Design of small aquariums. Aquarium: DIY decoration. Aquarium styles and design options Ideas for an aquarium

Just a few years ago it was believed that any aquarium would be compatible with any interior. Today, trends have changed: they are talking about color and light matching, proportions, and sizes. There are even experts in this field.

When we talk about aquarium design, we mean competent design the internal space of a glass container - populating the underwater world. To do this, you need to know which plants and fish can exist in the same volume. Where will the visual center of the aquarium be, will there be one aquarium, or will several be required? Do you choose a flat picture, or do you need tiers and terraces?

Then the finished aquarium needs to be placed in the room and fit harmoniously into the interior. From this point of view, the design of the container itself is important: its shape, color, size.

If you decide to get an aquarium for the first time, you first need to decide what kind of aquarium it will be - marine or freshwater. This different worlds, and each of them lives according to its own laws and requires certain care.

Depending on the selection of inhabitants marine aquariums are divided into three groups: with predators, with non-predatory fish, with invertebrates.

Aquariums inhabited by predators are the easiest to maintain. The most demanding are aquariums with invertebrates - sea anemones, corals, sponges and shrimp. These inhabitants are very demanding of conditions. environment, the slightest deviation in the chemical parameters of water can be disastrous for them.

Freshwater aquariums are divided into two groups: the first - with fish, the second - with a predominance of plants. Today it is fashionable to keep Malawian and American cichlids, freshwater stingrays. Using fish that can live in hard water, you can create aquariums in the “pseudo-sea” style. In such an aquarium, the water is hard, but not salty, and living corals are replaced by dried skeletons. To give some dynamics to the underwater landscape and for the full development of plants, small schooling fish are introduced into the reservoir.

Home aquariums can be a biotope, a single-species home, or a mixed “home.” Biotope aquariums create a close-to-natural habitat for a separate corner of the Earth. Marine ones reproduce the coral reefs of the Red Sea, and freshwater ones reproduce the world of the African lakes of Malawi, Tanganyika, and various rivers and lakes of South America.

In a species aquarium, as a rule, contain one species, genus or family of floating inhabitants. A collection of various plants is also a species design of an aquarium.

With a mixed design style, the container is populated with different species, which in nature do not always live together. Here you need to remember about the compatibility of species.

Species and mixed aquariums can be furnished with piles of stones, decorated with multi-colored pieces of glass, ceramic pots, and “remains of sunken ships.” Today, professionals are not very fond of this style; they prefer imitations of natural landscapes with their apparent simplicity.

If the height of the aquarium exceeds 60 cm (arm length), then it is inconvenient to maintain; The length is not of fundamental importance. Very long aquariums are called panoramic.

The volume of classic aquariums varies from 100-200 to 500-600 liters. Many come complete with equipment.

Models with a volume of 500-600 liters are installed on durable stands. Inside such a cabinet you can hide all your equipment. The stand can be open or closed. When choosing an option, you should take into account the style of your interior. If wood predominates in the room, then the cabinet is made of wood, preferably to match the furniture or doors. Black is the most neutral color; in this frame, the picture of the underwater world looks brighter. In avant-garde interiors, it is better to use aluminum and glass, mirrored surfaces with lighting.

If the aquarium is in the bathroom, then the cabinet can be tiled with ceramic tiles.

Classic forms are chosen by people for whom an aquarium is a means to relieve fatigue and get rid of negative emotions.

The picture aquarium is hung on the wall, therefore, its volume is relatively small - from 30 to 80 liters. The view glass is framed with a baguette. Only small fish are placed in such containers, using a combination of live and artificial plants.

In polyhedral aquariums, light is refracted many times, numerous distortions of the picture occur, plants and fish take on bizarre shapes.

Many aquariums have a visual center - this could be a large fish, a plant with an unusual coloring, a picturesque piece of driftwood, or a group of stones. Everything else unites around this center.

You can’t place driftwood and corals in the same aquarium; you shouldn’t put a small castle in a large aquarium, especially if there are large fish swimming in it.

Sea and pseudo-sea landscapes are characterized by bright colors, such an aquarium is quite extravagant, it acts as an explosion of color and looks good in a walk-through area. But it is unsuitable for long hours of observation and stress relief; it is too tiring.

Freshwater models are dominated by calm green and golden brown tones. This is the kind of aquarium that allows you to relax and unwind. It can be installed opposite a sofa or armchair and can replace your TV.

All containers with live plants are illuminated from above by a lamp, thanks to which underwater life looks natural, and there is an additional lamp in the room.

If there are no live plants in the aquarium, the lighting can be of a wide variety of colors. Options are selected that best fit into the overall scheme.

The aquarium can be placed along the wall, in the middle of the room, fit into a niche, or used as a partition.

When an aquarium is built into a partition, the container is made transparent on two opposite sides. The aquarium should be located at eye level of the viewer.

If the wallpaper behind a transparent aquarium is too light, then even bright fish will seem dull. It is better to decorate the back wall of the container with various flat and three-dimensional backgrounds made of plastic and polystyrene foam.

Do not install the aquarium near a loud sound source; many fish are shy. You should not place the aquarium near a window. There is still not enough light for the plants, and direct sunlight will provoke rapid growth of algae.

In aquarium farming it is not customary to start small. Small volumes create big problems, since the miniature system lacks inertia, and the biological equilibrium in it is unstable. However, small aquariums are now becoming increasingly popular. They are less expensive, compact, and with proper design and care, they are amazingly beautiful. But making a small aquarium bring great pleasure is not easy.

What aquariums are considered small?

Aquariums with a volume of less than 30-40 liters are considered small, usually from 5 to 20 liters. They are often called nanoaquariums (from the Greek nano - “small, tiny, dwarf”), emphasizing with this term not only their size, but also their modernity and manufacturability. There are also microaquariums, their capacity is 1-2 liters, and animals are not allowed in them, with the exception of some types of snails. The world's smallest fish aquarium was created by Omsk miniaturist Anatoly Konenko and his son Stanislav. They placed soil, a specially designed mini-compressor, small Cladophora bushes and several zebrafish fry in 10 ml of water.

Let’s immediately agree that we will not call a round ten-liter jar with a goldfish a nanoaquarium, since this is not an aquarium, but a mockery of fish and all the principles of aquarium management.

An aquarium, no matter what size it is, is an equilibrium biological system whose inhabitants feel comfortable. Achieving this in a small volume is a whole science. But if this is successful, the results can be simply amazing. Such aquariums, where a living biotope is reproduced in a tiny volume, are reminiscent of the Japanese art of bonsai or scale models of luxury cars: small, but everything is real.

Of course, not all small aquariums are worthy of aquascaping competitions or books of records, but any of them should please the eye of its owner and create a comfortable environment for its inhabitants.

Small aquarium and equipment for it

Nanoaquariums have a rectangular, cubic or similar shape. They are usually covered with a transparent coverslip glass, which allows you to admire them from above. They are located away from drafts and direct sunlight and closer to the outlet that will be needed to connect the equipment.

The equipment for nanoaquariums is generally the same as for large ones, that is, a filter (in some cases a pump with an aerator is sufficient), lighting, if necessary, a heater, preferably complete with a thermostat, and a carbon dioxide supply system.

For those who do not have the experience and time to select aquarium equipment, fully equipped nanoaquariums are available for sale. The Aqua El Shrim Set and Dennerle Nano Cube series complexes are recognized as the best in terms of price and quality ratio.

And if you want to save money or are interested in choosing all the filling for your nanocube yourself, there is plenty to choose from.

Filter

For a small aquarium, a filter is vital. Since the balance in this system is very fragile, and a small deviation in the parameters of aquarium water can be fatal for its inhabitants, it is necessary to reduce the risk of these fluctuations as much as possible. Therefore, pumps without a sponge or with a small sponge the size of Matchbox unsuitable. Or rather, they can be used, but only in aquariums with a very large number of living plants and without fish, with only invertebrates. However, with such a population, you can do without a filter at all or limit yourself to a compressor.

If there are fish in the aquarium, the requirements for the filter are very serious. It should have a large filler surface to create biofiltration, pass 8-15 aquarium volumes per hour, but not create strong flows of water that will damage plants, fish and crustaceans. In addition, small inhabitants of the aquarium should not enter its water intakes. And, of course, it should take up minimal space in the aquarium or be well decorated and fit into the landscape. Another optional, but very desirable condition is that the filter material should be removed from the water for rinsing without dismantling the filter itself; this greatly facilitates maintenance of the aquarium.

The following types of filters partially or fully satisfy these conditions:

1. Internal filters with open sponges. They do not have a body, therefore, no one will be sucked into them. A large sponge (it is better to immediately replace it with a fine-pored one) serves good material For mechanical cleaning and a substrate for the growth of biofilter bacteria. Some models of such filters can be placed with the sponge facing up, so it can be easily removed.
2. External mounted waterfall filters. They take up little space, since the main part is located outside. They have a fairly large volume that can be filled with various filter materials. They do not create a strong current. The disadvantages are that when using these filters the aquarium cannot be closed with a lid. A sponge or fine mesh must be placed on the water intake tube of such a filter to avoid aquarium inhabitants being sucked into the filter.
3. External canister filters. Currently, models designed for small volumes have appeared. Provide very good mechanical and biological filtration without taking up space in the aquarium. As with mounted filters, the water intake tube must be covered with a sponge or mesh. The only drawback is the high cost.

In addition to these models, in small-volume aquariums you can use various homemade designs- airlifts, Hamburg filters, plastic bottles with a fibrous or porous substance connected to the pump. There is only one requirement: water under pressure must pass through a sufficient volume of material that provides mechanical filtration and can serve as a substrate for bacteria participating in the nitrogen cycle.

An additional filter in a small aquarium is live plants, sometimes they are even placed in a hanging waterfall, making it a phytofilter.

Lighting

Due to the mandatory presence of living plants, the issue of lighting a small aquarium becomes relevant. There, lamps built into the lid are almost never used; the lamps are installed at a certain height above the aquarium. Fluorescent or LED lamps are usually used. In general, the rule is this: if the lamps are fluorescent, then for unpretentious plants the light should be 0.5 W per liter of water, for fastidious ground cover or those with a reddish tint - 1 W per liter. If the lamps are LED, then the ratio of lamp power and luminous flux is different, and here they already look at the number of lumens. For undemanding plants, illumination of 25 lm per liter is sufficient, for demanding plants - 50 lm.

Plants for a small aquarium

The choice of plants for a nanoaquarium should depend on the lighting power and whether the carbon dioxide supply is organized. If the light is bright, the soil is specialized, containing organic matter and CO 2, then any small plants can be planted; only the owner’s preferences play a role here. In a more modestly equipped aquarium, they limit themselves to unpretentious and slow-growing plants.

Lileopsis brasiliensis, hemianthus cuba, and marsilia are used as groundcovers. Blixa japonica, which is considered a ground cover in large aquariums, looks like a bush in small volumes.

In addition, various types of anubias, cryptocorynes, pogostemons, rotal, and ferns are grown. Mosses are used to decorate driftwood, stones and equipment elements. Cladophora balls can often be found. In short, there is room for creativity here, almost like in a large aquarium.

Fish for a small aquarium

When choosing inhabitants for a small aquarium, first of all, of course, you need to pay attention to their size. Fish should not be more than 3-4 cm long, and if the aquarium is completely “nano”, up to 15 liters - more than 2-3 cm. In addition, fish should be peaceful, not too voracious, not territorial and quite unpretentious, at least if this is your first experience in nanoaquariums. And, of course, they must be brightly and variedly colored and active to make them interesting to watch.

zebrafish

A fairly large number of fish fit these conditions. The most honorable place in nanoaquariums is occupied by representatives of cyprinids - zebrafish, microrasboras, and boraras. With its amazing colors, the Microassembly galaxy is truly the queen of small volumes.

