aquarium landscape. Aquarium decoration: beautiful design with your own hands. Aquarium - interior element

09.03.2020

Owners of home aquariums are very enthusiastic about its internal arrangement. After all, fish are the same living creatures and favorite pets, respectively, their home should be cozy and beautiful. Properly selected aquarium design is not only living vegetation, but also decorative design with various multiple decorative figures, snags, stones.

At the same time, it is not necessary to contact design agencies, each aquarist will be able to create an unusual and interesting composition that meets the wishes of the owner and comfortable life scaly creatures.

Styles

To date, there are several very interesting and common stylistic solutions for decorating an aquarium, allowing you to create a unique and inimitable composition inside the glass structure. For primary experiments, small aquariums with a volume of 20, 30, 40 liters will do.

If you have at least minimal experience in creating an aquarium design, you can start decorating larger volumes, at least 50 or 60 liters. But in glass structures of large sizes of 200 liters or more, it will be possible to construct a whole underwater town with multiple decorative elements. The aesthetics of the house are not important to the fish, the main thing is that the composition should include nooks and crannies where scaly creatures can hide.

You should familiarize yourself with the most common aquarium styles.

Dutch

The history of the emergence of this style begins in the 50s of the last century and since then has been widely popular in the world of aquascapers. The main characteristic of the Dutch stylization of aquariums lies in densely planted plants and densely arranged decorative elements that take up almost all the free space. This is especially true of the bottom of the aquarium.

During visual inspection, there should be no empty areas at the bottom of the exposure. For this reason, a large number of plants of different sizes are required, among which a contrasting combination of red and green shades is welcome.

The middle of the aquarium should be framed with snags arranged together or a structure of large stones.

Natural

When using this style, it is important for aquascapers to emphasize the maximum interconnection of natural elements. A variety of elements can be used in the composition, for example, stones or driftwood. They don’t have to be spaced far apart, but with creativity, you can group natural elements into a mysterious composition that hides a secret intent.

Having chosen a variation of the design of the iwagumi, the aquarist will need to compose an unusual composition of figurines in the form decorative houses or ships furnished with Japanese bonsai and stones.

Of particular interest in creating a natural style is the variation in the design of wabi-kus. His hallmark is a moss tussock located above the surface of the aquatic environment.

Pseudomore

The presented style of aquarium decoration does not require large expenses from its owner. To create a pseudo-marine environment, you will need to place ordinary soil at the bottom of the aquarium and plant plants that do not require special care.As a backlight, it is preferable to use lamps with blue tones so that visually the water acquires a marine hue. As additional elements shells are used to emphasize the marine theme, do not forget about corals, and artificial shells will help to complete the design of this beauty.

The finished composition will delight the incoming guests, it will seem to everyone that they actually got on sea depth. But in general, such aquariums are considered freshwater, so it is necessary to populate fish that correspond to this environment.

collection

For most aquarists, creating a Dutch style aquarium can be a difficult job, especially for beginners. Therefore, aquascapers managed to create a simplified Dutch theme, which they called the collection style. Its essence lies in the seating of small-leaved and fast-growing plants, which in a short period of time can increase in size and occupy the entire soil.

Collector style is preferred in aquariums with a minimum volume of 100 litres.

For glass structures with a smaller size, the collector design style is not recommended. Otherwise, the entire space will be covered with green plantings, and the fish and other creatures will not be left free space for existence.

rock garden

For most modern interiors It is very difficult to enter the usual styles of aquarium design in houses and apartments. So, a glass structure decorated in the Dutch style cannot be harmoniously combined with the interior of a high-tech apartment or loft. Japanese designers have managed to find a solution to such a complex issue. They were able to compose the aesthetics of the jewelry while leaving much of the underwater space unfilled.

To do this, you need to use only ordinary soil, sand, a few stones, carpet-type algae and a small flock of small fish. In this case, the most important role is played by stones. It is enough to use only 4 natural elements, where 1 should be large and be the main one, 2 stones should be of medium size and be additional.

But the 4th stone should differ in the most minimal sizes, while it is not necessary to use real stones, they can be purchased at pet stores.

Based on fairy tales

The fabulous style of the aquarium is considered the brightest and most interesting, it is especially often used when decorating aquariums in homes where small children live. Designers were inspired to develop the style of an underwater fairy tale after watching the famous cartoons "Nemo" and "The Little Mermaid". The very first fabulous composition, which appeared in the aquatic environment of home aquariums, was recognized by aquascapers and still occupies the top rung of the leadership ladder.

The main thing before registration is to strictly follow the rules for creating decor. To begin with, draw up a sketch selected from the cartoon you like, pick up fish in the appropriate color and shape. As additional elements, you may need to purchase shells of bizarre shapes and different sizes, as well as grottoes, corals with neon overflow, and artificial treasures. Small algae, unpretentious in care, will be able to emphasize the beauty of the fairy-tale world.

Children with great pleasure will spend their free time near the fabulous aquarium, especially if the design of the interior space is presented in the composition of the child's favorite cartoon.

