Plants for starting a new aquarium. Aquarium Quick Start. Marine Aquarium Equipment

In this article, I will briefly list the main stages of installing an aquarium. Setting up or, as is often said, starting an aquarium from scratch is quite simple, but it is still worth knowing a few features. It would not be superfluous to recall that a novice aquarist should choose an aquarium with a volume of at least 50 liters, otherwise it will be more difficult to maintain biobalance in a small volume without any experience and necessary knowledge. IN last resort start with at least 30 liters. So, first things first.

Starting an aquarium from scratch Substrate preparation

The soil can be purchased at any pet store. The soil should not oxidize water and should not have sharp edges. It is better to purchase a dark-colored primer, as it looks more advantageous and does not reflect light, blinding the fish.

We wash the soil hot water from the tap, so that all the dregs are gone. Then pour boiling water for five minutes to disinfect. After that, we lay the soil in the aquarium with a thickness of three to five centimeters.

It is customary to level the substrate in such a way that its thickness gradually increases towards the back wall. In the future, bacteria will settle on the soil and the soil will become one of the links in the biobalance of the aquarium.

I almost forgot: you should avoid any kind of colored primers, as they are harmful and, moreover, over time, the paint will disappear anyway.

Starting an aquarium from scratch Placing decorations and filling the aquarium with water

At this stage, snags, stones, grottoes and other decorative elements are placed. Stones should not give an alkaline reaction. Driftwood should be pre-treated with a three-hour boil.

All decorative elements should be kept in boiling water for at least five minutes before being placed in the aquarium. Next, you can pour ordinary tap water into the aquarium. We fill the aquarium with water by about a third.

To avoid loosening the soil, you can put a saucer on the bottom of the aquarium, into which water should be poured. In the future, in the process of maintaining the aquarium, the water will have to be changed to fresh, settled for at least a day once every seven days, replacing a third of the volume of the aquarium. Starting an aquarium from scratch, of course, can take place without decorations.

Starting an aquarium from scratch planting

Plants can be live or artificial. Plants are necessary for sheltering fish fry from parents who can eat them. Live plants for starting an aquarium from scratch are preferable, as they make the biobalance in the aquarium more stable.

However, living plants require light, fertilizer, carbon dioxide. Or at least just enough lighting. Plant roots should be completely hidden in the ground.

Direct

About carbon dioxide! Do not rush to manufacture installations for supplying carbon dioxide to the aquarium. The fact is that in the air that enters the aquarium during aeration, in addition to oxygen, carbon dioxide is also contained. But special fertilizers for aquarium plants will not hurt, although you can completely do without using them.

Do not forget that at night, in the absence of light, living plants, like fish, consume oxygen. This point must be taken into account when organizing aeration in the aquarium.

After planting the plants, you can pour the remaining 2/3 of the water into the aquarium.

Starting an aquarium from scratch Mounting and masking the filter

The filter can be selected both external and internal. Domestic cheaper. External ones are usually used to filter large aquariums from 80 liters. Internal Polish FAN-filters from AQUAEL are very popular.

In the case of using the latter as a bonus to filtration, we also get aeration. It will not be possible to do without aeration, since in artificial reservoirs, which include an aquarium, due to the lack of water movement, enriching it with oxygen is simply impossible in another way.

How larger size sponges in the filter, the more effective mechanical (cleaning of dirt particles) and biological (processing of fish waste by aerobic bacteria) filtration.

Do not forget that the filters require periodic cleaning (about once every two weeks). If the filter is equipped with aeration, it is very easy to understand when the time has come to clean the filter: as soon as the air bubbles have stopped flowing or the intensity of the bubbles has decreased to a minimum, it is necessary to clean the filter sponge and the air intake hole. The filter must be cleaned in drained water from the aquarium, and not in boiling water or tap water.

Starting an aquarium from scratch can be speeded up if you use a squeeze of bacteria from the filter already running aquarium with living water.

Starting an aquarium from scratch Heater installation

Personally, I did not use the heater until I bought an aquarium thermometer. Having bought a thermometer, I found that often the spread of temperature indicators during the day in an aquarium is 5 degrees or more. And for fish and their health, it is important not so much to maintain the temperature in the aquarium at an optimal level for a particular species, but to maintain temperature stability and avoid temperature fluctuations of more than 3 degrees during the day.

Most fish feel comfortable at room water temperature of 22-23 degrees (the water temperature in this case, in the case of using an internal filter and fluorescent lamps, from which the water heats up a little, is usually 25-26 degrees). But if you decide to purchase a heater, then you should completely immerse it in water and install it on the side opposite to the filter for a more even distribution of heat in the aquarium.

To start an aquarium from scratch, a heater is not at all necessary, but if the air temperature of the environment surrounding the aquarium is less than 22 degrees Celsius, then you should take care of buying a heater in order to avoid a decrease in the immunity of aquarium fish and their illness as a result.

Starting an aquarium from scratch Installing an aquarium thermometer

If you bought a heater, then you simply cannot do without buying a thermometer for an aquarium. The fact is that the heater can fail, which is impossible to notice without the possibility of visual control of the water temperature in the aquarium. So, if you do not want to watch the fish soup in the aquarium, then do not regret spending a couple of extra rubles on buying a thermometer.

Preference should be given to glass or electronic thermometers instead of thermometers in the form of a strip that is glued to the wall of the aquarium.

