Decorating an aquarium with your own hands. Beautiful DIY aquarium design DIY aquarium landscape

Naturally, with your own, how could it be otherwise, you say. And you will be wrong.

Today you can order a design from companies that now specialize in this.

But, firstly, this service is very expensive, and secondly, additional equipment will be required to successfully implement the idea.

In particular, CO2 systems, specialized lighting for plants, nutrient soil, stones, driftwood and, finally, the plants themselves.

Note that the latter are sometimes much more expensive than fish.

It’s good to look at the most incredible aquascapes in the photos that the pros have worked on, and dream about something similar in your aquarium. When you look at a painting by a great artist, don’t you say that now you will draw no worse? At the very least, you don’t even have paints, brushes, a canvas or an easel. The same thing happens with aquarium design. It's not that simple. This requires a creative approach, artistic taste and knowledge of some aquascaping rules.

It is best to try to repeat the design of your aquarium using already ready idea. No one will accuse you of plagiarism. Let's try to decide what materials (decorative or natural) we will need to make our dreams come true.

• Natural soil (substrate) with a 3 mm fraction;
• Nutrient substrate for the successful growth of plants;
• Properly prepared driftwood, how to do it;
• Natural stones;
• An aquarium lid with professional lighting for plants, or a branded lamp with the spectrum of lamps that is necessary for the successful growth of plants;
• CO2 supply systems for the aquarium;
• Powerful filtering equipment internal or external;
• Heater;
• Thermometer;
• Black film for the background.

Let's decide which design touched our soul the most.

Marine aquarium in the apartment

A sea aquarium is the most complex and expensive option. Its inhabitants are sea fish. They are not bred, but caught in the seas. The water in such an aquarium is, of course, sea water, and the stones and corals are not just natural, but living. The design of a marine aquarium requires special light with a predominance of the blue spectrum and equipment for the life support of marine inhabitants. Aquascapers claim that a saltwater aquarium with equipment is twice as expensive as a freshwater one.

Do you want a pseudo-sea?

Pseudo-sea aquarium. This option is more accessible for arrangement in an apartment. It only imitates the seabed. The water in it is ordinary, ours from the tap, and the fish are freshwater. Most often, a pseudomarine aquarium is populated with American or African cichlids. Artificial corals are used as decoration. Plants, as a rule, are absent here, since cichlids are not indifferent to them. If they don’t chew it, they will definitely dig it up. Just be prepared for the fact that they will damage the plants. And then, depending on your luck. Maybe some plants will survive.

Planted aquarium

Planted aquarium Herbalist (not dispersed) is most often found among amateurs. It is characterized by the absence of a CO2 supply system to the aquarium and the absence of powerful light (0.5 watt/1 liter is enough for most plants). Liquid fertilizers are not added to the water; they are needed only for the roots of plants. It is possible to use enriched soil for aquarium plants.

Note that the plants that grow here are the most unpretentious: hornwort, elodea, vallisneria, cryptocarinae, anubius, Thai fern and some others. Light-loving plants, including ground cover, will not grow in such a herbalist. They require more exalted conditions: bright light, phyto-lamps, CO2, macro- and micro-fertilizers.

Dutch aquarium

To create an underwater garden (overclocked herbalist), you will need soil from ADA or Dennerle, specialized lighting, adding CO2 to the water and professional fertilizers developed by manufacturers specifically for aquarium flora. This is where we can talk about aquarium design seriously! If you are able to purchase all these components, then you can organize Dutch herbalist.

Natural aquarium

Perhaps the most popular option today. The idea of ​​​​creating such an underwater design belongs to the famous Japanese Takashi Amano (photographer and aquascaper). He became the author of a completely new direction in the design of freshwater aquariums.

Natural aquariums Amano are definitely masterpieces, they are unique and unparalleled. Anyone who once encountered the incredible beauty of a natural aquarium will remember with a grin how he almost coveted artificial grottoes and plastic plants at the pet store. “No” to everything artificial and unnatural! “Yes” to a natural aquarium!

This is an example of my planted aquariums. There are no shells, corals or other ceramic nonsense in them. Live plants and driftwood.

If you can't afford a CO2 installation, try doing without it. In this case, we do not need powerful light and daily fertilization. But fertilizers for the roots are mandatory. In what form to provide them to the plants is up to you to decide. These can be ready-made enriched soils from ADA, JBL, Dennerle or Aquael. You will get a stable system and will not have any problems for about a year. After this, the soil will become poorer, the microelements in it will run out, and they will have to be added or the soil replaced with a new one.

