Decorating an aquarium with your own hands: soil, driftwood, accents. Aquarium decoration: beautiful DIY design Aquarium design with white tracks

Aquariums are different, but still most people keep them in order to decorate their home or office with a corner of nature. And then the main task of the aquarium is to be beautiful. It’s good if you have the opportunity to turn to professional aqua designers to design a home or office pond. And if not? Then you have to act on your own, but how, we will now tell.

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

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

Driftwood in an aquarium must be of the same type.

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

The function of driftwood in an aquarium is not only aesthetic. They zone the space and create shelters 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 shrimps.

In an aquarium with aggressive cichlids, they often do this: they take several long branched snags and place them against the back wall, crossing and interlacing them. Thus, a whole system of grottoes, caves, cracks, passages is obtained, in which several fish can hide.

Other types of decorations and shelters

Clay shards, ceramic tubes of different diameters can be used as such (large ones like to be occupied by catfish and loaches, small ones - shrimp), halves of a coconut shell. Moss or fern can be grown on coconut.

All kinds of bubbling crocodiles and turtlenecks 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 dark-colored film or with a discreet natural pattern behind the back wall from the outside, and plant tall plants in the background.

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

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

Once, for several hours, I tried to pull out or lure a freshwater stingray teenager out from under such a background. As a result, almost the entire aquarium decor and equipment had to be destroyed and then rebuilt.

Instead of a finished embossed background, you can independently glue stones of various shapes or ceramic tiles to the back wall on silicone. It will be beautiful, but this is a time-consuming procedure, and such a background will greatly burden 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 - high long-stemmed,
sprawling bushes are usually placed in the middle ground on the sides.

The sequence of actions when decorating an aquarium

The sequence is:

Preparation of stones and snags.
Setting the background.
Equipment installation.
Placement of stones, snags and grottoes in the tank.
Soil filling.
Planting plants. Sometimes this is done with a small amount of water (according to the launch rules, plants are planted a few days after pouring water, but if there are a lot of them and there are small and ground covers among them, it is very difficult to plant them in an aquarium full of water).
Filling with water.

These are the basic principles of aquarium design. Of course, it is not easy to make your own aquarium a masterpiece of aqua design, but this is not the main thing. It is important that you like it and enjoy looking at it.

Nowadays, the beautiful and fashionable design of an aquarium for a person who keeps and breeds fish is not just entertainment, but a matter of prestige and simply aesthetic pleasure from contemplating the results of their labors.

Psychologists say that an aquarium with fish in an apartment can calm the nerves and normalize the mental state of a person. To do this, it is enough just to organize a recreation area with an aquarium and watch the fish for at least 30-60 minutes. in a day.

Aquarium: do-it-yourself decoration

The most exciting and time-consuming task for all of us in the process of installing and filling an aquarium tank is its correct and beautiful design in the same style as the design of the room.

To date, there are a huge number of accessories that can be placed in the aquarium. Do-it-yourself decoration will allow you to accurately recreate in it exactly the situation that you want to see there. Just do not forget that the main inhabitants of the aquarium are fish. And they need the maximum amount of free space in order to be able to swim freely.

The main components that allow you to design an aquarium (200 liters and all others) are:

stones;
natural and artificial algae;
pebbles;
various wooden elements;
artificial decorative elements, such as locks, chests, etc.

Examples

Let's look at the following steps and examples of aquarium design:

laying the bottom with soil;
stones and grottoes;
decorating the aquarium with the right background;
the use of various types of plants;
correct selection of lighting;
decoration of the aquarium with decorative elements.

Each of them has its own specific rules, which will be described below.

Covering the bottom with soil

The soil for the aquarium bottom is one of the main and essential attributes. Before purchasing it from a specialized store, decide what kind of aquarium you want to have, since this natural material must be purchased according to a specific purpose. Yes, yes, you heard right: a certain type of soil is taken for each target.

So, if small fish will live in your aquarium, then it is best to buy a small type of soil, and coarse-grained or mixed is suitable for large inhabitants of the tank. A similar approach is acceptable when you decide to equip your home with a Dutch-style aquarium, that is, a tank dominated by plants, not fish.