Of the characin fish, neons and tetra amandas can be placed in such an aquarium, and of viviparous fish - guppies and platies. In addition, you can get small catfish, for example, the pygmy corydoras or otocinclus. Cockerels feel good in a small volume.

It is better to take fish in schools of 3-4 pieces (of course, except for pugnacious cockerels), so they will feel more comfortable. The stocking density of small fish should be approximately 1 fish per 2 liters of water.

In addition to fish, various types of shrimp, dwarf crayfish (they are incompatible with shrimp), and Hymenochirus frogs live well in the nanoaquarium.

You can decorate a nanoaquarium in different styles. Iwagumi styles are popular among aqua designers - decoration with stones of different shapes, rayuboku - decoration with driftwood, wabikus - in the form of a hummock with plants. But here the taste and preferences of the owner are decisive. For example, if an aquarium is in a child’s room, it is quite appropriate to place a mermaid’s castle or a sunken ship and toy scuba divers in it. The main thing is that the decorations do not take up too much space (as a general rule, no more than a quarter of the bottom surface and half the height), hide the aquarium equipment and leave room for plants and fish. In addition, if there are shrimp in the aquarium, you must keep in mind that any objects protruding from the water can contribute to their escape from the aquarium.

The soil in small aquariums is usually used in two layers: the bottom layer is a nutrient substrate, the top layer is gravel, the total layer thickness should be 3-4 cm.

Caring for a small aquarium

Caring for a small aquarium is not too labor-intensive, the main thing is that it is permanent. If you can forget about a safe two-hundred-liter jar for a month (do not clean it or change the water, but only feed the fish), and nothing terrible will happen, except that the beauty will become a little less, then such a trick will not work with a nanoaquarium. You cannot delay cleaning for one day or overfeed the fish a little, this can lead to irreversible consequences. Depending on the volume and population of the aquarium, a schedule should be drawn up for turning on and off the lighting, feeding the animals, water changes (usually they are carried out weekly for 1/3-1/2), and cleaning the bottom. This schedule must be strictly followed. Most importantly, a small aquarium requires close monitoring and immediate action is taken at the slightest sign of imbalance. It is highly recommended to use water quality tests early after launch to monitor at least ammonia and nitrites.

Of course, a small aquarium in an apartment or office is not just a piece of furniture; it requires care and attention, but provided that the equipment and inhabitants are correctly selected and simple rules are followed, it is quite an affordable pleasure even for a person ignorant of aquariums.

What kind of fish should I put in a 10 liter aquarium?

A small aquarium is a tank with parameters of 20x40 cm or less (nano aquarium), in which you can place small ornamental fish. The volume of such containers can be from 10 to 20 cubic liters, so they are suitable for installing decorations and equipment. In a small aquarium you need to install lighting, plant plants, decor, and don’t forget about the filter and compressor. That is, a small aquarium should not differ in functionality from a spacious one.

How to set balance in a mini tank?

Caring for a small aquarium, on the one hand, is easy, but on the other, it will cause trouble. Choose a rectangular mini tank with straight and smooth walls. They are convenient to clean with a scraper and maintain. If the container is round, then getting to its corners will be inconvenient and difficult to clean. A 10-liter aquarium gets dirty faster than a 50-100-liter one. Water changes will have to be done more often, as well as comprehensive cleaning, which is not beneficial for the biobalance of the aquatic environment and the health of the fish.

The main disadvantage of mini tanks is the small amount of water. It won't hold a lot of fish. You can put 1-2 fish there, and no more. In a large aquarium, water changes are not very noticeable, but in a small aquarium it is a lot of stress. Any changes in the biological balance: death of fish, overfeeding, pollution immediately affect the aquatic environment. The only thing that can be done is to adjust the water parameters in time, carefully feed the fish, and clean the bottom.

See how soil siphoning occurs in a nano aquarium.

You need to care for a small aquarium in the same way as a large one. Once a week you need to change 10-15% of the water, if necessary. To avoid stress for the fish, do not completely replace the water, try to add it in small portions. Ideal aquarium filter for such a tank - a pump with an internal sponge. The sponge should not be washed under running water, otherwise all beneficial bacteria participating in the nitrogen cycle will die.

If you choose the smallest tank, it will be almost impossible to install plants and decorations in it. Some skillfully plant dwarf plants even in 3-liter jars, but they are inconvenient to care for. In a 10-liter tank it is possible to keep dwarf Anubias, dwarf arrowhead, Echinodorus “dwarf Amazon”, and dwarf Cryptocoryne. Plants for a small aquarium are able to control the level of nitrites, nitrates and ammonia, and create hiding places for fish. Make sure there is soil in the aquarium. Choose a substrate that is processed, clean, and without paint. Remember that it is very difficult to clean out a layer of plaque from aquariums of minimal size with a regular scraper.

Now about feeding. As you know, overfeeding not only harms the health of the fish, but also negatively affects the quality of water. Everything uneaten decomposes, turning into harmful impurities and bacteria. Decay products settle on the bottom and frames of the tank, disrupting the stability of the biological environment. The fish must be well-fed; hunger is also not an option. Once a week, arrange for the fish fasting days. Add food in 4-6 grains, as large as your pet can swallow. What is not eaten must be removed with a gauze net.

Give fish that live in a small 10-20 liter nursery as much food as they can eat in 2-6 minutes. Flakes, live food, and sinking pellets are fine. They sink slowly and do not pollute the environment. If you have bottom-dwelling catfish, they will eat everything on their own. The fish can be fed with their usual nutritious food without disturbing their diet. It is important to clean everything on time.

See how to decorate a small aquarium.

What kind of fish is suitable for a mini aquarium?

What fish can be kept in mini aquariums? Pets with miniature body sizes should be placed in a small 10-20 liter tank. Fish 2-6 centimeters in length will tolerate this volume of water. But remember that even small fish want to swim in a spacious environment. They should not be kept in containers that will restrict movement. Territorial and aggressive fish should not be placed in mini aquariums. Which ones should not be placed in 10-liter aquariums? These are swordtails, medium-sized barbs, cichlids, gourami, and zebrafish. They have an active and energetic disposition and require more hiding space.

In an aquarium of 10-20 liters you can put small barbs, Gertrude pseudomugil, rice fish, cherry barbs, rasbor, erythrozonus, neons, Amanda tetra. You can also keep the following fish and shrimp there: otocinclus catfish, corydoras, amano shrimp, cherry shrimp, copper tetra. Representatives of the genus Poeciliaceae, viviparous fish, get along well in mini tanks.

You need to buy fish breeds with strong immunity, that is, not purebred fish, but hybrids. If you do not have the opportunity to buy a spacious “house” for your small pet, you need to buy a small aquarium with a capacity of 10 liters. The well-known Siamese cockerels are also often housed there. The cockerel can live alone and does not get along with its relatives; it is a fighting fish, after all.

See also: Small aquarium fish.

Aquarium design: photos, video examples, styles and options

AQUARIUM DESIGN

Decorating an aquarium is a worthy and fertile topic of conversation. This is not surprising, because this is the primary question that people who have just bought an aquarium ask themselves.
Unfortunately, this issue is surprisingly poorly covered on the Internet, briefly or fragmentarily. We hope this article will reveal all the aspects and nuances of aquarium design and help you create your own aquarium kingdom.

Due to the volume of this issue, let's divide the article into two sections:
1. MATERIALS REQUIRED FOR DESIGNING THE AQUARIUM: soil, stones, grottoes, driftwood, backgrounds, artificial and live aquarium plants, aquarium lighting, shells, castles, ships.
2. MAIN DIRECTIONS, TYPES AND EXAMPLES OF DESIGN OF AQUARIUMS.

Materials necessary for decorating an aquarium

And so, as you know, in order for fish to appear in your house, you need a vessel and water. However, aquarium keeping is not just the banal keeping of fish, it is the creation of a closed ecosystem, imitation of the natural conditions of keeping aquatic organisms. It’s trite, but aquarium science begins with fish. Before you think about decorating an aquarium, first of all you need to decide on your desires and the fish that will swim in your pond. And this is very important! Each individual fish needs its own conditions of detention, its own water parameters, and other conditions. And it is precisely for them that an “aquarium house” needs to be built, this is precisely what we need to start from. For example, if you decide to keep African cichlids and at the same time want to see a garden of living aquarium plants in your aquarium... You are initially dooming yourself to a virtually impossible task. The natural habitat of most African cichlids is the rocky banks of the river. Nyasa and r. Tanganika, there are no plants, no algae - this is a “stone desert”. If you place plants in an aquarium with cichlids, they will pull them out and destroy them.
Based on what has been said, we advise you to first decide on the fish that will live in your aquarium, study their characteristics and habits, read and find out the conditions for keeping them. And then start and think about decorating the aquarium.
DESIGNING AN AQUARIUM WITH GROUND The soil is one of the most important elements of the aquarium; it is its mood. It is very important to approach the issue of its choice with special attention, because in addition to decorative functions, the soil plays the role of: a substrate for plants, for spawning and the life of fish. It is important to choose the right fraction of soil, it is important to choose the required volume of soil, and only then the color of the soil. There is a good article on our website about the selection and selection of soil, we suggest you read: HERE.

Speaking about the decorative properties of the soil, it is recommended to choose a soil of darker tones, so that bright and light colors the aquarium bottom was not overshadowed by the charm and beauty of the “main heroes of the occasion” - the fish. DESIGNING THE AQUARIUM WITH STONES AND GROTTOES. An important technical nuance when decorating an aquarium with stones, grottoes, caves, etc. is the use of non-toxic, non-toxic materials. If stones and driftwood are selected and made independently, you need to do everything according to the rules and make sure that they do not release into the water harmful substances. Certainly the decorations should not be made of limestone, rubber and metal, no paints or enamels!!!
Speaking about the aesthetic part of the design of the reservoir, you should always remember that stones, grottoes, and driftwood take away the “usable area” of the aquarium - the living space. The amount of such decor is calculated based on the volume of the aquarium and the needs of the fish themselves. In addition, it should be taken into account that large decorative elements are installed along the edges of the aquarium or in the background. Don't put a huge castle in the middle!!! This is the equivalent of people putting the refrigerator in the middle of the kitchen instead of in the corner. An aquarium is an amphitheater of life!
DESIGNING AN AQUARIUM WITH A BACKGROUND. The background of the aquarium is not so important for the aquarium inhabitants themselves. In fact, fish can live without it. The background is more important for a person; one might say, these are “aquarium curtains”, which play more of an aesthetic role than a technical one.
For information on what types of aquarium backgrounds there are, how to make and attach them, see HERE.

DECORATING THE AQUARIUM WITH LIVE AND ARTIFICIAL PLANTS.
Continuing to use metaphors, we can say that if the background of the aquarium is “curtains,” then the plants are “indoor flowers on the windowsill.” What they will be like and how many there will be will determine how your aquarium “window” will look. We recommend you look at this wonderful article on this topic - HERE.
AQUARIUM LIGHT DESIGN

The power and spectrum of light is important for aquarium plants - this is their source of life. When it comes to decorating an aquarium, the color of the light is important. Today there is a huge variety color range aquarium lamps. Choose according to your taste! Moreover, there are various bottom aquarium lights in the form of volcanoes, lanterns and LED aerators. Here they are.




