Background of aquarium
Design of aquarium with your hands begins with the background. A unique backdrop of the rear wall of the reservoir will enjoy not only you, but also the inhabitants of the underwater little world. The easiest way — to use bought-foils, which are attached by means of double adhesive tape on the back wall — they can be purchased in many pet stores. Be careful, because the images with a 3D effect often look unnatural.
Another way to of design — to take matters into your own hands and to include fantasy. Moss, beautiful snags, stones, plants — all have handy. Cover the back wall with foil of black or rich blue — it will give the reservoir depth and contrast. You can go other way, decorating the background with picturesque stones, rocks, coral reefs, making cozy caves and grottoes — the fish will thank you for the availability of shelters, and still you can easily hide all the ugly tubes, hoses and wires.
The substrate for a home aquarium
Primer — is a substrate, sand, gravel, or crushed volcanic rock — the assortment of modern pet shops surprises with its diversity. When choosing the color of the ground, be guided by the overall style: if the water is made in a natural style, and the soil should be dark brown or gray, but certainly not the acid-pink. Pour the soil evenly (4-5 centimeters) across the bottom and then lay your favorite stones and decorative elements.
Be very careful, because not every stone is suitable for an aquarium: some minerals increase the level of hardness of the water, causing that on the walls of the reservoir there is a touch that can affect the health of fish. The easiest way to check the suitability of the pebble — to drip on its surface acetic acid (about half a teaspoon) if vinegar foam, then the mineral is present in the structure of lime, better put it aside. ‘Qualified’ pebbles should be necessarily boiled and then lay out the bottom. You can build a whole tower, improvised rockeries or alpine gardens under water — it really depends on your preference. Most often used for aquarium basalt, granite, gneiss, porphyry and other breeds.
It is worth remembering that there is no symmetry in nature, so it is not necessary to place the composition of the stones on the corners of the tank or strictly in the middle, but the chaotic heaps of stones — not the best choice. Select several high large stones and place them around the smaller size. «Sink» the large stones deeper in the ground — so they will look more natural, do not put them completely smoothly — they look more interesting on angle.
Decorative elements
Modular houses, stones, vases, turrets is also quite appropriate, but the main thing — not to overdo, because first of all they are shelters for the inhabitants of the aquarium, and only then delight the eye the owners and their guests. Be careful with shells and corals — they can raise the level of water hardness, so carefully follow this indicator.
Choosing plants for aquarium
The choice of plants depends not only on the subject of aquarium, but also on the conditions in the water, your experience in the aquarium: if you are a beginner, contentment with unpretentious hardy plants, they should be of different heights. Lowest seaweed planted in the background, while the lowest — near the front wall, avoid absolute symmetry. A few low plants can be planted surrounded by stones — they will look very natural.