In addition, when choosing a bottom cover, you must take into account the individual habits of the exotic aquarium fish you have chosen. If you have purchased certain types of catfish, then you must remember that they are very fond of digging in the ground. Therefore, you cannot buy shallow soil for them, otherwise there will always be fog in the aquarium. To avoid this, it is necessary to purchase a bottom cover of such a size that they cannot dig it.

It is best to buy a monophonic coating for the aquarium. It is best to choose a dark-colored bottom base, as it will highlight the inhabitants of your fish house.

Before placing the purchased soil in the aquarium, it must be thoroughly rinsed or, ideally, poured over with boiling water.

Stones and grottoes

How is the decoration of the aquarium with stones and grottoes? These details, chosen for decoration, should be made only from natural, natural materials. They should not contain harmful or toxic impurities that, if released into the water, can lead to the death of the inhabitants of the aquarium.

In the case of self-collection of decorative elements in an aquarium, do-it-yourself decoration is carried out only after preliminary processing of all previously collected material in order to disinfect and check for the absence of all elements harmful to the health of the inhabitants of this tank.

Processing of stones and snags

Stones can be treated in the same way as aquarium bottom soil, but pre-treatment of driftwood is somewhat more complicated. To do this, place the selected wooden decor in a container with water (so that the liquid completely covers it) and add salt there until it stops dissolving, then remove the treated driftwood and, after rinsing it with clean water, place it in the purchased tank for fish.

Do not forget that in no case should the aquarium contain elements made of limestone, rubber, various elements, as well as elements coated with paint or enamel.

Also, do not oversaturate the aquarium with decor, especially large-sized elements, such as stones, grottoes, etc., as this leads to a decrease in the useful internal space necessary for underwater inhabitants for their vital movement.

Do not forget that large decor elements should be placed in the corners of the container or in the background so as not to spoil the whole appearance.

Decorating your aquarium with the right backdrop

The so-called background is an important element of aquarium decor. Since the background coating sets the mood for your entire brainchild, you should not choose dark and gloomy tones that carry the spirit of despondency and sadness.

There are several rear options:

You can simply paint the back wall of the tank in a color of your choice. This path has its pros and cons. An indisputable advantage is the uniqueness and 100% originality of your brainchild. The list of disadvantages includes certain difficulties with changing the existing background (removing it with a solvent).
Background in the form of a colored plastic film, which has an unlimited number of different variations, among which everyone can choose the most suitable for him. In addition, the price of such a film will be almost imperceptible to your pocket, and it can also be installed or removed very quickly.
Panels and dioramas in the aquarium. Do-it-yourself decoration in this case is an ideal option, since these parts can not only be purchased at the store, but also made independently using the following materials at hand: small pebbles, driftwood and branches, polystyrene foam and polyurethane foam. But we must not forget about the environmental friendliness and natural origin of the selected materials, so as not to harm the fish. Such decorative elements will always be one of a kind.

Film sticking rules

A similar film can be attached both from the outside and from the inside of the rear wall. If you want to get more saturated colors, then, of course, it is better to stick it from the inside.

Before sticking the film, make sure that the surface of the inner wall of the back of the aquarium is completely dry (to avoid the appearance of bumps). Treat the purchased film around the entire perimeter with a special transparent silicone sealant purchased in advance at the pet store. Never use a conventional sealant, as the consequences of its use may be irreparable for aquarium inhabitants.

If you decide to stick the film inside the aquarium, then you should not feel sorry for the silicone: it is better to coat the film very carefully, especially its upper edge, in order to avoid the possibility of peeling it off. After fixing, wait for the material to dry completely, and only then fill the tank with water.

Decoration of the aquarium with various types of plants: live or artificial

If you have purchased an aquarium and are engaged in its design, then do not forget about the purchase and planting of various types of algae. You don’t need to oversaturate the container with them, but you can’t do without them either, since they saturate the water with oxygen and are food for some fish species.

