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FIRST START


Well, it seems we came to the final stage - the launch of the aquarium. What is the launch of an aquarium and how to do it. Everything is not so difficult, and this section, unlike all the others, is the smallest, because Nothing too abstruse and difficult to launch the aquarium is not. So let's start by consistently explaining everything, we hope you will understand everything.
First, check if you have purchased all the necessary equipment: naturally the aquarium itself, the stand under it, the lamps (unless of course they are mounted in the cover), the heater, the thermometer, the filter, the compressor (if necessary), the soil, [stones, wood, terraces and Other decorative charms (if you plan to have them)], required tests PH; DH; KH; Some additional items (a scraper, a net, a siphon), but more they will be needed later. In general, we will assume that you have not forgotten anything. We chose the place where your aquarium will stand, checked the stand for strength. Please note that water weighs a lot, plus soil, stones, etc. Now we will continue:

1. Place the aquarium on the stand, having first put the foam-foam-polyethylene foam, polystyrene sheet and the like, under the bottom of the tank, with a thickness of approximately 0.5 to 5-10 mm (depending on the mass of the aquarium).

2. Check if the aquarium does not leak by pouring water into it, repair it if necessary, if new, exchange it. It is best to do this in the bathroom, before installing the tank on the stand, i.e. To point number 1 (if the aquarium is not large), then drain the water. By the way, you can immediately wash the aquarium. About what and how to wash the aquarium, we told in the section: Installing the aquarium .

3. Place the soil (you can immediately add fertilizer to the plants, if you have planned the places in the aquarium where the plants will be located), decorative things, stones, wood, etc., filter, heater, thermometer. Do not put anything on the network yet!

4. Fill the aquarium with water, at first half, place the plants in their places. To water at the bay did not wash the soil, put a saucer or a plate on the bottom and pour the water directly there, then the water will evenly fill the tank, not blurring the soil. You can mix cold water with hot water so it is not so cold, because plants also feel cold. Usually large plants are located at the rear wall, smaller in the center and very small can be planted at the front wall.

5. Add water to the aquarium to a level where approximately 3 cm will remain to the edge and turn on all aquarium equipment, check its functionality, and adjust the parameters. It is best to do this at the beginning of the day, in order to adjust the correct mode of operation during the day. Adjust filter operation and air flow. Measure the water temperature - make sure that the heater provides the temperature set to it. Check the PH, KH, DH level. Check the operation of the entire system together with lighting for 3 days. This test will allow you to adjust the aquarium equipment and learn how to manage your aquarium.

6. In a week you can start fish. At present, there is an opportunity to speed up the process of establishing the nitrogen cycle in the aquarium by adding biostarters to the water, which are sold in almost all pet stores. After their application the fish can be started within 24 hours.

Now a little information about the choice of fish for your aquarium:

A common ornamental aquarium is the most common type of home pond for aquarists. In such an aquarium, one or two mistakes are not so noticeable, unless, of course, it is quite spacious, and the "mistake" is not to buy a predator! By ignorance, lovers often buy "pretty little fish," which only in the course of time discover their predatory nature, from a young fish to a creature capable of digging, teeth and a mouth to grab and destroy prey. Some of them do not appreciate their fellows at all. For example, there are a number of catfish, which during the day quietly hide in their shelter, and at night, when other fish are asleep, swim out for hunting. Since the owners tend not to be serious about this hunt, one day they start to wonder why it's getting smaller in the aquarium. Predators should in principle be kept in a separate tank (and who wants it?) Or along with fish of the same size, and even larger, so that predators can not eat them. It is hardly possible to describe all the variants and types of common ornamental aquariums. It's just as difficult as advising anything about the size of a home pond. The bigger the tank, the more opportunities you have. But, on the other hand, it is impossible not to take into account the forthcoming expenses - not so much for the acquisition of an aquarium, but for its maintenance. Usually, the electricity consumption (lighting, filter pump and heating) is not so great and it fits perfectly into the normal family budget. Heating water in an aquarium of medium size for one month requires exactly the same amount of electricity as heating a full hot bath through a straight-through water heater with a capacity of 2 to 3 kilowatts. Young aquarists are often advised to purchase a 60 cm long tank along with a "beginner kit" (a set of necessary accessories for the aquarium). This is perfectly correct if the owner of the aquarium is a child. But if the addiction to aquaristics suddenly felt an adult, then you should start with an aquarium of medium size: 100 - 120 cm in length.

