Aquarium first steps. We start an aquarium

25.03.2020 -

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Running an aquarium

Even a novice aquarist can recreate a particle of the underwater world in his home. In order for the fish to live comfortably, so that the pond behind the glass will please you for many years, you need the correct “launch” of the aquarium. This guide will help you avoid many mistakes and turn the launch of an aquarium into an exciting process.

So, you have decided to start a fish. You rush to the store, choose an aquarium, pick up soil and decorations for it, plants and, of course, fish. And now home, quickly put it all, pour it, plant it, decorate it and sit down to admire ... Stop! Here it is the first and most common mistake. You must first prepare the house for new tenants. Be patient, this will not be a quick process.

Choosing a place for an aquarium
First, let's decide on a place:
Do not put the aquarium on the window and next to it. Direct Sun rays can provoke the growth of algae (not aquatic plants, but algae, from which glass and decorations turn green).
Pick up a flat solid surface, it should not sag under the weight of the aquarium. The surface must be perfectly smooth. Remember that even the smallest grain of sand can cause a crack!
Additionally, for a more even distribution of the load, use a special soft foam substrate for the aquarium. If a right size not found - do not despair. You can use a thin tourist rug or a plastic backing under the laminate.
Provide easy access to the aquarium from above. Do not put the aquarium on a shelf or in a niche where it will be difficult to remove the lid from it.
There must also be access to a power outlet. The minimum number of outlets for a standard freshwater aquarium is 3-4 (light, filter, heater, compressor).
It is advisable to choose a place for an aquarium away from TVs, music centers and other equipment, etc.

When buying a large aquarium (from 100 liters), you should also purchase a specialized aquarium cabinet. It is designed for the weight of the aquarium and has stiffeners, thanks to which it will not sag in the center. The surface of the cabinet must be horizontal. This can be achieved with the help of linings under the legs, control - the building level. The floor should not sag when water is poured, because the total weight of the cabinet of glass and water, even for a hundred-liter aquarium, will be about 130 kilograms.

Choosing an aquarium
At what volume should you stop if this is your first aquarium? Perhaps you have already decided which fish you want to get - then you need to find out their adult size and the required minimum volume for an adult fish. Based on these data, calculate the required volume (it is better to take with a small margin). If there are no specific preferences, and you choose an aquarium first, and then fish under it, then remember here - the smaller the aquarium, the more difficult it is to take care of it! The optimal volume for the first aquarium is 80-120 liters (at least 60 liters). The biological balance in small aquariums is extremely unstable, the slightest overfeeding can lead to best case to turbidity, at worst - to illness and death.

Aquarium decoration
The aquarium is standing, we are starting to decorate it:
To begin with, we select the soil. Branded primer does not require additional boiling or calcination. It is enough to rinse it with running water. If you plan to plant live plants, you should also purchase nutrient soil. It falls asleep under the main layer according to the instructions. For plants, soil up to 5 mm in diameter should be chosen. A layer of soil for an aquarium with plants is at least 5 cm, without plants - at least 1.5 cm.

Now you need to pick up the equipment. You will need a filter, heater and compressor:
The filter passes water through itself and purifies it both mechanically from large suspensions and biologically from toxic compounds harmful to the inhabitants. On sale you will find two types of filters: internal and external. The internal one is installed directly in the aquarium, it is suitable for small (up to 100 liters) aquariums. Modern internal filters are additionally equipped with an aeration system and are also capable of performing the functions of a compressor, however, filters of low power (for aquariums up to 50-60 liters) often cannot cope with this function. Also, when the sponge becomes clogged, the air flow weakens or even completely disappears, so you should get a compressor or take a larger filter. The external filter is designed for large aquariums. It is installed in a pedestal, while only the tubes coming from it are lowered into the water. Such a filter is much more efficient, as it has a multi-stage cleaning system (mechanical, biological and chemical), in addition, it does not take up space in the aquarium and does not spoil it appearance.
The compressor is necessary to saturate the water with oxygen. Fish, plants breathe oxygen, and it is also necessary for the decomposition of their toxic waste products. The compressor is installed outside the aquarium, a tube with a spray is lowered into the water. If the compressor is at or below the water level, a non-return valve must be installed on the pipe. Otherwise, when the power is turned off, there is a possibility that water will flow into the compressor, which may lead to its breakdown.
The heater keeps the water temperature at an optimal level. At its top is a thermostat that turns it off as soon as the temperature reaches the desired level and turns it on when it drops. The heater is completely immersed in water, it is impossible to plug it into the socket without water! Even the most expensive heaters can be somewhat inaccurate, so the temperature is monitored with a thermometer.

So, at the first stage, we need: the aquarium itself, the foam substrate, the soil, the filter, the compressor, the heater, the thermometer.
Also at this stage, we install artificial decorations and driftwood. The driftwood bought in the store is already disinfected and does not need additional boiling. Driftwood from natural reservoirs should be boiled for several hours beforehand. It is strictly forbidden to use a living tree for decoration. New driftwood can stain the water in Brown color. This is not dangerous for the inhabitants, but spoils the appearance of the aquarium. To minimize the staining of water, the snag is preliminarily soaked for a day or two in cold water. If an external filter is used, a bag of activated carbon is placed in it, it absorbs the pigment and the water becomes clear. You can also use coagulants (TetraAqua Crystal Water), they weigh down and precipitate particles of turbidity, thereby clarifying the water.