Starting an aquarium from scratch Settling the aquarium

Before settling in an aquarium, which starts from scratch, it is worth waiting three weeks for aerobic bacteria to develop, converting fish waste (poisonous and dangerous to fish health) into safe nitrates.

The settlement process can be accelerated if the appropriate chemistry is applied. First, you need to apply a Tetra AquaSafe water conditioner, which will rid the water of chlorine compounds and harmful substances. After two to three hours, a preparation containing a culture of bacteria (eg Bio Nitrivec from sera) should be applied to quickly establish biological equilibrium in the aquarium. In the case of the use of these two preparations, the fish can be populated already on the second day after their application.

But do not rush to settle: it is better to first settle two or three fish, and after two weeks, add a couple more.

IMPORTANT: This article describes mainly only the technical side of starting an aquarium. I highly recommend reading the article. Biobalance in an aquarium: beautiful biological balance.

Also read the article Essential aquarist kit which lists and describes all necessary equipment for aquarium maintenance.

It's that simple! Good luck with starting your first aquarium.

Starting an aquarium is not very difficult, the main thing is to know the basic rules and sequence of actions. The first thing a novice aquarist needs to know is that you cannot buy an aquarium and fish at the same time. Before settling the aquarium with fish, you must wait until some vital processes for future inhabitants have passed in it. But first things first.

Aquarium preparation

Having bought an aquarium, you must first inspect it for stains and dirt, and then proceed to its thorough cleaning. If it is clean, you can limit yourself to just wiping the walls and bottom with a sponge dipped in plain water.

If you put the aquarium in the bathroom for washing, then you do not need to pour a lot of water into it. The fact is that the aquarium must be placed on a completely flat surface, and in the bathroom it can simply burst. Do not use when washing detergents, soap, glass cleaners and any other harsh chemicals.

If without this it does not work out, then immediately after processing it is necessary to wash all surfaces well clean water. On the old aquarium may be white coating limestone. It is easily removed with a sponge dipped in a solution of vinegar, but then, again, do not forget to rinse with clean water.

In order for the water to exert the same pressure on all walls of the aquarium, the aquarium is placed on a surface that is level with the “level”. Then water is poured into it by 1/3 of the volume and again checked by level. After filling the aquarium, make sure that there is no skew. To be calm for the life of the inhabitants of the aquarium, they check the level and after a few days, as it will stand with water.

The next step in starting an aquarium is preparing the soil. The soil must be washed first. To do this, they take a bucket, pour the soil intended for the aquarium there and wash it under running water until the water becomes clear. If the soil is taken directly from nature, it is first calcined in the oven for an hour, and only then, when it cools down, washed in water. Then you can lay out the soil in the aquarium.

Attention! If you bought a special soil for plant nutrition, and it looks more like ordinary earth than pebbles, you can immediately put it in the aquarium. Instructions must be attached to this primer. Common sense and the instructions will tell you what to do with the soil, if it is, for example, multi-layered.

The washed soil is immediately laid out on the bottom and leveled. If there is a bottom heater, it should be installed before laying out the soil. After that, they begin to fill the aquarium with water. To prevent water from eroding the soil, a plate is placed upside down on the bottom and a jet of water is directed at it.

Equipment installation

The equipment can be installed either after laying out the soil or when the aquarium is already filled with water. Until the aquarium is filled with water, nothing should be turned on. It is better to install the equipment in such a way that it is invisible, for example, to disguise it with decorations or plants.

Setting up decorations and planting plants

If there are decorations in the aquarium, then you need to start with them: grottoes, and other decoration elements are installed before planting.

In general, it will be more convenient to plant plants if the aquarium is partially filled with water, and best of all, when only a couple of centimeters of water is poured. Many aquarists, when planting plants, try to deepen them as much as possible, leaving only the leaves sticking out. It shouldn't be done that way.

Plants that will come up to the surface of the water are more convenient to plant last. Maybe it would be better to add water by 10-12 cm before planting them in the aquarium.

Beginners when starting their first aquarium should pay attention to the fact that plants are difficult to transport and transplant, so they need time to adapt. They can shed old roots and leaves. This means that there is no need for carbon dioxide and, accordingly, the length of daylight hours can be reduced to 3-4 hours. After the plants get stronger, they begin to gradually increase the duration of daylight hours and top dressing, but first in small doses.

Topping up water

Water is added after the soil is filled up, equipment is installed and plants are planted. Only then can you turn on the equipment and then leave the aquarium for a while in the dark. When doing this, make sure that the water is clean. If this is not the case, replace some of the water with fresh water.

Setting Living Balance

After starting the aquarium, after a few days, turbidity of the water in the aquarium is observed, which indicates the presence of beneficial microorganisms of the nitrogen cycle, and the fish should get into the aquarium with absolutely clear water. This transparency can be provided by live plants or snails, or a special substance for starting an aquarium. This process usually takes about 2-3 weeks.

Of course, there are ways to speed up the launch. The most optimal of them is the addition of soil or water from a working aquarium. You can also apply special means, causing a quick start of the aquarium, but according to some reports they are not always effective.

Settling the aquarium

As we can see, the launch of the aquarium occurs gradually and measuredly, this must be taken into account when settling the aquarium. If you put it in an aquarium a large number of inhabitants, then the concentration of ammonia will accordingly begin to grow, a small colony of bacteria simply will not be able to process it, and poisoning of the inhabitants with nitrates and ammonia will occur. It is necessary to start with two individuals, in a few days to populate two more, in a week another. But if the fish are large or you have a school of fish, then it is better to wait a couple of weeks after starting the aquarium.