Story aquariums

Let's leave the story aquariums with sunken ships, broken amformai and painted soil to the children. Although, it is better to vaccinate even children initially good taste With early childhood. What do you think?

Aquariums come in different varieties, but most people keep them to decorate their home or office with a corner of nature. And then main task aquarium - to be beautiful. It’s good if you can turn to professional aquatic designers to design a home or office pond. What if not? Then you’ll have to act on your own, and we’ll tell you how now.

Of course, aquascaping is now in fashion - designing an aquarium in the form of a beautiful natural (not necessarily underwater) landscape. However, it is unlikely that everyone needs to chase fashion. If you want, you can create an urban picture or a psychedelic landscape in your pond with a bright pink bottom, ultraviolet lighting and phosphorescent fish.

You can buy ready-made driftwood (for example, mangrove). Its preparation is much simpler and takes less time: it is boiled for a couple of hours and soaked for one or two days.

The driftwood in the aquarium must be of the same type.

They are often decorated with plants: mosses, ferns, anubias. To add plants to them, it is usually enough to tie them with fishing line or secure them with a plastic clamp for several weeks.

The function of driftwood in an aquarium is not only aesthetic. They zone space and create shelter for fish, and in addition, they release humic substances into the water, which acidify and soften it and have a beneficial effect on the well-being of many species of fish and shrimp.

In an aquarium with aggressive cichlids, they often do this: they take several long branched driftwood and place them at the back wall, crossing and intertwining with each other. Thus it turns out the whole system grottoes, caves, crevices, passages in which several fish can hide.

Other types of decorations and coverings

Clay shards and ceramic tubes can be used as such. different diameters(large ones like to be occupied by catfish and loaches, small ones - by shrimps), halves of a coconut shell. You can grow moss or fern onto the coconut.

All kinds of bubble-blowing crocodiles and divers in aqua design are considered signs of bad taste, but, in my opinion, their presence is quite justified if the aquarium is designed for a child.

Back wall of the aquarium

Of course, the simplest thing here is to stick a film on the outside of the back wall dark color or with a discreet natural pattern, and plant tall plants in the background.

If the aquarium is without plants, then they often resort to the help of relief backgrounds fixed inside the aquarium. This can be a ready-made sheet background made of polystyrene foam or fiberglass.

It has a drawback: if it is not glued firmly and its edge comes off somewhere, fish and shrimp can get caught under it, and it can be difficult to get them out of there.

Once I spent several hours trying to pull out or lure a teenage freshwater stingray from under such a background. As a result, almost all of the aquarium decor and equipment had to be destroyed and then rebuilt.

Instead of a ready-made relief background, you can glue stones to the back wall using silicone yourself. various shapes or ceramic tiles. It will be beautiful, but this is a labor-intensive procedure, and such a background will greatly weigh down the aquarium and reduce its internal space.

Decorating an aquarium with plants

This is a separate huge topic, but the basic principles are quite simple:

• low plants are planted in the foreground,
• at the back and side walls - tall, long-stemmed,
• Spreading bushes are usually placed on the sides in the middle ground.

Sequence of actions when decorating an aquarium

The sequence is:

1. Preparing stones and driftwood.
2. Setting the background.
3. Installation of equipment.
4. Placing stones, driftwood and grottoes in the tank.
5. Backfilling the soil.
6. Planting. Sometimes this is done with a small amount of water (according to the rules for starting plants, they are planted a few days after pouring water, but if there are a lot of them and among them there are small ones and ground cover, it is very difficult to plant them in an aquarium full of water).
7. Filling with water.

These are the basic principles of designing an aquarium. Of course, it’s not easy to make your aquarium a masterpiece of aquadesign on your own, but that’s not the main thing. It is important that you like him and enjoy looking at him.

Owners of home aquariums are extremely enthusiastic about it. interior design. After all, fish are living creatures and beloved pets, so their home should be cozy and beautiful. A properly selected aquarium design is not only living vegetation, but also decorative design with various multiple decorative figures, driftwood, and stones.

At the same time, it is not necessary to contact design agencies; every aquarist will be able to create an unusual and interesting composition that meets the desires of the owner and comfortable life scaly creatures.