DESIGNING THE AQUARIUM WITH ANOTHER DECOR. Aquariums can be decorated with shells, castles, ships, diver figures, skulls, etc. At the same time, it is not necessary to buy all this at a pet store at an exorbitant price. When using such decorations, you need to adhere to only two rules: non-toxicity and safety. The shells should not be sharp, and the figures of divers should not be made of rubber. See also the article Seashells in an aquarium.
MAIN DIRECTIONS, TYPES AND EXAMPLES OF AQUARIUM DESIGN
The classic design options for a fish aquarium are:
Biotope– such an aquarium is designed to match the specific water landscape of a lake or stream.
Dutch- an aquarium, the main place in which is given to plants. Such an aquarium is popularly called a “herbalist”. The most famous Dutch aquariums are created by a mega-aquarist Takashi Amano, here are his works:
Geographical– such an aquarium is designed for a specific region, it contains fish only from this region.
In the vastness of our Motherland, you can most often find "household aquarium"- where the above principles are not observed. In such aquariums you can often find castles, amphorae, divers, skulls, etc., etc., etc. In addition, there is a whole industry children's aquariums. Here's an example:


There are other directions in aquarium design.
As they say, how many people have so many opinions.
Next, let's clearly see the design options for an aquarium.
Pseudo-sea aquariums Such aquariums are designed and imitate marine aquariums - the seabed. The prefix “pseudo” indicates that such a reservoir does not contain sea fish. Only the surroundings are created!
As a rule, brightly colored fish are selected for such an aquarium, which are often characteristic of cichlids, for example, elow, demanosi, parrots, etc. The aquarium itself is decorated with corals, artificial polyps and sea shells.





Dutch aquarium “light version” An aquarium close to the natural habitat of fish. It contains live aquarium plants, driftwood, stones, but “in a lightweight form.” Such aquariums do not require the aquarist to have special knowledge about plant life. Basic care for them is the key to success and achieving your goals.






Truly Dutch aquarium - “herbalist” These are densely planted aquariums. Completely imitating all the beauty of freshwater bodies of water. To create such an aquarium, you need knowledge about plants, you need to study the issue of feeding aquarium plants and using a CO2 system for the aquarium.






Household, children's, themed aquarium Such aquariums are designed according to a specific idea. As a rule, this is a person’s fiction and fantasy.






Futuristic aquariums or Glo aquariums Relatively recently, the fashion for creating Glo-reservoirs has become fashionable among aquarists. Where everything glows with neon and plays with phosphorus. There are even fluorescent live fish. Such aquariums look beautiful in the evening and at night. Read more about Glo-fish are here.






Marine aquariums These are aquariums that contain marine, saltwater fish. The aquarium is permeated with a marine theme. The disadvantage of such reservoirs is the price and the huge cost of maintenance.






Cichlid A species aquarium that contains only fish from the cichlid family.
Look CICHLID - cichlids in an aquarium





There are also industrial and show aquariums


We wish you success in designing and creating your own individual aquarium kingdom; below are additionally presented photos that clearly show all the diversity and flight of aquarium thought in the issue covered.







Video about decorating an aquarium

Aquarium design

An aquarium in the interior always attracts attention, even if it is quite modest in size, and only one fish swims in it. The movement of colorful creatures behind the glass attracts the eye, so it is important that the design of the aquarium is in harmony with the overall design of the room, complements it and evokes only positive emotions. Choosing an aquarium can be quite difficult, and even more difficult is deciding how to decorate the aquarium so that it looks stylish and impressive, and not tasteless and rude. Let's look at the points.

Types and options of aquariums

Aquariums in their appearance can be various shapes, size and even color. Today, the approach to aquarium design has changed somewhat, and along with classic options, decorators offer truly unusual, original and stylish ones. According to their shape, all aquariums can be divided into several categories:

• rectangular and square;
• round or oval;
• in the form of a drop or leaf;
• non-standard design solutions such as an aquarium in the form of a large mug or a ship.

The size also directly affects the role of the aquarium in the design of the room, because the larger it is, the more noticeable and impressive. Just a few years ago it was very fashionable to use large aquariums in design; truly huge aquariums mounted into the wall were especially popular and admired. Today, the emphasis is not so much on the size, but on the shape and design of the aquarium - the more creative the approach, the more interesting. Such an aquarium may be very small, but it is impossible not to notice it.

Selection and design of an aquarium

There are indeed many options for aquariums, and it is important to choose the one that suits the interior of the room and will perform not only practical, but also decorative functions. So, in modern design In aquariums, the main role is played by the form, and sometimes you can find mind-blowing solutions that delight you with their unusualness. But traditional options also retain their position, because classics in interior design, as in clothing design, are beyond fashion and trends.

Video - example of aquarium design

So, several ways to design and decorate an aquarium:

The option is original. The size or location does not matter here - the designers’ imagination is so crazy that today an aquarium can be found in completely unexpected places. For example, the design of an aquarium in the form of an old TV, when instead of a “blue screen” there is an aquarium with colorful fish. Even more creative is an aquarium in the toilet, in place of the flush tank. It is likely that guests will be genuinely afraid to flush the water. Or a very small aquarium in the shape of an incandescent light bulb, which will become a spectacular detail on your desktop.

Decorating a small aquarium

It’s always easier to decorate something big, because your imagination has room to run wild, and a larger area means more possibilities. But what should those who cannot find a place in their apartment or house for a luxurious aquarium do, but are content with a small one? How to decorate small aquarium neat and stylish? There can be a lot of solutions, but they all must comply with two main rules: a combination of decorative elements with each other and a small number of them.

For example, if you use large stones to decorate an aquarium, then large algae will be unnecessary; they will only cover the space. It is better to select small plants and place them along one of the walls, thus creating a kind of “curtain”. Designing an aquarium that is round in shape and small in size (for example, a tabletop one) does not involve the use of plants at all - it is better to give preference to small details on the bottom. Coins, stones, shells, jewelry, small figurines - all this can be used for decoration.

DIY themed aquarium design

Today, interior design is of a very specific nature; it is very fashionable to reflect your qualities, hobbies, and worldview in the furnishings and details of your home. This trend is also noticeable in aquarium design, which is why thematic design is very popular. For example, if a boy lives in the room, then the aquarium can easily be turned into an unusual garage, or you can make it a visual textbook if you laminate the letters printed on pieces of paper and put them in the aquarium.

How to decorate an aquarium for a girl? If she likes vintage, a small ceramic box with a pearl necklace peeking out would be an eye-catching solution. You can put a small toy crown or a vintage mirror nearby. A beautiful reception will be different sizes stones with openwork patterns, which are painted using stencil technology using lace.

When decorating an aquarium, do not be afraid to choose unusual solutions, because such an element of the interior is an excellent opportunity to try something original, even if the entire room is quite calm and cozy.

Round aquarium - design care design photo video.

Specifics of care.

To properly maintain a round aquarium and maintain the desired balance in it, certain knowledge and experience are required.

• The life of fish is impossible without the purchase of special equipment. You need models marked “for a round aquarium” that are neatly placed in the container and do not spoil the appearance. A regular compressor, filter and heater will produce a lot of emissions in the water.
• It is advisable to buy a round aquarium with a lid, so that later you do not have to look for a suitable model in specialized stores. A lid is necessary: ​​it does not prevent the fish from jumping out, and protects from unnecessary objects, cats and small children. A backlight is also attached to it.
• Plant shoots should be used to hide the equipment installed in the aquarium. But in the water space, rooted in pebbles scattered along the bottom, plants should not hide living inhabitants with their bizarre appearance. In a round aquarium, even a minor defect will be very noticeable due to the effect of the magnifying glass. Therefore, be more careful when choosing the size and shape of the soil.
• The small volume of a round aquarium requires weekly water changes. For this purpose, it is recommended to use filtered or settled water.
• Fish excrement is removed using a siphon after 2 months. Cleaning up debris in such an aquarium is not particularly difficult. The shape of the bottom prevents the formation of dead zones. Some of the debris is collected in the biofilter, the rest is removed by a siphon.

Who should be placed in a round aquarium?

After equipping the aquarium with everything necessary, you should move on to selecting “tenants”. The classic option is a goldfish, it’s worth discarding right away. She needs space, so a volume of at least 40-50 liters is needed per individual.
Before you buy fish, you need to calculate how many inhabitants will fit in the aquarium, taking into account its volume and features.

Fish that can live in a round aquarium: platies, guppies, neons, molynesias, swordtails, cockerels, daneos, corydoras, lalius, ampularia.

Most perfect option- These are Cherry Shrimp. They only require lighting as equipment, and oxygen and a filter are not necessary for them.

If you decide to place cherry shrimp in the aquarium, place soil, driftwood, and a lump of moss on the bottom. Please note that you will have to change the water every 2-3 weeks.

Equipment

Required equipment includes:

• filter;
• compressor;
• heater;
• backlight;
• stand.

If you are still interested in a round aquarium, you should be careful about its shortcomings, but not be afraid of them. First, decide on the volume. As mentioned above, the average volume of round aquariums is 10 liters, but you can purchase containers of 20 or 30 liters.

You will need special equipment to create cozy conditions. These are a compressor, a bottom filter and a heater. It is also necessary to provide a glass aquarium with lighting, although it will be difficult to install it yourself. In order not to complicate your life, it is better to purchase a container with a built-in lamp.

As for the rest, the heater, filter and compressor are purchased separately. In the pet store you can find special models for round containers - for example, a round bottom filter or a convenient compressor that is hidden in tight spaces. There are aquariums with a built-in filter.

In addition to the equipment, you will need a lid for a round aquarium. She has several tasks at once:

• prevents fish from jumping out of the container;
• serves as protection from curious cats who may want to eat the fish;
• A lighting fixture is attached to the cover.

Finding the cover separately can be difficult. This is the second reason why it is better to choose a round aquarium with a lid. The aquarium stand is included in the kit, but it can be made to order or purchased separately in the store.

How to register it?

Designing a round aquarium requires a special approach. An aquarium is not only an interior object. Its main function is to create conditions for the life of aquatic creatures. Therefore, you will have to purchase special equipment for a round aquarium.

Without it, the fish will not be able to survive. It is necessary to place a compressor, a heater, a filter in the flask, and provide lighting. Conventional devices will not work; they will stand out too much in the water space. When purchasing, you should choose models that indicate “for a round aquarium.”

The shape and dimensions allow them to be carefully placed so as to least spoil the appearance. Pebbles are placed scattered at the bottom, and plants take root in them. Equipment for a round aquarium is hidden as much as possible by plant shoots.

It is advisable to choose such aquatic plants so that they do not hide the main inhabitants with their bizarre appearance. And pay special attention to the shape and size of the pebbles. Remember, in a round aquarium all the details look more prominent. Therefore, any defect is immediately noticeable.

Round aquarium: good or bad?

A round aquarium and a goldfish swimming in it are an invariable attribute of the interior of a small apartment from the last century. But the size of the vessel and its shape impose a lot of unpleasant restrictions on the process of keeping fish. For example, it would be extremely difficult to fit special equipment into it, so people do without it. And the disadvantages of the vessel are too obvious:

Decor

The specific shape and small volume do not allow creating thematic landscapes with large-scale decoration in the form of ship wrecks or castle ruins. However, when decorating a round aquarium, you can use other design techniques. For example, among the stones you can place a miniature model of a chest from a pirate ship.

Or lay out several fragments of ethnic ceramics. Main principle, on which the decor of the space of an aquarium of this shape is based - minimalism. Otherwise, you won’t be able to see the underwater inhabitants behind all the elements.