Some types of decorative aquariums

In order for everyone to get an idea of ​​what the "contents" of his home tank can be (without water), and what fish and plants are compatible with each other, we give here some typical examples.

Note regarding the tank itself: first you need to plant the plants; They need to give some time to take root. All these fish are not particularly sensitive and demanding. They should not be purchased at the same time; You should pay attention to the fact that the fish you have chosen, which will remain small, were not represented in your aquarium by tiny individuals: larger species, perhaps, will consider them forage! Three aquariums, called the last, are designed for continental combinations. In them, you can connect different species at will.

Aquarium for young aquarists

Dimensions: 60 x 30 x 30 centimeters

Bottom soil (height 4 cm): well washed aquarium gravel, grain diameter 2 - 4 mm. Requires 7 - 8 liters (kg). If it is supposed to arrange it with tiers, then the amount of gravel increases accordingly.

Material for buildings (shelter for fish): a lot of stones (not containing lime), decorative roots or snags about 2/3 of the length of the tank.

Plants: 50 Sagittaria subulata (buy bun), 12 Ludwigia repens, 6 Lim nophila sessiliflora, several small specimens of Microsorium pteropus (attach a rhizome and it grows into the ground with tenacious roots), 4 Cryptocoryne petchii, 50 Echinodorus tenellus (as a herbaceous plant In the foreground of the composition).

Pisces: 20 Paracheirodon axelrodi (red neon), 1 - 2 Ancistrus dolichopterus , 1 pair (!) Apistogramma cacatuoides (aphistogram of the cockatoo), 4 Corydoras hastatus or S. pygmaeus (armor catfish). Fish of these species (all of which originate from South America) must be kept at a water hardness of up to 12-14 ° dH and at a temperature of about 25 ° C.

For the harder water, the following composition is recommended: guppies - 3 females and 4-5 males, 2 Poecilia velifera , 1 -2 Ancistrus dolichopterus (anciscus vulgaris) and, possibly, several more spotted pecilia (Xiphophorus maculatus). So that the red glare appeared in the aquarium.

General aquarium for beginners

Dimensions: 100 x 40 x 40 centimeters

Bottom soil (6 cm high, bulk layer in 2/5 of the total area at the back wall of the aquarium); Aquarium gravel, grain diameter 3-5mm; Wash well. The base surface requires approximately 24 liters (kg), for the terrace (tier) an additional 10 liters.

Material for buildings: The terrace must be arranged in such a way that the fish can not push the gravel down through the cracks between the parts of the building, otherwise it will become lower. It is recommended to combine the construction of plates (light or dark slate), placed one on top of the other at the junction. The construction from the rear can also be laid out from such plates or from other stones that do not contain lime (lavalite, some types of sandstone). You can use as parts the pieces of roots.

Plants: 10 Ceratopteris thalictroides, 20 Rotala rotundifolia, 20 Lobelia cardinalis, 5 Cryptocoryne affinis, 20 Vallisneria spiralis , 1 to 2 Vesicularia dubyana packs , 2 Nymphaea lotus (solitary or separately growing nymphaea, When allowed to shoot, require free space, approximately 12 x 12 cm).

Pisces: 10 - 12 Barbus tetrazona , 10 B. con chonius , 15 Brachydanio rerio , 2 Epalzeorhynchus kalopterus , 1 Labeo bicolor (two-color labo, several Individuals together continuously bite each other!), 4 - 6 Botia macracantha (clown-bots) - not to leave alone, used to live in a pack!).

Or

40 Paracheirodon innesi (neon fish of Innes) or P. axelrodi (red neon), 20 Pe titella georgiae (Georgia petite) or similar but slightly larger Hemigrammus rhodostomus (red nosed tetra), 2 to 4 Ancistrus dolichopterus (ancylus simple), 10 Nemafobrycon palmeri (tetra royal), 1 Pterygoplichthys spec. (Pterygoplicht from the family of chain-shaped catfishes, it happens that only a few specimens are on sale, sometimes it reaches 20 cm, then it should be planted), 10-12 armored catfishes of different species (Corydoras live only in large groups), 10 Carnegiella strigata (marble carnation ).

Large common aquarium "Africa"

Size: 160 x 50 x 60 centimeters

Bottom Soil: see South America

Plants: 12 Ceratopteris thalictroides , 8 Crinum natans , 40 Vallisneria spiralis , 20 Ammania senegalensis (Senegalese ammonium), 4-6 Anubias lanceolata ( anubias lanceolate From West Africa, reaches a height of 30 cm, place in the background of the composition), 10 Anubias nana ( anubias nana).