Styles

Today, there are several very interesting and common stylistic solutions for aquarium design that allow you to create a unique and inimitable composition inside a glass structure. For initial experiments, small aquariums with a volume of 20, 30, 40 liters will do.

If you have at least minimal experience in creating aquarium design, you can begin to decorate larger volumes, at least 50 or 60 liters. But in large glass structures of 200 liters or more, it will be possible to construct an entire underwater town with multiple decorative elements. The aesthetics of the house are not important to fish; the main thing is that the composition includes secluded corners where the scaly creatures can hide.

You should familiarize yourself with the most common aquarium styles.

Dutch

The history of this style begins in the 50s of the last century and since then has been widely popular in the world of aquascapers. The main characteristic of the Dutch stylization of aquariums is densely planted plants and densely arranged decorative elements that occupy almost all the available space. This is especially true for the lower part of the aquarium.

Upon visual inspection, there should be no empty areas at the bottom of the exposure. For this reason, seating arrangements are required. large quantity plants different sizes, among which the contrasting combination of red and green shades is welcome.

The middle of the aquarium should be decorated with driftwood arranged together or a structure made of large stones.

Natural

When using this style, it is important for aquascapers to emphasize the maximum interconnection of natural elements. The composition can use a variety of elements, for example, stones or driftwood. They do not necessarily have to be placed far from each other; thanks to a creative approach, it will be possible to group natural elements in a mysterious composition that hides a secret plan.

Having chosen a variation of the iwagumi design, the aquarist will need to create an unusual composition of figurines in the form decorative houses or ships furnished with Japanese dwarf trees and stones.

Of particular interest when creating a natural style is the variation of wabi-kusa design. His distinctive feature is a moss hummock located above the surface of the aquatic environment.

Pseudo-sea

The presented style of aquarium design does not require large expenses from its owner. To create a pseudo-sea environment, you will need to place regular soil on the bottom of the aquarium and plant plants that do not require special care. For illumination, it is preferable to use lamps with blue tones so that the water visually acquires sea ​​shade. Shells are used as additional elements to emphasize the marine theme; do not forget about corals, and artificial shells will help complete the design of this beauty.

The finished composition will delight visiting guests; everyone will feel like they have actually found themselves in the depths of the sea. But in general, such aquariums are considered freshwater, so it is necessary to stock fish that are suitable for this environment.

Collector's

For most aquarists, creating a Dutch style aquarium can be a difficult job, especially for beginners. Therefore, aquascapers were able to create a simplified Dutch theme, which they called the collector style. Its essence lies in the planting of small-leaved and fast growing plants, which in a short period of time can increase in size and occupy the entire soil.

It is preferable to use the collector style in aquariums with a minimum volume of 100 liters.

For smaller glass structures, the collector design style is not recommended. Otherwise, the entire space will be blocked by green plantings, and fish and other creatures will have no free space to exist.

Rock garden

For most modern interiors of houses and apartments, it is very difficult to fit the usual style of aquarium design. Thus, a glass structure decorated in the Dutch style will not be able to harmoniously combine with the interior of a high-tech or loft apartment. Japanese designers managed to find a solution to such a complex issue. They were able to compose the aesthetics of the decorations while leaving most of the underwater space unfilled.

To do this, you just need to use regular soil, sand, a few stones, carpet-type algae and a small school of small fish. In this case, stones play the most important role. It is enough to use only 4 natural elements, where 1 should be large in size and be the main one, 2 stones should be medium in size and be additional.

But the 4th stone should differ in the most minimal sizes, and it is not necessary to use real stones; they can be purchased at pet stores.

Based on fairy tales

The fairytale style of the aquarium is considered the most vibrant and interesting; it is especially often used when decorating aquariums in homes where small children live. The designers were inspired to develop an underwater fairy tale style after watching the famous cartoons “Nemo” and “The Little Mermaid”. The very first fabulous composition that appeared in the aquatic environment of home aquariums received recognition from aquascapers and still occupies the top rung of the leadership ladder.

The main thing before decorating is to strictly follow the rules for creating decor. To begin, make a sketch selected from the cartoon you like, select fish that match the color and shape. As additional elements, you may need to purchase fancy-shaped shells and different sizes, as well as grottoes, corals with neon iridescence, artificial treasures. Emphasize beauty fairy world small algae that are easy to care for will be able to.