The lid for a round aquarium performs several functions: it prevents fish from jumping out, atypical objects from getting inside, it protects animals from children and cats,
and also serves as a place for mounting the backlight. Therefore, it is better to purchase an aquarium with a lid right away, rather than looking for the right model later. A lid for a round aquarium can only be purchased in specialized stores. It is more difficult to find a lid just for a semicircular aquarium.

Who can be placed in a round aquarium?

Betta fish and small viviparous fish - guppies, mollies, and platies - can live in a glass ball. Their life will not be comfortable, but thanks to their unpretentiousness and resistance to stress, they adapt to a spherical container. Shrimp, snails and small aquatic plants do very well in round aquariums.

How to set up a round aquarium

To improve the quality of life of aquatic inhabitants in a round aquarium, it is worth installing special equipment - miniature submersible filters that can be placed at the bottom, or mounted cascade filters mounted on the edge of the tank, lamps with clothespins and heaters in the form of mats.

There are more convenient option. You can buy complete round aquariums with built-in equipment (preferably from well-known companies). Such aquariums already have a durable stand, convenient lighting, a well-thought-out filtration and aeration system, as well as instructions for starting and operating the aquarium.

Plants in a round aquarium

As for plants, it is better to choose live ones for a round aquarium, since in the absence of equipment they will be a source of oxygen. For example, many fish, incl. molynesias will die without living algae.

Artificial plants have their advantages: they do not require special care, so they remain beautiful longer; It is easier to lay eggs on them during spawning. Therefore, a couple of artificial branches in a round aquarium will not hurt.

Here are the plants that can be purchased for a round aquarium: elodea, pistia, cryptocoryne, nayas, hornwort, spiral valisneria.

The third stage in “living in” a round aquarium is its design. Aquarium equipment should be hidden as much as possible by plants.

Pebbles also need to be selected wisely. It must be remembered that in a round aquarium all the details look more convex. Therefore, any, even the smallest defect will be immediately noticeable.

You can buy special colored primer in specialized stores. If your aquarium is large, you can put driftwood or an artificial house on the bottom.

FISH

In a round container, light is refracted in a unique way. According to a common opinion among aquarists, not all fish are able to survive in such conditions. Firstly, living beings may experience stress due to distortions in the surrounding reality, and secondly, this shortens the lifespan of nervous fish. Although the main limitation is the amount of space. Fish for a round aquarium are only suitable for small sizes.

You should definitely place a small catfish here so that it cleans the glass of green deposits. Neons, cockerels, and laliuses will feel great in the water. Goldfish in small quantities grow poorly and often get sick. The number of small fish should be maintained at the same level.

Before adding neons here, you should make calculations: the amount is determined by the volume of the aquarium. Overpopulation will immediately affect the health of the fish and the general appearance of the artificial reservoir. The power of the equipment for the aquarium is selected in accordance with the needs of a specific group of fish. It is better if the fish for a round aquarium are bright and noticeable. For example, some types of guppies.

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What soil is best for an aquarium? Aquariums large and small: design

What soil is best for an aquarium? How much is needed? How to siphon and clean the soil in an aquarium? The answers to all these questions, which are important for the full existence of the “residents” of the aquarium, will be discussed in this article. Let's build the right aquarium with our own hands, taking into account all the nuances of the nutrient soil and its placement.

Which soil is best for an aquarium is the first question of a person starting to breed fish

Very often at the initial stage of arranging a “house for fish” the question arises: what soil is best for an aquarium? Although later this loses its relevance and ceases to be actively discussed. However, as time passes, the mistakes made at the beginning make themselves known, and as a result, large-scale corrections begin.

The main purpose of our article will be the nuances of selection, preparation and placement of soil filler. In addition, important circumstances in this matter are decorating and cleaning the bottom of the aquarium.

Initially, it is worth noting that black soil for an aquarium is the most important part of its configuration. Together with elements such as backgrounds, lighting and additional decorative components, it gives a noticeable uniqueness to the location. At the same time, being a substrate, soil provides conditions for the existence of a whole complex of microorganisms and plants.

At the same time, the nutrient soil for the aquarium works as a primitive filtration mechanism. Microscopic suspensions settle in it, polluting the water, which significantly expands its functions.

Before buying the above-mentioned filler, it is worth deciding on your goals, as well as your general vision of the “underwater kingdom”. In addition, you need to navigate the key aspects of the choice.

Aspects of choosing aquarium soil

• Presence of living plants.
• Estimated species of fish and crustaceans.
• Basic color scheme.
• Volumes of aquarium soil.

Basic characteristics of aquarium soil

Both a small aquarium and its large counterpart must be “decorated” with various colors. Usually the owners choose the decorations themselves. But, despite this, many experts are inclined to choose dark soil, which allows the contents of the aquarium to be clearly visible.

If we talk about the expected thickness of the layer, it depends on the parameters of the aquarium, as well as on the number of living and non-living objects. Therefore, the approach to deciding which soil is best to choose for an aquarium is strictly individual.

It is worth considering that for aquarium plants and fish the soil will make a significant difference. As mentioned above, representatives of the flora use it as a substrate for rooting and subsequent nutrition. Taking this into account, it should be not only a decorative component, but also a life-supporting one.

If you believe the general rules for arranging aquariums, then the soil should be fine- or medium-grained, taking into account the thickness of the root systems. For underdeveloped plants, you can use sand, and for highly developed plants, the coarse-grained fraction.

In addition, the nutritional value of the soil should also be considered, since for plants and fish the right aquarium is a place that allows them to receive nutrients. Peat, clay, and also special preparations purchased at pet stores are sometimes added to the soil.

Note! If you choose which soil is best for an aquarium, then when purchasing it you need to study the material from which it is made and the color scheme. The best option for an aquarium would be a natural, unpainted coating.

It is also advisable to find out before purchasing it chemical composition and the origin of the soil. The presence of limestone will provoke the release of carbonate, which will significantly increase the hardness of the water. Its presence is indicated by the release of gas bubbles.

Groups of aquarium soils

1. Natural soils - sand, crushed stone, gravel, pebbles. They can be used where small burrowing fish species and plants with weak root systems are kept.
2. Soils obtained through processing natural materials mechanical or chemically. They satisfy almost all requirements and are available in various color options. Despite this, their bright colors interfere with the natural perception of the aquarium.
3. Artificial soils are glass or plastic balls made using a special technology. They are absolutely harmless, but they can only be used where there will be single plants. In addition, they are completely unsuitable for keeping burrowing fish.

Since porosity is one of the most important characteristics of the substrate, fine sand with a particle size of less than 1 mm is unlikely to be useful. This is all due to the fact that metabolic processes in such a filler are disrupted due to rapid caking of the material. This, in turn, leads to rotting of plant roots.

In addition, the biological equilibrium that must “visit” the aquarium at home is very unstable. In this situation, even shellfish and fish that loosen the soil do not help.

Sand having a particle size of 2 to 4 mm will be an excellent and easily accessible substrate. Sufficient porosity affects metabolic processes, which remain intact for a long time.

This option is quite suitable for most plants with both strong and weak root systems. In addition, it has increased permeability for newly formed roots.

One can also note the success of small pebbles, the particles of which vary from 4 to 8 mm. Its level of caking is much less than that of sand, but the formation of silt occurs very slowly. This type of soil is more suitable for large plants with a strong root system.

Large pebbles and gravel are more likely to decorate a small aquarium than a large one. In any case, the amount of such soil must be significant in order to at least somehow differ from the general background. In addition, pebbles and gravel are not used as an independent substrate.

It is worth noting that all the above-mentioned natural soils are connected by a common origin - this small particles granite Their widespread distribution argues for their accessibility to aquarium enthusiasts. Moreover, the color parameters of such soils range from light gray to red shades.

Among artificial substrates, expanded clay is considered the most common. It has excellent porosity and low weight, which makes it indispensable for fish breeding enthusiasts and gardeners. During plant replanting, this type of soil practically does not injure the root systems.

Along with the above advantages inner part Expanded clay is an anaerobic flora - oxygen-free microorganisms. They purify the water from numerous organic compounds that appear in the aquarium over time.

To determine how much soil you need in the aquarium, you should take into account its individual parameters. Among them, the size of the “fish house” is noted, as well as the content of living and non-living components.

Soil preparation

If you have a 200 liter aquarium, then before laying the soil its bottom must be prepared. This is especially true for aquarium soil that is collected “outside”. Mandatory rinsing and boiling are the main procedures to prevent infection.

There is no need to boil a store-bought item, but it needs to be washed and doused with boiling water. The use of soap or other cleaning products is excluded here, since subsequently it will be very difficult to wash out chemical impurities from the soil. At the very least, it will take a lot of effort and time, which can be used for other useful activities.

These procedures are fundamental. If you have properly processed and prepared the soil for the aquarium, the price of it, even if it was significant, will subsequently no longer be of particular importance to you. It is worth noting that there is no need to wait for the future “rock bottom” to dry completely, since the wet state is natural for it.

Placing soil in the aquarium

The bottom layer should consist of gravel, which is enriched with laterite iron or clay. Its thickness should be from 3 to 5 cm and include fertilizer balls. In addition, there may be a mixture of trace elements that do not contain phosphates and nitrites, which are so destructive to plants and fish.

It is advisable to focus on iron in the soil mixture, which is present in chelated form. Otherwise, it will simply not be available for food to representatives of flora and fauna. In addition, ferrous sulfate, usually used for feeding garden bushes, will not work because it will significantly reduce the acidity of the water.

If heating cables are used, they are also laid in this layer. They should not be located directly on the bottom, because uneven heating leads to cracking of the glass, and the aquarium at home can quickly deteriorate. In addition, sand and clay will be inappropriate in this case - they will also heat up unevenly.

The middle layer should contain soil with admixtures of peat, constituting 15-25% of the total volume of bottom soil. Its thickness can be no more than 2-3 cm, since an excess of peat-enriched soil can trigger the process of rotting. If there is a large amount of organic matter in the soil, then it can be supplemented with sand.

In addition, the middle layer can be filled with trace elements and clay balls. However, this requires careful preparation of the peat and soil. As a matter of fact, this rule applies to each layer.

The top layer should be fine gravel mixed with sand. About 5 cm of such soil prevents the water from becoming cloudy due to peat contact with the ground. This is where aquarium stones are used, which can be purchased at the same pet store.

If the aquarium contains snails or fish that dig in the soil, then you need to grow plants in pots or increase the thickness of the top layer. This will prevent significant damage to their root systems.

It is worth noting that usually the soil in the aquarium is placed unevenly. Although it can be distributed in such a way that it looks like a slide that rises towards the back wall. This option of covering the bottom can visually give the aquarium volume and a more impressive appearance.

Most beginning aquarists lay out various designs from the soil. Since they gradually move under the influence of water, these compositions are short-lived. Of course, this is not so scary, but the overall appearance of the aquarium can still deteriorate.

The final procedures that will make a 200-liter aquarium impeccable will be installing decor, pouring water and planting plants. This needs to be taken care of in advance so as not to “slow down” the overall arrangement process.

Design and decoration

For modern aquarium keeping, laying the soil alone will not be enough. After all, only a professionally designed aquarium can harmoniously fit into the interior and delight its observers indefinitely. Therefore, the more responsible the approach to decorating it, the more joy it will be able to bring to the people around it.

As mentioned above, for a full “entry” into the interior of the room, you need to choose the right not only the soil, but also the background with decorative elements.

