An ignorant person may think that there is nothing easier than having a fish at home. There is a glass bank in the corner in which someone quietly swims. Does not bark, does not bite, and does not require anything from the owners. In fact, another aquarium needs almost the same attention as a spoiled baby.
WHAT AQUARIUM TO CHOOSE?
Of course, it's very tempting to buy a huge, full-length aquarium with exotic fish. However, in the hands of a newcomer, all this splendor is absolutely doomed to a quick death. To begin with, it is better to purchase an aquarium of medium size, which holds from thirty to one hundred liters of water.
Aquariums made of silicate glass are the most durable. They are not afraid of scratches, they can remain transparent for a long time. The only significant drawback is fragility. But aquariums of complex shape are made of plexiglas - elastic, unbreakable material. However, over time, its transparency may decrease slightly.
As for the form, it is best to choose a rectangular or square. Round for most fish will be uncomfortable. Fishes can feel in themselves uncomfortable, because they lose their orientation. In addition, there is not a single nook in which they could retire, quietly thinking about their fish life.
Having bought an aquarium, decide on its location. Do not install the aquarium on the windowsill - an abundance of bright light like not all fish (as opposed to harmful simple algae). But too dark place does not fit: the fish house should penetrate not only electric, but also daylight.
CHOOSE EQUIPMENT
Before you properly populate the fish, you need to install additional equipment in the aquarium. In addition to the fish tank for happiness, you need a lot of accessories. In order to exclude water pollution in the fish house, you will need to purchase a special filter, and your pet will not suffer from lack of oxygen - a pump will be needed (sometimes the filter and pump are combined). And since almost all aquarium fish are brought from the tropics, you will also have to purchase a heater.
Now go to the device "floor", filling the bottom with soil, that is, gravel or sand. If you decide to collect sand or pebbles in a nearby pond, do not forget to thoroughly burn them on fire - so their disinfection is carried out. The soil purchased at the pet shop, as well as the driftwood, grotto and other decorative trifles, must also be washed, cleaned of foreign impurities and dust. By the way, the "decorative" aquarium should not be overcrowded. If the catfish adore hiding in hidden corners and burrows, then guppies, for example, all these tricks are deeply indifferent. In addition, the fish should be a place for free swimming.
But without which the aquarium is almost impossible to imagine, it is without seaweed. Which of them to give preference - artificial or alive - is a matter of taste. If the first can simply be stuck in the ground, pressing the stone more tightly, the second will have to be planted (in shops a special soil containing the necessary algae substances and at the same time not polluting water is sold). Just keep in mind that planting is more convenient to do before you fill the aquarium with water.
Beginning aquarists, experts advise not to swing at a too complicated aquarium with sea water, and start with freshwater fish. Of course, the water directly from the tap does not suit them: you need to bleach the chlorine. Previously, for these purposes, water had to be defended for several days, now a lot of funds are being sold at pet stores, speeding up the process. Pour water into an empty aquarium carefully: a powerful jet can break the soil layer.
FISH MY, WHERE ARE YOU?
So, you are ready to populate the fish in the aquarium. It is safer to buy them in pet stores - so there is more chance that the fish will be healthy. To stop your choice is better not on the brightest and most beautiful, but on the most unpretentious: danios, guppies, catfish, neon, and others.
Somikov can be podsazhivat to anyone - they have a peaceful disposition. True, they are so fond of picking in the ground that they can dig out all the algae. That's why it's better to decorate the aquarium with artificial vegetation. The same goes for the goldfish - they just sob and eat live, especially tender and delicate plants.
But neon and guppy plants do not spoil and neighbors do not quarrel either. Resplendent and goldfish, but they like cool water (about 18-24 ° C), and most other fish - all 26. But with the barbs and cockerels cautious: they bully other inhabitants of the aquarium. But whatever fish you choose, remember: you can not overpopulate an aquarium with dwellers! In the capital experts advise to run about three dozen guppies or a pair of goldfish. Fish can also be populated with snails - they do not conflict. It is better to take an ampullar. They are not hermaphroditic, so it will be easier to control reproduction. And do not let the turtle, otherwise it will eat all the fish.
SUPPORT WATER PURITY
Any aquarist knows that it is much easier to maintain the purity of water in an aquarium with live plants. Actually, plants do it themselves, without outside help. But for this you need to create all the necessary conditions for it - food, lighting, the right level of carbon dioxide. But, if you manage to establish a balance - you do not have to practically clean the water. It will remain transparent even after a substitution.
To clean the aquarium, you do not need to replace all the water. Part of the water pour into the container, which will "sit out" your fish during the spring cleaning, the rest can be poured or put into watering the flowers. But note that fresh water in the aquarium should not be more than half the volume!
The water in the aquarium evaporates, so it must be periodically topped up. Get in the pet store special tools that clear water from suspended matter, turbidity, uneaten food residues, gray deposits on rocks and other organic substances that cloud water and prevent you from admiring the beauty of your pets.