Children will have great pleasure free time near a fabulous aquarium, especially if the interior design is presented in the composition of the child’s favorite cartoon.

Decorations

Before you start creating special design underwater interior, the aquarist needs to familiarize himself with some rules, which should be followed not only at home, but also in industrial work.

• The most important thing is caring for underwater pets. They must be removed from the aquarium and temporarily transplanted into a separate tank with the usual aquarium water, thanks to which it will be possible to avoid injuries and stressful conditions of pets. After decoration, the fish are sent back to the aquarium with the same water.
• Special attention Care should be taken to disinfect decorative elements that will be placed inside the glass structure.

Today, every aquarist can decorate his aquarium with the most unusual elements. They can be purchased at almost any pet store that has a department for marine and freshwater creatures.

Experienced sales consultants will help you choose suitable models of castles, shells, corals and even stones with which you can decorate your aquarium in accordance with the chosen style.

Decorative background

Aquarists pay special attention to the decorative background when creating a unique atmosphere inside the aquarium. It is sold in the form of a colorful film with different images. The background is attached to the back wall of the aquarium with outside, which is not only convenient for humans, but also safe for the inhabitants of the aquarium. When composing the composition, the elements interior design should smoothly transition into the background edging, thanks to which the aquarium receives visual volume.

In the recent past, in markets one could find decorative backgrounds with images corresponding to the underwater world. Today, everyone can purchase the most unusual plain films with a variety of colors, as well as the most unusual designs, for example, stones different forms and sizes or bricks. Backgrounds depicting scenes from famous cartoons are considered separately.

In large stores you can purchase specialized sets that contain stickers and layouts that match the chosen style of design of the aquarium space. Today, there are three-dimensional decorative backgrounds on sale that are attached to the back wall of the aquarium, but only with inside. But experienced aquarists know that such decoration can be dangerous for aquarium inhabitants.

If by chance the background film comes off, the fish will swim behind it, and the pet will not be able to get out of this trap on its own.

Natural materials

Most aquarium models purchased for decorative design of the interior of glass structures are made of synthetic resins. For this reason, before installing them inside the aquarium and introducing pets, artificial decorations must be thermally treated. Along with artificial elements, natural decorations, such as driftwood or stones, are in great demand. A lot of time has passed since the idea of ​​decorating aquarium compositions with natural materials arose, and wooden branches are still laid out in the most unusual compositions on the bottom of the aquarium. Quite often, driftwood is used as an imitation of tree roots. In addition, they can be used to create an unusual descent of a mountain slope.

In most cases, driftwood is used as a base for securing moss, which is sold bound and attached with threads to the base. After some time, the green carpet grows and forms an imitation of thickets. Some aquarists, when purchasing natural driftwood or finding it on the street, do not process it, which can have a detrimental effect on the condition of the water and the life of the aquarium world.

Even this natural material must be boiled to rid the wood of harmful bacteria. Natural stones are processed using a similar scheme.

It is worth noting that the stone material, unlike the dummy sold in the pet store, looks much more natural. Only when collecting them is it necessary to exercise some caution. Not all stones are suitable for decorating home aquariums; many of them release limescale, which is harmful to living creatures and plants. Quartz stone, basalt, granite or sandstone are best suited for decorating elements.

When forming a stone composition, it is important to take into account the future population of the aquarium, what size they will be, their characteristics and preferences. For example, shrimp creatures like to climb in small caves, while cyclids prefer grottoes made of sandstone.

Living plants

When decorating an aquarium, special attention is paid to plants, because they serve the fish as shelter and food. In addition, they release oxygen, which is a very important advantage for planting living decorations.

The main thing is that the flowering vegetation is safe. For aquarists who do not have experience in this matter, it is best to contact a specialized department of a pet store, where sales consultants will be able to select suitable live decorations, taking into account the growth rate, living fish and the size of the glass structure. It is strictly forbidden to collect unknown varieties of plants in wildlife and place them inside the aquarium.

An incorrectly selected bush, even of a miniature size, can ruin aquarium life.

Soil and sand

You should be extremely careful when choosing soil. Beginner aquarists are recommended to purchase ready-made soil mixtures, since self-production It is extremely difficult to take into account all the criteria and features of the layout of the constituent elements. For example, select particles of the same size, select all soil elements in the appropriate color scheme. Besides, It is important to consider the types of fish that will live in the aquarium, decorative background and compositional design.

