Simon Hopes

Two in one: original apartment decoration and entertainment for the whole family. So we can say about an aquarium. But can everyone cope with floating pets, and what mistakes are most often made by beginners?

Question: Let's start with the most important thing, the aquarium. Maybe for a beginner you need a smaller one to make it easier to keep?

Answer: Yes, there is such a common opinion, although it is absolutely the opposite. Any small aquarium requires more skills, knowledge, practice and everything else. That is, when selecting your first aquarium, I would, of course, recommend a larger aquarium, about 50-60 liters.

Question: What should a minimum set of beginner aquarists include besides an aquarium?

Answer: A filtration system is the heart of the life support system, a lighting system to simulate the light mode, which is important for both fish and plants in the first place. It is an oxygen saturation system, a compressor, a heating system to maintain the temperature regime. And a set of tools for aquarium care: scraper, net, siphon for ground cleaning and water change. Plus air conditioning for water preparation and all kinds of artificially prepared food. Crystal oceans will definitely help you with all this equipment.

Question: In general, how is it calculated how many fish can live in an aquarium of this or that litrage?

Answer: There is a fairly universal formula: for one centimeter of fish body, it should be about one and a half liters of water. Ideally, the length of the aquarium should exceed the size of the fish by 8-10 times approximately. That is, an aquarium with a length of 50 centimeters is ideal for keeping 5-centimeter fish.

Question: Is it difficult or not to keep an aquarium as a result?

Answer: It is more interesting and useful than difficult. The only thing to remember, of course, is that we take responsibility for the life of the animals, and they fully and completely depend on us. But following all the recommendations, a novice aquarist will get a great aesthetic pleasure and moral for himself.

Tips:

• Beginners should choose unpretentious fish. Swordfish, guppies, laliuses, roosters, neons will be suitable. Just remember: if you start tropical fish, you will also need an aquarium heater - the water temperature should be at least 25 degrees.

• The aquarium can be filled with ordinary tap water. It is diluted with a special liquid - conditioner, which kills bacteria and neutralizes harmful substances.

• It is better to change the water every week. There is no need to drain it completely, it is enough to replace one fifth of the total volume. As for the ground, it can be cleaned with a device designed for this purpose - a trap.

• If you have purchased an aquarium decoration, such as wooden figures, first put your purchase in boiling water for disinfection. Plastic accessories can be treated with manganese solution.

• Excess food can be fatal for fish. So keep a close eye on their feeding behavior. If you see that the aquatic inhabitants begin to lose interest in food, immediately stop sprinkling the food and remove its residues from the water.