Decorations

Before proceeding with the creation of a special underwater interior design, the aquarist needs to familiarize himself with some rules, which should be followed not only at home, but also in industrial work.

The most important thing is the care of underwater pets. They must be removed from the aquarium and temporarily transplanted into a separate tank with the usual aquarium water, which will help to avoid injuries and stressful conditions for pets. After decorating, the fish are sent back to the aquarium with the same water.
Particular attention should be paid to the disinfection of decorative elements that will be placed inside the glass structure.

Today, every aquarist can decorate his aquarium with the most unusual elements. They can be purchased at almost any pet store that has a section for marine and freshwater creatures.

Experienced sales consultants will help you choose the appropriate layouts of castles, shells, corals and even stones, which can be used to design an aquarium in accordance with the chosen style.

decorative background

Special attention of aquarists when creating a unique atmosphere inside the aquarium is given to the decorative background. It is sold in the form of a colorful film with different images. The background is attached to the back wall of the aquarium from the outside, which is not only convenient for humans, but also safe for the inhabitants of the aquarium. When composing the elements interior design should smoothly transition into the background frame, thanks to which the aquarium receives a visual volume.

In the recent past, in the markets one could find a decorative background with images corresponding to the underwater world. Today, everyone can buy for themselves the most unusual plain films with a variety of colors, as well as the most unusual patterns, for example, stones of different shapes and sizes or bricks. Backgrounds depicting scenes from famous cartoons are considered separately.

In large stores, you can purchase specialized kits that contain stickers and layouts that match the chosen style of decoration of the aquarium space. To date, there are voluminous decorative backgrounds on sale that are attached to the back wall of the aquarium, but only from the inside. But experienced aquarists know that such decoration can be dangerous for aquarium inhabitants.

If the background film accidentally peels off, the fish will swim behind it, and the pet will not be able to get out of this trap on its own.

natural materials

Most aquarium models purchased for decorative design the interior space of glass structures is made of synthetic resins. For this reason, artificial decorations must be thermally treated before installing them inside the aquarium and letting pets in. Along with artificial elements, natural natural decorations, such as driftwood or stones, are in great demand. A lot of time has passed since the idea of decorating aquarium compositions with natural materials arose, and wooden branches are still laid out in the most unusual compositions at the bottom of the aquarium. Quite often, driftwood is used as an imitation of tree roots. In addition, from them you can create an unusual descent of the mountain slope.

In most cases, snags are used as a base to secure the moss, which is sold tied and attached with strings to the base. Some time later green carpet grows and forms an imitation of thickets. Some aquarists, acquiring natural driftwood or finding them on the street, do not process them, which can have a deplorable effect on the state of water and the life of the aquarium world.

Even this natural material must be boiled to rid the wood of harmful bacteria. According to a similar scheme, the processing of natural stones is carried out.

It is worth noting that the stone material, unlike the dummy sold in the pet store, looks much more natural. Just be careful when picking them up. Not all stones are suitable for decorating home aquariums, many of them release lime, which is harmful to living creatures and plants. Quartz stone, basalt, granite or sandstone are best suited as decorating elements.

When forming a stone composition, it is important to take into account the future population of the aquarium, what size they will be, their features and preferences. For example, shrimp creatures like to climb in small caves, and grottoes made of sandstone are preferable to cyclids.

living plants

Special attention in the design of the aquarium is given to plants, because they serve the fish as shelter and food. In addition, they release oxygen, which is a very important advantage for living decorations.

The main thing is that flowering vegetation is safe. Aquarists who are not experienced in this matter are best to contact the specialized department of the pet store, where sales assistants can select suitable live decorations, taking into account the growth rate, living fish and the size of the glass structure. It is strictly forbidden to collect unknown varieties of plants in wild nature and plant them inside the aquarium.

An improperly selected shrub, even a miniature size, can ruin aquarium life.

soil and sand

Extremely scrupulous should be taken to the issue of soil selection. Beginning aquarists are advised to purchase ready-made soil mixtures, since when self-manufacturing it is extremely difficult to take into account all the criteria and features of the layout of the constituent elements. For example, pick up particles of the same size, pick up all soil elements in the appropriate color scheme. Besides, it is important to consider the types of fish that will live in the aquarium, decorative background and compositional design.

In aquariums where only live plants will grow, an extra layer of soil called soylo is used. It is located between the upper and lower bedspreads of decorative soil. It is the salt that nourishes the roots of plants with useful vitamins and minerals. The same applies to the sandy bottom. Although sand is rarely used in aquariums for fish.

artificial elements

To date, there is a huge variety of artificial decorations for aquariums, among which there are both miniature plant bushes and huge background walls located inside the glass structure from the back. These walls may have the design of a mountain slope or an abandoned palace of an underwater king, but it will be very interesting to look at decorative design sunken Atlantis.

The main thing is to remember that all artificial materials must be installed in freshwater aquariums; artificial decor is not suitable for marine fish.

