Neptun
Purchasing your very first aquarium and forming an underwater kingdom, one wonders about the occasional mishaps and all the mistakes.
What was missing was a concise and consistent instruction. After all, you do not want to read a whole lot of books on the correct operation of the aquarium, and so often the idea arises – the aquarium must work tomorrow! This instruction will be necessary for you, will help quench the thirst for speed and will tell you the answers to all the questions that interest you such as “I want an aquarium, but do not know where to start?” or “How to buy an aquarium? And how to start it?”
Okay, here we go.
Where to put the first aquarium?
Initially, you need to choose a place where your artificial indoor lake will be placed.
It is best to place the aquarium in a dark corner, so that direct sunlight does not fall on it (this glare on the glass, in addition, unwanted algae can get). Also should be thought out how the aquarium will be brought to the electric power supply (to connect the backlight, heater, filter). If you decide to install the aquarium is not on a special cabinet, but on other furniture you have or want to insert into a furniture niche, you should certainly take into account the weight of the aquarium with water. The surface must be durable. If you have small children, you should see to their safety and the safety of aquarium inhabitants from children. It is necessary to limit the access of children to the aquarium and its electrical equipment.
Prepare the water
After you have chosen a place you need to collect tap water for settling in advance.
It is best to do this a day before you start the fish. Oxygen in large quantities or chlorine (depending on the method of water disinfection at your water intake station) dissolved in the water can kill aquarium inhabitants. But everything can and get around, if you apply additional means to improve the properties of the water (for example, Aquasafe), but the first time is still better not to take risks. Since you are still a beginner, it is better to run the aquarium “on the template”, at a later time, when you will be quite an experienced user, you can experiment. For example, if the scale of the aquarium is relatively large and the water is not something to stand in, it is possible to do so – the aquarium is filled with tap water and stand at least a day. In this method will not be superfluous “Aquaseif”.
Additional equipment
Let’s go to the pet store. We need to purchase:
- The aquarium itself, suitable in size for the chosen location
- Filter and aeration, which should match the volume of the aquarium
- Decor and soil (rocks, plants, driftwood, locks and more).
- In winter, a special heater will be needed
- Thermometer
Let’s start installing the aquarium.
It is necessary to level the surface on which the aquarium will be installed. In this you will help the most common construction level (you can buy in any construction store, then in the household will still come in handy). The whole point is that the walls of the vessel is under pressure, and any, even the smallest angle of inclination creates a lot of pressure on a certain wall (because the pressure is not uniform.) Therefore, the aquarium can burst. Very carefully level the surface, only the smallest deviations are allowed. For low-volume aquariums (up to 35 liters), the surface may not be leveled.
When installing the aquarium, place a polyethylene bubble wrap, which is usually sold together with the aquarium, between the aquarium and the surface. It is important that its edges do not hang down. Then pour out and distribute the soil in the aquarium (after buying it should be washed in advance). Form decorations. Pour into the tank settled water. Pour not in a hurry to not erode the soil and not scattered decorations. You can put at the bottom of any jar or dishes. If you direct the water jet on the jar, then the water will splash, and the soil and decor will not suffer. Aquarium fill not to the end, leaving 5-7 cm. from the edge. Bring aeration and filtration, connect.
Populating the first aquarium
Then go to the pet store again and buy live plants and long awaited fish. Don’t forget to buy food. Start the fish. First, a container with fish (usually a bag) placed in the aquarium, slightly dial in the bag aquarium water and keep in the aquarium for about 15 minutes. Then turn the bag over and release the fish.
It’s done! All you have to do now is to pay attention and take care of your pets.