Pisces: 12 - 16 Phenacogrammus interruptus (Congo beauty, or rainbow fenocogram), 10 Arno Idychtis spilopterus , 10 Nannaethiops unitaeniatus , 3 pairs of Neolebis ansorgii (neoleb Anzor, if available ), Gnafhonemus petersii (Gnathotemus Petersa or Related species), 4 - 6 Notopterus afer , 2 Ctenopoma acutirostre (leopard ketopoma, if there are no small fish in the aquarium), a lot of Synodontis nigriventris (catfish, you can take other types of synodonts, but only take into account that some Of them become quite large).

Large common aquarium "South America"

Size: 160 x 50 x 60 centimeters

Bottom soil: (height 8 cm, laying the terrace along the entire length, about 20 cm deep from the rear wall, difference in height between the tiers 5 cm): aquarium gravel, grain diameter 3 - 5 mm; Wash well. The base surface requires approximately 64 liters (kg), for the terrace (tier) an additional 16 liters; Part of the total mass may be nutrient soil (nearby or inside, see the recommendation on the package); Such supplements are offered by specialized trade.

Plants: 8 Echinodorus bleheri (large amazon), 3 E. cordifolius (echinodorus heartle), 10-15 E. latifolius (average Amazon), 100 E. Tenellus (herbaceous echinodorus), 20 Ludwigia palustris (ludwigia), 20 Myriophyllum matogrossense (brown periflorous) or M. brasiliense. To give a green color to a tree or naked stones, you can use Javanese moss (Vesicularia dubyana). In contrast to the dark background (tree), round leaves of the white-headed fir-tree Hydrootyle leucocephala look good).

Fish: 100 red neon (Paracheirodon axelrodi ), 15 Moenkhausia pittieri (diamond tetra), 15 M. sanctaefilomenae (red-eyed moenkausia, or philomena), 20 Hyphessobrycon flammeus (fiery tetra, or tetra von Rio), 6 Papiliochromis ramirezi Ramireza), 2 pairs of Aequidens curviceps (aka curviceps) or A. dorsiger (red-breasted acar), 6 Pterophyllum altum , 4 Peckoltia pulcher , 2 Panaque nigrolineatus (panak black-line) or P. spec. 4 Ancistrus dolichopterus (anciscus vulgaris), 20 - 30 Corydoras - different species (small, day-active shells of Soma, feel good only in the group), 20 Carnegiella strigata (marble carnegenella).

A large common aquarium "Asia"

Size: 160 x 50 x 60 centimeters

Bottom Soil: see South America

Plants: 12 Ceratopteris thalictroides (fern dissected), 8 Crinum thaianum (Thai krynum), 6 Cryptocoryne affinis (Hertel cryptocorona), S. Ciliata (Cryptocorina ciliated), 12 C. Pefchii (cryptocorona petchus), 20 Hygrophila corimbosa (hygrophilalimon) or N. angustifolia - the one that can be purchased , 8-10 N. difformis (hygrophilic-oak, also known as Synnematriflorum). 15 Lim nophila aquatica or L. indica (limnophila Indian), several Microsorium pteroptus (Javanese fern) and / or several plants of Vesicularia dubyana (Javanese moss). For a spectacular and colorful composition in the background : 10-15 Rotala macrandra (rotated red-leaved); Several specimens of Nymphaea lotus (red or green tiger nymphaea, tuberous plant, each requires at least 12 x 12 cm of bottom area).

Pisces: 6 Balantiocheilus melanopterus (shark bala, can only be kept in the aquarium for a limited period: reaches a length of 25 cm), 10 Barbus nigrofasciatus (black barbs), 10 B. everetti (barbe clown), 10 B. t etrazona (Sumatran barbs) , 10 B. Ticto (scarlet barbus), 15 Danio aequipinnatus, synonym for D. malabaricus (malabarian zebrafish), 30 Rasbora heteromorpha , R. pauciperforata , 6 Epalceorhynchus kalopterus , 6 Gyrinocheilus aymonieri (Girinoheil, Siamese algae), 6 Botia macracantha (botsiya-clown), 10 Votia sidthimunki (netted botsiya), 6 Trichogaster leerii (gurami pearl).


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