Decoration order

An experienced aquarist without much difficulty with his own hands will be able to correctly compose a composition that matches the chosen style, having previously acquired the necessary decorative elements, plants and soil. And all thanks to the sequence of actions, which is very important to remember for beginner aquarium lovers.

it is necessary to understand and choose the appropriate style for the design of the aquarium world, and then independently develop a design;
purchase the necessary elements and decor items;
all decorative parts, even natural stones and driftwood to process accordingly;
fill the bottom of the aquarium with a primer layer;
in the case of decorating a live freshwater aquarium, pour soil over the primer layer;
the upper part is covered with decorative soil;
carefully arrange the processed decorative elements;
fix the equipment, namely the compressor, thermometer, lamp, heater;
plant plants, making a hole for them;
carefully pour water
add underwater inhabitants to the aquarium;
sea corals are placed at the very last moment after the landing of the fish.

Beautiful and original ideas

Aqua design for fish lovers plays an important role. Simple glass jar with the presence of a pair of fish in it - completely irrelevant for a modern person. Aquarium individuals, like any other inhabitant of the globe, have gone through multiple steps of reincarnation, and this applies not only to the external image, but also to the interior of their home.

So Dutch style. Here it is the beauty of greenery, smoothly passing from undersized moss to tall plants. It can be seen with the naked eye that there is no void at the bottom of the aquarium. In every corner there are beautiful bushes of different sizes, complemented by a snag in the depths.

Representing natural style aquarium space, different design options come to mind, each of which can be translated into reality. In this case it seems that the aquascaper transferred the image of beautiful mountain peaks to the expanses of the underwater world. Aquarium inhabitants feel extremely cozy and comfortable in such an environment. At the bottom, low-growing shrubs of various shapes are visible, each of which fits perfectly into the overall composition.

Many aquarists find it very difficult to maintain a saltwater aquarium, and this is true. But you can decorate a fresh aquarium in maritime theme so much so that no one can tell the difference.

The main thing is to choose the right scenery, background and lighting. In this version, the owner of the aquarium has thought through all the details to the smallest detail. Bright corals, colorful fish, stone decorations and shells. Only an experienced master will be able to recognize the unusual style.

The beauty and sophistication of the collection style of aquarium design is subtly felt in the presented version. A neat miniature tree, located in the very center, seems to let out the roots, and the rest of the bottom is covered with fast-growing underwater grass, which is easily cut and, if necessary, pinched off.

At first glance, it becomes clear that we are talking about the style of a rock garden. If at general description it was not clear how the composition might look, then good example already makes you show wild imagination. The rocky aquarium slightly evokes coolness and at the same time fascinates with its visual lightness.

Modern dreamlike style aquariums require a modern approach. Any child will tell you that SpongeBob lives at the bottom of the sea.

To make the baby happy, in the aquarium you can make an image of the town of Bikini Bot.

A master class on decorating an aquarium for 100 liters, see below.

The process of decorating an aquarium is a rather complicated, but very interesting task. This can be done not only by a specialist, but also by a beginner. The main thing is to get acquainted with all the rules, styles, recommendations and design secrets. Exist a large number of nuances and features that must be taken into account.

Exist various styles for the future home of the fish. Be sure to think through everything in advance, evaluate the different design options, their features, advantages and disadvantages. Here are the most common options:

Iwagumi. This round aquarium design comes from Japan. So you can arrange and containers of a different shape. All details should have a pointed or thin shape, but at the same time they should be supported by a variety of smooth elements. Volumetric stone must be placed in the center. It will have various irregularities that water will hit, simulating the natural environment.
Biotope. Such an aquarium design involves the design of a container with an imitation of a landscape under a pond. Need to repeat natural conditions that are specific to the selected location. This natural decoration for an aquarium involves recreating a certain landscape, so all plants, stones, driftwood and other details should be placed so that they resemble a place near a river or lake. Making a round aquarium is also great for such ideas. You need to choose only natural materials. A feature of this design is the random arrangement of all objects. In this case, the fish are only an addition to the design itself. It is better to choose low plants and attach them to snags, soil, stones.
Dutch. Aquarium decorations are distinguished by the fact that the main emphasis is on vegetation. In this case, you must use different kinds plants, but the emphasis on driftwood and stones should be minimal. The choice of plant varieties and their coloration is a major factor. The equipped Dutch aquascape will look like thickets of underwater rivers. You can choose not only green, but also orange, red types of algae. They need to be planted in large numbers. To maintain beauty, you will have to spend a lot of time and effort on it.
Geographical. The arrangement of the aquarium in this case should correspond to a certain geographical region. And fish, too, should be chosen according to the terrain.
Thematic or household. The design of a small aquarium can be done on various topics. Here you can already embody any ideas. In a domestic aquarium, no style rules are observed at all. As a rule, aquarium decorations here are: castles, skulls, amphoras, even divers, etc.

Additionally

Another separate type of themed aquarium is the pseudo-marine style. The arrangement of the aquarium involves imitation of the bottom of the sea or ocean. But in this case, marine species of fish are not used. There are only marine aquarium decorations. This is where brightly colored fish come in. In addition, starfish, artificial polyps, corals will look great. You can also install a sunken ship with chests of gold. The result is a real treasure trove.

