The establishment of the aquarium :: Aquarium for beginners
The interior of the aquarium is different for each person. The one like it for many plants to have in his bowl, the other chooses to take it easy to do. Some people like lots of fish and thus life in prison, some not. It is entirely up to the individual how the aquarium is decorated. Yet it is useful to take into account a number of rules of thumb.
Gravity
Before you start setting up your tank is absolutely level stand. Do you have an old aquarium Volglas tapped on the head, then rests the whole aquarium often the bottom plate. In that case it is necessary to the aquarium to put on a styrofoam base, so the pressure is distributed. Modern aquariums is no longer necessary, because they often have a plastic border around the base. You should also take into account the weight of a full tank. A tank of 100x50x50 cm has a capacity of 250 liter. Those who bake on such a small table with legs places, runs the risk that the table breaks - and not always immediately. Therefore prefer to purchase a special base cabinet, who belongs to the aquarium. Also want to bake at a relatively dark in the house to put away from doors and 'over' (related to vibrations).
Rear necessary?
Almost every aquarium has four glass walls. And virtually every tank gets a place on a table against a wall or cabinet. Now it is seldom a pretty sight for a maanvis along a flowery wallpaper to see swimming. With a back and / or side walls, the natural look, and it offers greater optical depth and less reflection. Moreover, in this manner the hoses and cables out of sight behind the box.
Click on the image to enlarge
Click on the image to enlarge
There are several possible types of backs:
Poster:
The easiest way to the back of an aquarium is to cover through a large picture, usually a plate of an underwater scene. These pictures are in the aquarium specialist role or custom for sale, and should be stuck behind the aquarium. Really it does not look nice, especially seeing as the reflection on the rear stays.
(Ready made) plastic back:
A better solution is a wall of plastic. This plastic back is easily cut into desired shape. This type of ready-to-back is ready for sale in the store, and in different colors and sizes. These walls must be glued in the aquarium with silicone adhesive, which must dry for at least 24 hours in the water tank can be done.
Cork:
Cork also lends itself well to making a back wall. It looks very natural, and in thick cork sheets can with a knife or fork made erratic lines.
PU-foam or two components:
This material can be pretty special, natural-looking constructions, especially when stones or wood processed. But the material is extremely difficult to edit and therefore only suitable for the experienced do-it-yourselfer. The foam is well cleaned and degreased windows fitted and modeled the desired shape. Once dry, it can even be sanded and painted. But once so far, it can not be removed from the tank. Who is a beautiful tropical beekoevertje has managed to create, can not tank later populate with such rock-residing Malawi cichlids. Then there is simply nothing other than a tank to buy.
Soil
Before the soil is made should be clear what is the tank type, and the fish swim over there soon. Because armored catfish nestle like them and they smooth and nicely rounded gravel needed, debris and gravel from a larger diameter are not suitable for them. Most of the larger cichlid species are notorious diggers, even to them that it is not too coarse gravel may be. And who plants a beautiful aquarium in mind, below the gravel layer is a breeding ground for plant application. It goes too far to deal with all possibilities, so the two most common vissamenstellingen below:
Large cichlids:
Who will maintain robust cichlids, can cover the ground with gravel, stones and possibly drift wood pieces. Because many of these species like grouper digging, it should not be too coarse gravel. Any plants - and that in such animals can only coarse, strong species - should be planted in pots. The pots can feed a mixture of soil and gravel are made. The pots must stand firm, so the fish can not undermine or overthrow. But you will regularly have to buy new plants: most large cichlids excel because of the demolition of the flora.
Aquarium Society:
In a community tank, the most seen, many plants are used. These plants have nutritional needs and therefore is an essential breeding ground. Provide one layer of a few centimeters thick. The substrate may back up again, because the largest plants are placed against the back wall. The smallest plants get a spot close behind the windscreen. Cover the medium with a layer of gravel (preferably with an average diameter of 3mm). Who in a richly planted aquarium catfish, small cichlids botia or want to keep this fish is a "rooting spot" to create. This can very easily through the gravel in some places replaced by fine grained sand (but not dark matrix) or a layer of peat.
This offer does not guarantee that they will loswroeten never plant!
Color of gravel
The colors of the fish are the most justice on a dark ground. It also gives a dark soil more rest for the fish. Better to choose a darker soil than for a light-colored gravel.
Decoration Materials: Beware!
It is not just the plants and back to give the aquarium a natural appearance. Also wood and stones contribute to it. They appear not only beautiful, many fish use wood, roots and stones as shelters. Not all wood and stones are used. Who in the woods is a beautiful stump, do not even have to think in the aquarium place. If the wood has been saturated by water and therefore would not float, is almost 100% chance that the wood slowly rotting. Also beautiful stones during holidays abroad are collected, not always lend themselves to the aquarium. Many rock contains calcium, which makes the water hard. Some stones can be dissolved in water or iron off issue: they can impacting water levels, and rarely positively. Who wants to be assured of solid materials, stone and wood are just buying in specialist aquarium shop.