They also act as a "crèche" for newly born fish, because only by hiding in the algae can they survive, because eating their fry is common among many fish species. Those species of fish that spawn hide it on sheets of algae or under them.

Planting and caring for live aquarium plants

Before purchasing, it is best to consult with the seller in the pet store, he will help you choose the ideal plants, and also tell you how to properly plant them in the aquarium so that they please your eye for a long time.

In any case, there are varieties of aquatic vegetation that do not require landing in the ground. For all others, the thickness of the soil should not exceed 3-5 cm, and it is recommended to choose grains of medium or large sizes. It is this size of the soil that will speed up the process of full rooting of plants. A newly planted plant can be lightly pressed with pebbles or other decorative element. At the same time, its roots should be in a straightened state.

Choosing the right backlight

If you decide to decorate the purchased aquarium with your own hands, then do not forget about the right lighting, because not only the appearance of the tank, but also the health of its inhabitants depends on it, since strength and its spectrum are vital for plants.

To date, there are a huge number of different lights, both external and fully adapted for working underwater, so that everyone can find the option that suits him. To help the novice aquarist, many different manuals have been published that help to properly and quickly design an aquarium. The photos below will help make this process as simple and easy as possible.

Making an aquarium with decorative elements

When designing an aquarium with decor elements, it must be remembered that they must be environmentally friendly and not have harmful impurities, and in no case should the aquarium be oversaturated with them.

You can use both purchased and self-made decor.

Styles

To date, there are various styles of aquarium design. All of them are very richly represented in the pictures and photographs posted in our article and in various books on the aquarium business. Also in Russia they can be seen in dolphinariums. Among them, the following options for decorating an aquarium stand out:

Biotope, which is the landscape of a single reservoir.
Dutch design style, focusing on the richness of the underwater flora, and not on the fish.
Geographic - an aquarium with representatives of the flora and fauna of a particular region.
The pseudo-sea aquarium is stylized as a seabed without plants, and its inhabitants are fish of bright colors. Since such a tank is decorated with large decorations, such as stones, corals, artificial polyps, shells, and there is almost no vegetation, it is excellent for cichlids. After all, this design of the aquarium for cichlids is ideal.
Children's aquariums are designed in accordance with the child's favorite theme (games, cartoons, book plots, etc.).
Marine aquarium with inhabitants living in salt water.
Futuristic aquariums full of luminous elements, including special hybrid fluorescent fish.
Household and thematic containers created on the basis of human imagination.

The design of the corner aquarium is made according to the same principles as all the others. A variety of types and styles of work by experts in aquarium business, known throughout the world, will help you in this difficult task. We hope that the recommendations given in this article will help you get a clear idea of the future interior decoration of the fish house. In addition, the photos offered by us will help to correctly and beautifully design the aquarium. They will serve as an excellent visual aid.

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

Necessary materials

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

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

If you are just going into aquarism, then take your time to shop. 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. An aquarium of 100 liters, if desired, can be turned into the Kingdom of Neptune.

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

Priming

It is believed that the mood in the aquarium sets the ground. It is multifunctional: it is used as a substrate for algae, a natural biofilter. Soil is required for the life of fish. When choosing it, one should take into account the fraction, volume and color.

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

Pitfalls 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 choose your own driftwood stones, make sure they don't release poisonous toxins.

The background

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

Vegetation

Living plants are "lungs", they release oxygen through the process of photosynthesis. Many fish feed on plant foods. And during spawning, algae become a temporary home for eggs. Artificial vegetation of rich colors looks beautiful.

Backlight

The light in the aquarium is the source of life. Good lighting is a must. Manufacturers produce backlights in various colors. Models are fixed at the bottom and at the top.

decorative elements

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

Figures of divers can be picked up by yourself. The main thing is that they are made from non-toxic materials. Broken shells are not recommended for use: fish can get hurt.

Directions of decoration

If we consider the classic variations, then pay attention to:

Biotope Aquarium. A reservoir that actually exists in nature is being recreated.
Dutch Aquarium. It is also called natural. This is where plants take center stage.
Geographic Aquarium. Registration is carried out for a specific region.