The role of decoration is no less important than the representatives of flora and fauna filling the aquarium. If the answer to the question of which soil is best for an aquarium has already been stated earlier, then we need to talk about the design in more detail. This is explained by the fact that the decor will be able to disguise the equipment installed inside the aquarium.

Types of decoration of the bottom and glass

• Driftwood from different types of wood (alder, mango, mopani).
• Multi-colored stones.
• Sea corals and shells.
• Pebbles, black quartz, coral sand.
• Plastic and live plants.
• Backgrounds for an aquarium in the form of a film on glass.
• Various objects (castles, sunken ships, arches, volcanoes, statues).

Aquarium soil care

After the main points regarding the quantity and quality of bottom soil have been resolved, we should move on to the question of how to siphon soil in an aquarium. Simply put, how to remove accumulated mud sediment from its bottom.

Of course, there are special devices called aquarium siphons, the analogues of which are ordinary hoses. They are elongated flasks and flexible tubes with a length of 1.6 to 2 m and a diameter of up to 2 cm. These components are connected through special holes, representing a hose with increased dimensions.

After installing the above-mentioned cleaning structure, it is immersed in the aquarium and begins its activity. Thanks to periodic air suction, water begins to pour out of the aquarium, and the most contaminated areas of the soil become clean. Some aquarists, when searching for an answer to the question of how to clean the soil in an aquarium, can use ordinary medical syringes.

While the siphon is moving from place to place, its outer end can be clamped, thereby preventing unnecessary loss of water. Modern options cleaning devices are already equipped with taps for adjusting the pressure, so they make it easier to “clean” the aquarium.

When cleaning, lower the end of the hose where dirt comes out below the water level of the aquarium itself. This must be done to prevent dirt from pouring back in.

In addition to the above-mentioned siphon option, there are other designs for cleaning. Most often these are electric pumps equipped with special fabric bags that filter water. However, here you need to take into account that aquarium stones can get there, so it is recommended to use them as carefully as possible.

The preference of a siphon over a conventional hose is further confirmed by the presence of “soil drilling” processes during cleaning. Although, on the other hand, dirt is much lighter than soil filler, and it should come out unhindered.

Conclusion

High-quality soil allows you to give the aquarium the appearance of a natural reservoir, creating a unique color background for its residents. However, in addition to performing decorative functions, it maintains biological balance, determining the composition and properties of water. In addition, millions of microorganisms “work” in it, providing natural purification of the surrounding air.

The aquarium can rightfully be considered one of the most interesting elements interior Decorating rooms with its help allows you not only to effectively decorate a room and emphasize individuality, but also to change overall design. When creating works of art, quite often they are used available materials and simple techniques. In order to start decorating an aquarium with your own hands, you need to choose a basic style that you should adhere to throughout the entire work.

General rules for decorating an aquarium with your own hands

In decorating, as in any other activity, there are certain well-established execution techniques. When creating decorations for an aquarium with your own hands, you should adhere to the simplest rules that will make the work easier and safer. These include:

• Before performing work, move the fish to another vessel filled with water. Subsequently it is preferable to use the same water, to do this, pour half of the contents to where the fish will wait, and after completing the work, return the water back;
• the aquarium is completely cleaned, including all parts that cannot be replaced;
• items to be installed inside should also be treated;
• After installing all the elements, make sure that everything is securely fastened.

Basic aquarium design styles

Whatever the chosen style, the basics of decoration can be reduced to several ways:

• decoration using natural and artificial objects;
• working with the background;
• use of backlight.

These three tools represent opportunities for a wide scope of imagination and the realization of the most bold ideas with your own hands. Decorating an aquarium can be a very inexpensive process if you use items found or made yourself. In addition, different stylistic trends require interior items of different availability.

In our country, the Dutch style is often used in decoration. This trend, which came to us from the Netherlands, immediately fell in love with fish keeping fans. The basis of decoration is made up of groups of plants, planted throughout the entire aquarium in groups, from large to small. To create such an interior inside the water world with your own hands, you need to plant plants at a distance of 10 cm from each other, this will allow them to grow and not interfere with each other. You can add brightness to your aquarium by using seaweed of different colors, combining them at your discretion.

No less beautiful can be called Japanese style called "Rock Garden". Such an aquarium will fit perfectly into minimalist or high-tech interiors, giving them a special atmosphere of comfort. The basis here is a feeling of spaciousness, achieved through the use of a minimum of details. Most often, bright soil and 3-4 large stones are used for decoration, located in the center and creating the feeling of rock fragments. Figures of ships or statues in a single copy are also often used.

The marine style is full of shells, corals, reef fragments, and everything that is often found in the real ocean. Exactly here a sunken schooner would be ideal, treasure chest or sea monster cave. It is better to choose cool tones as lighting here, and make the background darker, this will give a complete feeling of immersion.

The most interesting is the antique style of the aquarium. Small copies of monuments and architectural elements of the ancient world are used here as decorations. When designing an aquarium that meets the latest trends, Greek motifs are often used However, you can also use ancient Slavic objects, something related to Maya or Egypt. Such decorations will emphasize individuality and make the aquarium unique.

When decorating the interior of an aquarium, you need to pay attention to the following points:

By decorating an aquarium with your own hands, it is possible to make it unique, for example, by creating a mini-waterfall inside. This effect can be achieved by drawing a light stripe on a dark stone with a porous sponge. For more complex falsification, sand is used. Using a compressor, it is blown out, simulating the movement of water flows. The fallen sand is collected in a reservoir and the process is repeated.

A voluminous background will look advantageous. Decoration is easy to do yourself, the material can be polystyrene foam, which effortlessly takes the shape of stones and rocks. The resulting result can be made smooth by firing; in the process, the ornament will be fused and given a smooth outline. The product is treated with grade 500 cement, then sprinkled with sand and tinted with a collector. It is best to secure the decoration using sealant.

Themed decorations for the holidays will bring a huge variety, for example, a Christmas tree for the New Year or a small cupid for Valentine's Day will surprise your guests and make the design unique. Installing these elements in an aquarium with your own hands is quite simple and brings a lot of joy, creating a festive atmosphere.

An aquarium designed independently will bring many pleasant moments of joy and tranquility. With the proper approach, decorating with your own hands will leave only positive emotions and a long-lasting memory of a pleasant pastime. You can change the interior of a small water world quite often, the main thing is do not forget about the quality of materials and safety its inhabitants.

Aquascaping is a long-studied art form that allows you to create an underwater landscape. Inspiration for many of the works comes from underwater locations, as well as natural landscapes such as mountains, jungles, deserts, waterfalls and many others. Before you can create a beautiful aquarium design with your own hands, you will need a functional component of the aquarium environment. Some aquatic plants require intense light and nutrients to grow.

Low operating costs of an aquascape allow you to consume a low amount of carbon dioxide, less fertilizer and lighting. Diffused or dim lighting can be just as stunning as the plants will create beautiful highlights. For aquarium design, plants, stones and wooden driftwood are usually used.

Types of aquascapes

The Iwagumi style is a stone aquarium design that came from Japan. All decorative elements are thin and pointed, but supported by flowing elements. Large stones with uneven surface placed in the central part of the tank. To create an analogy with the natural environment, the stones have slopes that water can hit.

Admire the Iwagumi-style aquarium.

Iwagumi aquascapes are often used for short plants that are planted in the foreground. The emphasis is on the rocks rather than the plants. Dark and cool stones are popular in this type of design.

Dutch style is an aquascape made from many types of plants. Traditional Dutch style places minimal emphasis on stones and driftwood. The choice of plants, their color and arrangement are key factors in creating style. Dutch aquascapes visually look like dense thickets of underwater rivers. Here you can often see bright red, orange, green plants, which are planted in large quantities in the foreground, center and background. This type of design involves the use of the most unusual and whimsical forms of plants. Preparing an aquascape takes a lot of time, skill and patience.

Natural style - recreates natural landscapes. Plants, driftwood and stones are arranged in such a way that they resemble a lake or river from a natural environment. This style is characterized by chaotic forms and simplicity. It uses exclusively natural materials. The placement of plants, driftwood and rocks is key. Pisces is just an addition to beautiful design. Modeling the natural environment requires careful planning. Plants for this aquascape are required to be short and attached to snags, stones or planted in the ground. The fish chosen for it are those that can enliven the landscape - barbs, swordtails, tetras, neons, angelfish (schooling species).

Symmetry

To design an aquarium with your own hands, you need to know some rules for arranging parts.

Form

1. Avoid straight lines and fenced plants. Tall seedlings in the background that spread out are not recommended. Natural views often have very few straight lines and little continuity. The best forms– those that look like a smooth curve, or chaotic.
2. Natural curves and concavities are a plus - plants can be trimmed to create height at the edges and lowered in the center, creating a visual fall. This will help create more open space for the fish to swim.
3. Beveled shapes can be quite attractive - triangular shapes and islands can look natural and aesthetically pleasing. The sloping dark plants look like a river bed that gradually becomes deep.

See how you can decorate a 100 liter aquarium.

Foreground, middle ground and background (background)

It is important to differentiate each aquarium background. Each background should have both tall and low bushes of plants. The middle ground should consist of driftwood, rocks and medium-sized plants. The foreground should have beautiful broadleaf seedlings such as Anubias, Cryptocoryne, Arrowhead, Aponogeton, and others.

You can make a synthesis - stones and driftwood can be planted in the foreground, and plants can be planted on any plane to improve the appearance of the aquascape. If you can afford an open-top aquarium, then you have more opportunities to use rocks and driftwood that will stick out from the water surface.

It is better to plant plants this way: starting from the foreground and ending with the background, visually “going down” down. Long-stemmed species weigh less and easily become entangled in low plants that are in the foreground. Use silicone aquarium glue to install rocks, stones and attach them to each other. It is safer and keeps mosses, ferns and all wires in place. Also, mosses, ferns and creeping plants should be attached to a hard surface - wood or stone. Do this with aquarium glue or fishing line.

Aquarium design 200 liters with description and photo

Increasingly, most people around the world are becoming interested in aquarium keeping. And this is not at all surprising, because thanks to this hobby and the implementation of a few simple steps, you can create in your room a real corner of wildlife that will bring joy and give a great mood to both its owner and his guests. And in today’s article we will look in detail at how you can design an artificial reservoir for 200 liters.

Choosing a 200 liter aquarium

As a rule, before you think about creating a magnificent and intriguing underwater world in your room, you need to decide in advance on its shape. After all, how harmoniously it will blend with the interior of the room largely depends on it. So, a 200 liter aquarium can be:

1. Corner. Ideal for office spaces. Thanks to their structure, these vessels make it possible to build incredible underwater harbors or a coral lagoon, the photo of which is presented below.
2. Wall-mounted. Registration in this way is enough long time caused concern even among experienced aquarists. But today this option is increasingly beginning to be found both in office and home spaces.
3. Panoramic. Such vessels are distinguished by concave glass, which allows us to examine in great detail the events taking place inside the aquarium.
4. Rectangular. A standard option that is perfect for keeping all kinds of fish, for example, discus, barbs, angelfish, gourami. In addition, such a vessel allows you to implement any underwater landscape design. And this is not to mention its high quality and fairly affordable price.

It is also worth considering that an artificial pond of 200 liters has an impressive weight. Therefore, it is advisable to purchase a special stand for it.

Selecting a design for an aquarium

First of all, I would like to note that the design of an aquarium should largely take into account not only interior interior premises, but also certain characteristics of its inhabitants. Thus, discus prefer the presence of pebbles as soil and the presence of small snags. Others require dense vegetation and living rocks. Therefore, we will consider several ways to decorate a vessel designed for 200 liters.

