Running an aquarium: rules and step-by-step instructions

A novice aquarist does not just bring new residents into the house. It arranges a miniature ecosystem bounded by the glass walls of the aquarium. You will have to tinker a lot with its arrangement, but the underwater world will delight the eye, and its inhabitants will amaze you with activity and bright color.

First you need to determine the shape of the aquarium. Regardless of the displacement, the standard rectangular aquarium is considered the best option for beginners. It is easy to maintain, and small containers of 30 liters and 40 liters do not take up much space.

A small container is placed on a table with a smooth smooth surface, an aquarium of 60, 100 or 200 liters is installed on a strong stand.

A new aquarium does not require thorough cleaning, but after purchase it should be prepared by rinsing under cool running water without soap and other detergents.

To wash away all particles of disinfectants, the walls of the aquarium are rinsed at least four times under the strong pressure of warm water. After that, it is again washed with standing water. For this, ordinary tap water is left to stand for two to three days.

The same protected water is poured into the aquarium to the brim and left for several days. During this time, the water will pull out the remains of the sealant and harmful toxins. And this measure will make sure that the tank is not leaking.Well, then completely drain the water and proceed to the next step.

Soil adorns the bottom of the aquarium, prevents stagnation of water and prevents the appearance of harmful bacteria.

There are several recommendations on this subject.

• The most effective is the way in which the stones are calcined in the oven or boiled on a stove. The cooled soil is rinsed with standing water without chlorine and laid on the bottom of the aquarium with a layer thickness of 3-5 cm.
• There is a more time-consuming option when the soil is poured into a bucket, poured with cool water and thoroughly mixed by hand. This process is repeated up to five times until the water in the bucket becomes more transparent.
• Decorative shells, grottoes or large stones are thoroughly cleaned with salt or soda, and then washed under running hot water. If the paint fades during the cleaning process or glue seeps out, it is worth choosing another option for decoration. Indeed, with a constant presence in the water, such a decor will emit harmful toxins, which will lead to the death of the inhabitants of the aquarium. If the cleaned decor has not lost its presentable appearance, it can be installed on the ground.
• The driftwood from the roots of the trees is cleaned of bark and boiled in salted water for five to eight hours. For greater disinfection, it is allowed to add a weak solution of potassium permanganate to the water. During cooking, change the water three or four times, and then soak for a week in decanted water. Only after this can the driftwood be considered ready for installation.

Pre-purchased plants are washed with running and filtered water to clean from dirt, earth and sand. After that, they are placed for 10 minutes in a weak solution of potassium permanganate, and then washed again.

Then, too long roots are cut with scissors and left in a jar of clean water for four days. After this, the algae are considered ready for transplantation into the aquarium soil. With fishes there is a more troublesome process.

In a jar or bag with brought fish you need to install aeration and leave them like this for several hours. After this, part of the native water is drained and the missing volume is added from the aquarium.

To disinfect the snails, they should be placed in a container separate from the fish and one of the drugs should be added to it. It can be table salt, methylene blue or a low dose of an antibiotic. Water is changed once a day.

Under such conditions, snails live for two to three weeks. During this time, harmful microbes and microorganisms will be destroyed, and mollusks will not be dangerous for fish. Well, then they are populated by the other inhabitants of the aquarium.

For the successful functioning of the future ecosystem, special equipment should be acquired. This is, for example, a filter that purifies water from clogging. A set of interchangeable sponges should be bought for it to maintain the purity and transparency of the water.

Using a heater, you can maintain a constant temperature of the water in the aquarium, and a water thermometer will allow you to monitor the slightest changes. The compressor saturates the water with oxygen, the siphon allows you to quickly and efficiently clean the soil.

The list is supplemented by a set of tests for water, which show the hardness and acidity of the water, and also allows you to determine the amount of nitrites and nitrates. It is these indicators that make it possible to determine a favorable moment for populating the aquarium with living plants and inhabitants.

The net will allow you to remove residual feed from the aquarium. Using a scraper, the walls of the aquarium are cleaned of plaque and overgrown algae. For a timely change of water in a container, it is worth keeping a bucket of settled water.

If there was no cover in the kit with the aquarium, it should be purchased separately. This simple device will protect the home water area from dust, and a number of devices are attached to it.

A number of experts recommend pouring water into the aquarium directly from the tap, but this advice is more suitable for experienced aquarists. For those who start the aquarium for the first time, it is better to defend the water in clean buckets and basins.

Water should be sedimented from a few days to a week - it all depends on the quality of water in a particular region. At the time of settling, the containers are covered with gauze. After the expiration of the infusion, determine the water parameters using special tests.

The second changes under the influence of temperature, aeration, nitrate levels, selected soil and plants. The acidity of water directly affects the well-being of the inhabitants of the aquarium, therefore this indicator requires constant monitoring.

Water hardness can be both reduced and increased. In the first case, add distillation or melt water, plant an elodea or hornwort in the aquarium. In the second, shells, chalk, limestone or coral chips are added. Specific indicators of hardness depend on the type of fish that will inhabit the aquarium.

The process can be accelerated using special water conditioners. These drugs contribute to the rapid purification of water, as they remove harmful substances within a few hours.

After insisting water perform a series of manipulations.

