HOME AQUARIUM

Let's start with what is an aquarium? Let's just say an aquarium - it's a reservoir for water, where fish and plants are located - this is the main element of aquarium art.
So, you have a desire to have an aquarium at home. Before you get an aquarium, you should determine for yourself exactly what requirements it must meet. First you need to think and decide what size you want to have an aquarium, where it will stand, etc. If the aquarium will stand in the living room, then it is worth considering its situation, including the style of furniture, which must correspond to a home body of water. Anyone who likes to make art, perhaps, wants to create his own model of the aquarium and decorate it according to his taste and method.
In any case, the aquarium must be chosen in accordance with the wishes, capabilities and taste of the aquarist. However, it should be borne in mind that fish live well and multiply only in such an aquarium, where conditions similar to natural ones are created for them. Some species of fish can live for a certain time in a simple three-liter jar. For the correct content, a vessel with a much larger volume of water is needed. A large aquarium is always better than a small one, because a small aquarium requires more care and brings a lot of anxiety to the owner.
There is a regularity that the smaller the aquarium, the worse the growth and appearance of the fish. Many species of fish, especially those that spawn, do not multiply when kept in small aquariums. In addition, in a small aquarium, sudden changes in the temperature and chemical composition of water can occur, which does not occur in natural reservoirs. The greater the capacity of the aquarium, the more stable it maintains the biological equilibrium and hence it is easier to maintain. Even without a heater, the water temperature in such an aquarium will never dramatically change its performance. In a small container, the temperature of the water can decrease only in one day and increase by several degrees at once, and as is known from practice, sudden temperature fluctuations affect fish, plants and all biological processes occurring in the aquarium is extremely unfavorable.
Practical advice: buy a large aquarium at once.
What does "big" mean? At least not less than 100 liters.
As a rule, many lovers start with small containers from 25 to 40 liters, considering that a small aquarium requires less maintenance time. In fact, this is not the case at all, and even the opposite.
Now you have a question, what is the form to buy an aquarium. Again, for what purpose do you intend to use your aquarium. If for an interior in the house and for own pleasure the aquarium square or rectangular approaches.
Practical advice: do not buy a round aquarium, because through its glass you will see everything is distorted, and fish will not feel comfortable.
It should also take into account the fact that for normal life, the fish needs water-soluble oxygen. It is used the more efficiently, the less toxic gas (carbon dioxide) in the water. To maintain the gas balance necessary for fish in a small aquarium (25-40 liters) is much more difficult in comparison with a large (100 and more liters).
Many aquarists have to choose the aquarium of the volume that corresponds to the vacant place in the apartment. If this happens, the fish for the aquarium should be selected taking into account its size. So, if the volume of the aquarium is 10 liters, it is not worth it to contain telescopes, scalars or valeleaves, as these fish will grow poorly in such an aquarium and lose the ability to reproduce, even if they are later transplanted into a large aquarium. Such a volume of the aquarium is suitable for keeping and breeding 5-10 guppies of a pair of macro-subcategories, bettas, lalius or gourami.
The shape and size of the aquarium can vary depending on their intended use. The most convenient are rectangular aquariums, because the fish in them are clearly visible.
However, it should be borne in mind that the better the width to exceed the height to create fish-friendly conditions, especially with regard to the oxygen regime. But this is not always possible due to lack of space in the room. And also if the width of the aquarium is too large, the fish in the depth of the aquarium will be poorly viewed.

1. The spawning aquarium.

2. The incubator.

This aquarium is necessary for obtaining from the eggs of larvae and their further development. This is a small, about 20 liters, glass or organic glass aquarium with water, which necessarily has the same parameters as water in the spawning aquarium, the internal device meets the requirements of the fish species being bred. Very often in practice spawning aquarium can then serve as an incubator.

3. Rising aquarium.

It is necessary to grow fry, which is transferred from an incubator to a growing plant at the age of about 2-3 weeks. This aquarium is also made of glass or organic glass, with a height of up to 20 cm and a volume of 80 liters and above. Aeration and filtration is already necessary here. First, the water parameters are maintained as in the incubator, and then these parameters gradually change to the optimum for the content of this species of fish. This aquarium can also in many cases replace spawning aquarium and incubator.

4. Quarantine and medical aquarium.

This aquarium is necessary for quarantine of acquired fish and for the treatment of diseased. Made again, as a rule, from ordinary glass or organic glass, it is used without soil and without plants, if there is a need to be supplied with aeration and filtration.

5. Decorative aquarium.

This aquarium is designed primarily for decorating the interior of the room, as well as for monitoring the development and behavior of fish and plants. It is recommended to choose the size of the aquarium from the possibility of ensuring good gas exchange, i.e. The ratio of the surface area of ​​the water is due to the length and width to the square of the height of the water column should be approximately 2.5 or more.

6. Common (mixed) aquarium.

In such an aquarium fish and plants are selected regardless of their place of origin and habitat and the main parameter here is a purely aesthetic perception.