In addition, only one type of fish can be used. A striking example is the cichlid, that is, in this case, only living creatures of the cilaceae family will live in the tank. In addition, a separate variety are industrial and show aquariums.

The design of the corner aquarium can be futuristic. Such option is suitable and for other forms of water. For example, a round aquarium will also look good. You can even connect special pipes several of these balls. The whole design of the corner aquarium, as well as other containers, should be unusual. There is a separate variety that has appeared quite recently: in artificial reservoir swim fish that phosphoresce.

They were bred not so long ago - scientists used the jellyfish gene.

There is also an antique version. Such an arrangement of the aquarium involves the use of various figurines, amphoras, monuments, castles. But you must remember that you need to clean such objects regularly.

How to choose fish for an aquarium

If a beginner has a solution with an aquarium, then it is necessary to choose fish that can withstand changes in water characteristics. In addition, their bodies must resist various diseases that are triggered by stress.

In addition, it must be remembered that peaceful and calm fish that will easily get along together are best suited for beginners.

It is necessary to take into account a large number of nuances. For example, new aquariums are often unstable, because the necessary microflora has not yet formed in them, that is, beneficial bacteria must have time to destroy pathogenic bacteria. But even if you additionally use bacterial agents that can be bought at any pet store, the conditions will still not correspond to what delicate fish require.

In addition, you need to take into account the size of the inhabitants of the future home reservoir. For example, large fish (some varieties) are able to live in containers without neighbors. Yes, and decor for them, too, as a rule, is not so important. But for others, such conditions are not suitable at all, as they experience stress, even if the water parameters are optimal. For some fish, the presence of other inhabitants in the water is very important, as this is considered a sign that Environment not dangerous for them.

It is imperative to know the water parameters and measure them periodically. Especially it is necessary to check the level of acidity of water and its hardness. Knowing these parameters, you can select certain fish that can live in such conditions. It is recommended to purchase special testers for this at the pet store.

It's not enough just to watch the water. It is necessary to choose the right inhabitants for a home pond. Before you buy this or that fish for an aquarium, you need to read about such varieties in advance.

Enough common mistake is the placement in the aquarium of those species that are simply not able to get along in one container.

In addition, many fish change color and behavior as they grow older, which should also be taken into account. Tips from experts to help you choose the right living creatures for the aquarium:

It is better to avoid those inhabitants who need specific food. In the first six months, it is better to keep only those fish that are suitable for eating ordinary food in the form of flakes. After another six months, you can diversify the diet.
Do not immediately buy a large number of different fish.
In the store, you need to ask the sellers how long the fish lived in the exhibition aquarium. If they just appeared here, then it is better not to buy them, since two transportations in a short period of time are a lot of stress for them.
Be sure to know exactly how big the fish will grow.
It is best to write a complete list of the types of fish that you would like to have in the future.
It is better for beginners not to acquire those species that are artificially bred or deformed.

There are many varieties of fish that are great for beginners. For example, the most common options are neon and guppies.

To create a beautiful aquarium design, it is recommended to use some tips from experts to help achieve the desired result.

First of all, you need to think about symmetry. It is best to avoid it so that the aquascape looks natural. Such forms do not exist in nature, and asymmetry is the basis of beautiful design. Attention should not be directed to the middle of the container, but a little further from it. In the center it is recommended to put the largest, brightest or most unusual detail. For example, it can be an artificial rock, a stone, a castle, a waterfall, a snag.

In addition, you can use the following tips:

To visualize depth, it is recommended to make a background.
To get the effect of an uneven bottom, you can use a simple plate and put it on the bottom, then fill it with soil. The result will be a kind of mound.
To fasten parts, you can use a fishing line or thread.
To wash the aquarium, it is recommended not to use soap and other chemicals, but a simple warm water to which you need to add a small amount of vinegar.
To protect the background from water, it is recommended to use special paper, which can easily be purchased at a pet store.
It is best to make decorations and other elements of the scenery for the reservoir with your own hands, since in most cases those sold in stores look unnatural. In addition, various shells can be collected on the beach. But they should be pre-boiled for 6 minutes to disinfect.
Various wooden elements must be durable.
It is not recommended to use oak, as it stains the water.
If there are small fish in the pond, then it is best to use soil with small particles in diameter. For large inhabitants, it is recommended to combine large stones with small ones.
Do not enclose plants and make straight lines. In this case better fit randomness, smoothness, curved lines.

All these tips will help you beautiful aquarium.

How to equip an aquarium with your own hands: the first steps

Some people think about how to properly design an aquarium. Even a beginner can do it on their own.