New fish are launched into the aquarium according to the following scheme: the outer part of the bag in which the fish were delivered should be washed with running water and lowered into the aquarium. It should open float on the surface of the water. Then you should add water from the aquarium to the bag. The temperature in the bag will equalize with the temperature in the aquarium and other parameters too. Therefore, it will not be stressful for the fish to settle in the aquarium. Sachkom transfer the newcomer to the aquarium. Water from the bag should not get into it. With all subsequent settlements, these simple rules must be followed.

What to do in case of emergency?

If everything was bought at the same time when starting the aquarium, you need to be prepared for the fact that some fish will die. In this case, you can soften the launch of the aquarium by following some rules.
Fill large containers such as tanks or basins with water and place the inhabitants there. You can't feed them.

If there are a lot of them, blow the water with air. Living plants are best kept in the dark in a basin of water.
Be sure to ensure that there are no temperature drops when transplanting them from one container to another.

Initially, everything should be done according to the instructions: rinse and lay out the soil, plant plants, install equipment, pour water, start the equipment, but do not turn on the heater and light. Try connecting an atomizer to the compressor and adjust it for maximum air bubbles. Open the air intake as much as possible, if there is one on the filter.

Add water conditioner to the water in the amount recommended in the instructions. After about ten minutes, when the water is mixed, add a product that leads the aquarium to a quick start. If there is a working aquarium somewhere nearby, add water from it. Leave everything added to work for an hour, or better - for a few.

Then populate everyone. Feeding the inhabitants should be started in a couple of days with no a large number by gradually increasing the dose. The capacity of the aquarium ecosystem is still small, and it will not be able to process a large amount of organic matter.

Only after 3 days it will be possible to turn on the light. It is worth starting from 3 hours, and gradually increasing by an hour a week. By the second week, the aquarium will be biologically stable, but make sure that the loads do not exceed allowable norms. Try to remove dead plant fragments from the water, do not overfeed, and contact an aquarium start-up specialist if there are abnormalities in the aquarium.

First preparations

Water and decorations in the aquarium

Now you need to prepare the equipment for the aquarium. Determine where it is better to put the compressor with air ducts, how to connect lighting and a water heater. Think about where you can leave a net for transportation, a siphon with a hose, a scraper and containers for collecting water. If you have thought about where you will put the equipment, you can lay the soil substrate.

Decide in advance on the type of soil - it can be gravel, pebbles or sand. The soil must be processed, all suspended particles and the remains of large fragments should be washed out of it. Some types of soil need to be treated with boiling water, in no case with detergents. After preparing the soil, the next day you can plant unpretentious aquarium plants in it, such as wallisneria, anubias, hornwort, elodea and others.

Next, you need to pour prepared water into the tank. Do not use tap water, it is harmful and toxic. Let it brew for 3-4 days so that chlorine vapors come out of it. It will warm up to room temperature. Take measurements of water parameters using indicators. When all indicators meet the standards, you can pour water.

Later, install stones, rocks, caves, clay pots and processed driftwood in containers. Attach the filtration system (external or internal filter), aerator, heating system, thermometer. If the instructions for the equipment allow, then you can install the mechanisms after filling the water. For a decorative aquascaping, all the details should be hidden as much as possible. With the help of large stones, snags and bushes of plants, installations can be covered.

After all preparations, water can be poured little by little so that the soil does not erode and the water does not become cloudy. You can put on a layer of soil ceramic plate and pour water directly on it. Then turn on all devices and check their operation. Inspect the aquarium for damage.

HOW TO RUN THE AQUARIUM CORRECTLY FOR THE FIRST TIME.

What needs to be done before launch?

Even before starting the launch procedure, it is necessary to solve a number of critical issues and take some necessary steps:

