How to care for an aquarium? This question may seem simple, but only at first glance the question. Do not think that the aquarium - a mixture of water, mud, algae and some varieties of fish. If you decide to have fish, and it is necessary to think hundred times, you are ready to for such a responsible step, because the proper care of the aquarium will require a lot of effort and knowledge.
There are numerous factors to consider:
The size of the aquarium.
The number of species of fish that you will live.
The quality of water and the possibility of softening and deep cleansing.
The composition of the soil.
Lighting, which should not be decorative, but should serve as optimum comfort conditions for the life of fish.
Everyone else from school biology course familiar with the concept "biogeocoenosis", which is perfectly suited for the natural system similar to the system that you create in your aquarium.
Care of fishes
How to care for aquarium fish - Frequently asked questions not only fans, but more experienced people. And no wonder - it is on the correct care of fish will depend on many things in the aquarium - longevity, reproduction, purification and self-cleaning aquarium and more. Always worth remembering that you must not only feed the fish, but also the time they include lighting, curl a little, or change the water to clean the aquarium from those foods that interfere with fishes develop properly and live. In short, you should know all the details of how to care for aquarium fish.
Feeding the fish
First of all let's talk about the stern of how it should look and what it should contain. It is important to bear in mind that the feed must be complete, balanced and matched for each individual type of fish. Of course, you can use the so-called universal food, but it is less successful version.
As for the types of feed, they have several. This is a live feed, which can be divided into large (tadpoles, worms, flies, mosquitoes, moths, butterflies and many other crawling and flying insects), the average size (aphids, cut into pieces of worms, flies and mosquitoes, small flying insects) and small (lice, fleas, and various larvae, etc.).
The second type of korma- moist fresh foods of animal and vegetable origin (heart and internal organs of animals), plants, etc. With this kind of food you need to be very careful - it is best to first consult with a specialist, so as not to harm the health of your fish.
The third type of feed - dry, which includes a mixture of (cereal, zernopodobnye mixture, tablets, boiled hard-boiled egg yolk, yeast, and others.). Particularly noteworthy are two kinds of pet food - frozen mixture (can be used two types of freezing - low temperature and sublimated) and fortified with a mixture of very high levels of vitamins.
It should be borne in mind that the craze mineral supplements is not always helpful, as most of the dissolved minerals and salts, the fish can get out of the water tank. The world's leading food manufacturers advise, first of all, pay attention to the live feed or feed those who are called sublimated, since they allow the fishes feel like in a natural environment.
So, you have decided to feed. Now it is necessary to clearly define, how much and when to give the food to feed the aquarium fish. To understand this, you need to consider several factors - the breed and age of the fish, its activity, the presence of by-products in the aquarium of other organisms and the amount of algae. Among other things, it is necessary to bear in mind the level of contamination of the water - it will negatively affect the digestibility of nutrients fish.
In order not to be trapped, remember a few basic rules of feeding fish:
Rule one - feed the fish should be about an hour after the morning you turn on the backlight or the sun's rays illuminate your aquarium. This is necessary in order to fish awake. Awakened and active, they soon begin to starve and to demand food. If you decide to feed them in the evening, the light should be off in about an hour and a half after the feeding.
Second Rule - feeding the fish only need as many times as needed for the species (twice a day, one, several times a week, etc.). Be sure to find out this information before purchasing the fish.
Rule Three - nedokarmlivaya fish, you can expect that the next feeding she will eat all the supplements and ask. But overfeeding much worse - it is an extremely negative effect on the digestive system and the ability of fish to breed (frequent cases of infertility).
Rule Four, and perhaps most important - all that fish is not eaten in about five to seven minutes, it is necessary to remove, as food begins to decompose and pollute the water. To fish is not "seized" once every ten days should arrange discharge day. It will be much more useful than the frequent change of feed.
Feed me about once every few days to not addictive and does not lead to the accumulation of one and the substances in the body of the fish with the faults of others.
Watch When choosing coma should pay attention to its friability, the appearance, uniformity of weight, shelf life or implementation, as well as the smell and supplements and vitamins contained in the food.
Understand and population of the tank - if it is live cut of the several species of fish (as is known, the fish can be divided into predators and herbivores), you should take into account not only the diet of each species, but also those mixtures which can be used Feeding all.
How to properly care for an aquarium?
Proper feeding fish - a very important part of the care of the aquarium, but far from all. Care must be complex, and depends on the size of the aquarium from the filtration system and water purification and many other - it is necessary to ensure that fish feel comfortable.
The volume of water in the tank
For example, a large amount of water in the tank is not clogged as quickly as a small one. This fact necessarily be taken into account, sorting out the issue of how to care for the aquarium. It is a widespread mistake - to buy a small aquarium and stuff in it the maximum possible number of fish. This is done in any case can not be - first of all, the water is contaminated almost immediately, and secondly, the fish themselves will greatly suffer.
Highlighting aquarium
Using the backlight, particularly ultraviolet or halogen, leads to rapid death of the microorganisms living in the water and on the walls of the aquarium. That's why choosing the lighting, pay attention not to its decorative and aesthetic function, but only to the practical. Before you buy a backlight, check the seller a pet store.
Snails and catfish
Many people believe that the snails - a decorative element of the aquarium, as well as fish. However, it is not so! Snails - excellent nurses, they are able to quickly and efficiently clean the tank walls and bottom. The same is true of the catfish - they clean the aquarium better than snails. So they - your loyal helpers who make aquarium care more easily.
Decor aquarium
If you have in the aquarium have houses, driftwood and stones (shells, sticks and much more), then remember that all these things require not just wash under running water, but a thorough treatment that will ensure the removal of all that They accumulate both inside and outside.
Sand, which is contained at the bottom, it is not necessary to use a very long time, because it can collect various kinds of waste and toxic substances. Among other things, it can become sticky or slippery, indicating that the highly contaminated aquarium. So about once every three months, the sand must be completely replaced. And even better - in general, refrain from using the sand - the best soil to use as a medium-sized pebbles.
Change the water in the tank
Obvious signs that water may be necessary to change its turbidity, the presence of pieces of decomposed food, a greenish tinge and an unpleasant odor. In this situation, the water should be replaced immediately. But best of all it does not allow, as otherwise your fish can get sick, or - worse - killed.
You can set a timetable for replacing the water. For instance, once every three weeks, if the volume of the tank and the filters which it is fitted, allow it. By the way, remember that you have to take care of the quarantine tank - it will help to ride out the fishes while, until there is a change of water, and thus protect them from the stress of transplanting into the jar. But the fish are very sensitive to this kind of stress and may even get sick.
The water that you have decided to pour into the tank must be upheld and free from impurities bleach, reagents, and more. What can I use special filters, or simply defend the water during the day in some capacity. Otherwise aquarium care complete it will be difficult to name.
Change the water? Remarkably, just do not rush immediately transplanted into a fish. It should be remembered that the fishes will take several hours to adapt to the new water and its temperature. Therefore it is best to wait until the water reaches a temperature of familiar fish. It is advisable to water from the reserve tank to the main aquarium with fish do not pour out - it is better to transplant to use a special net.
We hope that after reading this article, at least in general terms, it became clear to you how to properly care for the aquarium. But of course, if you do decide to make the aquarium, you will have to learn a lot, read a lot of specialized literature and, of course, to experience all of this in practice. But imagine what a pleasure - to watch his little house the underwater world!