Making an aquarium with your own hands involves the following algorithm of actions:

Choose an animal. You can combine different types of fish or choose only one variety.
Select capacity. Pay attention not only to the size, but also to the shape. For example, it can be a rectangular, round aquarium.
Select soil. A dark shade is recommended, because if the substrate has a light color, then the fish against its background become not so bright, but everything needs to be beautiful. Put the soil on the bottom with a special plastic spatula. You can use it in an aquarium instead plastic bottle, which is pre-cut.
If special plants are provided to decorate the aquarium, then special bacterial cultures must first be scattered. Such a mandatory layer is made after all the soil has been laid out. These microorganisms will contribute to the development of plants. How to make such a bottom layer, you must know. Experts advise laying out several different layers in the form of sand, gravel of large and medium fractions.
Put the foam in those places where there will be a voluminous or heavy object - various stones and other decorations. In some cases, silicone glue is used to fix them.
Pour the soil into a clean aquarium that is not yet filled with water. Some are thinking about how to make a beautiful bottom landscape. Experts advise making a slight slope towards the front wall. Near the back wall, the height of the soil layer should be approximately 5-7 cm (if a small aquarium, then a smaller thickness is allowed). In some places, you can pour a layer of 12 cm. Near the front wall of the tank, it is best to make a thickness of about 0.5–1.5 cm. If a round aquarium is chosen, then the parameters should be left the same. To make the bottom beautiful, it is necessary to level the ground. To do this, use a regular wooden spatula. When we equip the bottom, you can make a lighter strip on a dark background. Before you fill in light sand or gravel, you need to insert 2 cardboard sheets into the aquarium with your own hands in the form of a restriction. Then pull them out very carefully.

How to equip an aquarium with your own hands: further steps

After the bottom is completely decorated, and the container is prepared, you can proceed to further action container decoration.

Now you can think about the background. Before thinking about how to equip it, you should know that it can be internal and external. The easiest option for decorating aquariums is to use a roll-type film. It can be purchased in specialized stores, where it is possible to choose a specific decoration pattern for the aquarium and its dimensions. In addition, you can use paper, plastic, cork-type tiles as an external background. You can make interesting decorations for the aquarium with your own hands if you paint the outer wall with dark colors. If you make an internal background, then it is always supposed to be equipped before the container is filled with water. Interior decoration is a special plate that needs to be glued to glass or a special substrate. This process requires special skills. For round aquariums, this option is not always suitable.
After the walls and bottom are fully equipped, you can proceed to the design of the interior space. Do-it-yourself aquarium design is easy to do.
Sinks are not always suitable, as they contain a large amount of calcium, which will change the acidity and hardness of the water.
The decor of a round aquarium or any other needs to be thought out in advance. For example, there you can put any items that are purchased at a pet store specifically for this purpose. The main thing is that the decorations in the aquarium are chosen from safe materials, for example, clay, ceramics, porcelain. Objects can be folded in an unnatural position, various experiments can be carried out.
Driftwood is also a common decoration, they are supposed to be pre-prepared. It is better to choose a dense branch, and then dry it. It is allowed to use any tree, the only exception is oak, as it colors the water. All residues from the driftwood are supposed to be removed. It is preliminarily supposed to boil it in a solution of potassium permanganate or ordinary water, then cool and put on the bottom. If the aquarium is small, then one snag will be enough. All this should be done before the plants begin to grow.
Select vegetation. Decorating the aquarium here depends entirely on the preferences of its future residents. In addition, additional factors must be taken into account. For example, if the algae are bright red, then more carbon dioxide and special mineral supplements will be needed. Still need to monitor the lighting. Then a beautiful aquarium will please the eye. In any case, before planting plants, it is necessary to trim their roots.

How to design an aquarium is a topical issue for many people. But it will not be difficult if you act strictly according to the instructions and follow certain rules. Making an aquarium with your own hands is not so difficult.

Now it remains only to wait 1-2 days, check the capacity and how the additional equipment works.

If everything is in order, then you can launch the first inhabitants - snails, newts, shrimps. Only after a week is it allowed to start the fish.

Examples of arranging an aquarium

Before you independently arrange an artificial reservoir in the house, it is recommended to look at several options.