First day
The aquarium must be rinsed before installation. In no case should household chemicals be used to treat the aquarium, equipment and decorations. You can use soda or a slightly pink solution of potassium permanganate. We put the aquarium in place, wash and fill the soil. We install equipment. We place stones, snags, decorations. Install the thermometer. Fill with water, trying not to wash out the soil. To do this, you can place a plate on the ground or substitute your palm under the jet. We always use cold tap water, hot water is not suitable for an aquarium. In the future, when changing to equalize the temperature, we add hot water to cold water, warmed by a kettle or boiler. We turn on the equipment. The filter, compressor and heater must be running around the clock. We don't turn on the light yet. For starters, everything. For the next two days, we monitor the operation of the instruments and the temperature in the aquarium.

Fourth day
If we are planning a herbalist, we launch the first inhabitants. As long as it's not fish. unpretentious plants and snails. We do not leave plants in pots and coils, this leads to rotting of the root system. We release the roots, cut them along the height of the soil (5-7 cm), remove the dead parts. We plant plants so that they do not obscure each other. Of the snails, ampoules are best suited. We start turning on the light. To start with 5 hours a day. If there are a lot of plants - for 7 hours. If planting live plants is not planned, the aquarium continues to be empty.

Fifth or sixth day
We don't feed anyone. We continue to turn on the light for 5 hours a day. We control the temperature and operation of devices. If the aquarium is without plants, we do not turn on the light accordingly.

Day seven
To begin with, we will add two preparations that accelerate the "maturation" of the aquarium. The first is a water conditioner (Sera Aquatan, Tetra Aqua Safe, API Stress Coat), which neutralizes chlorine and heavy metals, protects the mucous membranes of fish and invertebrates from aggressive impact environment, vitamins of group B, have an anti-stress effect. The second is a bacterial culture (Sera Bionitrivec, Tetra Safe Start), these preparations contain live bacteria necessary for the effective decomposition of organic waste in the aquarium. Otherwise, with a shortage of these bacteria, toxic protein decomposition products, ammonia and nitrites, accumulate in the water.

You can go fishing! Try not to populate the aquarium immediately "to the eyeballs." To begin with, each 3-5 cm fish should have about 10 liters of volume. The only exception is cichlids. Cichlids are extremely territorial and aggressive, here all the inhabitants are selected at once, since in the future serious conflicts are possible when planting "newcomers". Along with the fish, you also need to purchase food and aquarium care products. You will need a siphon for cleaning the soil, a scraper, a net.

At home, do not rush to release the fish into the aquarium. The water in your home and in the store can vary significantly in chemical parameters, and this will be the strongest stress for the fish:
1. Lower the fish bag into the aquarium, untie it and add water from the aquarium into the bag. The top of the bag should not fall off, the fish should have access to the surface of the water.
2. After 5-10 minutes, add more water from the aquarium to the bag (we repeat the procedure twice).
3. After another 10 minutes, the fish can be released into the aquarium.

Do not feed the fish on the first day, give them time to adapt. During this period, cloudiness of the water is possible, this is normal, you do not need to deal with it. It will pass by itself as soon as the biological balance is adjusted. We turn on the light in the normal mode 8-12 hours a day.

Remember, the biological system of the aquarium stabilizes more or less only after a month. That's when it will be possible to add new inhabitants.

Don't overfeed your fish!
In the eyes of a novice aquarist, his wards always look hungry. They are constantly looking for food, at the sight of a person they swim up to the glass in the hope that they will be fed, having eaten the prescribed portion, they again swim up to the glass and require supplements. Well, how can you stay here? Don't leave your pets hungry! Don't be tempted! This is another common novice aquarist mistake. Overfeeding is extremely dangerous, it leads to turbidity, the appearance of toxic protein breakdown products in the water, intoxication and death of the fish. How to feed so that everyone is full and at the same time not overfeed? Here are some simple rules to follow:
Rule one: after feeding, no food should remain at the bottom. The speed of eating food in different fish is different, active fish cope in a minute, slow fish can take up to 10 minutes.
Rule two: food should be distributed so that all fish eat - strong and weak, as well as fish living near the bottom.
Rule three: watch the inhabitants! They should not lose weight, they should not inflate after feeding like balls. Water after feeding should not become cloudy. A healthy well-fed fish has a slightly rounded abdomen.
For most fish, a feeding regimen of 1-2 times a day is suitable. The smaller and younger the fish, the more often they need to be fed.

Consider fish compatibility!
Be careful when choosing fish. Find out in advance the character traits and the maximum size of your future tenants. Buying two fish measuring 3 centimeters, it is likely that one of them will remain three centimeters, and the second will grow to 30. It is not difficult to guess that the first in this case can become food for the second. One simple rule works here: everything that fits in the fish's mouth can be eaten. It doesn't matter if the fish is predatory or not, aggressive or peaceful.
There are schooling fish that swim throughout the aquarium, there are territorial ones that protect their corner. Some fish eat very fast, while others eat very slowly. Many fish need to hide. Decorative grottoes and snags are suitable as shelters. All this must be taken into account when choosing fish.
There are some recommendations regarding the compatibility of certain types of fish. However, it is impossible to say with a 100% guarantee whether the fish will live together or not. It is very important to observe the behavior of the inhabitants of the aquarium, timely identifying both the aggressors and those who are offended.