Many beginners in the hobby prefer amateur designs. They use skulls, amphorae and other elements as decoration. The principles mentioned above are not respected.

For a child, you can purchase a colorful children's aquarium. It should not be placed in the nursery, filtration and aeration are noisy during operation, and therefore can wake up the baby.

Pseudomorye

The special prefix "pseudo" makes it clear that the entourage is created in order to imitate a marine aquarium, where brightly colored fish are settled. Corals, large shells and polyps are placed in the aquarium.

An aquarium in a modern interior can be designed taking into account the natural habitat of the fish. 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, its main feature is 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 apply the CO2 system correctly.

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

Aquarium Glo is a fashion novelty. Everything shimmers in the pond, it looks great at any time of the day. Live fluorescent fish live in them.

The most expensive option

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

cichlid

This aquarium contains only fish of the cichlid family. Peaceful cichdids include scalars, pelmatochromis parrots, labidochromis yellow. But mostly cichlids are wayward predators, and you should not forget about it. You should not buy many fish in 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 artificial plants are placed. This arrangement resembles a natural habitat.

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

What to look out for

If you want to place vegetation in the vessel, then first choose unpretentious algae. Place tall plants at the back wall, and low plants at the front.
After planting live plants, one should not forget about spraying in the future. Pour water into the aquarium should be without haste. It is better to use a small bucket or watering can for this purpose.
Symmetry does not exist in nature, so avoid it when decorating. The chaotic order of placement of decorative elements is what you need.
Creating a balanced ecosystem with your own hands will require certain knowledge. This includes a number of important steps. Everything starts with planning. When the vessel is ready and filled with soil and decorative elements, you can pour water.
So that the composition does not deteriorate due to the pressure of water, a plastic bag is placed under the jet. Filtration, aeration and lighting are installed. After that, the inhabitants of the underwater depths are released into the aquarium.

Aquarium design photo

Aquarium decoration

Decorating an aquarium is a worthy and fertile topic for conversation. This is not surprising, because this is a paramount question that people who have just bought an aquarium ask themselves.
Unfortunately, on the Internet this issue, surprisingly, is covered poorly, briefly or fragmentarily. We hope this article will reveal all the aspects and nuances of aquarium design and help you create your own aquarium kingdom.

Due to the volume of this issue, let's divide the article into two sections:

1. MATERIALS REQUIRED FOR DESIGNING AQUARIUM: soil, stones, grottoes, driftwood, background, artificial and live aquarium plants, aquarium lighting, shells, castles, ships.
2. MAIN DIRECTIONS, TYPES AND EXAMPLES OF DESIGN OF AQUARIUMS.

Materials needed for decorating an aquarium

And so, as you know, in order for fish to appear in your house, you need a vessel and water. However, aquarium keeping is not just a banal keeping of fish, it is the creation of a closed ecosystem, imitation of natural conditions for keeping hydrobionts.

Before you think about the design of the aquarium, first of all you need to decide on your desires and those fish that will swim in the pond. And this is very important! Each individual fish needs its own conditions of detention, its own water parameters, and other conditions. And it is under them that you need to build an “aquarium house”, it is from this that you need to build on. For example, if you decide to get African cichlids and at the same time want to see a garden of live aquarium plants in your aquarium, you initially doom yourself to an actual impossible task. The natural habitat of most African cichlids is the rocky banks of the river. Nyasa and r. Tanganiki, there are no plants here - this is a "stone desert". If you put plants in an aquarium with cichlids, they will pull them out and eat them.
Based on the foregoing, we advise you first, to decide on the fish that will live in the aquarium, to study their characteristics and habits, to find out the conditions for their maintenance. And then proceed and think about the design of the aquarium.

We hope that our video materials will be useful to you and encourage you to be creative!

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To not miss anything

DECORATION OF AQUARIUM WITH GROUND.