Pseudo-sea design

This design is perfect for aquarists who want to recreate a piece of the seascape in their premises. In addition, the pseudo-sea style is ideal for calm and peaceful fish. So what does it take to make it? First of all, a pleasant and calm background is selected for a 200 liter aquarium. For this purpose, both photos with corals and drawings depicting water can be suitable. After this, it’s time to choose lighting.

For this purpose you can use:

• neon lamp;
• cold light;
• standard light bulb.

Important! Many aquarium inhabitants, such as discus fish and guar fish, react differently to light intensity.

It is recommended to decorate the bottom with stones. Tuff stones are best suited for this style. Also, we must not forget about the indispensable attribute of such design as corals. Of course, you can use a pseudo-sea style design without stones, as shown in the photo, but then you can forget about creating such beautiful decorative structures as coral slides.

As for fish, as mentioned above, predominantly peaceful and calm species are populated. For example, discus, panaka, cichlids.

But before populating an aquarium with 200 liters of its future inhabitants, it is necessary to take into account the ratio of 7 liters per individual. This is necessary in order to avoid territorial overpopulation.

Artificial Vegetation Vessel Design

In most cases, this design, a photo of which can be seen below, is distinguished by non-standard decorative elements that bring brightness to the underwater world of the aquarium. So, first of all, the advantages of this style include:

1. High life expectancy of the used decorations.
2. Possibility of content various types fish, which under standard conditions would cause irreparable damage to vegetation.
3. Lightweight and easy to care for.

So, first of all we add aquarium gravel. This choice is due to the fact that not only cichlids, but also other fish feel more comfortable in such soil. After this, you can add artificial plants, for example, driftwood with imitation Java moss. Next we decorate the back. Large plants are perfect for this purpose, giving the viewer an idea of ​​the height of the vessel, but without imposing depth of perception. Next, if desired, you can again add a little gravel to the sides of the vessel with planting red plants.

Story design

This design allows you to maximize your imagination and turn any idea into reality. So, if you wish, you can create a fairy-tale meadow, the gloomy castle of Count Dracula, or even a flooded Atlantis. Various options the decor can be seen in the photo below.

So, for this style, you can use ceramic products that imitate both various sculptural works and models of sunken vessels. It is worth emphasizing that such decorative elements will not harm the other inhabitants of the artificial reservoir, but on the contrary will serve as good shelters. For example, discus fish, in case of danger, will be able to hide their fry in them.

But it is worth noting that before creating such a design, you need to decide on the size of the decorative elements of the vegetation and, of course, the fish.

Biotope design

As a rule, discus, gouramis, angelfish and other types of fish feel most comfortable in artificial reservoirs with conditions that best match their natural habitat. That is why design in this style is not only a real art, but also vital for all inhabitants of the vessel . But it is worth noting that in order to create such a design you will have to work hard.

So, first of all, it is necessary to select for it both vegetation and fish that will feel comfortable in the reproduced landscape. For example, when planning a vessel in which discus fish are located, it is necessary not only to constantly maintain the required temperature, but also not to forget about the presence at the bottom of the aquarium of a large number of small branches and leaves, among which discus fish live in their natural habitat.

Design nuances

In order for the decoration of an artificial pond to go as planned, you need to remember a few simple rules registration So, it is not recommended to overload the aquarium with decor or leave too much empty space. In addition, do not forget about the simplicity and ease of subsequent maintenance of the vessel. That is why the ideal option would be to use collapsible structures. Also, if there are fish in the aquarium that like to burrow into the ground, then it is prohibited to use large pebbles as it. Best choice will use sand or 1-3 mm. soil.

Aquarium design: photos, video examples, styles and options

AQUARIUM DESIGN

Decorating an aquarium is a worthy and fertile topic of conversation. This is not surprising, because this is the primary question that people who have just bought an aquarium ask themselves.
Unfortunately, this issue is surprisingly poorly covered on the Internet, briefly or fragmentarily. We hope this article will reveal all the aspects and nuances of aquarium design and help you create your own aquarium kingdom.

Due to the volume of this issue, let's divide the article into two sections:
1. MATERIALS REQUIRED FOR DESIGNING THE AQUARIUM: soil, stones, grottoes, driftwood, backgrounds, artificial and live aquarium plants, aquarium lighting, shells, castles, ships.
2. MAIN DIRECTIONS, TYPES AND EXAMPLES OF DESIGN OF AQUARIUMS.

Materials necessary for decorating an aquarium

And so, as you know, in order for fish to appear in your house, you need a vessel and water. However, aquarium keeping is not just the banal keeping of fish, it is the creation of a closed ecosystem, imitation of the natural conditions of keeping aquatic organisms. It’s trite, but aquarium science begins with fish. Before you think about decorating an aquarium, first of all you need to decide on your desires and the fish that will swim in your pond. And this is very important! Each individual fish needs its own conditions of detention, its own water parameters, and other conditions. And it is precisely for them that an “aquarium house” needs to be built, this is precisely what we need to start from. For example, if you decide to keep African cichlids and at the same time want to see a garden of living aquarium plants in your aquarium... You are initially dooming yourself to a virtually impossible task. The natural habitat of most African cichlids is the rocky banks of the river. Nyasa and r. Tanganika, there are no plants, no algae - this is a “stone desert”. If you place plants in an aquarium with cichlids, they will pull them out and destroy them.
Based on what has been said, we advise you to first decide on the fish that will live in your aquarium, study their characteristics and habits, read and find out the conditions for keeping them. And then start and think about decorating the aquarium.
DESIGNING AN AQUARIUM WITH GROUND The soil is one of the most important elements of the aquarium; it is its mood. It is very important to approach the issue of its choice with special attention, because in addition to decorative functions, the soil plays the role of: a substrate for plants, for spawning and the life of fish. It is important to choose the right fraction of soil, it is important to choose the required volume of soil, and only then the color of the soil. There is a good article on our website about the selection and selection of soil, we suggest you read: HERE.

Speaking about the decorative properties of the soil, it is recommended to choose a soil of darker tones, so that the bright and light colors of the aquarium bottom do not overshadow the charm and beauty of the “main heroes of the occasion” - the fish. DESIGNING THE AQUARIUM WITH STONES AND GROTTOES. An important technical nuance when decorating an aquarium with stones, grottoes, caves, etc. is the use of non-toxic, non-toxic materials. If stones and driftwood are selected and made independently, you need to do everything according to the rules and make sure that they do not release harmful substances into the water. Certainly the decorations should not be made of limestone, rubber and metal, no paints or enamels!!!
Speaking about the aesthetic part of the design of the reservoir, you should always remember that stones, grottoes, and driftwood take away the “usable area” of the aquarium - the living space. The amount of such decor is calculated based on the volume of the aquarium and the needs of the fish themselves. In addition, it should be taken into account that large decorative elements are installed along the edges of the aquarium or in the background. Don't put a huge castle in the middle!!! This is the equivalent of people putting the refrigerator in the middle of the kitchen instead of in the corner. An aquarium is an amphitheater of life!
DESIGNING AN AQUARIUM WITH A BACKGROUND. The background of the aquarium is not so important for the aquarium inhabitants themselves. In fact, fish can live without it. The background is more important for a person; one might say, these are “aquarium curtains”, which play more of an aesthetic role than a technical one.
For information on what types of aquarium backgrounds there are, how to make and attach them, see HERE.

DECORATING THE AQUARIUM WITH LIVE AND ARTIFICIAL PLANTS.
Continuing to use metaphors, we can say that if the background of the aquarium is “curtains,” then the plants are “indoor flowers on the windowsill.” What they will be like and how many there will be will determine how your aquarium “window” will look. We recommend you look at this wonderful article on this topic - HERE.
AQUARIUM LIGHT DESIGN

The power and spectrum of light is important for aquarium plants - this is their source of life. When it comes to decorating an aquarium, the color of the light is important. Today there is a huge variety of colors for aquarium lamps. Choose according to your taste! Moreover, there are various bottom aquarium lights in the form of volcanoes, lanterns and LED aerators. Here they are.




DESIGNING THE AQUARIUM WITH ANOTHER DECOR. Aquariums can be decorated with shells, castles, ships, diver figures, skulls, etc. At the same time, it is not necessary to buy all this at a pet store at an exorbitant price. When using such decorations, you need to adhere to only two rules: non-toxicity and safety. The shells should not be sharp, and the figures of divers should not be made of rubber. See also the article Seashells in an aquarium.
MAIN DIRECTIONS, TYPES AND EXAMPLES OF AQUARIUM DESIGN
The classic design options for a fish aquarium are:
Biotope– such an aquarium is designed to match the specific water landscape of a lake or stream.
Dutch- an aquarium, the main place in which is given to plants. Such an aquarium is popularly called a “herbalist”. The most famous Dutch aquariums are created by a mega-aquarist Takashi Amano, here are his works:
Geographical– such an aquarium is designed for a specific region, it contains fish only from this region.
In the vastness of our Motherland, you can most often find "household aquarium"- where the above principles are not observed. In such aquariums you can often find castles, amphorae, divers, skulls, etc., etc., etc. In addition, there is a whole industry children's aquariums. Here's an example:


There are other directions in aquarium design.
As they say, how many people have so many opinions.
Next, let's clearly see the design options for an aquarium.
Pseudo-sea aquariums Such aquariums are designed and imitate marine aquariums - the seabed. The prefix “pseudo” indicates that such a reservoir does not contain sea fish. Only the surroundings are created!
As a rule, brightly colored fish are selected for such an aquarium, which are often characteristic of cichlids, for example, elow, demanosi, parrots, etc. The aquarium itself is decorated with corals, artificial polyps and sea shells.





Dutch aquarium “light version” An aquarium close to the natural habitat of fish. It contains live aquarium plants, driftwood, stones, but “in a lightweight form.” Such aquariums do not require the aquarist to have special knowledge about plant life. Basic care for them is the key to success and achieving your goals.






Truly Dutch aquarium - “herbalist” These are densely planted aquariums. Completely imitating all the beauty of freshwater bodies of water. To create such an aquarium, you need knowledge about plants, you need to study the issue of feeding aquarium plants and using a CO2 system for the aquarium.






Household, children's, themed aquarium Such aquariums are designed according to a specific idea. As a rule, this is a person’s fiction and fantasy.






Futuristic aquariums or Glo aquariums Relatively recently, the fashion for creating Glo-reservoirs has become fashionable among aquarists. Where everything glows with neon and plays with phosphorus. There are even fluorescent live fish. Such aquariums look beautiful in the evening and at night. Read more about Glo-fish are here.






Marine aquariums These are aquariums that contain marine, saltwater fish. The aquarium is permeated with a marine theme. The disadvantage of such reservoirs is the price and the huge cost of maintenance.






Cichlid A species aquarium that contains only fish from the cichlid family.
Look CICHLID - cichlids in an aquarium





There are also industrial and show aquariums


We wish you success in designing and creating your own individual aquarium kingdom; below are additionally presented photos that clearly show all the diversity and flight of aquarium thought in the issue covered.







Video about decorating an aquarium

Aquarium: DIY decoration. Aquarium design styles and options

Nowadays, beautiful and fashionable design of an aquarium for a person involved in keeping and breeding fish is not just entertainment, but a matter of prestige and simply aesthetic pleasure from contemplating the results of his labors.