Decide which fish or aquatic animals you want to have. Find out what conditions they require. Be sure to find out if they are compatible with each other!
Depending on the decisions on the first point, choose the volume and model of the aquarium, as well as a list of the necessary equipment and decoration items. Based on the species and the number of future inhabitants, decide whether, for example, a heating pad with a thermostat is needed, how powerful the filter should be, whether an additional compressor is required, how to decorate the aquarium: with stones or snags, which plants to plant and so on.
Choose a place for the aquarium - not in a draft and not in the sun. It is also important that access to the aquarium is convenient, and there are a sufficient number of outlets nearby.
Buy and install an aquarium (necessarily on a flat surface, so that its edges do not hang from a shelf or cabinet even a centimeter). The aquarium is pre-washed without the use of chemical detergents.
Place equipment in the aquarium: filter, compressor, heater and thermometer, lighting fixtures. Fill the soil with a layer of 3-4 cm. Depending on the type of soil and the source of its origin, it may be necessary to pre-calcinate, boil or rinse it. The same applies to stones and driftwood.
Ground and decorations.
As a rule, the entire future ecosystem of your aquarium depends on the purity of the soil and decorations. Therefore, its processing should be treated especially carefully: rinse well with soda or sea salt, boil the soil, while ruthlessly refusing it, if the water suddenly began to stain - this can further harm the fish. The most optimal soil size is 3-5-8 mm.
Everything that is smaller - very quickly cakes and turns sour, larger - it is harder to clean and rinse. And plants on coarse soil will be a little more difficult to take root. As a rule, if living plants are planned in your aquarium, it is advisable to place under the ground nutritional composition for future vegetation, and the soil itself must be scattered at a slope, from rear wall to the front.
This is done taking into account certain optical properties of the aquarium glass, since the aquarium landscape looks somewhat different through the thickness of glass and water. When decorating and equipping a home for your future pets, do not get carried away with sea shells and pieces of limestone - the entire chemical composition will gradually wash out and over-alkaline the water, which can also not very well affect the health of future fish. When the soil is laid, snags, large stones and other decoration elements installed,
It's time to fill your reservoir with water. If a diffuser in the form of an air wall is planned in the aquarium, it is also worth considering in advance: whether it will lie on the ground, or whether it needs to be fixed under the ground at the bottom. Water is poured in a small trickle, so as not to destroy the landscape that you have in mind. For example, you can place a small container in the aquarium, into which water will be supplied, and it will gradually drain over the edge.
Plants.
After a few days, when the water settles, it's time to plant the plants. Of course, if you are in a hurry, water can be prepared with the help of special means, now in pet stores there is a great choice and variety. But it is quite possible to do without chemistry, allowing the ecosystem to develop naturally and independently. But then this it will take time. Before planting, all new plants that you brought from a store or other aquarium are recommended to be disinfected. To do this, it is enough to hold the plants for 10-15 minutes in a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate at room temperature. Tall plants that grow densely are best planted closer to the back glass of the aquarium, in the future they will partially hide the equipment. Small plants are planted near the front glass so that they do not block the view. Not all plants root well. Some of them, in order not to float up, have to be weighted with special “weights”, or fixed with a fishing line on snags.
Equipment.
It is not necessary to load your future aqua system with a large amount of equipment, but the main points must still be observed:
filter pump. His main function- purification of water from dirt, turbidity and everything that floats in the water. The filter can be internal, either quite primitive, consisting of a piece of sponge, or more complex - with carbon filtration, and external - with a complex multi-stage water purification system. The main thing is that it should be correctly selected for the volume of your aquarium, and cope with the task of cleansing.
Initially, the water is always quite cloudy. This is a normal process, and if the filter is properly sized, it will cope with this within a few hours.
But soon after planting the plants in your aquarium, complex biological processes will begin, and the water will again lose transparency: bacteria will begin to develop on the dying parts of the plants, followed by ciliates ... In general, as in Space - Life will begin to emerge in the aquarium. That is why experienced aquarists are in no hurry to immediately launch the fish - a biological balance must be established in the water. The rapid growth of microorganisms will stop, and the water will become clear again.
Sometimes experienced aquarists are advised to take some water from old aquariums, or "squeeze" from their filters. BUT even if the fish do not get sick in the old aquarium, this does not mean that the water is free from pathogens. Most likely, everything has already settled down in this system, and the fish have developed a certain resistance. But in the new conditions, pathogens can begin to develop very actively. Therefore, you should not do this.
Aerator or compressor. Its task is to saturate the water with oxygen. In fact, the compressor is a pump that pumps air and delivers it through sprayers into the water. But at the same time, it also has a decorative function. Therefore, it is decided in advance whether it will be a thin trickle of bubbles, additionally decorated or a whole air curtain. The choice of sprayers and compressors is now simply huge!
Lighting will depend on which direction of the aquarium you have chosen. If you plan to have fish with artificial plants, the quantity and quality of light is not important, everything will depend on your taste. If you have live plants, then you can’t do without additional lighting. Most often, aquariums are already equipped with fluorescent lamps at the time of sale, but for plants, lamps with a pink spectrum will be the most optimal.
As a rule, if there is enough light, the plants quickly take root and actively start growing.
If there is not enough light, the glass and soil are covered with a brown coating, if there is an excess of light, the water turns green.
You can put lighting with a timer. Then you will not have a headache - did you forget to turn on or off the light ....

Heater with thermostat. Usually, aquarium fish, like other aquarium animals - in nature they live in warm regions, and are not adapted to the climate of our (not always well heated) apartments. Optimum temperature mostly 22-24 degrees, and in some species even higher. Therefore, a heater with a thermostat is very convenient - just set the desired temperature.
You can’t do without a heater if the fish suddenly get sick. When the temperature in the aquarium rises to 28-30 degrees, the treatment with drugs is faster and more efficient, and in a shorter time.

Testing.
The aquarium is equipped, the plants are planted and are actively growing, the water has settled and become transparent in a week ... It's time to think about the fish.
But first check the water.
Water hardness test. Miscellaneous groups fish prefer different hardness. Based on the test results, you can choose fish that will be comfortable with you, or vice versa, change the water hardness for those fish that you have chosen.
There are also other tests. All of them are important in order to find out in time what the condition of the water in your aquarium is, and what needs to be changed in order for the fish to feel good.

We coped with the water parameters, finally we can launch the first batch of fish. Initially, there should not be many of them: 3-5 fish, depending on the size of the aquarium. Each new portion of fish necessarily breaks the existing balance, and the aquarium, as an integral biosystem, is easier to cope with the arrival of a small number of inhabitants than to adapt to a large surge of guests. But between the launch of the next portion of the fish should not pass less than a week. So, at intervals between batches, we gradually populate the aquarium, not forgetting
adapt the fish before release.
How to properly adapt?
Many people advise you to place a container with new fish in your aquarium to "swim" so that the temperature and pressure are equal, and gradually the water mixes with the aquarium. Yes, for a fish, stress is minimized this way, but on the other hand, you run the risk of introducing pathogenic bacteria into your aquarium on a bag with beginners. Much more correct, although it will take a little longer if you place a container with new fish. After installing the compressor, within two hours you need to add 20% of the water from your aquarium to it every 10-15 minutes. So the water is gradually completely replaced by desired composition. After that, it will be enough just to transplant the fish with a net.
Finally, the planned number of fish settled in, the balance of water was restored, life is entering a calm channel. Don't forget to make them fasting days, since plants are not yet ready to fully process organic food residues. And in the future, such unloading once a week will only benefit. It's always better to underfeed than overfeed.
It is advisable to do water changes regularly, every week about 20% of the total volume.