The soil is one of the most important elements of an aquarium, it is its mood. It is very important to approach the issue of its choice with special attention, because in addition to decorative functions, the soil plays the role of: a substrate for plants, for spawning and fish life, it is a natural aquarium biofilter. It is important to choose the right soil fraction, it is important to choose the required volume of soil, and only then the color of the soil. On our website there is a good article on the selection and selection of soil, we suggest that you read -
Speaking about the decorative properties of the soil, it is recommended to choose a soil of darker tones, so that the bright and light colors of the aquarium bottom do not overshadow the charm and beauty of the “main heroes of the occasion” - fish.

DECORATION OF AQUARIUM WITH STONES AND GROTS.

An important technical nuance when decorating an aquarium with stones, grottoes, caves, etc. is the use of non-toxic, non-poisonous materials. If stones, driftwood are selected and made independently, you need to do everything according to the rules and make sure that they do not emit harmful substances into the water. For sure, decorations should not be made of rubber and metal, no paints and enamels!!!
Speaking about the aesthetic part of the framed reservoir, you should always remember that stones, grottoes, driftwood take away useful area in the aquarium - living space. The amount of such decor is calculated based on the volume of the aquarium and the needs of the fish themselves. In addition, it should be taken into account that large decorative elements are installed at the edges of the aquarium or in the background. Do not put a huge castle in the middle. This is the same as if people put the refrigerator in the middle of the kitchen, and not in the corner. Aquarium is the amphitheater of life!
DECORATION OF AQUARIUM BACKGROUND. The background of the aquarium for the aquarium inhabitants themselves is not so important. In fact, fish can live without it. The background is more important for a person, one might say - this is an "aquarium screen".
About what aquarium backgrounds are, how to make and attach them, see

LIGHT DECORATION OF AQUARIUM

The power and spectrum of light is important for aquarium plants - it is their source of life. When it comes to decorating an aquarium, the color of the light is important. To date, there is a huge variety of colors for aquarium lamps. Choose according to your taste! Moreover, there are various bottom aquarium lights in the form of volcanoes, lanterns and LED aerators. .

DECORATION OF THE AQUARIUM WITH A DIFFERENT DECOR.

Aquariums can be decorated with shells, castles, ships, divers, skulls, etc. It is not necessary to buy all this in a pet store. Using such decorations, you need to follow only two rules: non-toxicity and safety. Shells should not be sharp, and divers should be made of frankly toxic rubber.

MAIN DIRECTIONS AND EXAMPLES OF DESIGN OF AQUARIUMS.

The classic options for decorating an aquarium for fish are:
biotope- such an aquarium is designed for a specific water landscape of a lake or stream.
Dutch, natural- an aquarium, the main place in which is reserved for plants. The most famous Dutch aquariums are created by a mega-aquarist Takashi Amano, here are his works:

Geographical- such an aquarium is designed for a certain region, it contains fish only from this region.
In the vastness of our Motherland, most often you can find an amateur aquarium where the above principles are not respected. In such aquariums, you can often find castles, amphorae, the same divers, skulls, and so on, so on, so on. In addition, there is an entire industry children's aquariums. Here is an example:

There are other directions in the design of the aquarium.
As the saying goes, how many people have so many opinions.

Aquarium pseudo-sea.

Such aquariums are designed and imitate marine aquariums. The prefix "pseudo" indicates that such a reservoir does not contain marine fish. Only entourage is created!
As a rule, brightly colored fish are selected in such an aquarium, which cichlids often have, for example, elow, demanos, parrots, etc. The aquarium itself is decorated with corals, artificial polyps and sea shells.

Dutch aquarium "light option".

An aquarium close to the natural habitat of many fish. It contains live aquarium plants, driftwood, stones, but "in a lightweight form." Such aquariums do not require special knowledge of plant life from the aquarist. Elementary care for them is the key to success and achieving your goals.

Dutch, nature aquarium, herbalist, aquascaping.

These are densely planted aquariums. Imitating all the beauty of freshwater reservoirs. To create such an aquarium, you need knowledge about plants, you need to study the issue of feeding aquarium plants and the use of a CO2 system for an aquarium. Section of the website .