In aquariums where only live plants will grow, an additional layer of soil called soil is used. It is located between the top and bottom bedspreads decorative soil. It is the soil that feeds the roots of plants with beneficial vitamins and minerals. The same goes for sandy bottoms. Although sand is used extremely rarely in fish aquariums.

Artificial elements

Today there is a huge variety of artificial decorations for aquariums, among which there are both miniature plant bushes and huge background walls located inside the glass structure on the back side. These walls may have the design of a mountain slope or an abandoned palace of an underwater king, but the image of the sunken Atlantis will look very interesting in the decorative design.

The main thing is to remember that all artificial materials must be installed in fresh aquariums, marine fish artificial decor doesn't fit.

Decoration procedure

An experienced aquarist, without much difficulty, will be able to correctly create a composition that matches the chosen style with his own hands, having previously acquired the necessary decorative elements, plants and soil. And all thanks to the sequence of actions, which is very important for beginning aquarium lovers to remember.

• you need to understand and choose the appropriate design style for the aquarium world, and then develop the design yourself;
• purchase the necessary elements and decorative items;
• treat all decorative parts, even natural stones and driftwood, accordingly;
• add a primer layer to the bottom of the aquarium;
• in the case of decorating a live freshwater aquarium, pour soil over the primer layer;
• the upper part is covered with decorative soil;
• carefully arrange the processed decorative elements;
• secure the equipment, namely the compressor, thermometer, lamp, heater;
• plant plants by making a hole for them;
• carefully pour water;
• add underwater inhabitants to the aquarium;
• sea ​​corals are placed at the very last moment after the fish are landed.

Beautiful and original ideas

Aquadesign plays an important role for fish lovers. A simple glass jar with a couple of fish in it is completely irrelevant for modern people. Aquarium individuals, like any other inhabitant of the globe, have gone through multiple steps of transformation, and this applies not only to the external image, but also to the interior of their home.

So, Dutch style. Here is the beauty of greenery, smoothly transitioning from low-growing moss to tall plants. It is visible to the naked eye that there is no emptiness at the bottom of the aquarium. In every corner there are beautiful bushes of different sizes, complemented by driftwood in the depths.

Introducing natural style aquarium space, come to mind different options designs, each of which can be translated into reality. IN in this case one gets the feeling that the aquascaper has transferred the image of beautiful mountain peaks to the vastness of the underwater world. Aquarium inhabitants feel extremely cozy and comfortable in such an environment. At the bottom you can see low-growing shrubs of various shapes, each of which fits perfectly into the overall composition.

Many aquarists believe that maintaining a saltwater aquarium is very difficult, and this is true. But you can decorate a fresh aquarium in a marine theme, so much so that no one can tell the difference.

The main thing is to choose the right decorations, background and lighting. In this version, the owner of the aquarium has thought through all the details down to the smallest detail. Bright corals, colorful fish, stone decorations and shells. Only experienced master will be able to recognize unusual styles.

The beauty and sophistication of the collector style of aquarium design is subtly felt in the presented version. A neat miniature tree, located in the very center, seems to send out its roots, and the rest of the bottom is covered with fast-growing underwater grass, which is easily trimmed and, if necessary, pinched off.

At first glance, it becomes clear that we are talking about the rock garden style. If at general description it was not clear what the composition might look like, then clear example already makes you show wild imagination. The rocky aquarium slightly evokes coolness and at the same time captivates with its visual lightness.

Modern fairy-tale style aquariums require a modern approach. Any child will tell you that SpongeBob lives at the bottom of the sea.

To make the baby happy, you can make an image of the town of Bikini Bot in the aquarium.

See below for a master class on decorating a 100-liter aquarium.

Aquarium design. It would seem, what to do with that decor? especially my 100 liter jar. I took some pebbles, threw them in, planted some grass, like, and off we go. But no. There are many nuances that are worth talking about. I'm a noob in this matter, so I turned to a specialist. The closest specialist in aquarium design is Anatoly Motrich. Recently we changed everything and this is what happened:

It turns out there is also a concept about the view of the aquarium. Which side to look at it from and what should be observed in the design. On the one hand I look like this:

From the second side of the aquarium, the design looks completely different. Question of viewing angle and decor:

We also recently mined interesting stone on one of the trips. We will also carefully integrate it into the design of the aquarium. Later

So how can you create this same aquarium design with your own hands? Several principles and concepts from the Internet are further in the article.