Washing
The washed gravel that you can buy in the pet should be washed thoroughly at home again with much (running) water you used in the aquarium. Only the gravel only to water as you rinse the gravel, is clear.
Wood
Kien Wood is the most common type of wood. These are stumps that clearly using years in peatlands are located in a natural way to mold and rot are discussed. Petrified wood is also extremely suitable for aquariums. In addition, so-called savannah and mangrove timber wood for sale. Is moldy wood in your aquarium (usually visible as white mold), then you have no suitable wood inherited.
Discoloration prevention
Kien Wood discolored water, it is dark and cloudy on. This discoloration has many aquarists pushed to the drift wood as a whole to throw away. But that is not necessary if you properly treat the wood beforehand. Do this as follows:
Put it in a big drift wood with some pan and bring to a boil.
Once the water boils you can run the gas is lower, then use the wood a few hours let simmer.
The water is very dark: the worst colors have already withdrawn from the timber.
Then you pour the water, and fill the pan again with fresh water.
Add a tablespoon of salt with iodine, and let it boil again and simmer gently for a few hours.
Depending on the amount of dye can last once or repeated several times.
Only when the very slightly discolored water during this treatment, you can from the pan and put a bowl of cold water.
Let the number of days in a still, before you place the timber in the aquarium.
To combat discoloration is advisable for the good activated carbon filter to do, which ensures that the water becomes clear again.
Stone
The offer is very diverse stone. The flat flagstones or slate are easily stacked, and are perfectly suitable for the soil to make terraces. Lava is also widely used, but has the disadvantage that the dense structure and contains many sharp edges. The stones shall lie or stand firm. Grove City, heavy stones on a piece of styrofoam always, directly to the bottom of the aquarium is. In this way, a break in the base prevented. Only when the big stones are in place, bring the gravel and (possibly) medium to. Is a large stone on a gravel layer, it can happen that the fish and the gravel weggraven your stone in the soil caused a crack. Who wants to rock formations of stone, must ensure that the stones are firmly together. A stone by the fish during a cleaning or snaps, a break in one of the windows cause. Who do definitely want to play, confirms the stones together. When using cement water tank must be refreshed several times for fishing are allowed in. The most commonly used material for stone is put down special (non-toxic) silicone adhesive, available in the aquarium specialist.
Suitable stones
Lava Stone
Quartz
Granite
Basalt
Unsuitable stones
Limestone
Marble
Dolomite
Shelters
Half coconuts do particularly well as shelter for small cichlids and catfish. Moreover, extremely decorative coconuts. They are ready and prepared for sale in the store, or fresh from the greengrocer. Cut a fresh copy from the middle, take the flesh out and then put the sheet on a time in boiling water to the remains and flesh to remove any impurities. Other suitable shelters include ceramic flower pots, you half burrows, but stones can also be made fun shelters.
Water
If the device is desired and all decoration materials firmly in place, the tank can be filled with water. Never pour the water with great force in the aquarium. If the tank is filled for the first time, it is advisable for a plastic bag over the bottom to submit to them a deep plate, and gently pouring water here.
For larger aquariums, use water from a garden hose on the board flow. Tap water is rarely suitable for fish. It includes among others a small amount of chlorine, dissolved salts, disinfectants and heavy metals. People notice of nothing but fish all the more. Before you can use tap water and aquarium water, it must be treated. In the aquarium store to get a special water conditioners for sale. It is also advisable good nitrifying bacteria in the water to add. These are also available in the specialty.
Measuring set values for water
Have you treated tap water, then will the acidity and hardness of the water almost never optimal for the fish. Often this is not a problem, certainly not the most "beginner-fish ', which is Resilient. But it remains advisable to use the water for testing for pH (acidity) and hardness (DH). There is no training in chemistry is needed: the meetsetjes are very simple. For most aquarium fish is slightly acidic to neutral (pH 6,5-7,5) and soft water (less than 6 DH) the best. But for example, or Malawi cichlids require Tanjanika-har (Dh 8 to 12) and alkaline water (pH 7.5 to 8).
The acidity of the water is easy to reduce by some peat in the filter to do or so-called pH-minus "to the water to add. The use of CO ² (carbon dioxide) is a good solution for this problem. The use of peat is not only the water slightly acidic, but also amber colored. Especially neon tetra and cardinal's eyes beautifully in this dark tinted water. Should it be harder water, this may by "KH plus' and or 'plus GH' to add the water. Check the water regularly until the desired hardness - or acidity is reached. The measurement of nitrite (NO ²) is important. Nitrites produced from the degradation of various substances, including the relief of the fish.
Hardness
0 ° to 4 ° DH: very soft water
4 ° to 4 ° DH: soft water
8 ° to 12 ° DH: medium hard water
12 ° to 18 ° DH: hard water
18 ° to 30 ° DH: very hard water
Ask the seller always fish to the water values which he keeps his fish. Set the sale of fish from the water as much home modifications: only your first water values.
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