Don't overpopulate the aquarium!
An aquarium is a house, not a punishment cell. Overcrowding is one of the most common problems for the beginner aquarist. It is dangerous due to turbidity and the appearance of toxic waste in the water. There is another side - many fish protect the territory where they live and feed, if there are too many fish - skirmishes are inevitable even among relatively peaceful fish. Important to remember:
When calculating the number of fish in an aquarium, we take into account the size of an adult fish! The fish in the store are usually not yet at their maximum size and will need much more volume in the near future. For example, everyone's favorite goldfish, which are usually sold in the size of 5-6 centimeters, grow up to 25-30.
We comply with the requirements for planting density. For each fish, they are individual and are written in the description in any background information. On average, at least 1 liter of water should fall on 1 cm of the length of the fish (with a tail).

The aquarium needs maintenance.
On average, a well-established aquarium of about 80 liters requires 30-40 minutes a week (water changes, glass cleaning and decorations). Plus a few minutes daily for feeding, monitoring the condition of the fish and the operation of devices. How and why is an aquarium cleaned?
Weekly (at least once every 2 weeks) carry out a partial water change. With the help of a special siphon, from 10 to 30% of the water is drained and fresh water is added from the tap (only used cold water, before desired temperature brought hot from a kettle or boiler). Water changes serve several purposes. Firstly, the level of organic pollution is reduced and excess nitrates are removed, which are toxic to fish in large quantities. Secondly, microelements necessary for plants and microorganisms are replenished. Thirdly, you will always keep the composition of water close to tap water, this can help in critical situations, during outbreaks of disease, when frequent and plentiful water changes are required.

The addition of air conditioners (Sera Aquatan, Tetra Aqua Safe, API Stress Coat) when replacing will allow you to pour water without defending it (they almost instantly bind chlorine and heavy metals into non-toxic compounds). They also help prevent stress caused by changes in the physical and chemical parameters of water during a change.
Clean the filter every time you change the water. To wash the filter sponge, it is best to use aquarium water - pour it into a bucket and rinse the sponge in it. If I wash under the tap - we make the water close to the temperature of the aquarium, not cold and not hot. The efficiency of a clogged filter decreases significantly, plus if it is used as an aerator, the flow of bubbles weakens until it disappears completely.
If there is an external filter, it is cleaned much less frequently. On average, the period between cleanings is 4-6 months (and even up to a year). We focus on the flow of water from the filter flute, as soon as it weakens, you need to clean the filter. Do not forget to purchase a synthetic winterizer in advance, it changes with each filter cleaning. Not only fillers need cleaning, but also hoses, which during this time are rapidly overgrown with brown algae and covered with bloom. To clean the hoses, use special brushes.

Update your equipment in a timely manner.
Some equipment has a certain lifespan, the rest changes as it deteriorates. When and what needs to be replaced?
Fluorescent lamps. With daily work for 12 hours a day, the service life is six months. In the future, they fade and change the spectrum. The use of such lamps can provoke the growth of algae and inhibit growth. aquarium plants.
Heater. We monitor the temperature of the water in the aquarium daily. If the regulator fails, it stops turning off and overheats the water. If the heating element breaks, it stops turning on and does not heat the water. This heater needs to be replaced.
Fillers for the filter: sponges change as they deteriorate (they become covered with a mucous coating, after wringing out they do not return to their original form), the synthetic winterizer changes with each cleaning, coal and zeolite - strictly according to the manufacturer's instructions (if used to remove drugs - they are removed after a day), ceramic balls and cylinders - as they deteriorate (crumble, become covered with mucus). It is not recommended to replace all the fillers of the external filter at once.
The shelf life of opened food (in a dry, dark place, in a tightly closed jar) is 1-3 months. The higher the humidity and more air access, the shorter the shelf life. Over time, the food oxidizes, losing some of the nutrients. Its taste is deteriorating. Toxic decomposition products of organic substances appear.

These are the main symptoms that you can see, others are possible, there are a lot of diseases in fish. Compliance with the rules of launch and care will avoid many of them and strengthen the immunity of the fish.

Follow the rules for launching and maintaining the aquarium, and every day it will give you only positive emotions and delight the eye with its beauty!
We wish you success!

If, after reading the article, you still have questions, then feel free to ask them in a special section of the Forum - "Aquarium for beginners". We will answer.

What is the most common way people buy an aquarium? They come to the pet store or the Bird Market, look after themselves and buy fish, and then they realize - there is nowhere to put them! And here the most interesting thing begins - an aquarium is bought, a lot of necessary and unnecessary devices for it, at the last moment, already before leaving the market, one remembers about food. And now, the satisfied owner of the fish, proudly clutching a jar of new pets to his chest, goes home, fills the aquarium with water, releases the fish, pours food into it with a generous hand ... And instead of the bewitching underwater kingdom, he gets muddy, strongly smelling like a swamp water, fish dying in the first week and a lifelong conviction that keeping an aquarium is very difficult.