For starters, a Zen video about designing a 100-liter aquarium with your own hands:

The website myaqua.com.ua distinguishes the following types of aquarium design.

Types of internal filling of aquariums:

Pseudo-sea.

A freshwater aquarium that simulates the seabed. As a rule, corals, shells, and ceramics are used in its design. Coral sand or other light-colored soil is used as a soil. In most cases, the pseudo-sea is populated by bright cichlids, which are closest to the color of the marine inhabitants of the coral reef.

Unforced herbalist.

A striking example of this type is the majority of aquariums with live plants for beginner aquarists. The composition uses stones, driftwood and living plants. The unforced herbalist looks very natural, which is what captivates many lovers. As a rule, such aquariums are quite densely populated with fish; most characins, carp-toothed and cyprinids will be ideal inhabitants.

Forced herbalist.

The use of CO2, regular addition of fertilizers and microelements - all this creates an underwater garden of incredible beauty. Whether it is the Dutch Aquarium or Takashi Amano's natural aquarium, plants play a major role in its composition. Driftwood and stones are also used as decorations. Fish in such an aquarium play a secondary role or may be absent. As a rule, these are flocks of small characins. Also, the forced herbalist is often populated with shrimp.

Story aquarium.

The internal content of such an aquarium is selected to suit any theme. Pirate ship, lying at the bottom, the sunken Atlantis, or Dracula's castle, or maybe even a football stadium for fish. It all depends only on your imagination.

Aquarium - "Vanguard".

An explosion of bright colors and unusual shapes. Such an aquarium simply cannot go unnoticed. This bright spot in any interior will simply attract the eye, and with the correct selection of aquatic organisms and adjustment of the biobalance, its inhabitants will not feel any discomfort associated with its unnaturalness.

Biotope aquarium.

An aquarium that imitates any natural biotope. Whether it is the coastal zone of Lake Tanganika, or the Amazon delta, everything in the aquarium, from the soil to the fish and plants, must strictly follow the biotope you have chosen. Such an aquarium is the most comfortable for its inhabitants and has many admirers.

Aquarium for large show fish.

Large volume and minimalism in decoration are the main motto of such an aquarium. Show fish are always in demand. It amazes with its size and shape, whether it is an arawana, a challenger or a knife, such a fish simply cannot go unnoticed.

Industrial aquarium.

In such an aquarium, decorations and design ideas give way to practicality. As a rule, without soil and decorations, with a convenient water supply and intensive aeration.

Marine aquarium without live corals.

Such an aquarium will delight the eye from contemplating its inhabitants. The decor of such an aquarium is similar to the decor of a pseudo-sea or is absent altogether.

Marine aquarium with live corals "Reef".

A complete marine aquarium with a very fine biobalance. The reef is truly the king of aquariums; the vibrant colors of its inhabitants make it unforgettable. Contemplating such an aquarium, you get the impression that you are plunging into the deep and mysterious depths of the ocean. Such an aquarium will emphasize the good taste and status of its owner.

When designing an aquarium, it is important to understand the basic principles that come from the iwagumi technique. Each stone used in decoration has its own name and place. You already guessed which country the names came from. So, the main postulates when designing an aquarium...

Theoretical foundations of competent design

Oyaishi(Oyishi)

This is the main stone used in aquarium design. For it, choose the largest and beautiful stone. By large we mean the stone, the largest of those that you set aside to decorate the aquarium. There is no need to simply take the largest boulder from the road. The height of this stone should be 2/3 of the height of the aquarium.

Fukuishi(Fukuishi)

This is the second largest stone in the composition. It should be placed to the left or right of the main stone, of the oyashi. The stone should be of the same structure as the oyashi to achieve a uniform scene in the aquarium.

Soeishi(Soishi)

This stone is smaller in size, significantly smaller than the previous two. It should be placed to the right of oyishi and to the left of fukuishi. Its task is to emphasize the beauty and splendor of those stones that you have selected for decoration as the main ones.

Suteishi(Syuteishi)

This small stone is practically lost in general design aquarium, it can be completely hidden by plants. But its presence is necessary to emphasize sophistication and simple elegance.

Aquarium design styles. Sanzon Iwagumi

This is a basic composition where a large stone is in the center of the scene of our design, with two smaller ones on the right and left respectively.