7. Geographic Aquarium.

In such an aquarium, fish and plants from the same region are placed.

8. Biotope aquarium.

This aquarium reproduces a section of the underwater landscape (stream, river bank, rocky coast of the lake, etc.), any terrain, fish and plants from the same area are selected.

9. Dutch aquarium.

This aquarium looks like an underwater garden, where most of the plants are dominated by different plants, the fish in such an aquarium serve only as a supplement.

10. Outdoor decorative aquarium.

This aquarium, in which there is no cover glass and there is no top cover, lighting devices are suspended at a sufficient distance from the water surface, which makes it possible for plants to grow above the surface of the water, and other of them to bloom over the water.

11. Species aquarium.

This aquarium is characterized by the presence in it of fish of one species or of the same genus and serves to observe their interrelationships among themselves, behavioral patterns and reproduction. For successful breeding, it is sometimes necessary to have in the aquarium stimulating fishes from a different genus, which cause the parents to show their qualities: to protect eggs and offspring.
Most aquariums are currently glued, so when buying, carefully inspect the aquarium so that it does not have cracks, broken corners, various damage to the surface of the glass and glue in the seams should be applied evenly - without voids. This moment is most important, because if the aquarium was made with a violation of the production technology or there are damages in the aquarium, then later, when it is filled with water, it can simply leak or crack. When making larger aquariums, as a rule, they are not only glued, but also placed in a frame, so when you buy and inspect such an aquarium you will see almost nothing, but nevertheless, check those places that you can clearly see to There were no scratches on the glasses, etc.
Practical advice: Try to buy aquariums of famous firms.

Frame Aquarium

The aquarium consists of a metal frame and attached to it on putty or glue glass walls and bottom (the bottom can be metallic). The most widely used welded angular steel frameworks, consisting of the front and rear frames, joined at the corners by cross-members. In aquariums with a length of 150 cm or more, the upper and lower corners of the frames are joined in the middle part by transverse steel strips to impart rigidity to the structure.

Frameless aquarium

Such an aquarium has several advantages over a skeleton:
1. has a smaller mass and requires a less massive support;
2. There is no solution to the problem of protection against corrosion and the harmful effects of metal and putty on water.


Frameless aquariums are held solely by silicone rubber. There is not a single corner or a metal frame.


For domestic aquariums, this type of aquarium is the most suitable, since it is not only the cheapest, but also the most convenient.

Aquarium from plexiglas

There is another material for aquarium production: organic glass, or plexiglas. So that each aquarist could decide for himself which of the materials - glass or plexiglass - he should use, you need to find out the advantages of both.
Aquariums made of organic glass are assembled with acrylic glue. Most often, the glass is not connected at right angles: the material allows you to make aquariums of curved shapes, therefore, plexiglass aquariums are more diverse than aquariums made of ordinary glass. Plexiglas has a number of advantages, but also some drawbacks. Let's start with the advantages: plexiglass isolates the heat of the water better than ordinary glass. When making an aquarium, its edges are welded to each other, and therefore it simply can not flow. You can bend sheets on vertical bends or weld to each other at a right angle after cutting. Because Plexiglas can be molded as desired, the cover glass or special filter box can also be made with rounded edges. This material is of different colors, so you can select them in contrast.
The transparency of organic glass is very high! It does not turn yellow and does not beat as often as ordinary glass. In addition, in comparison with any aquarium from a variety of materials, those that are made of Plexiglas, weigh the least - of course, when they are empty. For a tank this may not seem so significant, but for a cover glass this is important! We believe that Plexiglass is a material for people with an individual taste.
Unique models that can not be made from ordinary glass because of its fragility, without any problems make of plexiglas: They are rounded containers with different bends, these are screens where the narrow front part is rounded, has no angles, these are so-called panoramic aquariums of various variations where one or both side walls form together with the frontal convex surface, these are triangular vessels with a rounded Front glass - and the list is far from complete.


Disadvantages of organic glass are as follows: You can take pictures of fish only if the walls are really straight. Cleaning the glass from both the inside and outside should be done with care: scratch plexiglass is much easier than glass. You need to use special accessories for aquarium care (polish remover for removing light scratches, a cleaner and wipes with antistatic), and to clean the inside of the algae use only the sponge.

