Aquarium in the interior: options

Have you decided to start an aquarium? This great idea will solve several problems at once - enrich the interior, provide excellent relaxation and moisturize the air in the apartment - this is especially true in the winter heating period. Surely you have already looked at more than a dozen aquariums in various catalogs, admiring the beauty of underwater thickets or sand dunes, and you know that in order to create and maintain this splendor you will need to correctly determine the size of the aquarium, purchase a filter, compressor, soil, feeders, backlight. We will figure out what and why we need, and begin the review with fish - how many and what species we want to settle in our new aquarium.

How to choose fish for an aquarium

If this aquarium is the first for you, it is better to stop at unpretentious medium-sized varieties. Suitable for you:

viviparous - guppies, swordsmen, mollies;
small catfish - corridors, ancistruses, speckled;
neons
cockerels;
zebrafish;
various types of barbs.

Viviparous easily reproduce, tolerate small fluctuations in temperature and water parameters without problems. Catfish clean up the remaining food from the bottom and walls of the aquarium, and labyrinth males do not need oxygen supply - they swallow air from the surface of the water. For these species, you do not need a large aquarium. Although when choosing it, it should be noted that in a large body of water it is easier to maintain a microclimate compared to a small one. When choosing fish, consider their compatibility, otherwise your inhabitants can not be counted. All of the above fish are freshwater. For them, you can plant plants in the aquarium.They will revive the view, improve the microclimate of the aquatic environment and create the necessary shelters for the inhabitants. Plants come in the following varieties:

growing in the ground;
floating in water;
lying on the surface of the water.

They grow quickly and do not require special care of duckweed, wallisneria, elodea, hornwort, riccia, javanese moss. For the normal growth and development of plants, you will need backlighting. Without it, most plants develop poorly. Putting the aquarium in a sunny place will also be wrong - in bright light, green algae begins to multiply rapidly. Dosed light of special phytolamps will inhibit the growth of unwanted algae and contribute to the normal photosynthesis of aquarium plants. Fish do not need backlighting, if there are no living plants in your aquarium, you can do without it. Saltwater aquariums look beautiful and unusual. If you are completely delighted with a vacation spent in the Red Sea or the Maldives, liven up your impressions with a piece of a real coral reef in your apartment. The marine inhabitants of the aquariums, as well as the means of caring for them, will be very expensive, but the fabulous picture of the sea kingdom will delight you every day.

What shape aquarium to prefer

When choosing the shape of the aquarium, focus more on its size. The shape for the fish does not matter. When buying, pay attention to the following points:

a round aquarium never leaks, since it has no seams, but distorts the view;
a panoramic aquarium with a convex front wall gives volume;
the most common shape is rectangular. Such models do not distort the look and are easy to care for.

Before buying, carefully inspect all the seams and the integrity of the glass, as small cracks and chips under the pressure of water can increase, which is fraught with leakage.

Where to put the aquarium

When choosing a place for underwater inhabitants, consider some subtleties that may complicate the care of them:

the place should be bright, but without direct sunlight;
Do not place the pond where it can be easily touched with your hands, a mop handle, vacuum cleaner, or a door;
the stand under it must be perfectly flat, otherwise the base may crack.

Ideally, the aquarium should be in a relaxation corner with soft chairs and diffused light. There you can fully enjoy observing the life of your pets.

Which water filter to choose for the aquarium

A water filter is not needed only if you have a rooster or a dozen shrimps. In all other cases, it will be needed. Filters are internal and external, coupled to a compressor or separate. Internal filters have a low price, consume a bit of electricity and filter well in small volumes quite well. The disadvantages are low performance and a small filter element. There is also the inconvenience that with small aquarium sizes, internal filters occupy their volume. For large volumes it is preferable to buy an external filter. They come in various designs and are based on different principles of water purification, but are located outside and do not spoil the view. Having solved the main problems with buying a home for fish, you can do a selection of scenery. In addition to decorating the underwater landscape, they will serve as shelters for many species of fish.