Wanting to get aquatic inhabitants at home, you need to approach this issue thoroughly, because only competent care of the aquarium will ensure the well-being of fish and a beautiful view of the home pond.
Aquarium and care for it - tips for beginners
In the care of the aquarium there are many aspects. And the first thing you need to decide is which fish will live in it. If predators , you need to be prepared for frequent fights and eating neighbors. Peace-loving same fishes bring less trouble. Buying different fish, you need to be interested in how they get along on the same territory.
The next point is the optimum stiffness and temperature of the water . The very first mistake inexperienced aquarists - the use of not standing tap water. In such water there are undesirable impurities, because of which the fish feel bad and even die.
Water should be settled for at least 2-3 days. With regard to the rigidity and acidity of water, an individual approach is needed, depending on the species of fish. This is better to ask the seller.
The temperature for fish should be within + 20 ... + 30 ° С. Again, much depends on the particular type of fish. But in any case, the deviation from these figures threatens with diseases or the burning of fish.
Of course, the water in the aquarium should always be clean and saturated with oxygen. There are fish that do without aeration, but most of them die already for 3-5 days.
Means for care of an aquarium
To comply with all the above conditions, you will need some adaptations for the aquarium. And the main ones are a thermometer, a water heater, a filter and a compressor. In addition, you can purchase a device for measuring acidity, in order to prevent its increase to a critical point.
Another important equipment for the care of the aquarium is a lamp for its illumination. Optimum illumination is considered at the rate of 0.5 W per 1 liter of water. A more accurate calculation of the number, spectrum and intensity of additional illumination takes into account the depth, the presence of plants, the type of water (fresh or marine), as well as the individual needs of fish.
Care of a marine aquarium
Despite the prevailing opinion, caring for a marine aquarium is not much more complicated than for a freshwater one. Of course, there is a fundamental difference between them. And most importantly - to care for the marine aquarium you will need more powerful, complex and expensive equipment and more expensive consumables. The sea inhabitants themselves will also be more expensive.
For the preparation of sea water use special mixtures, distilled water or water, which has passed several degrees of purification. Just tap water here is not poured.
Daily in the marine aquarium you need to measure the parameters, simulate the natural flow of water with the help of centrifugal pumps and once a week to change a quarter of the volume of water in the aquarium. Lighting is the most important component of the life of marine life.
Care for exotic plants and fish is pretty painstaking. It is necessary to regularly clean the bottom of the aquarium from food residues and waste products by means of a siphon. Periodically, you need to change the soil, control the density of the sea solution, maintain the chemical properties of the marine aquarium ecosystem.
In a word, this business soon comes sooner for experienced aquarists and for enthusiastic people. If you do not have time, but you like fish, where it will be easier to master the care of a small aquarium. However, in this case, you need to monitor the optimal number of fish, so that they are not cramped in a small space.