You have acquired an aquarium, harmoniously entered it into the atmosphere and looked at the store of future inhabitants. The next step is to launch the aquarium, and its importance can hardly be overestimated. The life and health of fish, the beauty of plants, the transparency of water and other factors that make up the big picture depend on whether your home pond is launched correctly. On the slang of aquarists, the glass container itself is called a "jar", it acquires the proud name of the aquarium only when it establishes a biological balance that satisfies the needs of all living creatures living there.
So, the room has an empty aquarium. Where to start its arrangement? At first glance, everything is simple - poured water, threw sand, stuck plants and put in fish, and there nature will take its toll. But the result of such hasty actions will be very sad consequences. The water will grow cloudy, the plants will be covered with air bubbles and float to the surface, the fish will not last too long. Such a start is able to discourage ever ever do aquarium work. Sellers at pet stores and the market try to forge iron while it is hot, and sell as much as possible. They suggest that they release fish into new water in a day, and if you add a special agent to it, then immediately. But do not succumb to persuasion. Many preparations for preparing water are replaced by simple actions. For example, you can remove chlorine from the aquarium without adding a special conditioner to it, but simply leaving the tank for a day without a lid.
The launch of the aquarium begins with the preparation of decorative elements: soil and snags, as well as plants. Pebbles can be obtained somewhere near the house, sifting ordinary gravel with garden sieve, and sand, preferably coarse, can be collected on the banks of the river. This is not the kind of material that you definitely need to spend money on. The main thing is to thoroughly rinse the soil, boil the stones in salt water, and divide the sand into portions and fry in a clean pan, and then sift. But it is better to buy a snag. Its preparation takes a lot of time, and the choice for a beginner is quite complicated: it is important that the snag is not from a conifer, is dead, but not rotten, does not lie in water contaminated with chemical waste, etc. Carrying out its first launch of the aquarium is better opt for special snags from the store. However, you can do without this item at all, although the underwater kingdom looks more interesting with it.
Processed from bacteria and protozoa will have to buy plants. Of course, it is impossible to boil them, but it can be washed in running water, and then held for half an hour in a pale pink solution of the well-known potassium permanganate. Plants thus disinfected in this way are placed in a jar of settled water and left alone for a week. In general, the launch of an aquarium is a process stretched out over time. If everything goes well, and you adhere to a step-by-step plan, then it will take about a month to establish equilibrium. In no case should you force events : the consequences may be such that you have to drain the water, catch the corpses of fish and start all over again.
The aquarium itself needs to be washed with a new sponge without detergents, take baking soda or fine salt instead. After washing, if the size of the container allows, place it on its side in the bath and rinse with a strong shower jet, paying particular attention to the corners.
Also, before starting the aquarium, it is necessary to prepare the following equipment: a filter and an aerator (sometimes one device includes both functions), fluorescent lamps, if the aquarium is not equipped with them initially, a thermometer, nets and scrapers. You also need to take care of the manufacture of the cover.
Everything is ready? Getting down.
- Stelem soil. The layer thickness should not be less than 5 centimeters.
- We set the scenery: driftwood, stones, grottoes, shells, etc.
- Fill the water. It is better to do this with a thin stream, directing it to a plate turned upside down lying on the sand. In order not to drag water with buckets, use a thin hose, one end of which is lowered into the aquarium, and the other into the bucket standing on it. In order for the water to start flowing, first draw water from the tap into the hose by plugging one of its ends with a finger. A complete hose, installed in the manner described, triggers the principle of communicating vessels, and water begins to flow.
- We turn on the equipment: filter, compressor and temperature controller, if necessary. We are waiting 4 days. The water will cloudy at first, then gradually become transparent again. This is normal.
- We plant the first plants. We select the most undemanding of them. We are waiting for another 4 days.
- Turn on the lighting. The filter must be cleaned the same day. It will be 9 days from the start of the launch. You can run the first fish, for example, swordsmen. You do not need to feed them.
- 10 day - feed the fish. From now on, they need to be given a diet twice a day.
- 17–20 days - with good water condition and the mood of the inhabitants, you can continue to settle.
- 25 days and monthly thereafter - cleaning the soil and replacing 15% of the volume of water with standing water.
Here the aquarium is up and running. Enjoy your conversation with the water world!