Option for young aquarists. In this case, the design of a small reservoir is assumed. Its dimensions are 60x30x30 cm. Fill the soil with a thickness of 4 cm. The use of special aquarium gravel is recommended. Grains in diameter should be no more than 4 mm. In total, you need about 7 kg. Then lay out various roots, snags, stones (should not contain lime). Use a variety of easy-care plants. This decoration is perfect for a simple ancistre, red neon, cockatoo apistogram, armored catfish. Since all these specimens come from South America, it is necessary to maintain the water temperature at 25ºС.
Option for beginners (already adults are assumed). In this case, it is planned to equip an aquarium with a size of 100x40x40 cm. The thickness of the soil should be approximately 6 cm. For this, you need to choose special aquarium gravel, the diameter of which should be at least 3 mm and not more than 5 mm. It will take approximately 24 liters. Ate to make it and the terrace, then an additional 10 liters will be required. Decorate with stones that do not contain lime. You can make buildings from slate, decorate everything with roots and plants. Then fill with fish. For example, a fiery and Sumatran barb, a zebra danio rerio, a beautifully finned epal (it must be taken into account that it can harm algae), a 2-color labeo (in this case, it must be borne in mind that 2 or more individuals are able to conflict) are suitable.
Africa option. In this case, the home artificial pond will have dimensions of 160x50x60 cm. From plants, a dissected fern, spiral wallisneria, Senegalese ammania, lanceolate anubias are suitable for its design. A lily that has wavy leaves will look great. As for the fish, it is better to run phenacograms of rainbows, arnoldicht, neoleb, gnathotemus, nannethiops, ctenopom, catfish-shifter, papidocranus here.
South America option. In this case, the dimensions of the container will be 160x50x60 cm. The height of the soil layer should be approximately 8 cm. It is necessary to make a terrace along the entire length. Between the tiers there should be a space of 5 cm. For the base surface you need about 65 liters and another 15 liters for the terrace. Of the plants for aquariums, a large and medium Amazon, heart-leaved and herbaceous echinodorus, ludwigia, and pinnate are suitable. To make wood or stone have a green tint, you can use Java moss. From fish in such conditions, you can breed fiery and brilliant tetra, phylomena, Ramirez chromis, acara, high-finned scalar, ancister, panak, various types of corridor and marble carnegiela.
Asia option. In this case, the dimensions of the container will be the same as in the previous version. The soil should also be selected and designed in the same way as in the case of the Asia option. As an aquarium decoration, you can use such vegetation as a dissected fern, cryptocoryne, Thai krinum, hygrophilous oak, hygrophilous lemon, limnophila, as well as Javanese moss and fern. To make an artificial reservoir look spectacular, you can place a red-leaved rotala, a nymphaeum, in the background. Of the fish for such a home reservoir, a shark ball, a black and Sumatran barb, a Malabar zebrafish, a cuneiform rasborak, a girinocheil, a mesh botia, and a gourami are suitable.

Conclusion

Many people are interested in how to properly equip an aquarium. Actually it's not that much difficult process, so that not only a specialist, but also a beginner can cope with this task.

The main thing is to take into account all the rules for decorating an aquarium, pay attention to various important features.

Making an aquarium is an interesting, but rather complicated process, not only for a beginner, but also for a professional aquarist. It has its own features and recommendations, which it is advisable to familiarize yourself with before proceeding with the design. Let us consider in more detail the main points and main elements of decor.

The soil in a freshwater aquarium should be dark in color; on a light one, the fish lose their bright color. Choose a suitable substrate and carefully place it on the bottom with a plastic spatula or a cut plastic bottle. If there are plants in the aquarium, sprinkle the bacterial culture before laying the soil. In the future, it will promote the growth of plants. And use several layers of different substrate (sand, coarse and medium gravel). Styrofoam sheets should be placed under heavy decorations or stones. Pour the soil carefully and only into a clean aquarium without water. Make a slight slope towards the front wall. The height of the soil near the rear wall should be 5-7 cm, in some places up to 12 cm, near the front wall - 5 mm -15 mm. It is convenient to use a wooden spatula to level the substrate. If desired, you can make a light strip on dark ground. Before backfilling light gravel or sand, separate the borders of the strip with two sheets of cardboard. Pull them out very carefully. The background in the aquarium can be external and internal. The easiest option is roll film. It is sold in specialized stores by the footage. It comes in different heights and with a variety of patterns. You can also use plastic, paper, cork tiles as an external background, or simply paint the glass in dark colors. The interior background is always set before the aquarium is filled. It is made from special plates that are glued to silicone directly to glass or an additional substrate. This process is longer and requires certain skills, but the result is worth it. Shells are not the best solution for all fish. They contain calcium, affect water hardness and acidity. Any items that you buy at a pet store can be placed in the aquarium. The main thing is that they are made of safe materials (ceramics, clay, porcelain). Don't be afraid to experiment and put things in unnatural positions. As a decor, you can use pipes for supplying drinking water.

The driftwood in the aquarium looks very beautiful, but they need to be properly prepared. Choose a dense, already dry branch. Any tree will do, with the exception of oak. Oak strongly stains the water. Now clean the driftwood from the remnants of the bark, saw off or break off the excess parts. Boil the branch for 12-24 hours. Change the water periodically. You can add potassium permanganate or salt. Let it cool in the open air and lay it on the bottom of the aquarium. It is better if this is in the process of preparing the aquarium, when there are no plants yet. It is worth noting that any snag will soften the water and give it a slight brown tint.

A day or two after setting up the aquarium and checking the equipment, you can start the first inhabitants (a couple of snails, shrimp or newts). Fish are allowed in no earlier than a week later.

Aquariums are different, but still most people keep them in order to decorate their home or office with a corner of nature. And then the main task of the aquarium is to be beautiful. It’s good if you have the opportunity to turn to professional aqua designers to design a home or office pond. And if not? Then you have to act on your own, but how, we will now tell.