So, if your fish are active, the color does not become paler, and the appetite does not suffer, then you did everything right. We congratulate you! You have created a piece of nature with your own hands and patience, which will give you many pleasant moments, give you beauty, comfort and peace.

Quite a bit of theory

Running an aquarium

Properly running an aquarium is the aquarist's first priority.

Video - 10 steps to start an aquarium

Soil, plants and snails: first
Preparing an aquarium for launch begins with adding soil to it.

The added tap water should simply be left in the aquarium for a while to settle. The duration of this period for supporters traditional methods is several days. At the same time, there are special modern facilities, adding which you can reduce this period to one day and quickly start the aquarium.

Then the water is inhabited by microorganisms that are involved in the processes occurring in the water. To make this process faster, it is recommended to turn on the filter and saturate the water with air.

After the water is saturated the simplest life unpretentious plants are planted in the ground. And although some plant species tolerate planting before filling the aquarium with water, it is better to do it after. Plants should not be many.

Together with planting plants, you can start turning on the light for a short time: 4-6 hours.

In a day it will be possible to launch snails into the aquarium. Thanks to the products of their vital activity, the number of bacteria will increase, which will help to establish a balance in the nitrogen cycle.

Only after 3 weeks from the moment of launch it will be possible to plant half of the total volume of the planned "green spaces". At this time, there will already be enough light for them, and they will no longer be able to upset the balance.

Releasing fish into the aquarium

When starting an aquarium, each owner is looking forward to the moment when it will be possible to launch fish into it. After a few days from the very beginning of the process, you can increase the lighting time of the aquarium up to 9 or even 12 hours. At the same time, unpretentious species of fish are launched. Their number should not exceed a third of the population allowed for the selected volume of the aquarium. With the correct start of the aquarium, it is very important not to feed the fish at this time. She will not suffer from such a forced starvation diet, but it is easy to disrupt the emerging nitrogen cycle by feeding, which will lead to the need to restart the aquarium. It will be possible to organize food for the fish only 4 days after their stay in the emerging ecosystem.

A few more days after the launch of the first fish, you can populate the aquarium with fish in half of their estimated number. At this time, it is already possible to release more whimsical species of fish - the threat to them is minimal.

At the same time, it is already worth replacing a fifth of the water, and at the same time cleaning the soil with a siphon. It's also time to clean the filter.

In another week, all the fish will be planted, the same amount of water will be changed again, the filter will be cleaned and the soil will be cleaned.

Aquarium introduction video

The role of bacteria in the nitrogen cycle

The role of filters in the nitrogen cycle

How to wash an aquarium?

How to wash the aquarium before starting?

Before washing a new aquarium before starting it, let it sit at room temperature for several hours to eliminate the smell of silicone. This will also protect glass from cracking during the cold season when washing. Then the aquarium is washed warm water, you can use a small amount of baking soda. Fill only half the right amount water. Set plants, interior, rocks. A day later, the rest of the water is added 3-5 cm from the edge. If the water does not run away, after a few days it is drained and a new one is poured. The first one or two months to create a biological balance do not change the water, watch the fish, watch the leaves. Scissors remove leaves that have turned yellow or rotted. It must be remembered that bush plants after transplantation should not be touched for six months.
Periodic aquarium cleaning
Regular cleaning of the aquarium does not catch fish. Cleaning includes washing the turbine with running water, cleaning the windows, replacing 1/5 of the amount of water.

When restarting, they catch fish and drain the water. Algae are washed with running water, rubbing the leaves between the fingers.

Clean the filter from mucus and dirt using a toothbrush and cotton swabs. The filter must work around the clock. A weak current is a signal to clean the filter.

Glasses of an aquarium can be washed with a soda solution with a special scraper, which cleans them from plaque. Instead of soda, use special products that are sold in stores. And instead of a scraper, a capron or a sponge for washing kitchen utensils. They also wash all the decor, stones and shells.

The soil, which turns sour from fish excrement and uneaten food, is cleaned with a siphon. Instead of a siphon, use a hose with a watering can at the end of the tube. The length of the hose is 30% more than twice the height of the aquarium, and its diameter is 10 or 15 mm. Press the end of the hose with the watering can to the ground, and suck water through the other end of the hose and send a stream of water into the bucket. So rearranging the funnel, we clean the soil from dirt.

In case of infection, the soil is washed using a strainer in small portions. Add fresh water, and boil for ½ hour. Before laying in the aquarium, cool and rinse again. It is recommended to clean the soil once every 2-3 weeks.

After cleaning the aquarium, we fill in some of the water, return the pebbles, shells, decor, plants back. Add water and start the fish. It is recommended to replace 1/5 of the water in the aquarium once a week. In an aquarium with a volume of more than 200 liters, once every two weeks, and in small aquariums twice a week. Use only filtered or settled water.