In fact, it's not like that at all. When equipping a new aquarium, you should follow a few simple and uncomplicated rules and then the aquarium will be beautiful, the fish will delight the eye and live long, and all friends and acquaintances will sigh with envy at the sight of such beauty. And now I will introduce you to the instructions for the aquarium, because you read the instructions for a new TV when buying? Well, the aquarium, in fact, is not much different from the TV, except that the program on it always goes one, from life wildlife. And note - no ads!

To begin with, we need the actual aquarium, a minimum set of equipment for it, soil and plants. And that's it! The fish will come later. You should not buy very small aquariums, the larger the aquarium, the more stable the biosystem in it and the more difficult it is for an inexperienced owner to do something fatal in it. From my point of view, the optimal volume for beginners will be from 30 to 60 liters. Such an aquarium is already decorative and does not take up much space.

Of the equipment needed:

Filter-pump, such a filter not only removes dirt from the water, but is able to ensure its saturation with oxygen. There are a great variety of filters, from simple designs from a piece of sponge to powerful professional canister ones for hundreds of dollars. We will not spend hundreds of dollars and will get ourselves the simplest filter for 200-250 rubles. For an aquarium of 50 liters, this will be more than enough.
Heater with thermostat. Of course, in such a heat, it is difficult to imagine that something will also have to be warmed up. However, in our climate, today's heat can be replaced by a sharp cold snap, and even in winter the temperature in the apartment can jump over a very wide range. But the future residents of the aquarium are all as one residents warm countries and for them the optimum temperature will be at least 22 degrees. So the presence of heating is highly desirable. Now heaters are produced with a built-in thermostat, it is very convenient - you set it to 24 degrees and the heater will automatically turn on if the temperature drops. However, extra control does not hurt, and here it is useful to buy the simplest thermometer for aquariums.
Priming. An aquarium without soil looks empty. Soil and all kinds of stones are one of the main decorative elements of the future aquarium, and plants need to grow in something. The optimal size of the soil fraction is 3-8 mm, finer sand is very caking and begins to “turn sour”, and a lot of dirt and food waste falls between larger pebbles, which is also not very useful. The best soil will be well-washed and boiled coarse river or sea sand, color special significance does not have and is determined by the aesthetic inclinations of the owner. The thickness of the sand layer for normal planting of plants in an aquarium of 50 liters is sufficient at 3-5 cm. For artificial plants, this is not important. An important note - shells (especially sea shells) and pieces of limestone should not be placed in the aquarium. I understand that it is beautiful, but for most fish this will be bad.
Plants. Plants can be used both live and artificial. Live better, they grow, grow, bush, and besides, they process a lot of what fish release into the water. The trouble is that living plants need, firstly, light, and secondly, peaceful neighbors. Yes Yes! Many of the fish love to snack on your most beautiful (and expensive) bush, and how many will want to dig it up! As a result, for some popular fish (for example, goldfish or astronotus), plants are contraindicated and in such an aquarium you will have to limit yourself to only artificial jungle. For everyone else, a set of a certain amount of wallisneria, a couple of cryptocoryne bushes, an elodea floating in the water column, nyas, or something more decorative - for example, California pemphigus, is quite suitable. And as a large bush, for starters, you can recommend anubias. As aquarists joke - you can't even kill him with a stick! In the future, you can buy other types of plants in the aquarium, but even the listed ones can grow so densely in six months that they will have to be thinned out regularly. By the way, it is recommended to pre-disinfect all freshly purchased plants - dilute a little potassium permanganate (to a pale pink solution) and put the bushes there for 10-15 minutes. And do not forget that the water should be at room temperature, tropical plants also do not tolerate cold as well as fish.
Lighting. The need for light for the fish themselves is small, but if you have living plants, then additional lighting is indispensable. Usually aquariums are equipped with lamps already at the time of sale, 1-2 fluorescent lamps are mounted in the lid of the aquarium. Conventional incandescent bulbs are undesirable, they heat up a lot, and consume more electricity. It is not difficult to determine whether or not there is enough light - if the glass and stones begin to actively become covered with a brownish coating, then there is not enough light. If the aquarium begins to turn green, so much so that the water and glass become completely green, then there is too much light. Optimally, in order to avoid all sorts of problems, the aquarium should be illuminated 8-10 hours a day and placed in the darkest place in the room. Otherwise, if you put it on the windowsill, then in two weeks you will be the proud owner of a wonderful green swamp. And yet, turning the light on and off can be trusted with automation; for this, very convenient household timers are on sale that turn on the light at certain hours.

