Aquarium equipment

The aquarium will help decorate and make any interior cozy. Before buying, you need to decide what size you need, the shape and the necessary equipment for the aquarium. And then proceed to the choice of its inhabitants.

Lighting of the aquarium

If you were confused, what equipment you need for the aquarium, then ask for the help of consultant specialists in specialized stores. And the first thing they offer is lighting devices. They are needed in order for fish and plants to feel good in the aquarium. It is not easy to do this, because for fish it is undesirable bright lighting, since in nature many of them are found in shaded ponds, but plants need good light for the correct photosynthesis. To solve this problem, there are several opportunities:

1. Choose fish that originally lived in small and brightly lit ponds, then you can adjust lighting to plants.
2. Choose plants that can grow in a darkened environment so necessary for fish life.
3. Choose plants for the aquarium that have wide leaves or which are sliding on water, fish will be able to hide in the shade of algae leaves. Therefore, first plant the plants, wait until they take root and begin to grow, and then start the fish. This may be needed for a couple of months, and since only plants will live in the aquarium during this period, they will need to feed them for their power.
4. Divide the aquarium into conditional sectors, in one plant plants, the leaves of which swim on the surface of the water, and in the other - low plants with open space, so you will give a choice to fish where to live. But for this you need a large aquarium, in small ones - the place is limited.
5. Light only part of the aquarium where the largest number of plants is located. This is done so that the fish choose a suitable habitat for themselves. This can only be done in large aquariums. In dark areas, you can place an oak, it will resemble the interweaving of the roots in a natural pond.

The light in the aquarium should be at least 10 hours daily, about the same day lasts daylight hours in natural conditions. In this case, it is not necessary to save on electricity, as well as to extend artificially the day so that the plants grow faster. Depending on what species of plants and fish live in the aquarium, you need to regulate the intensity of lighting. It is also worth paying attention to the depth of the container. If the aquarium has half a meter depth, then only 15 % of the rays that the lamp emit to the bottom. If the glass container is deeper, then the light of the lamp will not reach the bottom, and planting plants there is pointless.

When choosing lighting equipment, pay attention to fluorescent lamps. Their price is not high, the maintenance is not demanding. If they are correctly installed, then they will evenly illuminate the surface of the water. The lamps are in waterproof bottles that are attached on the aquarium cover. Experts recommend installing two such lamps if the height of the aquarium is up to 40 cm, and add a lamp for every 10 cm height. According to the length of the artificial reservoir, you need to select the size of the lamp so that the lighting is uniform.

Heating of the aquarium

Fish live and multiply only at a certain temperature of water, since these aquatic inhabitants are cold -blooded, all biochemical processes of the body depend on the environment.

If the fish lived in a temperate climate, then it can live with a large difference in temperature. If it is cold, then they can hibernate, they will not take food, and will become in silt. It is impossible to sharply change the temperature of the fish, then they will fall into a state of shock, lose a landmark and die.

If fish live in a tropical climate, then for them you need to maintain a high water temperature. For them, there will be insufficient temperature in the room where the aquarium stands is 22 degrees, because the water is always lower by two degrees than the air. Therefore, you need to use electrical heating devices. To heat water, you need to purchase:

1. Heater.
2. Regulator.
3. Thermoregulator - combines the first two devices.

It is very important that the heat of water is scattered evenly. For a capital's aquarium, you need a 30 W device, this is on the condition that the room is not colder than 20 degrees. No need to buy a heater with high power, it will constantly turn on, then turn off, and this will reduce its life.

The thermostat must be attached somewhere in the corner. When working, the indicator light will burn, the power is adjustable. Modern devices are compact and are relatively inexpensive, and most importantly, they maintain temperature, both on the surface and at the bottom of the container. Because the difference between the temperatures of different layers of water should not exceed two degrees. It is better to give preference to the heater with an automatic temperature controller.

