorganisms will maintain high water purity. Sometimes you can clean the bottom yourself, do it very carefully using a siphon. Only the darkest areas are selected, if the soil is light, then do not touch it. After cleaning sand, you can accidentally remove some useful microorganisms from the aquarium. They monitor the health of fish and their behavior, feed according to the preference of each species. If the marine inhabitants feel good, then the aquarium itself looks bright and cheerful.

How to start a saltwater aquarium, see below.