What kind of water to pour into the aquarium. What kind of water is needed for an aquarium

What kind of water is needed for an aquarium

Beginning aquarists do not always understand what water to pour into the aquarium. Let's look at the composition of water. Water differs in the content of acid in it. PH - and there is an indicator of the level of acid. Acidity has a significant impact on the biological processes taking place in the aquarium. Water consists of acidic and alkaline ions, the amount of which determines the measure of acidity. If they are in equal proportions, then the water is considered neutral. In this case, the pH is 7. If the indicator is lower, this is evidence of acidic water, if higher, it is alkaline. For successful development fish and plants in the aquarium should be normal water.

One of the parameters of water is its hardness, which affects the possibility of keeping fish in water and depends on the amount of calcium in it. Rigidity can be temporary or permanent. Constant hardness is observed in water after boiling. The hardness value for aquarium inhabitants may differ from the value in natural reservoirs.

In the development of fish plays a significant role in the illumination of the water. They need 8 to 10 hours of daylight per day. Light can be natural, artificial and mixed. Not far from the window, the aquarium will receive natural light. In autumn and winter it is desirable to use mixed lighting. Artificial lighting is mostly used in fish breeding.

Water temperature also affects the body of aquarium inhabitants. Moreover, each species of fish requires a certain temperature limit for normal life. Therefore, when purchasing this or that fish, it is necessary to find out at what temperature it lived in the same place.

The first launch of an aquarium requires responsible preparation. First you need to study the information and purchase the necessary equipment. Before starting, you should already understand what inhabitants will inhabit the aquarium and how much space they need. Based on this, the shape and size of the aquarium is selected, and then all the rest of the equipment: filters, lamps, thermometers, heater, compressor. As well as the background and decorations (optional). They must correspond to the characteristics of the aquarium, the number and needs of its inhabitants.

If you want to decorate the aquarium with plants, you also need to purchase them in advance. Be sure to check that they are compatible with the fish.

Decide on a place.

We wash and check the aquarium.

Before decorating the aquarium, you need to wash it and check for defects. If the aquarium is clean, it is enough to rinse it with tap water, without disinfectants. Place the aquarium in the tub and fill it with water. Check carefully for leaks. If no defects are found, proceed to the next step.

We set up the aquarium and decorate the background.

Install the aquarium in a pre-prepared place and fix the background (optional). The background is drawn up before the soil is laid, and even more so before the aquarium is filled with water.

We lay the soil.

Fill the bottom with soil. If there are plants in your aquarium, then the soil should consist of two layers. The first is nutritious, the second is classic, natural color, with a diameter of 2-4 mm. For example, this is a combination of Tetra Complete Substrate (nutritional) and Tetra Active Substrate (classic).

The total thickness of the soil should be approximately 5-8 cm, depending on the capacity of the aquarium. In small aquariums, the optimal thickness is up to 6 cm.

We install equipment and decorations.

The next step is to install the hardware. Bring the equipment to the aquarium, carefully install the equipment according to the instructions, but do not connect it yet.

When installing an external filter, measure the required length of hoses that will circulate water from the aquarium to the filter and back, and cut off the excess to avoid kinks and save space. The internal filter is usually installed in one of the rear corners of the aquarium. If desired, it can be decorated, but so that the water circulation at the filter is not disturbed.

Place the decorations in such a way that they do not interfere with the view of the aquarium, the operation of the equipment and do not occupy all the free space. The fish should have enough room to move.

Use only special decorations. They are cleaned and completely safe for aquarium inhabitants.

We plant plants.

It's time to decorate the aquarium with plants (optional). You can choose artificial or live vegetation, at your discretion. How exactly to plant plants depends on their type. But for decoration general rule: the space at the front wall of the aquarium should be planted with low plants, and at the back with tall ones.

We fill with water.

When the equipment and decorations are installed, and the plants are planted, you can fill the aquarium with water. Plain tap water is best for this. Beforehand, she needs to be allowed to settle for 3-4 days, in glass container without cover.

How to properly fill the aquarium? Place a shallow plate on the ground and pour water into it so that it slowly drains from it onto the ground. If water is immediately poured onto the ground, it will wash it out, and your work on decorating the aquarium will go down the drain.

After filling the aquarium, do not rush to populate its inhabitants. A new aquarium is a dead environment and the fish will die in it. Release the first fish after about 7 days. During this time, a small aqua world will be installed in the aquarium, which will friendly accept the inhabitants.

We connect the equipment.

Connect the equipment as soon as the aquarium is filled. Carefully monitor its operation and measure the water parameters regularly. At the time of settling with fish, everything should be in perfect order!

Ahead of the most interesting - the settlement of the aquarium. We will talk about how to put fish in an aquarium in our next article.

Starting an aquarium is a rather complicated process, and it requires careful preparation. Before you populate the fish, you will need to purchase the artificial reservoir itself, decorative elements, vegetation, necessary equipment (filter, aerator), light. For the correct launch of a new aquarium, it is not enough to install everything that was purchased, fill in water and populate living creatures, a certain biological environment (microflora) must be established in the reservoir. To be clear, we need to consider step by step process preparing the reservoir for settlement, which is especially important for beginners.

Preparatory activities

Before you start the aquarium, it must be prepared for this process, namely, washed. Do not use soap or other detergents. The best option - baking soda because it is non-toxic. After washing, the reservoir is rinsed several times with running water. Then you need to decide on the location of the vessel. You can install it almost anywhere in your home.

The main condition is the exclusion of direct sun rays.