How many stones should there be: seven, five or three?

The main postulate when decorating an aquarium, through the Iwagumi technique, it is believed that it is better to have an odd number of stones. Even number stones leads to symmetry, which creates a split in the perception of design.

The design of the aquarium looks more attractive if the balance of the center is shifted slightly to the side.

What the pictures actually easily demonstrate:

Why is Oyishi's stone tilted?

Without going into Buddhist and other philosophies, the oyishi stone is tilted to the side to symbolize the flow of water.

It looks very effective as a design element.

DIY aquarium design model

1. Place a thin and even layer of substrate or soil. This is one of the differences between the Iwagumi technique and others, where the soil is poured all at once.

2. Place the oyishi main stone according to the golden ratio. A beautiful design can be created by placing the main stone in golden ratio 1:1.618. roughly speaking, two to three.

3. Place the remaining stones, respecting the direction of their angles and orientation.

4. Fill in the soil, distributing it from the back wall of the aquarium to the front.

Key points of planting

Visually, aquatic plants soften hardness rocks, and are used to create balance in the power of the stones. But, low-growing plants will emphasize this very power of the stones. Also, planting plants next to or between rocks enhances the natural feel of your design.

I saw 45 on the website pozitiv-news.ru best views aquarium design. This is a breathtaking sight! Look at the photo! Of course, there is room for improvement...

IAPLC 2009 competition entries
1. “Moment in time” (Short moment)
Author: GRAND PRIX winner - Nnguyen Tien Dung (Nguyen Tien Dung), Vietnam

3. “Time of Eternity”

5. “Looking for Mystery”
Author: Bronze Prize Winner - Wang Chao, China

6. "Towering Peaks"
Author: Bronze Prize Winner - Chow Wai Sun, Hong Kong

8. "Ups and Downs"
Author: Nguyenthi Xuanthuy (Nguyenhi Xuantu), Vietnam

11. "Rain Forest"
Author: Hsu Yung Lin, Taiwan

IAPLC 2010 competition entries
1. "Forest Scent"
Author: GRAND PRIX winner - Pavel Bautin (Russia)

2. “Loess plateau” (“Loess plateau”)
Author: Gold Award Winner - Zhang Jian Feng (Macau)

6. “A day when walk on a jungle trail”
Author: Bronze Prize Winner - Chen I Sheng (Taiwan)

7. “Forest silent” (“Forest silence”)
Author: bronze prize winner – Grigory Polishchuk (Ukraine)

9. "Infinite Wonder"
Author: K.P.Wong (Hong Kong)

12. "Shou Stone Ridge"
Author: May Kwan (Hong Kong)

13. "Mountain of Imagine"
Author: Chonladar Rattanawichien (Thailand)

Competition works ROAPLC 2011

1. Anticipation of the sea
Author: Grand Prix winner - Dmitry Parshin (Russia) / Dmitriy Parshin (Russia)

3. The old grove awakening
Author: silver prize winner - Grigory Polishchuk (Ukraine) / Polishchuk Grigoriy (Ukraine)

4. Escapade in Nature
Author: Bronze Prize Winner - Kevin Teoh (Malaysia)

10. Jurassic Jungle
Author: Adriano Montoro Nicacio (Brazil)

People who decide to purchase aquarium fish cannot help but be interested in such a question as aquarium design. It is important that this item is in harmony with the interior of the room where it will stand. I would like to create a real underwater kingdom. This material is devoted to various aspects of aquarium design, all the nuances are covered.

Required materials

Look at the photo beautiful design aquarium, you will need to additionally purchase lighting and a special device for enriching the water with oxygen. To make the inhabitants of the deep sea feel as if they were in their familiar environment, aquarium plants are needed.

Pour soil with small pebbles at the bottom, put driftwood with shells, install castles with ships, create grottoes and make a background.

If you are just planning to get into aquarium keeping, then take your time to make purchases. First, decide what kind of fish you need. Also, be guided by your own taste preferences when choosing a vessel for keeping fish.

Each inhabitant of the “aquarium house” requires special conditions of detention. If desired, a 100-liter aquarium can be turned into the Kingdom of Neptune.

Study the habits of the fish you like, especially if you want to take several species. Predator fish should not be placed in the same vessel with herbivores. Consult the seller, he will tell you which species coexist peacefully.