Now that the aquarium is purchased, the sand is washed and boiled, and the plants are disinfected, you can proceed with the installation. Choose a flat and solid base for the aquarium and be sure to lay some kind of padding under it - for example, a sheet of foam plastic or ordinary tourist rugs are also very convenient. This is required condition, otherwise the slightest grain of sand that fell under the bottom of the aquarium is capable of cutting glass like a diamond and then the flood is guaranteed to you. Then you fill the aquarium with soil, fill it with water directly from the tap (use cold water), install a heater and filter in the aquarium and wait until the water warms up to 20 degrees. You can speed up this process by adding boiling water from the kettle, the main thing is not to splash it on the glass. After that, plant the plants. Planting them is not difficult, just gently grab the roots with three fingers, open a small hole, try to spread the roots a little in it and sprinkle everything with sand. If the roots are very long, then they can be cut off. The main thing is not to sprinkle the growing point with sand.

Don't worry, the water will be cloudy at first. This is normal, the filter will remove this mechanical turbidity within a few hours. But then complex biological processes begin in the aquarium, bacteria begin to multiply on the remains of organic matter in the soil and from the dying parts of planted plants. Following them, ciliates that feed on them begin to actively breed, and as a result, the water again becomes cloudy and acquires a milky white hue. No need to rush to the aquarium with buckets - everything is going according to plan! After a few days, the boom in the development of microorganisms will come to naught, the biological balance will be established in the aquarium and the water will become clear again. The main thing is not to rush and calmly wait.

And so, a week passed, the water cleared up, the plants began to give the first young leaves - it means it's time to start fish! Of course, it would be desirable to know the parameters of your water, first of all - how hard it is. For this, there are special tests in pet stores, if there is an aquarium club nearby or one of the experienced aquarists, then you can contact them with this question. Finally, such information should be issued by the local SES, although practice shows that their information is not always of practical use. By the way, those who live in Reutov, Novogireevo or Perovo (in general, closer to me) can easily ask to test the water for the main indicators - I will be happy to help. Water hardness is important because different groups fish have different preferences for hardness - if some water is desirable soft and medium hardness, then others feel good only in very hard water. And knowing what kind of water you have, you can safely contact the seller at the pet store or at the Bird Market for advice - they will always tell you who will feel better in your conditions.

When buying fish, do not hesitate to ask persistently - will they get along with each other or with the plants in the aquarium? And don't take too many fish in the beginning. In general, it is conditionally considered that the number of fish is determined at the rate of 1 liter of volume for each centimeter of the body length of the fish. For some fish, this is the way it is, for others, more free space is needed, and for others, on the contrary, much less. But in any case, for starters, do not buy more than 4-5 medium-sized fish. The fact is that landing in an aquarium a large number fish will disturb the newly formed fragile balance of the biosystem and the water may become cloudy again. So do not rush, because you want the aquarium to please you long years, is not it?

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In this article, we will try to help a beginner in the first start of a freshwater aquarium. We will start with a list of equipment that will be needed first, and then, step by step, we will tell you how it is recommended to start your first aquarium.

List of equipment you will need:
Aquarium
aquarium soil
Filter (internal or external)
Spare filter material
Heater
Lighting
Plants (also optional decorations, etc.)
Water tests (optional, but we highly recommend buying them to monitor the condition of the water)
Food for fish
Air pump if the filter is external
net
Glass scraper
Bucket 10 liters

Starting to set up and set up an aquarium

STEP 1: Responsibility.

Maintaining and maintaining an aquarium isn't all that difficult, but there are steps that require commitment and consistency. Firstly, an aquarium can be compared with other pets, cats and dogs - it also needs attention, responsibility and care. In order for him to be beautiful and healthy, you will need to make certain efforts.
Once a week (at least once every 2 weeks, but this is the maximum) you will need to carry out maintenance of your aquarium. Most of the time is usually taken up by water changes. You should also feed the fish at least once a day, in small portions, and make sure that no leftover food is left to rot on the bottom, as this will spoil the waters and harm the inhabitants accordingly. You should also pay attention to the money issue - aquarism is not the cheapest hobby. There are fixed costs such as replacement of filter materials, feed, fertilizers, etc.
It also happens that the fish get sick and need to be treated, for this there are special medicines, usually not expensive and special treatment methods.

STEP 2: decide on the size of the aquarium.

To begin with, decide what kind of fish you want to see in your aquarium - small, medium or large, the future size of the aquarium directly depends on this. Some types of fish grow up to 3-4cm, and some can be 30-40cm or more in length! Knowing what kind of fish you will buy will make it easier for you to choose the size of the aquarium. The rule is that more aquarium, the more difficult it will be to disturb its biobalance after launch and, accordingly, there will be fewer problems with it. In our opinion, the most optimal size aquarium for a beginner up to 150 liters, but not less than 100. But if you are not sure whether this hobby (not financially) will pull, buy a smaller aquarium.
Why big and not small? As mentioned above, it is easier to maintain biobalance, with a small one there will be a lot of trouble - water deteriorates faster, fish are not comfortable in small volumes, the slightest fluctuation in any parameters and there will be an outbreak of algae growth or plant death due to a lack of something. Also, in small volumes, dissolved oxygen quickly leaves the water, and if there is suddenly a problem with the air supply, the fish will die from suffocation.

STEP 3: Deciding where to install the aquarium.

