Many, having acquired an aquarium, try to make it beautiful, so that their eyes involuntarily stop at this miracle every time you just pass by. Of course, if residents have already settled in this glass house, I want to look at it endlessly. However, fish alone is not enough. It is necessary to take care of arranging their house, in particular, choose the right soil for the aquarium.
At first glance, there is nothing difficult: fill in sand from the nearest quarry, and let them swim calmly for themselves. This mistake is very often made by beginners. As a result, over time, the water in the aquarium becomes cloudier, the plants die, and the number of fish decreases rapidly. Therefore, it is necessary to choose the soil for the aquarium very carefully, since it has several basic functions. The first is, of course, aesthetic. The appearance of the aquarium changes radically as soon as a beautiful layer is poured into it. In accordance with its second function, the soil should be a favorable environment for the growth of aquarium plants and the life of various microorganisms. In addition, it performs a filtration function: it incorporates all the waste products of living organisms and plants, as well as excess feed.
Undoubtedly, sand or gravel are best suited to perform these functions. But any will not do. It must be river sand, having a particle size of about 1.5 - 2 mm, finer should not be used. If you want to add gravel, select the one with a particle size of 3-4 mm.
In general, aquarium soil must meet the following requirements:
· Have a porous structure;
· The particles included in its composition must be of optimal size;
· The amount of calcareous rocks included in its composition is minimal;
· Must create the necessary nutrient medium for plants and microorganisms;
· In its composition there are no harmful and toxic substances;
· Must be dark in color.
It is necessary to dwell on the choice of color additionally. Dark sand is necessary to prevent the reflection of light, which can cause a temperature difference at the water-soil boundary. In addition, if you decide to choose white quartz sand, you will minimize water circulation, since such sand is too densely located at the bottom of the aquarium. And this, in turn, can cause the death of plants due to rotting of the roots. Sand of red and yellow should also be avoided. This color indicates that the sand contains a significant amount of iron oxides, which can be extremely detrimental to the life of fish and plants. The amount of clay is also worth minimizing, so the soil from the quarries is also not suitable.
A lot of people are attracted to the artificial soil for the aquarium, made from various colored glasses. But few people think how harmful it is to fish, since its grains of sand have sharp edges, which can easily get hurt by fish. Try to create conditions for fish that are close to living in their natural environment. Let the sand be real.
Periodically cleaning the soil in the aquarium will help you maintain a state of biological balance. If you decide to collect sand in the river yourself, before you lay it at the bottom of the aquarium, also treat it. The easiest way to clean is to boil for 15 minutes. Remember to just add water and stir constantly. Then rinse the sand with warm water. You can carry out the treatment with a 25% solution of heated hydrochloric acid, and then rinse in three waters. Processing sand with sulfuric acid will help soften the water, however, the sand processing field must be washed with running water for at least two hours.
Now you know how soil for an aquarium is selected and processed.