Asbestos cement aquarium

Asbestos cement aquarium can be made of a single piece (as in the picture); Then its shape tends to a cone. But it is also possible to glue it from individual plates, giving the structure the shape of an ordinary rectangle.
When today it's a question of asbestos cement, many immediately think about what they have become aware of in connection with the dangerous to human health features of asbestos dust. What is asbestos really? This term is the general designation of a certain group of silicate fibers, found throughout the world in the form of minerals. The very word "asbestos" means "insoluble, indestructible". Asbestos cement is a material made from asbestos fiber, cement and water; Use it for the most part in construction - both aboveground and underground.
For use in aquariums, tanks made up of plates of different thicknesses are offered. The danger to health during their manufacture only arises if the wrong tool is used during cutting or does not protect the respiratory tract. And if you buy a ready aquarium, and even covered with layers of protective paint, then you can install it without any suspicion. Asbestos-cement is most often sold under the trademark Etenim.
Aquariums Eternit at first glance have a significant disadvantage: the glass they are located only on the front side. In previous years many of us had many aquariums from asbestos cement, and so we can ascertain, from our own experience, that well-designed aquariums, Eternit, are at least as heavy as glass, but, indeed, Are strong. So what is the advantage of these products? You can buy such an aquarium completely ready, but you can and make some effort to finalize it. Proceeding from this, the cheapest is the asbestos-cement aquarium "without glass and without coating with paint." Painting it is best synthetic paint on epoxy, that is, a material of two components. Glass should be installed before painting and reinforced with silicone rubber.
A stand-alone aquarium from asbestos-cement in different ways fits into the surrounding environment. The simplest way is to glue it with a self-adhesive film. But there are many other possibilities: you can plaster it, lay it with a mosaic or another tile, or build it in a closet. In bulk tanks, an internal filter is easily installed.
But not all adhesives suitable for asbestos-cement are safe! Therefore, gluing or fixing should be done before coating with a protective layer.


At the same time, you must decide for yourself which type of aquarium corresponds to your wishes, possibilities and circumstances in order to purchase the equipment necessary for this type of aquarium. Therefore, before you go to the store for an aquarium, we advise you to read what distinguishes freshwater, brackish and marine aquariums.

1. Freshwater aquarium.

In general, amateur aquarists are engaged in these types of aquariums. Let's consider the most compelling reasons for such a general enthusiasm for a freshwater aquarium. First, freshwater fish and plants contain the easiest. Secondly, many of these fish easily multiply in aquariums, than deliver great satisfaction to their owners. Thirdly, there is no shortage of beautiful, small in size and relatively inexpensive species.

2. A brackish aquarium.

Brackish aquariums are those whose specific weight of water is in the range from 1.005 to 1.015 (salinity by specific gravity). Simply put, the lower boundary is close to fresh water, and the upper boundary to the sea. This means that the choice of species should be carefully thought out. Although the number of species suitable for brackish water is significantly less than the number associated with freshwater and marine systems, there are still plenty of them to collect an interesting collection.

3. Marine aquarium.

As you approach the upper boundary of the brackish spectrum, there are sea conditions. This aquarium world is completely different, populated by fish of delightful coloring, and invertebrates, at the sight of which many hearts freeze. Compared to freshwater marine organisms are more expensive.

Now let's talk about the weight of the aquarium. Know that aquariums, even a small amount, weigh quite a lot. For example, an aquarium for 200 liters in full equipment, that is, with soil, equipment, water, weighs about 280 kilograms. Therefore, pay special attention to choosing a stand for the aquarium.
Do not install your aquarium on a stand that will not guarantee the stability of your aquarium for a long time. Do not think and hope that by putting your aquarium on 2 chairs and putting a board on them Your aquarium will temporarily stand on such a structure until you acquire a specialized stand. As the saying goes, everything temporary becomes permanent. After making sure that the aquarium has stood on such a dubious design for a month, you generally postpone the purchase of the stand. Remember only one of your aquariums will stay with you for years and a month of testing with chairs does not prove anything.
At present, a very large number of different stands for aquariums have been on sale. Do not reinvent the wheel and buy a solid stand made of metal or a specialized wooden cube, in the latter case, special attention must be paid to the moisture resistance of the material from which this curbstone is made.
When an aquarium is placed in a living room, it usually finds a place where it is clearly visible: opposite the armchairs or sofa, to the right or left of the TV. They used to think that the daylight is necessary for the aquarium, but these times have passed. Modern light sources illuminate the aquarium from above, as it happens in nature. This means that the location of the aquarium is not associated with the angle of incidence of light, but rather with the total weight of the entire structure.
Calculate how much the aquarium will weigh along with all the contents, everyone can independently. But you need to take into account the total load on the floor, that is, the lower curb with all its contents and the aquarium standing on it (own weight + gravel at the bottom + stones + water). Light sources, especially if they are mounted in the top cover, are also quite heavy, so you need to calculate their weight. But the most difficult is, of course, the aquarium itself with all the contents! This is a good enough reason to seriously test the strength of the cabinet or cabinet on which it will stand.
So how much does a full aquarium weigh? The calculation is as follows: the volume in kg + 15% of the allowance for additional elements, including the bottom at the bottom. Here are some examples: With the increase in the size of the tank, not only the volume in liters (kg) increases. By adding auxiliary elements and soil at the bottom, the total weight also increases. But one aquarium 120 cm long does not necessarily equal another aquarium 120 cm long! The first (120 x 40 x 45) has a total weight of about 248 kg, and the other (120 x 60 x 65), more commensurate in design, reaches twice the total weight: approximately 538 kg. So you need to think carefully about not only the bottom cabinet, but also about the reliability of the floor (especially with girder ceilings in old houses): will they withstand such a load?