The aquarium should be placed where it will not be exposed to any external influence, such as sunlight from a window or a heating radiator. Sunlight can heat the water in the aquarium, this is especially true in summer, as well as a very strong growth of blue-green and green algae on the walls of the aquarium, etc.. Take care of the pedestal or other device on which the aquarium will stand, will it withstand the weight? To check this, stand on the pedestal and lightly jump on it. Withstood? So the aquarium will survive. If you assembled the cabinet yourself or took it from old furniture, then be sure to strengthen it, for example, strengthen the corners with corners or bars. In general, how and with what to fasten, this is already your imagination, but usually these are corners and self-tapping screws, wooden ties, etc. Do not forget about the floor, this is more relevant in private houses, in apartments the floor is usually strong. The volume and weight are about the same, but it is better to take on the basis that a 100 liter aquarium will weigh 150 kg!

STEP 4: Buy an aquarium and equipment.

Now you need to decide on the size of the aquarium and, accordingly, the capacity and type of filtering equipment.
The choice of a filter is an important point, if it is weak, then it simply will not cope with the volume, and if it is strong, then there will always be a storm in the aquarium, which means stress on the fish.
Filters are internal and external, each has its pros and cons. Consider first the internal filters.

Advantages of internal:
The most important thing is the price. Internal filters are always cheaper than external filters.
Easy maintenance, it will take no more than 10 minutes a week.
Built-in air supply on most models.
The internal filter cannot leak - it is already in the water!
And now the disadvantages of internal filters:
Small area of the filtering material (sponges, ceramics, etc.) compared to external filters.
Limited in the use of filter materials, usually it is only a sponge made of foam rubber with a different cell. Most often it is impossible to use because of the design of the add. filter media such as Activated carbon etc.
It is also more dangerous - the cable from the electrical network is immersed in the water of the aquarium. In external filters, the cable usually does not come into contact with water.
Frequent cleaning of the filter due to its small size, which means it will clog faster.
External filter, pros and cons.
Pros:
Great performance.
Possibility of using various filter components.
Multistage filtration resulting in better water filtration.
Less attention is required as cleaning is done once every half a year, more often from 1 to 2 years.

Minuses:
Price. External filters are much more expensive than internal ones.
Possibility of leakage. They didn’t close tightly, a crack, debris got into the connection - this leads to a leak, but it’s not immediately big, but small, so after cleaning during the day, watch the filter for leaks.
Although the service is rare, but long. If you decide to clean it, then get ready to spend at least 20 minutes on it.

You also need to purchase a heater capable of heating the volume of the future aquarium.
Should be taken with a thermostat (automatic temperature control). A heater is not always a necessary thing, it often happens that the room temperature is always normal and the water in the aquarium will be kept at the optimum 27-28 Cº. But the temperature doesn't always have to be this way, it depends on the specific fish and plants you get, take care of this information beforehand.

The stores usually have a large selection of soils - different colour, size, nutritional value.

Priming- it is a nutrient substrate for plants, in the soil the environment for the emergence and development beneficial bacteria, moss. The soil is involved in filtration, thanks to bacteria and plant roots. More detailed information about his choice, see our forum in the topic: Diamix - the experiment has begun!

You also need to decide how many plants you will have, for starters, of course, you should buy the simplest and not too many in order to understand how to care for them, how to plant them in the ground, weed, then with experience you can acquire more complex and expensive plants, but here there will already be a need to modernize the lighting and purchase other lamps, because. usually the standard lamps that come with the aquarium are weak and not suitable for demanding plants, they simply will not grow under such light and die.

Examples of simple plants:
Vallisneria - grows very quickly, reproduces vegetatively (by processes from the roots), they look beautiful.
Various types of mosses, such as Java moss.
Hornwort - can both float in water and be planted in the ground.
Duckweed and Riccia float on the surface of the water.
Echinodorus are large-leaved plants with a very short stem.
Cryptocarinae, like Vallisneria, are suitable for the background, because has long leaves.

Lighting - it all depends on specific plants, but we will rely on simple ones, which means the rule will work - 30 lumes / liter (at least 20 and not more than 45 lumes / liter)

T5 lamps should be used, these are special aquarium lamps. These lamps are of different sizes and, accordingly, of different power, on the marking of the tubes there will be information on lumens, which is needed to calculate the number of lamps.

There are also spotlights, LED lamps, but at the first stage you don’t need to bother with this, because. you have little experience and it can be a simple waste of money or even harm.

Another point, if there are many plants and good light, then CO2 and fertilizers will be required. CO2 generators can be either store-bought or homemade. On our forum, aquarists discussed various ways generator implementations. To give you an idea of what it looks like:

STEP 5: Setting up the aquarium.

You bought an aquarium, now check the level of the cabinet, if it is crooked, be sure to adjust its evenness, because. this is fraught with big problems, with a large angle of inclination, the aquarium may burst. Place a backing pad on a cabinet the size of your aquarium, you can either buy it from where you bought your aquarium or make your own from a travel mat.

Now the aquarium needs to be washed with water. Water only, no soap or detergent! Soap or product residues can harm future aquarium inhabitants.

STEP 6: Wash the soil, plants (if they are plastic) and decorations.