• Water is gently poured from the tank into the aquarium using a bucket so as not to stir the soil. The liquid is not poured to the end, since a precipitate of heavy metals forms at the bottom of the basins and buckets.
• During the filling process, small particles may rise from the bottom of the aquarium, which will settle during the first three days after filling the tank. If this does not happen, all the manipulations will have to be repeated first.
• On the second or fourth day after the bay, the water will become cloudy due to the growth of bacteria. Do not be scared, this is a natural process. A few days will pass and the liquid will again become transparent. Normally, the water acquires a yellowish tint.
• In the aquarium, install and connect a filter, compressor and heater (recommended water temperature is 24-25 degrees). After 5-7 days, you can plant the first unpretentious plants like hornwort, nass, wallisneria, anubias, elodea, Indian fern, hygrophil or ambulia.
• After that, you can go to the store for a special sourdough with useful bacteria or to friends - for squeezing the existing aquarium from the filter. This will create the necessary environment in the aquarium.

You can feed them frozen, dry or live food. It is important not to overfeed and arrange fasting days in order to avoid a bacterial outbreak.

Sharing of the remaining inhabitants should be carried out gradually, so as not to upset the established balance. The first months require monitoring the state of water and the behavior of the fish.

Insisting water is the most troublesome stage, which takes a long time. However, the quick launch of the aquarium will negatively affect its inhabitants.Therefore, it is better to once again test the water and make sure that it is suitable for the life of fish.

With the main stages of preparation, everything is more or less clear.

To properly run the mini water area, you must perform all the necessary manipulations.

1. To prepare the settled water.
2. Place the background on the back of the aquarium. Suitable film with a picture / photo collage or 3D volumetric background.
3. Place the nutrient mixture on the bottom of the aquarium according to the attached instructions.
4. Place the ground and decor. The soil is laid out under a slight slope from the back wall to the front. Large elements of decor are placed at the back and side walls of the aquarium. Smaller ones are placed in front.
5. Half fill the aquarium with water and start planting the plants. First, undersized algae are planted, then tall ones.
6. Fill the tank to the top and arrange the equipment. The heater is located next to the filter for uniform heating. A compressor is installed outside, LED lamps on the aquarium cover.
7. You should wait three to four days. When the turbidity settles, and the water becomes clear again, it should be tested. If the liquid meets the required parameters, it is necessary to replace a third of the water and place the first two fish and a couple of snails in it.
8. Connect the backlight, filter and compressor.
9. You need to feed the fish the next day.
10. Wait 4-5 days. If the water remains clear and the inhabitants active, you can start the next pair.

If after a week the water does not deteriorate, and the fish have a good appetite and calm behavior, you can congratulate a beginner on the successful launch of his first aquarium.

There are a number of common mistakes that beginners make.

Often, beginners tend to populate the aquarium with bright fish as quickly as possible and at the same time forget about the biological balance of the underwater world. As a result, general pestilence begins in the water area, and the pets die in a matter of days. To prevent this from happening, you need to populate the fish gradually.

Special tests will help determine the state of water.

Sometimes beginners do not take into account the capacity of the aquarium. The number of residents should be selected based on 2-3 liters per individual up to 5 cm (half a liter - per snail). This is especially important when starting a small aquarium of 20 or 30 liters.

It is not uncommon for beginners to populate predatory and peaceful fish in one aquarium, chasing a bright color or unusual appearance. As a result, fish fight, bite fins from each other, and predators perceive small fish as prey.

It is desirable that these were hardy viviparous breeds that do not take root in the most ideal conditions. These are, for example, guppies, mollinsia and pecilia.

It is important to take into account the difference in the conditions of keeping different species of fish. Some breeds require harder water, others - softer, still others prefer warm tropical water. therefore you need to select species that have approximately the same care requirements.

These breeds are unpretentious, feel good even at room temperature. Minor fluctuations for them are insignificant. It is important that the thermometer does not exceed 25 degrees, since being in warm water ends in the death of the fish.

Looking at the fish, you might think that they are always looking for food. But in fact, it is enough to feed them only twice a day: morning and evening. At the initial stage, wards may well do with one meal a day.

Excess feed should be removed by the net.

Often, after starting, beginners notice bubbles on the walls of the aquarium. This suggests that the water taken for launch turned out to be cold. When the heater began to heat it to the desired temperature, bubbles formed from air and steam.

Running fish in such water is not recommended. You should wait until all the bubbles disappear and the temperature of the liquid reaches the desired degree.

Another common mistake is insufficient water filtration. A good filter should clean the entire volume of water three times per hour. If the capacity is too large, it is worth considering the additional installation of pump filters.

Illumination with a power of 0.35 W / l should work 8-10 hours a day, filters and aerators - 24 hours a day. The equipment should be regularly washed with clean water and monitor the health of his work. In case of the slightest deviations, it is necessary to replace the damaged device as soon as possible.

Successful launch of the aquarium is the beginning of an interesting path and the acquisition of new knowledge. After all, the mini-water area needs careful care, and its inhabitants need constant care. For example, twice a week you need to partially replace the water so that the fish do not pick up any sore.

Periodically, it is necessary to clean the soil and decor elements, on which algae accumulate and mucus sticks. Live algae need to be fed. Periodically, they need to be cut off, as the overgrown shoots block the light.

Every week, water parameters should be checked.

After the purchase, a new fish should be placed in a separate container filled with water from a common aquarium and held there for at least two weeks. If she still looks healthy, she can be lodged with new neighbors.

A similar rule applies to planting new living plants: first, disinfection and mandatory quarantine in a separate bank, and only then - rooting in the soil of the aquarium.

There are no great difficulties, but caring for home waters definitely requires increased attention from the owner.

How to start the aquarium, see below.