Of course, aquascaping is in fashion now - decorating an aquarium in the form of a beautiful natural (but not necessarily underwater) landscape. However, it is unlikely that everyone needs to chase fashion. If you want, you can create an urban picture in your pond or a psychedelic landscape with a bright pink bottom, ultraviolet lighting and phosphorescent fish.

You can buy ready-made driftwood (for example, mangrove). Its preparation is much easier and takes less time: it is boiled for a couple of hours and soaked for one or two days.

Driftwood in an aquarium must be of the same type.

They are often decorated with plants: mosses, ferns, anubias. To grow plants to them, it is usually enough to tie them with fishing line or secure with a plastic clip for several weeks.

The function of driftwood in an aquarium is not only aesthetic. They zone the space and create shelters for fish, and in addition, they release humic substances into the water, which acidify and soften it and have a beneficial effect on the well-being of many species of fish and shrimps.

In an aquarium with aggressive cichlids, they often do this: they take several long branched snags and place them against the back wall, crossing and interlacing them. Thus, a whole system of grottoes, caves, cracks, passages is obtained, in which several fish can hide.

Other types of decorations and shelters

Clay shards, ceramic tubes of different diameters can be used as such (large ones like to be occupied by catfish and loaches, small ones - shrimp), halves of a coconut shell. Moss or fern can be grown on coconut.

All kinds of bubbling crocodiles and turtlenecks in aqua design are considered signs of bad taste, but, in my opinion, their presence is quite justified if the aquarium is designed for a child.

Back wall of the aquarium

Of course, the simplest thing here is to stick a film behind the back wall from the outside. dark color or with a discreet natural pattern, and plant tall plants in the background.

If the aquarium is without plants, then they often resort to the help of embossed backgrounds fixed inside the aquarium. It can be a ready-made sheet background made of expanded polystyrene or fiberglass.

It has a drawback: if it is not firmly glued and its edge moves away somewhere, fish and shrimps can get under it, and it can be difficult to get them out of there.

Once, for several hours, I tried to pull out or lure a freshwater stingray teenager out from under such a background. As a result, almost the entire aquarium decor and equipment had to be destroyed and then rebuilt.

Instead of a ready-made embossed background, you can independently glue stones of various shapes to the back wall on silicone or ceramic tiles. It will be beautiful, but this is a time-consuming procedure, and such a background will greatly burden the aquarium and reduce its internal space.

Decorating an aquarium with plants

This is a separate huge topic, but the basic principles are quite simple:

low plants are planted in the foreground,
at the back and side walls - high long-stemmed,
sprawling bushes are usually placed in the middle ground on the sides.

The sequence of actions when decorating an aquarium

The sequence is:

Preparation of stones and snags.
Setting the background.
Equipment installation.
Placement of stones, snags and grottoes in the tank.
Soil filling.
Planting plants. Sometimes this is done with a small amount of water (according to the launch rules, plants are planted a few days after pouring water, but if there are a lot of them and there are small and ground covers among them, it is very difficult to plant them in an aquarium full of water).
Filling with water.

These are the basic principles of aquarium design. Of course, it is not easy to make your own aquarium a masterpiece of aqua design, but this is not the main thing. It is important that you like it and enjoy looking at it.

An aquarium is not just an opportunity to observe the bizarre behavior of aquatic inhabitants on a daily basis, but also an elegant and unusual interior decoration. The style in which you decorate the water tank depends on the fact how it fits into your room. Everyone aquarium design style universal and unique in its own way, the aquarium acquires amazing and interesting features. There are many styles of aquarium design, and many of them are only available to professional aqua designers, but some can be created by yourself. Let's look at them in more detail.

Dutch aquarium style

The style is believed to have originated in the 1930s in the Netherlands. The principle of designing an aquarium in this style is the absence of empty space at the bottom of the reservoir. Almost 80% of the aquarium bottom should be planted with a variety of plants, but there is an unspoken rule, namely: there should be only one type of plant per 10 sq.cm, it is desirable to have them in picturesque groups. Then the plants do not interfere and do not obscure each other.

Conventionally, the Dutch-style aquarium is divided into 3 sectors. The emphasis is on stones, driftwood, which are located in the very center of the aquarium. However, scientists have long proven that the center of the aquarium is a dead center for visual perception. Color solution The Dutch Aquarium is very discreet. Green and red colors with different shades prevail here, but you can play with the volumes, sizes and textures of the leaves as you please.

In such a tank, the law of color operates: plants with red leaves frame green spaces - this is in the first part of the aquarium. In the second part of the aquarium, everything happens the other way around: a dark green spot in the center is bordered by plants with burgundy foliage. Light olive algae look very good in the background. Usually, about 10-12 species of various plants are used in the Dutch design of an aquarium. Stem plants also look good, they are grouped and planted in remote areas of the aquarium - such a simple action emphasizes and focuses the beauty of the aquarium composition. Plants should be selected according to growth rates, conditions for maintenance. The Dutch aquarium requires attention, the plants must be carefully looked after. It is very important when designing an aquarium to choose correct views fish - they will be helpers in the fight against excess algae by eating them.