Be sure to rinse the soil before placing it in the aquarium, rinse until the water is clear. The easiest way to rinse is to put the soil in a pasta sieve and rinse under running water, you can also rinse in a bowl, so you will control the purity of the water. Then carefully pour the soil into the aquarium. When all the soil is washed and poured into the aquarium, distribute it over the aquarium, creating a slight rise to the back wall, so you visually expand the aquarium, and there is also a rule - long-stemmed plants are always at the back wall, and short and ground cover plants are in the foreground, respectively. they will have a different root system and long stems need a thicker layer of soil for the root system. Now plant the plants, after pouring some water.

Planting is as follows: a plant is taken, 2 lower leaves are torn off. A depression is made in the ground with a finger or a stick. The plant is carefully planted and sprinkled with soil. If the plant has roots, then the root is cut, leaving 2-3 cm. Further, the action is the same. Don't forget about the rule - big ones back to the wall of the aquarium, small ones to the front.

STEP 7: Pour water into the aquarium.

In order not to spoil the soil and plants with a jet of water, you can put a plate or saucer in the aquarium and pour water into it. Water should be used at room temperature. To remove chlorine from water, use something like Tetra AquaSafe for aquariums. Fill the aquarium halfway and see if everything suits you, if there are any leaks and if the aquarium is level.

STEP 8: Hardware installation.

Install the heater, but do not turn it on until the thermostat in the heater reaches the water temperature. This usually takes about 15 minutes or so. Install and connect the filtering equipment and add water to the end, but leave about 3-5cm to the brim. Visually inspect the lamps in the cover, during transportation they can get out, etc. Place the cover on the aquarium, make sure that all cables are dry from water and only then connect the plugs to the sockets.

STEP 9. Patience, patience and more patience.

I know you want to add fish. But before doing this, you need to wait for the biological balance in the aquarium to be established and all indicators to return to normal. There are ways to speed up this process, but that's another story. Usually, 2 weeks is enough to establish a balance. At this time, you can add a few ampoules to speed up the process at least a little. Once again about plants - at the stage of launching and training, they should be the simplest and most unpretentious, it is recommended to plant the aquarium tightly. Lighting no more than 8 hours a day. If the water suddenly becomes cloudy, do not be alarmed, this is a normal reaction.

Also, a bacterial film will form on the surface, to remove it, take a sheet of newspaper or loose paper, put it on the surface of the water and lift it up.

Water changes should not be done, i.e. no fish and biological balance, it will harm the process.
Just wait and don't rush to check in.

STEP 10. Fish.

After 2 weeks, you can add a couple of simple fish (guppies, swordtails) and carefully monitor their behavior, if the fish suddenly die, then something went wrong and you need to check the water with tests, make sure that there are no toxic items in the aquarium.

Also, a small number of fish is due to the fact that there is no violation of the biological balance, because fish produce waste with their vital activity.

And after that, if the fish respond well, you can buy those that you like, but not complex, for example, zebrafish, neon, speckled catfish, Siamese algae eaters, mollies, barbs (they are aggressive, they will drive others, it is recommended to buy only a separate flock). No need to buy fish in 2 pieces, buy in flocks, at least from 6 pieces.

After buying the fish, do not rush to immediately pour everything into the aquarium, let the bag float in the aquarium so that the water temperature levels out and the fish acclimatize. After 5 minutes, add some water from the aquarium to the bag and wait, after another 5 minutes, do the same. Do this 3-4 times, this will help the fish get used to the pH, avoid stress. But in any case, the fish will most likely be stressed.

No need to feed the fish on the first day. Let them get used to their new home.

Most likely, they will become pale and lose color - this is a reaction to stress.

STEP 11. Get ready for regular maintenance.

Be prepared to spend a little time cleaning the aquarium - 1-2 times a week. Once a week, replace 25-30% of the volume of the aquarium, clean the glass, remove rotten parts of plants, rinse the filter materials in aquarium water (in a separate container), it is not recommended to rinse in running water, because. beneficial bacteria live there.
Once a month it is recommended to siphon the soil, but this is done if you have few plants, if you have a lot, then the plants must process everything themselves.

Sometimes beginners make such mistakes as transplanting plants from time to time after cleaning - this should never be done, so you will not let the plant take root and grow.

It often happens that a beginner, before cleaning the aquarium, removes all the fish, removes the plants, drains all the water, pours it clean, mixes all the soil, drains the water. Plants plants (if they survive, of course), pours water, plants fish. And so on in a circle from time to time. Yes, there are novice aquarists. You can't do that, don't make these mistakes. All cleaning and maintenance of the aquarium is done with the inhabitants in the aquarium, no need to disturb the plants and replant them unless absolutely necessary.

As you can see, everything is not so difficult! We hope you will have your own aquarium in the house, which will delight you with its beauty and health of fish with plants.

If you have any questions or problems, hurry up to ask them on our AquaBank.ru forum, they will definitely help you.

You have decided to have fish in your home. First of all, you need to choose an aquarium. Round banks distort the object of observation, so it is better to take a quadrangular one. If your window faces north, west or east, then the aquarium can be placed directly on the windowsill. If to the south, - a little stepping back from the window. Once the location is chosen, fill the aquarium with water for a test, for three days to make sure that it does not leak.