Psychologists say that an aquarium with fish located in an apartment can calm the nerves and normalize a person’s mental state. To do this, you just need to organize a relaxation area with an aquarium and watch the fish for at least 30-60 minutes. in a day.

Aquarium: DIY decoration

The most exciting and time-consuming activity for all of us in the process of installing and filling an aquarium tank is its correct and beautiful design in the same style with the design of the room.

Today there are a huge number of accessories that can be placed in an aquarium. Decorating it yourself will allow you to recreate as accurately as possible exactly the environment that you want to see there. Just do not forget that the main inhabitants of the aquarium are fish. And they need the maximum amount of free space in order to be able to swim freely.

The main components that allow you to design an aquarium (200 liters and all others) are:

• stones;
• natural and artificial algae;
• pebbles;
• various wooden elements;
• artificial decorative elements, such as locks, chests, etc.

Examples

Let's look at the following stages and examples of aquarium design:

• covering the bottom with soil;
• decorating the aquarium with stones and grottoes;
• decorating an aquarium using a properly selected background;
• use of different types of plants;
• correct selection of lighting;
• decorating an aquarium using decorative elements.

Each of them has its own specific rules, which will be described below.

Laying the bottom with soil

The soil for the aquarium bottom is one of the main and integral attributes. Before purchasing it in a specialized store, decide what type of aquarium you want to have, since this natural material must be purchased according to a specific purpose. Yes, yes, you heard right: a certain type of soil is taken for each purpose.

So, if you have small fish living in your aquarium, then it is best to buy a fine type of soil, while large-grained or mixed soil will suit the larger inhabitants of the tank. A similar approach is acceptable when you decide to set up a Dutch-style aquarium at home, that is, a tank in which plants predominate rather than fish.

In addition, when choosing a bottom covering, you must take into account the individual habits of the exotic fish you have chosen. aquarium fish OK. If you purchased goldfish or certain types of catfish, you must remember that they love to rummage in the ground. Therefore, you cannot buy fine soil for them, otherwise there will always be fog in the aquarium. To avoid this, you need to purchase a bottom covering of such a size that they cannot dig through it.

It is best to buy a plain cover for the aquarium. It is best to choose a dark-colored bottom base, as it will highlight the inhabitants of your fish house.

Before placing the purchased soil in the aquarium, it must be thoroughly washed or, which is ideal, doused with boiling water.

Stones and grottoes

How is an aquarium decorated with stones and grottoes? These parts chosen for decoration should be made only from natural materials. They should not contain harmful or toxic impurities that, if released into the water, can lead to the death of the inhabitants of the aquarium.

In the case of independently collecting decorative elements for an aquarium, do-it-yourself decoration is done only after preliminary processing of all previously collected material in order to disinfect and check for the absence of all elements harmful to the health of the inhabitants of this tank.

Processing stones and driftwood

Stones can be processed in the same way as soil for the bottom of an aquarium, but pre-processing driftwood is a little more complicated. To do this, you need to place the selected wooden decor in a container with water (so that the liquid completely covers it) and add salt there until it stops dissolving, then remove the treated driftwood and, after rinsing it with clean water, place it in the purchased container for fish.

Do not forget that in no case should the aquarium contain elements made of limestone, rubber, various types of metals, as well as elements coated with paint or enamel.

Also, do not oversaturate the aquarium with decor, especially with elements large sizes, such as stones, grottoes, etc., since this leads to a decrease in the useful internal space necessary for underwater inhabitants for vital movement.

Do not forget that large decorative elements should be placed in the corners of the container or in the background so as not to spoil the entire appearance.

Decorating an aquarium with the right background

The so-called background is an important element of aquarium decor. Since the background covering sets the mood for your entire creation, you should not choose dark and gloomy tones that have a spirit of despondency and sadness.

There are several background options for aquariums:

• You can simply paint the back wall of the tank in a color of your choice. This path has its pros and cons. An undeniable advantage is the uniqueness and 100% originality of your brainchild. The list of disadvantages includes certain difficulties with changing an existing background (removing it with a solvent).
• Background in the form of a colored plastic film, having an unlimited number of different variation solutions, among which everyone can choose the most suitable one for him. In addition, the price of such a film will be almost imperceptible in your pocket, and it can be installed or removed very quickly.
• Panels and dioramas for the aquarium. Do-it-yourself decoration in this case is an ideal option, since these parts can not only be purchased in the store, but also made independently using the following available materials: small pebbles, driftwood and branches, foam plastic and polyurethane foam. But we must not forget about the environmental friendliness and natural origin of the selected materials, so as not to harm the fish. Such decorative elements will always be one of a kind.

Rules for gluing film

Such a film can be attached both from the outside and from the inside back wall. If you want to get more saturated colors, then, of course, it is better to stick it from the inside.

Before gluing the film, you must make sure that the surface of the inner wall of the back of the aquarium is completely dry (to avoid the appearance of pimples). Treat the purchased film around the entire perimeter with a special transparent silicone sealant, purchased in advance at a pet store. Do not use regular sealant under any circumstances, as the consequences of its use can be irreparable for aquarium inhabitants.

If you decide to stick the film inside the aquarium, then you should not skimp on silicone: it is better to coat the film very carefully, especially its upper edge, to avoid the possibility of it peeling off. After fixing, wait until the material has completely dried, and only then fill the tank with water.

Decorating an aquarium with various types of plants: live or artificial

If you have purchased an aquarium and are decorating it, then do not forget about purchasing and planting various types of algae. There is no need to oversaturate the container with them, but you can’t do without them, since they saturate the water with oxygen and are food for some types of fish.

They also act as a “nursery” for newly born fish, since only by hiding in algae can they survive, since it is common among many species of fish to eat their young. Those species of fish that spawn hide them on or under sheets of algae.

Planting and caring for live aquarium plants

Before purchasing aquarium plants, it is best to consult with a seller at a pet store; he will help you choose the ideal plants, and also tell you how to properly plant them in the aquarium so that they please your eyes for a long time.

In any case, there are varieties of aquatic vegetation that do not require planting in the ground. For all others, the thickness of the soil should not exceed 3-5 cm, and it is recommended to choose medium or large grains. It is this size of soil that will speed up the process of full rooting of plants. A newly planted plant can be lightly pressed with pebbles or other decorative elements. At the same time, its roots should be in a straightened state.

Choosing the right lighting

If you decide to decorate the purchased aquarium with your own hands, then do not forget about the correct lighting, because not only the appearance of the tank, but also the health of its inhabitants depends on it, since the strength of the light flux and its spectrum are vital for plants.

Today there is a huge number of different lights, both external and fully adapted for working underwater, so everyone can find the option that suits them. To help the novice aquarist, many different manuals have been published to help set up an aquarium correctly and quickly. The photos below will help make this process as simple and easy as possible.

Decorating an aquarium using decorative elements

When decorating an aquarium with decorative elements, you must remember that they must be environmentally friendly and free of harmful impurities, and in no case should you oversaturate the aquarium with them.

You can use both purchased and self-made decor.

Styles

Today there are various styles aquarium design. All of them are very richly presented in the pictures and photographs posted in our article and in various books devoted to the aquarium business. Also in Russia they can be seen in dolphinariums. Among them, the following aquarium design options stand out:

• Biotope, which is the landscape of a single body of water.
• Dutch design style, placing the main emphasis on the richness of the underwater flora, and not on the fish.
• Geographic - an aquarium with representatives of the animal and plant world of a particular region.
• The pseudo-sea aquarium is stylized to resemble the seabed without plants, and its inhabitants are brightly colored fish. Since such a tank is decorated with large-sized decorations, such as stones, corals, artificial polyps, shells, and there is almost no vegetation, it is excellent for cichlids. After all, this is the ideal design for an aquarium for cichlids.
• Children's aquariums are designed in accordance with the child's favorite theme (games, cartoons, book plots, etc.).
• Marine aquarium with inhabitants living in salt water.
• Futuristic aquariums filled with luminous elements, including special hybrid fluorescent fish.
• Household and themed containers created based on human imagination.

The design of a corner aquarium follows the same principles as all others. A variety of types and styles of work by experts in the aquarium business, known all over the world, will help you in this difficult matter. We hope that the recommendations given in this article will help you get a clear idea of ​​the future interior decoration of the fish house. In addition, the photos we offer will help you decorate your aquarium correctly and beautifully. They will serve as an excellent visual aid.

Aquarium: DIY design (photo)

Today it is not difficult to implement turnkey design solutions for the interior and exterior design of aquariums. Modern studios offer the most unusual variations in the artistic design of hidden depths. However, if you wish, you can create your own personal project, making a truly unique aquarium. A do-it-yourself design will allow you to bring any idea to life, making the created underwater world the main element of the interior of the room.

Aquadesign

It is best to keep aquarium fish for those people who see it as a pleasant activity and relaxation, and not as hassle and problems. After all, it’s not enough just to buy an aquarium and add inhabitants to it. It is also important to be able to care for it so that it not only pleases, but provides aesthetic pleasure.

The underwater world at home or in the office is a kind of living picture; it is a way to emphasize the individuality of the interior. Aqua design is an integral part of aquarium keeping. Its special uniqueness is guaranteed by its own vision of the design of the underwater world. When thinking through their artistic project, real aquarists approach it with all their hearts. Their main goal is to create an original landscape and a comfortable living environment for aquatic inhabitants. Such artistic design allows you to most harmoniously integrate the aquarium into the interior of the room. The design, made with your own hands, allows you to realize the most incredible design options for compositions, from which in the future it is simply impossible to take your eyes off. These can be fabulously beautiful sea, rocky scenes, mountain valleys, mangrove forests.

With your wild imagination, you can create the most incredible decoration projects. However, they all require a clear concept - from their development to implementation. First of all, you need to decide on the style of the aquarium and its features. It is also important to take into account the size of the aquarium and its shape, so that the chosen style is appropriate for a given area. Selection internal filling aquarium and its appearance At the same time, they must blend harmoniously into the surrounding environment.

Fish are also of great importance. The design is developed for them, taking into account their usual habitat. Compositions are made depending on the type of fish. Many of them require shelter, without which they may die. Some of them like to hide in the sandy bottom, some prefer small thickets. The role of shelters is excellently performed by snags and grottoes. These decorations, with special lighting, add special charm and mystery to the underwater world. They allow you to create unique compositions and a real paradise for exotic inhabitants, for which your aquarium has become a new habitat. The design, made with your own hands, makes it possible to implement any creative ideas, if you wish.

Types of aquariums

Decorations for the object environment of the underwater world serve as a win-win decoration for the aquarium. But the main component interior design is its thriving biosystem.

Aquariums according to their purpose are divided into decorative and special (spawning, selection, nursery, quarantine and others). The most popular of them are species and biotope.

A species aquarium will not only decorate the interior of your home, but will also give you a unique opportunity to observe a certain type of fish or their closely related species. Its inhabitants have a significant influence on the design of the aquarium. It’s not at all difficult to design it with your own hands, but before implementing the idea, you should seriously familiarize yourself with the habits of the selected fish in their natural habitat.

Biotope aquariums reproduce an imitation of any natural biotope with characteristic appearance fish, plants and certain parameters of their usual habitat.

Design styles

There is no single qualification for aquarium design. Typically, the design of a project is carried out according to established stylistic directions. The main ones are:

• decorative;
• natural;
• Dutch;
• Japanese;
• pseudomarine;
• plot;
• vanguard;
• collector;
• seawater aquarium.