Rock garden underwater

The Japanese-style aquarium is also called the "rock garden". This is another type of Japanese worldview that is close in spirit to many aquarists around the world. Looking at the water landscapes created with the help of snags, stones, you understand that these are also tools for conveying the emotions that people experienced when creating a “garden”. An integral part of the Japanese style is the use of waterfalls and Japanese bonsai trees. Initially, the rock garden was created in three types: plants, stones and mosses.

According to the Zen worldview, stone and water are the skeleton and circulatory system of nature. Man and nature are an indivisible whole. AT Japanese gardens there are never repetitions, because each artist feels nature in his own way. For the rock garden, bizarre stones with unusual shapes and shades of various colors were searched for. Stones from Lake Tai, which had magical powers and extended the life of their creator, were very popular. With the help of stones, the artist expressed his thoughts and feelings. This style was introduced in 1980 by the Japanese Takashi Amano. He tried to recreate the natural scenery in the aquarium. Unlike the Dutch style, driftwood and stones of various shapes are used here, and they are arranged asymmetrically. The number of plants is up to 3-4 species.

Rock gardens are divided into two types: landscape gardens, in which plants and other paraphernalia were located in the background, as well as flat rock gardens. A correctly chosen ratio between stones, built according to the principle of an equilateral triangle, shows that each stone has its own face. The stones in the aquarium symbolize the completeness and harmony of our world, this is the perfect backdrop for fish with bright and unusual colors. You can diversify the design with various snags, bizarre plants, original pagodas or artificial Japanese-style mini-arbors.

Pseudo-natural and pseudo-marine aquarium design

This style allows you to show the beauty of the aquarium and at the same time save money. Aquarists use ordinary soils, unpretentious or not at all. artificial plants and planted various fish. Lighting only daylight or fluorescent. The disadvantage of this design of the aquarium can be called a limited number of species of fish and plants.

Pseudo-sea aquariums were invented by lovers of seascapes. In such aquariums, the water is fresh, the inhabitants here are freshwater, but the design is as close as possible to the relief sea bottom. Along with stones, you can find shells, corals, as well as plants, both natural and artificial. The shapes and sizes of the aquarium can be very different. As for lighting, it is predominantly decorative, so cold fluorescent lamps are welcome here, giving a blue color. Fish for such an aquarium are selected mobile, such are cichlids, whose homeland is Lake Malawi and Tanganyika. In their coloring, they are not inferior to the inhabitants living among marine reefs.

Collector style aquarium design

This style is good for beginners who want to learn how to grow plants. The number of plants - from 15 or more species. If in the Dutch style plants are combined into groups, then absolutely everything is allowed in such an aquarium. Here you can see both hard-leaved and rosette plants. An important role is played by the shape of the aquarium, which can be not only rectangular, corner aquariums are also interesting - they have a large bottom area, which creates an interesting perspective. Volume does not play a decisive role, but the larger it is, the easier it is to create compositions from plants and decorative elements.

You can use artificial plants and stones, while focusing on the living inhabitants of the aquarium - fish. Small characin fish are launched into such aquariums, which do not harm living plants.

species aquariums

Fish play a key role here. On the background decorative stones, a small amount plants swim inhabitants with a variety of colors. Predatory fish look good in such an aquarium - moray eels, stingrays and other exotic fish.

Avant-garde aquarium design

This design of the aquarium attracts your attention immediately, playing the role of a "color spot" in your interior. Here you can combine the incongruous: flashy bright colors of plastic plants, multi-colored lamps, intricate decorations. Such aquariums are characterized by an unnatural color scheme with a flashy color of the soil. It is better to place such an aquarium in a walk-through room, to attract attention, and not for contemplation. Such an aquarium can be placed in an office, retail space or nursery, recreating the plot of a fairy tale inside.

It's time to think about the fish, which should be unpretentious and have bright colors. Such an aquarium requires careful attitude and great accuracy: it is necessary to change the water in time, to produce biological and mechanical filtration and to monitor the feeding of the inhabitants of this aquarium.

marine aquariums

The idea of such an aquarium is to recreate sections of the seabed, it is difficult to recreate the biological environment, but despite this, more and more people are fond of breeding marine fish. As a rule, the basis of the composition is a stone from a sea reef or dead coral. Here there is a place for corals, polyps, small invertebrates and other inhabitants of the seabed. The main condition is not to overpopulate your territory with living creatures, since there is a limited life support system here.

Marine aquariums can be divided into three types: aquariums with predators - rays, moray eels, sharks; aquariums with non-predatory fish - angelfish, surgeonfish, zebrasoma and other species, and the third species - invertebrate sea anemones and corals. The most unpretentious are predatory fish, the most capricious in the care of invertebrates. The slightest deviation in the chemical parameters of water endangers the life of shrimps, sponges, sea anemones. It is necessary to purchase expensive equipment to maintain the life support of this aquarium. For a change, you can populate the tank with small fish - antias, pseudochromis and others that live among corals in the natural environment.

Aquarium design styles quite a lot and only you decide which one is suitable for an apartment or office.