Priming

For the soil, it is best to take coarse-grained river sand without the admixture of clay. It is washed in ten to fifteen waters. Then fill the aquarium halfway with tap water and carefully fill in the sand. Next, proceed to the device of terraces, caves, grottoes. Here everyone can show their imagination and imagination, you just need to know the measure - do not clutter up the water, do not decorate the aquarium too magnificently and clumsily ...

Plants

Fill the aquarium almost to the top with water and start planting plants. For a beginner aquarist, it is best to choose those plants that do not require much care. For example, vallisneria - with long ribbon-like leaves, elodea, pinnate. Of the more spectacular ones, you can buy echinodorus, aponogeton and cryptocoryne.
If you will blow through the aquarium, then the ratio of plants and fish is not necessary to take into account at all. If you do not have such an opportunity, you must strictly determine the number of plants. For an aquarium (without blowing) of twenty to twenty-five liters, where ten to fifteen viviparous fish (guppies, swordtails) or five to six labyrinth fish (macropods, gourami, fighting ones) are launched, two medium-sized cryptocoryne bushes, five to six branches of vallisneria are enough , two or three branches of peristolist. The fish themselves will tell the amateur by their behavior whether the correct mode has been established in the aquarium. If the water is rich in oxygen, then the fish will stay at an average level or at a depth. If there is little oxygen, they will rise to the surface and begin to greedily swallow air.

Fish

At first, do not chase dear ones, rare breeds. They, as a rule, require special care and quickly die in inept hands. It is best to start with breeding viviparous - guppies, swordtails and platies. Their fry from birth are perfectly adapted to independent life. They are very beautiful, however, most female guppies gray color, but the males play with all the colors of the rainbow and none of them repeats the colors of the other.
If these fish began to breed in your aquarium, this is the best indicator that you managed to create the most suitable conditions for their life.

Quiet joys

Near the aquarium it's nice to sit thoughtlessly, to watch. Some fish breathe in an original way. Goldfish, for example, can aerate the water themselves. To do this, they rise up and, strongly champing, mix water with air bubbles. Viviparous fish deftly jump out of the water, catching food, and catfish with their mustaches find food at the bottom, under a layer of sand.
Most aquarium fish are spawners. Some fish, such as barbs, can eat their own eggs, while others, on the contrary, vigilantly guard their offspring. The fighting ones make a nest of foam on the surface of the water, where the male carefully collects the spawned eggs (the female is removed from the aquarium after spawning), the “dad” also takes care of the fry. South American cyclids amusingly take juveniles for a walk: the male is in front, the female is behind, and in the middle is a flock of fry.
In some fish, love for children borders on a feat. So, the female African tilapia takes the swept caviar into her mouth and wears it for twelve to fifteen days, she does not eat anything during this time. Then she carefully guards the fry on a walk and, at the slightest alarm, takes them back into her mouth, which at the same time stretches rather ridiculously.
Most big event for every amateur aquarist, this is when he manages to breed a new breed of indoor fish. Most live-bearing guppies are bred by crossing pairs of different colors. The tiny guppy has now become especially “fashionable”. Even international huppist congresses are organized.

Water

Now a few words about fish care. Sometimes they think that you need to change the water more often. This is not true. Changing water is a rather painful operation for fish and plants. The water in a habitable aquarium is saturated with special secretions of plants and fish, and acquires a slightly yellowish color. This water must be conserved. Many amateurs do not change it for years. For better growth plants, only one-fifth of the water is changed once a month, and water must be added at the same temperature as the aquarium. normal temperature in the aquarium - about twenty degrees, and for breeding offspring - 26-28 degrees. You need to heat the water with special electric heating pads, which are sold in pet stores.

Aeration

Well, if the water is blown. A jet of small bubbles mixes the layers of water. This improves plant respiration, accelerates oxidative processes. In such aquariums, always clean, clear water. The simplest device for aeration is a football chamber, from which two tubes are passed through a tee - one to a bicycle pump, the other with a porous material spray at the end - to the aquarium. Air should enter the water in small bubbles. Special electric compressors are also sold, with the help of which the purge is carried out constantly. If you do the blowing by hand, then it is necessary at the same time, so that the inhabitants get used to a certain regime.
The aquarium needs to be lit. If the apartment has enough daylight, then the backlight is produced by one small lamp. If the aquarium is mounted in a bookcase or stands far from the window, then a combination of fluorescent lamps and incandescent lamps is made. A 15 watt tube is enough for a 20 liter aquarium.

Feeding

Most serious question is the mode of feeding. It is best to feed fresh live food - mosquito larvae (bloodworm), tubifex (freshwater worms) or aquatic crustaceans (daphnia and cyclops). Less desirable dry food. Many fish also need plant food - they eat outgrowths on the leaves of large plants, thus doing "cleaning" in their apartments.
The main condition for feeding is that the fish must eat all the food without a trace in 20-30 minutes. Food should be given twice a day, morning and evening. Overfeeding can lead to suffocation. The fish itself does not know whether it is full or not. There are fish that take all the food and give nothing to their comrades. Such a greedy disposition in cichlids, macropods. So you have to make sure everyone gets it equally.
Starting an aquarium at home is not so difficult. And the fish in the house are a great pleasure.