Priming

It is believed that the mood in the aquarium is set by the soil. It is multifunctional: it is used as a substrate for algae, a natural biofilter. Soil is required for fish to live. When choosing it, you should take into account the fraction, volume and color.

Give preference to a darker tone, then the aquarium fish will not merge with the ground.

Underwater rocks with grottoes

When decorating an aquarium with your own hands, remember that you can only use safe materials that do not emit toxins. If you plan to select driftwood rocks yourself, make sure they do not release toxic toxins.

Background

For fish, the background does not play any role; this element is of great importance to the owner. You can make any aquarium background yourself and attach it. The easiest way is to paint the outside of the back wall of the container.

Vegetation

Living plants are “lungs”; they release oxygen through the process of photosynthesis. Many fish eat plant foods. And during spawning, algae become a temporary home for the eggs. Artificial vegetation of rich flowers looks beautiful.

Backlight

Light in an aquarium is the source of life. Good lighting- This prerequisite. Manufacturers produce backlights in various colors. Models are fixed at the bottom and at the top.

Decorative elements

If you haven’t decided yet how to decorate a round aquarium, take a look at ready-made solutions. Shells, castles, and ships are often used as decorative elements. You don't have to buy them from pet stores.

You can choose the diver figures yourself. The main thing is that they are not made from toxic materials. It is not recommended to use broken shells: the fish may be injured.

Decoration directions

If we consider classic variations, pay attention to:

• Biotope aquarium. A body of water that actually exists in nature is recreated.
• Dutch aquarium. It is also called natural. Here plants take center stage.
• Geographic aquarium. Registration is carried out for a specific region.

Many beginners in the aquarium hobby prefer amateur design options. They use skulls, amphorae and other elements as decoration. The principles stated above are not followed.

You can buy a colorful children's aquarium for your child. It should not be placed in a nursery; filtration and aeration make noise during operation and can therefore wake up the baby.

Pseudo-Sea

The special prefix “pseudo” makes it clear that the surroundings are created to imitate a marine aquarium, where brightly colored fish are stocked. Corals, large shells and polyps are placed in the aquarium.

An aquarium in a modern interior can be designed taking into account natural conditions fish habitats. This is the so-called “light version” of the Dutch aquarium. Algae, stones and driftwood are placed in the vessel. An aquarist does not need to know everything about plants. It is enough if he provides them with simple care.

As for the natural aquarium, it main feature consists of densely planted vegetation. To create an aquascape, you will need to study the life of underwater plants. The algae need to be fed and it is also important to use the CO2 system correctly.

A themed aquarium gives you the opportunity to realize your dreams or fantasies. Create an underwater world against the backdrop of a sunken ship or Neptune's underwater palace.

Glo Aquarium is fashionable novelty. Everything shimmers in the pond; it looks great at any time of the day. They contain fluorescent live fish.

Most expensive option

A marine aquarium is designed for keeping saltwater fish. The marine theme always looks advantageous. However, the reservoir itself and its arrangement are expensive.

Cichlid

This aquarium contains exclusively fish from the cichlid family. Peaceful cichdids include angelfish, Pelmatochromis parrots, and Labidochromis yellow. But basically, cichlids are capricious predators, and we should not forget about this. You should not buy too many fish for one aquarium. Cichlids grow quickly, and adult angelfish have a wingspan of up to 15 cm.

The aquarium for African cichlids is a stone desert where they place artificial plants. This arrangement resembles a natural habitat.

If you want to create an underwater garden where cichlids live, choose apistogram or parrots. When angelfish live in an aquarium, zoning the territory is simply necessary: ​​the fish often fight.

What to pay attention to

• If you want to place vegetation in a vessel, then first select unpretentious algae. tall plants place them at the back wall, and low ones at the front.
• After planting living plants, we must not forget about spraying in the future. You should pour water into the aquarium without haste. It is better to use a small ladle or watering can for this purpose.
• There is no such thing as symmetry in nature, so avoid it when decorating. A chaotic order of placement of decorative elements is what is needed.
• Creating a balanced ecosystem with your own hands will require certain knowledge. This includes a number important stages. It all starts with planning. When the vessel is ready and filled with soil and decorative elements, you can add water.
• To prevent the composition from deteriorating due to water pressure, place a plastic bag under the stream. Filtration, aeration and lighting are installed. After this, the inhabitants of the underwater depths are released into the aquarium.

Photo of aquarium design