In addition, it is recommended to place the pond in a dark place in the room. Fish need bright lighting only during the spawning period, so it is better to organize artificial light. With constant exposure to sunlight, green algae will grow in the aquarium. They cover glass, planted plants, and the water itself blooms. Therefore, installation near the window is far from the most the best place. In addition, the aquarium should be located on a special structure or pedestal that can withstand its weight. In addition to the fact that the surface should be flat, a rubber mat should be placed under the container.

Having placed the reservoir in the chosen place, start by filling it with water to the top. The need for such actions is to remove traces of sealant and other unnecessary substances. After that, the water is completely drained. Together with the liquid, all unnecessary materials will leave the aquarium. The next step in the proper start of the aquarium is laying the ground. To do this, fill the reservoir by a third and lay the prepared pebbles.

Fine gravel is the best individual elements which do not exceed 5 mm.

It is desirable to use a material with a neutral alkaline reaction. If the soil is chosen correctly, an optimal microclimate will be formed in the new aquarium without places where water can stagnate and there is no circulation.

The choice of soil should be given Special attention, since this material is considered to be a natural biofilter for all microorganisms. It follows from this that the success of launching an aquarium for the first time largely depends on the correct choice of material and its laying, therefore, prepared soil is used so as not to bring pathogens into an artificial reservoir. The procedure is quite simple, but necessary. You should start by calcining and boiling the pebbles. Calcination is performed in the oven, boiling - on the stove in a suitable container. Having done such actions, the soil is laid on the bottom and water is poured to the required level.

Preparation of microflora

From the very beginning, the filter, compressor and lighting can be omitted. In most cases, tap water is poured into the vessel, so at least a day must pass for the liquid to get rid of chlorine, acquire room temperature. Further preparation of the aquarium for launch involves planting plants. To provide algae the necessary conditions, install lighting.

The power of the light source is calculated based on the volume of the reservoir: 0.35 W should fall on 1 liter.

At first, it will be enough to highlight the vessel for 8 hours.

There are certain plants that are recommended to be planted first:

hornwort;
pterygoid fern;
Indian;
fast growing plants.

Quick launch The aquarium is complicated by an insufficient number of bacteria that process the waste products of the inhabitants. In the process of dying off the leaves of these plants, the number of these bacteria increases. Every novice aquarist strives to get the fish in as quickly as possible, but nevertheless, you will have to wait a bit. After the plants are planted, it should take some time for them to adapt and start growing. All the measures taken make it possible to establish a primary balance in an artificial reservoir.

The process of microclimate formation:

water at first becomes cloudy due to the active reproduction of microorganisms;
after 3-4 days, transparency will return to normal;
as a result of the absorption of oxygen and organic matter, ammonia accumulates;
increased vital activity of bacteria normalizes the aquarium microflora.

How long should the reservoir stand before launching the fish? Certain term no, because it all depends temperature regime, vessel volume and plants. An aquarium ready to welcome its inhabitants should emit a slight smell of fresh grass, but not silicone.

How to plant aquarium plants?

One of the stages of starting an aquarium is planting plants. Plants that attach to snags and stones should be planted first if you plan to install such decorative elements. It is advisable to do the procedure before filling with water, since if it is available, it is not very convenient to do this.

If mosses and ferns grow in the aquarium, you can use a nylon thread that wraps around the substrate.

Water should be poured as the vegetation used is planted: first, low-growing grass is planted, then tall. How to properly start an aquarium? To fully answer this question, first of all, ground cover plants are planted for the foreground, for example, Eleocharis, Glossostigma. Bushes of such vegetation are divided into smaller ones and placed 1 cm apart, which will allow them to grow rapidly. Planting is done with tweezers down with the roots, and so that the bushes do not float up, they are pressed with soil. Then they proceed to long-stemmed plants, which are planted in bunches.

Starting an aquarium for the first time is recommended with plenty of vegetation to avoid an algae outbreak. A small number of plants are not able to resist the spread of algae. Moreover, not all nutrients can be assimilated by plantings, as a result of which they remain with algae. With a large volume of the aquarium, a considerable number of plants will be required, which can be quite expensive and this point must be taken into account.

However, over time, the grass will grow, it can be sold, thereby recouping the investment. If we start an aquarium from scratch, then useful plant is Riccia, which is characterized by low cost and unpretentiousness. It is it that is recommended to be used at the stage of launching the reservoir.

Installation and verification of equipment

When all the above procedures are completed, the equipment can be installed and checked in a new aquarium. It is better to place the heater next to the filter, which will ensure uniform heating of the water.

It is important to remember that the heating element must be completely under water, but in no case should it be placed under the ground: it will either fail or crack the bottom of the aquarium.

The heating temperature must be set within + 24˚С ... + 25˚С, and after warming up, check it with a thermometer. Many heating elements are equipped with a light that indicates the operation of the device.

The internal filter is installed at the very bottom, since this is where pollution accumulates. It does not make sense to place filtering equipment 10–20 cm above the ground. In many cases, a compressor is used instead of filter aeration. If the filtering device also requires the function of saturating the water with oxygen, then it should be located at the optimum depth. Aeration works the better the closer to the surface, but they try to place the filter as low as possible.

Connecting an external filter is somewhat more complicated. The first thing to do is read the instructions. Pipes designed for the intake and discharge of water are located in different places aquarium. Thus, water stagnation can be avoided. It is best to place the water intake near the bottom, putting on a pre-filter, which will prevent the ingress of large debris or living creatures.