Aeration of water

Aquatic plants play a large role in saturation of water with oxygen, but even in large aquariums with vegetation there is a lack of oxygen. There are several factors that affect oxygen content in water:

1. The temperature is the warmer, the less oxygen in it, and vice versa. And the high temperature also increases all metabolic processes in fish, as a result of which they consume more oxygen. To solve this problem, intense aeration is needed.
2. Plants - the main value of the plants lies in their ability to produce oxygen, but at night they themselves consume it, so at this time of day in water may not be enough oxygen.
3. Snails and other inhabitants of the aquarium - too many snails and bacteria can reduce the oxygen content in water. It is permissible for oxygen consumption with aerobic bacteria, because in return they will benefit, but a large amount of organic waste that form due to overfeeding of fish will absorb this valuable element. So fish must be fed according to the norm.

Water aeration occurs through the compressor, which purges the air from the sprayers. In addition to the fact that aeration saturates the air with oxygen, it also mixes the air with air bubbles all layers of water, and thus, the temperature is aligned in the entire aquarium.

In addition, the flow of water will simulate natural currents, which is also very important for fish. Thanks to aeration, the soil becomes durable, which helps the vital activity of soil bacteria, does not allow organic residues, and harmful gases are not formed.

CO2 equipment

In addition to oxygen, fish also need carbon dioxide. It favorably affects the growth and vital activity of plants and is a kind of feeding for fish.

CO2 equipment appeared relatively recently. It increases the acidity in the aquarium and, thereby, has an antiseptic effect. Pisces in such an aquarium are less likely to get sick. As this equipment, a cylinder can serve as a carbon dioxide, it is connected to a container using a valve. But it is not entirely advisable to use it for several reasons:

• the equipment has large sizes;
• it is dangerous to use in the house;
• high price;
• constant tracking of gas levels in the cylinder, replacement or filling.

Given all these reasons, scientists came up with small cylinders specifically for the aquarium. In addition to convenience in use, they also look stylish, and fit into the design of any aquarium.

Filtering system

Any aquarium needs filtering water from dirt, residues of plants, food, mucus. And this system is vital where there is overpopulation of living beings.

Water is cleaned with filters, they produce air bubbles that pass through a thin tube, take water with them. Water passes through the filler, which is a filtering element and returns to the aquarium already cleaned. As a filler, foam rubber is used, nylon threads and other porous materials.

Filtering consists of two phases:

1. Mechanical - filtration material delays particles of dirt.
2. Biological - saprophyta bacteria feed on mud, they decompose it to minerals.

If both of these phases work, then the water will always be clean. But this does not happen on new filters that are already populated by bacteria. And if the filter is new or thoroughly washed, then the second phase will not work, the water will become muddy.

In the first version, you just need to wait until the bacteria populate the “novelty”, in the second - wash the filler only if necessary, when it is already clogged with silt or algae and will not be able to perform its functions. And then, it is not necessary to wash it to sterile cleanliness, it is enough to free the pores for the free flow of water.

Sell \u200b\u200bspecial bacterial drugs. You can’t turn off the filter, because useful bacteria will die and settled dangerous, which will lead to the death of all living things.

Filters are:

1. Bottom, which are at the bottom or inside the ground. They create the movement of water, thereby helping to develop microflora in the ground. The disadvantages include inconvenience of service.
2. Internal, which are located on the wall of the aquarium. Dirt is collected inside the water tank. Very convenient to use, it can be disguised as a snag.
3. External, which are on the outside of the aquarium. The most convenient in operation. The waste is processed mainly of aerobic bacteria.

Other equipment for the aquarium

1. The feeder - to prevent the vague of the feed over the entire surface of the water, install a plastic frame. There are also automatic feeders, which themselves feed the fish once a day or at any appointed time.
2. A siphon with a pomp - removes the soil in the aquarium, looks like a flexible hose with a flask. Its length depends on the size of the aquarium and the amount of soil.
3. Magnetic scraper - they clean the glass. It is successfully replaced by snails.

In a specialized store, you can be offered a large number of various equipment for the aquarium. You only need to buy what you really need, because a too oversaturated aquarium does not look very natural with new technologies.