A 300 liter aquarium is a serious acquisition and responsible. Most likely, this decision is no longer made by a beginner, but by a person who has had experience in creating the underwater world, but in more miniature versions. If this is the first experience, all the more you need to take into account all the nuances when buying such an aquarium.
Advantages and disadvantages
The indisputable advantage of an aquarium of 300 liters is its impressive volume, which allows you to create a truly sustainable living environment for a large number of inhabitants. It will become a decoration of the interior, and create a kind of relaxation zone.
However, one must be prepared for the fact that it will simply be impossible to rearrange it. Often before installing such a large aquarium you have to customize the entire interior of the room for it.
In addition, you need to be prepared for the fact that you will have to take care of such a capacity regularly spending time on this. For some, this can be a significant minus.
Shape and size options
To install a 300-liter aquarium, you need a strong pedestal stand, and the floor must withstand such a weight. Only the weight of glass with a thickness of at least 10 mm from which the aquarium is made can exceed 80 kg. Thus, a ready-made running aquarium with a volume of 300 liters with all auxiliary devices, soil, cover glass and other things will have a weight of more than 400 kg.
The standard dimensions of a 300-liter aquarium look something like this: length 140 cm, height and width 46 cm. Some manufacturers of aquariums prefer slightly different dimensions: length 120 cm, height 60 cm, width 43 cm.
In such a reservoir, the bottom area and, accordingly, the surface of the water are reduced. This somewhat reduces the specific pressure on the bottom, front and rear windows.
Wall mounted aquariums are very small in width with impressive length and height. Without taking up a lot of space, they allow you to revive one of the walls or act as a decorative partition when zoning the room. At present, you can find corner aquariums, the shape of which allows you to place them most rationally, taking the empty corner of the room.
There are also low aquariums, suggesting the observation of their inhabitants not only through the side windows, but also from above.
The shape of such containers does not have to be rectangular, square or hexagonal is acceptable; to increase the strength, the bottom of such reservoirs is best made double with additional stiffeners.
How to choose?
When choosing an aquarium, you need to consider the following nuances:
- choosing a 300-liter aquarium, you must first think about the changes that it will bring to the interior of the room;
- an important factor should be accessibility to the equipment and the reservoir itself, because for holding various kinds of necessary events such an aquarium will be neither tilted nor rotated, so the form remains the most important selection criterion;
- Of course, you will have to pay attention to the price, the most expensive will be ready-made aquariums with a lid and a specially made cabinet, a pond can be cheaper if you make a cabinet for it yourself or use existing furniture.
Where to install?
Placing a 300-liter aquarium is a responsible matter. It will be very difficult to experiment with this, because moving will require the complete release of the reservoir from the inhabitants, water and soil. Otherwise, it simply cannot be moved.
Due to the availability and variety of lighting fixtures The most important criterion for choosing the installation site of a modern aquarium is its value as an element of the interior.
But it should be borne in mind that you need to place the tank away from heating appliances, direct sunlight and drafts.
How to equip?
The arrangement of a 300-liter aquarium is not much different from the arrangement of any other.
Soil is quite ordinary - coarse sand or pebbles. It can be purchased at any pet store. The soil layer is selected depending on the needs of the intended plants. When laying the soil, you should try to place a pipeline with a spray in it to mask it. It can be useful to heat the water and soil with the help of heaters.
For a reservoir of 300 liters, an external filter that does not occupy the volume of the aquarium can be used. A compressor that performs aeration and filtration should be appropriate for the volume.
Lighting will be quite powerful. Due to the great depth of LED strips can be ineffective, you will need fluorescent lamps that simulate the color of the day sky in combination with lamps that simulate sunlight.
How many and what kind of fish can I keep?
300 liters is actually an impressive volume in which a variety of inhabitants can live with sufficient comfort. Even more opportunities are provided by aeration of water, which allows to increase their number at times. You can consider the following options:
- small fish (neons, guppies, zebrafish) can contain up to 100;
- medium-sized catfish - up to 20;
- otocinclus to - 10;
- the average size of schooling fish (barbs, gourami) is about 8;
- large (scalars, discus) and ancistruses - within 3-4.
When choosing fish for such an aquarium, it is necessary to take into account their compatibility with each other. If the aquarium is decorative, then, of course, an important factor in the selection will be the filling of its entire volume. Various medium-sized catfish will revive the near-bottom space, the water column can be inhabited by a variety of schooling fish (neon, gourami, zebrafish, lalius, barbus) and a couple of three large slow fish (discus, angelfish, gold).The near-surface layer of water is actively filled with viviparous animals (guppies, mollinesias, swordsmen).
You can equip fish and plants on a geographical basis, simulating the ponds of certain parts of the world, such a combination can look very organic and quite decorative.
How to care?
Caring for a water reservoir of 300 liters includes all procedures that apply to smaller aquariums. It is as follows:
- obligatory daily inspection and monitoring of the condition of electrical equipment;
- regular weekly water change, up to 25% of the volume;
- once a month thinning and trimming of plants, cleaning the soil and replacing up to 50% of the volume of water.
See how to clean and change the water in the aquarium by 300 liters.