Before turning on the device, it is filled with water using a manual pump.

Air may not come out of the device immediately, so you should not be surprised at the exit of bubbles. In addition, the filter can be quite noisy at first. Tilt the appliance at different angles to quickly remove the remaining air from the appliance.

How to launch fish?

So it's time to start living creatures in the aquarium. If you are just learning the basics of aquarism, then it is better to start with unpretentious fish, which include guppies and zebrafish. If all of the above procedures were performed correctly, then a whole flock of aquatic inhabitants can be planted in a reservoir. At the same time, there is no need to overpopulate the aquarium: about 15 young individuals are released per 100 liters.

Landing must be done correctly:

we bring a package or a jar of fish from the pet store;
expect for several hours, equipping the container with aeration;
drain some of the water and add from the aquarium;
after 1 hour, repeat the procedure;
within a few hours all the water needs to be changed;
move the fish to a common pond.

After the fish is launched, it is recommended to measure the parameters of the reservoir for the first time, for which you will need to purchase testers for ammonia, nitrates and acidity. The first fish should be given live or frozen food. Dry food is not recommended. If you don’t have to choose, then you need to introduce dry food gradually, not forgetting to arrange fasting days. This technology avoids the occurrence of a bacterial outbreak. At first, you should not be puzzled by the issue of changing the water. This event is resorted to only in such cases:

all the inhabitants of the reservoir are in the lower layers;
press the upper fin;
gather in heaps;
swim in flocks or in pairs.

In order to quickly determine if a water change is needed, check the acidity and temperature. At temperature index at + 25˚С and pH above 7.6, part of the water (10–20%) is replaced. If one individual sank to the bottom, it should be placed in quarantine and continued monitoring.

This will lower the ammonia level. After that, the fish are returned back. Starting an aquarium from scratch step-by-step instruction which was described above, together with the colonization of fish has a direct impact on water quality. A chemical cloud is created around each individual, which affects nearby inhabitants. The more fish in the pond, the harmful substances are more active.

How to avoid mistakes?

We figured out how to start an aquarium, but beginners are usually in a hurry and make a lot of mistakes. Therefore, it is worth dwelling on such moments in more detail. As a rule, novice aquarists are in a hurry to introduce fish into a new pond, which is the first mistake. The inhabitants in an unprepared reservoir, if not all, then most of them, simply die. What is the essence of the problem? The fact is that in the new artificial reservoir, the water has not returned to normal, the microflora necessary for the normal existence of fish and other living creatures has not been established in it.

From the very beginning, the water contains a large number of useful and not very substances, which is harmful to the inhabitants. Therefore, there is no need to try to start the reservoir quickly: the water should settle, the acidity level should stabilize.

Mistakes are not only in a hurry, but also in launching a large number of fish. At the same time, it is not worth populating all the acquired fish into the reservoir at once, since the aquarium simply cannot withstand the load of fish until the biobalance is established. First you need to run unpretentious fish. Then it takes some time for the nitrite and ammonia values to rise and then fall to zero. This will indicate the establishment of the nitrogen cycle and the possibility of further settlement of the vessel.

Even if you prepare the aquarium correctly and run it in accordance with the step-by-step instructions described above, but at the same time populate a large number of fish, the reservoir will be overcrowded, which can lead to the death of its inhabitants.

Therefore, it is important to adhere to a simple formula: about 1 liter of water should fall on a fish up to 5 cm in length, if the living creature is more than 6 cm, then 6 liters per individual will be needed.

In addition, not all species can be kept in one aquarium. Some lovers choose fish exclusively for appearance, having no idea about the features of their content (behavior, conditions, etc.). The fact is that fish of the same species can fight among themselves or with other species. All these nuances must be taken into account. If you do not follow these recommendations, the death of the fish will be inevitable. If you plan to keep several types of fish in one reservoir, you need to familiarize yourself with their characteristics in advance and select the same ones both in size and in content requirements.

What must be observed?

A common mistake of beginners is non-compliance with the feeding regimen: underwater inhabitants are overfed. The fish are constantly in search of food, but this does not mean at all that they are hungry. Feed should be given in an amount that is eaten in 5 minutes. When the aquarium is just starting up, they should be fed no more than once a day. If jumps in ammonia and nitrites occur, they resort to the same feeding scheme. For several days, nothing terrible will happen to the fish without food, besides, fasting days will only benefit.

An important point is right choice filtering equipment: the filter must pass through the entire volume of the aquarium at least 3 times per hour.

Gotta stick to next rule: it is better to install the device with a margin than the water will be underfiltered, i.e., pollution will accumulate, especially when the vessel is overcrowded. As a rule, novice aquarists have no idea about such a concept as the nitrogen cycle in a pond, and control chemical composition water is not carried out at all. As a result, harmful toxins appear in the aquarium. These parameters are especially important to monitor when starting a new reservoir. Otherwise, at one fine moment, all the inhabitants may die due to the high value of ammonia.

An artificial reservoir requires periodic replacement of water. If this is not done, the water parameters change due to an increase in the concentration of nitrites, ammonia and ammonium, as a result of which the fish are exposed to various diseases. All this can lead to the death of aquarium animals, especially young animals. As you could understand, the process of launching an aquarium is not an easy undertaking, and it will not work out quickly. For everything to go well, you need to follow the recommendations in strict sequence. Only in this case it is possible to organize a beautiful reservoir with healthy inhabitants.