For newbies

For novice naturalists, the best option for decorating an aquarium is the collector style. This is an ideal option for getting your teeth into it. Absolutely everything is allowed here. You can mix plants, use their artificial imitations, or choose any aquarium. The design, brought to life with your own hands, allows you to create interesting compositions from plants different textures and decorative elements. There is an opportunity to experiment with different storylines. The choice of plants should depend on the theme. To begin with, it is recommended to give preference to unpretentious and hardy plants.

Natural style

In 1980, Takashi Amano, a famous Japanese aquatic designer, introduced a new direction in aquarium design - the natural style. The philosophy of these aquarium paintings lies in the understanding and feeling of nature, recreated according to the principle of “Wabi – Sabi” (“modest beauty”).

This style takes inspiration from mountain and forest landscapes and water streams. With the help of various decorative elements (driftwood, stones), which set the focal points of design, small architectural forms are created. Their asymmetrical placement, based on the rule of the “golden ratio,” makes it possible to set the direction of the natural sense of perception of the entire composition.

Schooling fish will effectively highlight the recreated landscapes, add variety to the underwater world and literally draw attention to the aquarium. Do-it-yourself design (100 liters of volume, no less) of a miniature version in natural style It’s better to start by using no more than 5 types of plants.

Underwater garden

The Dutch style is considered one of the most beautiful trends in creating an underwater world. It’s quite exciting to create a similar aquarium design with your own hands. 250 liters for creating an underwater garden is quite the optimal option.

The basis of this style are aquarium plants of various textures, shapes, sizes and colors. Paths made of green spaces, occupying almost the entire main area of ​​the bottom, allow you to create an amazing effect of depth. Architectural forms in the form of decorative driftwood and stones are present in limited quantities. A well-kept underwater garden is visually perfect and interesting.

Seawater aquarium

Many people today are passionate about breeding marine fish. It is more difficult to prepare a biological environment for them, especially when using living corals, which are quite demanding on water parameters. But experienced naturalists are quite capable of creating such an aquarium design with their own hands. 200 liters is the optimal average volume for enjoying the contemplation of the underwater world. It should not be overpopulated with living beings, since such a tank has a limited life support system.

It is necessary to design a marine aquarium taking into account its appearance, which not least depends on the inhabitants. These can be predators (sharks, rays, moray eels), non-predatory fish (zebrasoma, angelfish and other species) or corals and invertebrate sea anemones. Predatory fish are considered the most unpretentious; invertebrates are more difficult to care for and can die from minor deviations in the chemical parameters of water.

To support the life support of such aquariums, it is worth purchasing expensive equipment. It will need to be decoded, this is worth taking into account when designing an aquarium with your own hands. The photo demonstrates how successfully you can hide all the wires, hoses and tubes, decorating the background with picturesque coral reefs, rocks and shelters for fish in the form of mysterious grottoes and caves.

Aquascape

Having acquired practical skills and relying on the experience gained over time, you can try to master such a special type of art, a kind of analogue of landscape design for parks and gardens, as aquascape.

This is a DIY aquarium landscape design that more experienced aquarists can create. They organize the underwater world using certain aquascape rules. This direction in aquadesign implies a composition thought out to the smallest detail. To create an underwater landscape, decorative elements, plants and inhabitants are selected that can not only coexist peacefully, but also express the main idea contained in the landscape.

Aquarium background

A beautiful background for decorating the back wall of an aquarium is easily created using special films on which images of the underwater world are printed. They can also simply have a rich blue color, creating the effect of depth and contrast. But it is much more interesting, using your imagination, to think about the background, the size and volume of the tank, the decorations used and include everything in the developed aquarium design with your own hands: 250 liters, there is a stone background, spectacular driftwood, stones, moss, various plants- all these elements will come in handy.

It is worth noting that the background of an aquarium often gives the entire composition (especially volumetric ones) a unique charm and naturalness of the aquatic environment. It is not difficult to create it with your own hands, using, for example, foam plastic broken into different pieces, which is glued to the back wall of the aquarium and painted with special paint in intermittent strokes. The result is an excellent imitation of a stone background. It can be done in a similar way using pieces of bark from driftwood.

The composition can be created from dead coral, stones from a sea reef. In a marine aquarium, small invertebrates, polyps and other inhabitants will find refuge here.

The design of an aquarium, developed and executed with your own hands, allows you to carry out a considerable amount of excellent ideas for story aquariums using exotic plants, shells, sea pebbles. An incredible number of them can be brought to life by creating your own “rock gardens”. And then enjoy watching bright fish with unusual colors flash against their background.

The main thing is not to overdo it with decorative elements, plants and inhabitants of the aquarium. Everything should be harmoniously combined, give pleasure to its creator and not harm the fish.

Aquarium - interior element

Thanks to unusual beauty, modern aquariums can become a real pearl of any interior. The variety of styles and shapes is simply amazing. Aquariums can be suspended, floor-mounted, or built-in. Diorama aquariums create a stunning effect indoors; their shape seems to promote immersion in the exciting aquatic world. A hand-decorated version improves well-being and lifts your spirits. Today it is not uncommon to even have a dry aquarium. The design, carried out with your own hands, allows you to give yourself an unusual creative concept of a seascape. Many solutions can be created through an incredible flight of creativity. It's definitely simple and incredibly fun!

An aquarium is a decoration for any interior. Today it is not just a vessel with fish, but a real work of art, which has been developed into a separate branch of the design direction with several stylistic types. The design of a modern aquarium includes various aquatic compositions of algae, stones, figures of ships and fish. Before you start decorating an aquarium with your own hands, you need to understand the basics of this art, choose the style in which the aqua design will be made, and stock up on the necessary tools.

You can stick a photo on the back of the aquarium

The bottom of the aquarium can be decorated with toys

There are several stylistic trends in modern water design. But given that this art form is relatively young and dynamically developing, new methods and ideas for aquarium design are emerging. Below is a table with the main ideas of aquascaping, its features and main components.

Aquarium design with algae and stones

You can make tunnels like this from wood and algae

	Essential elements	Peculiarities
Dutch	Densely planted plants of various shapes, colors and designs.	No more than 3 varieties of plants are used, which occupy 70% of the aquarium area; The design is based on the “rule of thirds”;
	Large stones or rock fragments, usually an odd number.	Each of them has its own name and purpose, according to Japanese philosophy.
	Bonsai and Japanese rock garden, driftwood, moss, sand soil as a symbol of the sky.	All components of this design must comply with the rules of Zen, have a certain size, shape, quantity and location.
Wabi-kusa	In the center of the aquarium there is an island or driftwood.	Equal attention should be paid to both the underwater and above-water parts of the aquarium plant.
German (paludarium)	Plants, stones, driftwood above/underwater.	A wide variety of flower plants are used, harmoniously combining both the underwater and above-water parts of the aquarium.
Taiwanese	High plant terraces, small figures and stones.	Complete imitation of a living landscape.

An aquarium with colored lighting will look very beautiful

An example of a classic aquarium with stones

There must be algae in the aquarium

General instructions for setting up an aquarium

Regardless of the style in which you decide to design your aquarium with your own hands, there are general instructions for quality work. Compliance with these instructions is the key to a vibrant and multifaceted underwater flora and fauna.

A castle in an aquarium will look very beautiful

You can put various items in the aquarium

The basic rule is to isolate the fish in a separate vessel for the duration of incarnation. design idea. It is important to fill it with water in which the organisms swam. After finishing the work, you should pour it along with the fish into a decorated aquarium.

Cleaning and processing is also important. disinfectants all elements, including those that cannot be replaced. After installing all parts, you must ensure that all decorative and mechanical components are installed and functioning correctly.

Tree branches in an aquarium will look beautiful

You can decorate the aquarium with stones and shells

To create a real pond for the fish, you can decorate the aquarium with algae and wood.

Nuances of aquarium design

Some secrets for decorating an aquarium with your own hands.

• When using items collected by yourself on the coast or in nature for decoration, you need to boil them for 6-8 minutes.
• To check an element’s suitability for aquatic design, you need to drop a couple of drops of vinegar on it: if foam and characteristic “hissing” appear, the item should not be used.
• The background gives the effect of depth. To do this, you can use special backgrounds that are sold in pet stores, or you can do it yourself - paint the outer side of the back wall in a solid, rich color (blue, green, gray, etc.).
• It is optimal to secure decorative components using fishing line or cotton thread.
• You should not use oak branches in decoration, as they release special enzymes that can color the water in the aquarium.
• You can create the effect of an uneven bottom and mound by placing an ordinary plate on it, imitating a mound.
• For small fish, it is better to use shallow soil, and for large waterfowl, it is optimal to use a combined bottom.

You can put stones in the aquarium

Example of aquarium design with sand

Aquascaping in 50 liters

Decorating a 50 liter aquarium is suitable for beginners in aquascaping. These containers use automated systems purifying water and saturating it with oxygen, which greatly facilitates further care. This vessel is suitable for slowly growing plants that do not require a lot of light. A nuance in this design is regular trimming of algae to ensure sufficient space for the living organisms inhabiting it. For a comfortable existence, you need to stock the following types of aquarium fish with the maximum number in such an aquarium:

• Guppy – 20;
• Danio – 10;
• Swordtails – 10;
• Pecilia – 6;
• Molinesia – 5;
• Goldfish – 1.

For large inhabitants, such as Shark Baloo, such a displacement will not be enough for a comfortable existence.

Beautiful lighting will further decorate the aquarium

An aquarium with algae and wood will look very nice

Remember, there must be enough space for the fish to swim.

Aquascaping in 100 liters

This volume of the vessel expands the boundaries of creativity. Here you can use different aquarium plants, decorating it in the Dutch style, or use a minimum of elements and create aquascaping in the style of an Iwagumi or Zen garden.

You can put a small artificial castle on the bottom of the aquarium

Home aquarium design option

For example, decoration with Eleocharis sp. "Mini" will create a soft lawn that does not grow and does not require regular mowing. You can also supplement the aquarium with a couple of stones and a driftwood with moss in the form of a bonsai. To do this, you can use Java moss, which is unpretentious in cultivation, and the only requirement for full growth is an established carbon dioxide circulation system. In dim light, Java moss will have an oblong shape and a light shade; in bright light, its texture will be denser, and its shape will be more compact and neat.

An aquarium with algae and pieces of wood will look very beautiful

You can put stones in the aquarium

The aquarium can be built into the interior opening

Aquadesign in 200 liters

Such an aquarium is an ideal environment for creating marine design. This style is the most difficult to create with your own hands, as it requires the use of special equipment to maintain the level of acidity, salt and other indicators of the condition of the water. Important detail marine aquarium - living aquarium stones and plants that prepare the water for the launch of underwater inhabitants, providing it with special minerals and trace elements. It is recommended to place them directly on the bottom of the aquarium, and not on the sand. You can use real sea corals as decoration and completely reproduce the imitation of the ocean floor. Important nuance– make a step-by-step population of living inhabitants: first fish, several subspecies every 3-4 days, and after 2 weeks you can populate the aquarium with sea corals.

You can put a piece of wood in the aquarium

You can decorate the aquarium with stones

Attention! When designing an aquarium, remember that it needs to be looked after.

Creating a unique underwater world with your own hands is only the first stage of long-term work. Like any living organisms, algae and fish require regular care:

• trim overgrown algae and plants;
• clean the glass;
• vacuum the soil.

If this work is done in a timely manner, harmful nitrates will accumulate in the water and soil, which negatively affect all living inhabitants of the aquatic world. When cleaning an aquarium, it is optimal to use a solution rather than chemicals. warm water and 5% vinegar.

Video: Decorating an aquarium

50 photos of aquarium design ideas: