How to decorate an aquarium in a marine style. The design of the aquarium is “pseudo-sea” style. Video about pseudo-marine aquarium

The seascape is one of the most beautiful views. An aquarium with marine life will always attract attention and please the eye. But a real marine aquarium is an expensive pleasure. Its design in a pseudo-sea style will help create the illusion of an underwater world in the office or at home. This style of aquarium keeping is popular now. After carefully studying the instructions, even a beginner can make a pseudo-sea aquarium with his own hands.

This aquarium is easy to maintain

Imitation of sea reality

Such an aquarium is the creation of the illusion of a marine aquatic environment with special decorations and its underwater inhabitants. Instead of salt water, it contains fresh water and, accordingly, fish and all living creatures will be fresh water.

Using special techniques will help achieve such a close match with the natural seascape that only a specialist will be able to notice the difference. A true saltwater aquarium requires expensive maintenance. It is necessary to maintain water parameters and ensure the growth of corals, vegetation and fish. The pseudosea aquarium is easy to maintain.

In this video you will learn more about the pseudosea:

Tones for a pseudo-sea can be either warm tropical or cold. This directly depends on the interior. In a house or apartment, it will look great in the living room. If you have a large bathroom, you can place it there too.

It is perfect for the office, creating a favorable emotional background. It can be located in the common hall. Its shape can be rectangular or round, oval or square. But the container should be larger, at least 100 liters. The design of a pseudo-marine aquarium includes coral decorations, and their size is quite large.

In addition, their inhabitants most often become cichlids, which require own plot territories.

Lighting Features

The lighting in such an aquarium is different from usual. It plays simply decorative role. The main lamp is installed directly at the front wall so that the interior decorations look from an advantageous angle.

Most often, preference is given to fluorescent lamps. Experts recommend Power-Glo, Marine-Glo or Sylvania Coralstar. It is possible to use halogen lamps that provide directional light. In this case, the scenery will look more impressive. Adding a neon light will make the corals even more visually attractive.

Two lamps are enough to decorate a pseudo-sea aquarium. Intense lighting should be avoided to prevent the walls from becoming overgrown with algae. Experienced aquarists advise turning on the light for no more than 5 hours.

Aquarium decoration

The design should start with the background. You need to choose photo wallpaper or film for the back wall. Usually stop at any shade of blue color. The pattern may be different, but necessarily related to the marine theme:

• coral reef;
• sea ​​bottom;
• sunken ship;
• inhabitants of the depths.

There are a number of things that are associated with a marine theme

In order to apply the background, the following steps are required:

1. It is necessary to clean the tank wall from dirt and organic sediment.
2. Apply glycerin to the film.
3. Smooth it out and get rid of bubbles using a ruler.

For soil, marble chips are usually used, but glass beads can also be used. Coarse sand will also look good. You should not overload the aquarium with decorations. Large shells, corals, large stones and grottoes will look great. The main element is placed in the center, around which the parts are already distributed. To make the landscape look natural, they are laid out randomly.

It is not recommended to use clay products, as they increase the degree of water hardness. A decorative element such as a bridge will perfectly decorate an aquarium in nautical style. With great desire and imagination, you can create a wonderful sea corner in your home.

Fish and vegetation

African cichlids are an excellent choice for freshwater aquarium in a marine style. They feel great in hard water. Experts recommend, along with this type populate the aquarium with fish such as:

• red smeltweed;
• swordtail;
• aulonocar;
• golden leopard;
• Pindani;
• Australian rainbowfish;
• Lombardo;
• guppy

The brighter the color of the fish, the better the aquarium will look. It should not be overpopulated. We must proceed from the following calculation: one individual per 7 liters of water. Be sure to add ancitrus and snails, which will act as cleaners. The most in demand will be snails of unusual breeds, such as “Devil's Thorn” or “Pagoda”. They will not only cope with the role of bottom orderlies, but will also add zest to the pseudo-aquarium and fit perfectly into the marine design.

Live plants are usually not planted because they do not grow well in hard alkaline water. In addition, cichlids will gnaw them completely. This fact should be taken into account when designing a pseudo-sea and decoration for cichlids.

It's smarter to use artificial plants, capable of not only reviving the underwater kingdom, but also camouflaging aquarium equipment. You can create an amazing composition that will radically transform the interior.

Caring for an aquarium in the pseudo-sea style is not much different from the usual one. The accumulation of organic matter in water should be prevented. You should not turn on the lighting often, so as not to contribute to the appearance of lower algae. There are several requirements that need to be done:

1. Change about a fifth of the water weekly.
2. Siphon the soil and clean the glass twice a month.
3. Once every three months it is necessary to clean the decorations and corals from dirt and algae.
4. Whiten the stones once a month.
5. If you have Kenyan stones, bleach them twice a year.
6. Bleach all soil once a year.

All types of work can be done in parts as they become dirty. You should not overfeed the fish, as the remaining food will settle on the corals and clog in their pores. You can keep your water clean and transparent using a good filter with mechanical and biological purification. Experienced owners recommend Professional 3 or Eheim.

Mesmerizing seascapes captivate the imagination of even the most discerning aquarium lovers. The marine aquarium hobby is currently experiencing a real boom, so it is not surprising that a more economical, but no less attractive twin style will appear. A style that reflects the beauty of a sea reef, with bright and beautiful fish, which is essentially a simplified copy of the “sea” from a biological point of view. We are talking about the "Pseudomore" style. In this design, as well as in the “sea” design, white stones, corals, and shells are used. The effect of glowing blue water is created by a Marine-Glo fluorescent lamp in combination with Power-Glo or Aqua-Glo. The selection of fish for such an aquarium is carried out taking into account their tolerance to fairly hard water. These include brightly colored African cichlids, rainbowfish, and viviparous cyprinids. Basic color scheme The “Pseudo-sea” style can be considered blue, white, gray, red. Most suitable premises To place an aquarium decorated in this style, there is a living room, office, children's room and even a bathroom decorated in the appropriate style.

© Elvira Stankevich , Head of Design and Service at Aquasalon Aqua Logo

What style of aquarium design should I choose for a room with unusual lines of furniture, a predominance of contrasting blue, gray and white tones?..

The answer suggests itself: the sea. But for beginners, mastering the intricacies of marine aquarium keeping is associated with certain difficulties and very significant material costs.

It’s a completely different matter if the entire design style is in the marine style, but the water in it is fresh, and the inhabitants, accordingly, are freshwater. But for us, a coral reef and a river (lake, swamp) are, first of all, different styles. Many go the most the simple way- decorate a typical freshwater aquarium with corals or shells of exotic shapes and colors brought from the warm coast. But this option is not the best, because mixing diametrically opposed styles does not give a positive effect. It is absolutely unacceptable, in my opinion, to combine shells with green thickets and snags in one aquarium. Well, where do corals come from in a fresh body of water?! Or, on the contrary, in the sea - higher plants... I want to make a reservation right away - any aquarist can argue that Amazonian angelfish and South Asian gouramis can look just as ridiculous in the same body of water... But these are already features of the biotope, which has no relationship to style.

A layman cannot always distinguish sea fish from freshwater fish at first glance. For example, the “kings” of a pseudo-marine aquarium - cichlids from the African lakes Malawi, Tanganyika, Victoria - are not much inferior to the inhabitants of the coral reef in the brightness of their outfit. And most of the Australian rainbows would be hard to call faded. Therefore, in style, mood, thematic content pseudomarine aquarium absolutely copies the real sea, only it is undeniably simpler in design and content.

According to the type of perception, a pseudo-marine aquarium can be decided in different options. The picture can be very bright, contrasting, or vice versa, calm, cold. This is chosen depending on the interior in which the aquarium will be located, but in any case, the marine style is not suitable for every room. The sea can ideally fit into a bright nursery, a strict gray office or even a bathroom, but among the classic wooden furniture A tropical aquarium looks better in brown or dark green tones.

To create a pseudo-sea, aquariums of any shape and size are suitable - both unusual balls, arcs and prisms, as well as traditional rectangular ones, “panoramas” or “deltas”. There are no specific recommendations here, as pseudosea is surprisingly versatile and looks good in any form.

When decorating a marine aquarium, you can use the same materials as for a marine one. For example, to fill the soil they use natural marble chips, synthetic colored soils, etc. There are no restrictions on the size of the soil, since there will be no living plants in our aquarium. Not very fine white looks the most natural marble chips, sprinkled in places with beige or gray soil. Despite the fact that the aquarium is bright and contrasting, the use of artificial soils of unnatural colors - blue, green, red - is not recommended. Still, we strive to create a picture that is close to the natural environment. For registration use natural materials, including dead corals, porous calcareous rocks. It is better to purchase inanimate attributes of sea life in specialized aquarium stores, since only in this case can you be sure that the decoration has not undergone unwanted pre-sale preparation (such as etching or varnishing). Such operations, harmless for souvenirs, can become dangerous when used in an aquarium, causing poisoning of fish. If you brought corals from the sea yourself, you need to carefully prepare them before placing them in the aquarium. The fastest and easiest way is boiling, although after this the corals become more fragile. After boiling, wash them with a brush under strong water pressure to remove any remaining soft polyps. A longer, but gentler method is treatment with a non-concentrated bleach solution and subsequent soaking for two to three weeks with constant water changes. Gorgonians should not be used, as they will inevitably rot in fresh water. It is better not to boil shells, otherwise the mother-of-pearl will fade. To prevent any parts of the mollusk from remaining inside the shell, you can use this non-standard way: put them in an anthill for several hours, then wash them - and you can be sure that there is no organic matter left there. But it will not be possible to get rid of calcium leaching from corals, limestones and shells, so the water in an aquarium with such materials will inevitably be hard, and the inhabitants must be selected based on this feature.

Modern synthetic materials are inert to water, so the choice of fish for such an aquarium is more free, including apistograms from the soft waters of Brazil. In addition, the wide range of colors of modern artificial soils and decorations for the aquarium allows you to create beautiful landscape using fish of almost any color.

To add picturesqueness and relief to the bottom surface, you can use various kinds of grottoes and terraces. Stones in a pseudo-marine aquarium should preferably have irregular shapes, unrounded, and harmonize with the interweaving of coral branches. The same applies to terraces: it is not so much their height and number of floors that is important, but rather the attractiveness of the shape. However, this does not mean that you can without hesitation stuff everything that has a “non-standard” shape into a pseudo-marine aquarium. It is advisable to arrange the scenery in such a way that the basic laws of composition (asymmetry, compliance with the one-third rule, creating a visual center of the composition, etc.) are observed. Secondary elements of decoration should be subordinate to the main one, emphasizing its attractiveness and originality.

When choosing an option for arranging a reservoir, you should take into account that the vast majority of fish used in this style are mobile, quite large, requiring sufficient space for swimming, and you should not unnecessarily clutter the aquarium with decorations. In general, pseudo-marine aquariums are less loaded with decorations than tropical, “equator”, etc. In clutter of corals, stones, and synthetic plants, fish will become simply invisible.

The back wall of the aquarium is decorated with a background. In the simplest case, it is a one-color (blue, black, etc.) film, or a picture with a marine plot. The maximum attractiveness of the reservoir can be achieved with the help of relief backgrounds, specially designed for marine aquariums (keep in mind that such decoration is expensive).

The use of synthetic plants adds additional beauty to the aquarium. The Hagen Corporation produces plastic plants specifically for marine decoration, imitating real algae (caulerpa, it is better to opt for them. Do not use artificial ambulia, ludwigia, broad-leaved echinodorus and cryptocorynes to decorate the pseudo-sea.

Now let's talk a little about the technical support of the pseudo-sea. Basically, the requirements for it are determined by the fish contained in the reservoir, and some features of this type of aquarium design.

Malawians and rainbowfish love flow and fresh, warm water: they need a fairly powerful pump and a thermostat that allows them to maintain the water temperature at 25-27°C. Swordtails, platies and some other viviparous fish are more tolerant of water quality, but, nevertheless, it is impossible to do without good filtration in a “pseudo-sea” style aquarium. Firstly, the absence of living plants that utilize fish waste products does not contribute to the establishment of biological balance. Secondly, and this is perhaps more significant, when using natural limestones and corals, we have in the aquarium an abundance of rough, porous surfaces that serve as an ideal substrate for the settlement and development of a variety of algae. In order to prevent an algae outbreak, it is worth taking care of effective mechanical and chemical-biological filtration, at least using filters (in addition to foam rubber or sponge) Activated carbon. Filter capacity is 1.5-2 volumes per hour.

As for light, the choice of lamps in a pseudo-marine aquarium is determined not by the needs of the plants, but only by decorative purposes. Fluorescent lamps of cold tones (domestic type LCB or imported ones like PowerGlo), the spectrum of which is shifted to the blue part of the spectrum, are more suitable here. The use of halogen lamps gives an interesting effect: the fact is that their powerful directional light forms distinct shadows of fish and decorations at the bottom of the aquarium, as a result the reservoir acquires greater visible relief and dynamism. Again, excess light should be avoided, which provokes the development of green algae, which is almost impossible to remove from natural corals and limestones.

It would be appropriate to note here that even with ideal filtration and optimally selected lighting, it is impossible to maintain the dazzling snow-whiteness of corals in an aquarium. I can only console you with the fact that even in the sea they are not completely white. You can subject them to periodic bleaching or boiling, although in this case over time they become completely unusable - they crack and crumble. Unfortunately, with all the abundance of ceramic products and synthetic corals with smooth surface There are no branches sufficiently similar to real ones yet.

Synthetic jewelry is simpler in this regard; its surface is smooth and can be easily cleaned of bacterial plaque and algae growth. In addition, they can withstand repeated boiling.

In principle, we have already talked about selecting fish for a marine aquarium. Let me remind you once again that if materials with calcareous inclusions were used in the arrangement, then preference should be given to species that love hard water: pseudotropheus, lamprologus, haplochromis and other Malawians, Tanganyikans, Victorians, as well as swordtails, mollies and other representatives of poeciliaceae. Their bright color contrasts perfectly with the gray corals and light background. If the color of the fish is not enough to form a bright picture, then the deficiency of colors is compensated by using more colorful decorations. For example, the Apistogramma mentioned above are not as bright as the cornflower haplochromis, but if they are planted in an aquarium with artificial white substrate, bright shells, blue or black backdrops and red plastic plants, the result will be a very picturesque picture. You can keep melanothenias - rainbow silversides, glasolepias - in a pseudo-marine aquarium. When using only synthetic decorations, the pseudo-sea can also contain some large cichlids, such as hybrid parrots or diamond cichlids, as they are quite bright and unpretentious.

Since the pseudosea aquarium is intended primarily for decorative rather than educational purposes, there is no need to reproduce the attributes of the biotope in detail. Let's say, if in an aquarium with Malawians we arrange a lot of shelters, the fish will feel more comfortable, but the decorative value of the reservoir will noticeably decrease, since some of the fish will definitely sit in them.

As for care, special requirements are again imposed on preventing the accumulation of organic matter in the water: no overfeeding, regular water changes of at least 10% per week while simultaneously cleaning the soil with a siphon. The light can be turned on literally for the time when you are at home and watching the fish. The shorter the lighting, the less corals and decorations become overgrown with lower algae. In addition, in such an aquarium, unlike an aquarium with live plants, you can use chemicals to combat algae (Algo-destrovel).

Beautiful seascapes and bright undersea world seas and oceans always excite, they attract Special attention and are encouraging some aquarists to create marine artificial aqua systems. However, a real marine aquarium is quite expensive, both in price and in terms of maintenance. That's why it was created in last years is gaining more and more popularity special style aquarium hobby - a pseudo-sea.

First of all, it should be noted that this does not mean just any individual aquariums, but a whole direction or style in aquarium keeping, the main feature of which is the creation of the illusion of a marine aquatic environment with its living inhabitants and corresponding decorations.

Why illusion? Yes, because instead of real salty sea water in such a system there is fresh water, and accordingly, the inhabitants of this aquadome are freshwater. But thanks to special techniques, it is possible to achieve such a strong match with the natural seascape that only specialists can calculate the illusion. An ordinary viewer is unlikely to distinguish a pseudo-marine aquarium from a real sea.

The pseudosea is free from all these conditions. This style allows you to create and diversify the interior contents of the aquarium according to your own imagination. But several general rules Designs for pseudo-sea aquatic systems, developed experimentally, are still available.

The pseudo-sea aquarium can be implemented in two versions: in cold colors or in a warm tropical style. The choice of one option or another directly depends on the situation and interior of the room.

The sea is well suited, for example, for a room where blue and red tones predominate. This could be a children's room, a living room uncluttered with furniture, or even a large bathroom. In a room furnished with massive brown (classic) furniture, a marine theme is unlikely to fit in.

If you need to create a pseudo-sea in the office, then you should not install it in the manager’s office: such a noticeable interior detail does not correspond to the business style and, in a sense, distracts visitors or subordinates. But in the reception area or in the general hall of the company, a seascape would be more appropriate, since it will create a favorable emotional background.

There are no special requirements for the shape of the pseudo-sea: it can be round or oval, rectangular or prism-shaped, flat or three-dimensional.

But experts advise choosing a larger jar capacity, from 100 liters and above. This is due to several circumstances.

• Firstly, African cichlids are very often placed in a pseudo-marine aquarium (due to their bright colors); they need their own section of underwater territory.

• And secondly, the seascape includes coral decorations, the size of which is far from small. However, in the aquarium industry there is experience in organizing a small-volume pseudo-sea aquarium.

Lighting Features

Unlike an ordinary aquarium, where lighting serves mainly for the life of plants, light in a pseudosea plays an exclusively decorative role.

They try to make the lighting system such that the interior decorations look from the most advantageous angle. This is why the main lamp is installed closer to the front glass panel.

There are no precise recommendations according to the type of lamps, here each person chooses his own option, but in this particular case, those that give cold light. As an option: imported lamps Power-Glo, Hagen LifeGlo, Sylvania Coralstar or Marine-Glo, which are intended for both the sea and ordinary aquariums.

Currently, there are special lamps on sale exclusively for marine aquariums with the appropriate radiation spectrum.

A pseudo-sea aquarium looks much more impressive when using halogen lamps that provide directional light. Some additionally install a neon lamp, when used, white decorative elements (corals, for example) visually become even whiter.

As a rule, two lamps located at the front panel and above the center are quite enough for a pseudo-sea.

Lighting should not be too intense to prevent the development of algae and overgrowing of the walls. Some experienced owners of such an aquarium generally advise turning on the light no longer than 5-6 hours a day.

Pseudo-sea: design

Perhaps this is the basis of aquariums of this type.

Background. The first thing you need to think about is the background with which the back wall is decorated (photo film, photo wallpaper). As a rule, it is chosen blue. Of course, there are various variations - sea ​​water with corals, sea fish, algae, scenes of underwater life, etc. Do not overload the background, because the main thing is the interior decoration in combination with the fish.

As a primer Most often, natural marble chips are used; there are options for using artificial colored soil (glass beads, for example).

But such a commercial substitute for natural soil has more disadvantages than advantages: most often it is toxic and does not perform the function of biofiltration aquarium water, since bacteria do not settle in it.

So, experts advise: either marble chips, quartz or river sand.

Decorations pseudo-seas are most often large sea shells, corals (artificial), large stones, stone grottoes, caves, terraces. This does not mean, however, that the interior space needs to be cluttered. On the contrary, the overall composition should emphasize central element, around which the details are concentrated.

Plants. As a rule, pseudomarine aquariums do not have natural aquatic vegetation. Its decorative functions are performed by synthetic ones, which are now produced by many companies specializing in aquarium accessories. For example, German company Hagen produces original plastic plants specifically for marine aquatic systems, as well as simulators of corals and shells made of synthetic material - stadont.

What kind of fish is best to get?

Most often in such cases, African cichlids are bred. A logical question: why these cichlids? The whole point is that natural environment The habitat of these fish is water with an alkaline pH balance, and in the pseudo-sea fish house a similar balance is created due to the limestone corals and shells located there.

Red silversides, mollies, and swordtails also feel quite good in such an aquatic environment. The beautiful Haplochromis cornflower will fit perfectly into a pseudomarine environment with black background and bright lighting.

Simply put, they breed fish that can tolerate harsh conditions well, a little alkaline water. Of course, the brighter the color of the living creature, the better.

The technical equipment of such a system is identical to a regular aquarium: aquafilter, aerator, thermometer, etc. auxiliary equipment. But it should be taken into account that natural vegetation does not participate in the processes occurring in the pseudosea. Therefore, it is necessary to install a powerful filter with all types and degrees of water purification - mechanical, biological, chemical.

The lack of natural vegetation can also negatively affect the condition of the soil, so this substrate is needed more often. Periodically, all decorative elements should be cleaned of the slightest hint of green algae.

We should also not forget about water changes. This operation should be carried out weekly, replacing 15-20% of the total volume.

An aquarium is a stationary thing; it will not run away anywhere. Therefore, there is no need to rush to shoot it, you should prepare carefully, carefully look at the pseudo-sea through the camera display.

First of all, it would be useful to clean the front wall of green algae and adhering organic particles. Thus, the cleanliness of the glass must be close to ideal, otherwise the picture will glare.

The same thing will happen if you take pictures with flash. It is better to shoot with the external lighting turned off or dimmed, making maximum use of the aquarium lighting. If there are light objects near the aquarium home interior, then it is advisable to drape them with some dark material.

The conclusion suggests itself: it is better to photograph a pseudo-marine aquarium in the dark. And indeed it is.

Of course, in terms of beauty and attractiveness, a pseudo-sea cannot be compared with a real marine reef aquarium. However, attempts to recreate a natural seascape can lead to brilliant results.

Before you start decorating the aquarium, you must decide exactly where it will stand and what kind of interior will surround it. After all, if you place a large aquarium with bright blue lighting and bright fish in an office decorated in gray and black strict colors with an ascetic interior, then it will look at least ridiculous there.

Photo source: http://aquariumsworld.ru/

The main color scheme of this style is a combination of blue, white, gray, red, sometimes yellow, so the most suitable for it would be a suitably decorated living room, children's room, dining room, office-library and even a bathroom. If the interior is designed in brown and green tones, then in this case a “tropical” aquarium is suitable.

It doesn’t matter at all what kind of aquarium you use - the pseudo-sea will look great in a traditional rectangular aquarium, in an exotic ball, or in a panoramic one. Special spectral lamps will favorably emphasize the variegated colors of fish. The combination of blue and warm spectrum, with the addition of ultraviolet (you can take, for example, the Repti-Glo 5 lamp) will create a unique effect of sea depth. In addition, ultraviolet lighting directed from above will make the shadows clearer and at the same time slightly blurred, emphasizing the contours of fish and corals, as happens when natural light reaches the seabed.

Photo source: http://www.akvarif.ru/

Once you have decided on the location and prepared everything you need, you can safely proceed directly to the design.

Decorating an aquarium in the “pseudo-sea” style

First of all you need priming. This could be coarse plain sand, which will create the illusion of the seabed, natural marble chips (preferably not very fine and not too white) or synthetic colored soils. However, in the latter case, you should not use unnaturally bright colors - blue, green, red, bright yellow, if you are trying to get a truly analogue of the underwater world.

After the soil has been laid, place stones. For this, it is best to use cave sandstone or Mediterranean coral sandstone, although it is quite difficult to obtain. However, keep two things in mind important points– the stones should be large and preferably not correct form, not smooth, so that they look harmonious with corals. In addition, there should not be a lot of stones, since they consist of sand, clay and lime, which means that under the influence of water they will further increase its hardness. And not all fish like this.

Photo source: http://img08.slando.ua/

Then mix in equal proportions sand and epoxy resin and use this mixture to secure corals on sandstone. If you brought them from the sea, then they must undergo preliminary training:

• a quick and easy way is to boil, and then after boiling, brush with a medium-hard toothbrush to remove any remaining polyps (after this procedure, the corals become fragile);
• A long and gentle way is to treat with a non-concentrated bleach solution, and then soak for 2-3 weeks, constantly changing the water.

You can also purchase corals in a specialized store, but be careful - they should not be treated with varnishes or paints. They must have a porous structure and a matte color, otherwise they may separate from the varnish under the influence of water. chemical substances, dangerous to the life of fish. Keep in mind that gorgonian corals should not be placed in fresh water - they will rot in it.

Remember that real live algae, which is used to decorate a saltwater aquarium, cannot live and grow in fresh water. Instead they use artificial plants made from silicone. You can also plant caulerupa, but do not use artificial ambulia, ludwigia, broadleaf echinodorus and cryptocorynes.

For decoration you can use various grottoes, terraces, shells brought from the sea. Just before placing the shell in the aquarium, put it in an anthill for several hours, or better yet, a couple of days - these hard workers will clean it until it shines of all organic matter. Then just rinse, pour boiling water over it and into the aquarium. When choosing grottoes and terraces, do not set yourself the goal of “building up” the entire bottom; choose several, but truly original models. And don't forget about simple rules building a composition.

Photo source: http://www.redseafish.ru/

Once everything is secured and installed, carefully cover all decorations and soil with film and slowly and evenly pour water until a third of the aquarium is full, then slowly and carefully remove the film. This way you can preserve the original appearance, which will then be corrected more than once under the influence of the filter and fish.

Fish for the “pseudo-sea style”

When selecting inhabitants for your aquarium, pay attention to the fact that they should all feel comfortable in water of increased hardness, and not get sick because they live in a fresh environment rather than a salty one.

In addition, the fish must correspond to their role, that is, be bright so that a non-specialist cannot distinguish them from their marine “relatives”. That is why the most popular and in demand are fish from the cichlid family, which are perfect for a “pseudo-sea” aquarium: they are freshwater, have a bright original color and are quite large in size. However, keep in mind that they are very active diggers, so the rocks must be stable, especially those on which you plan to anchor the corals. It is best to buy cichlids that live in Africa, in lakes Malawi, Tanganyika or Victoria.

You can also introduce Australian rainbowfish or viviparous cyprinids. Some aquarists “dilute” the main biotope with cute guppies or platies. Please note that in most cases, the “pseudo-sea” aquarium contains fish that are quite large, mobile, require enough space to live, and some very jealously guard their territory. So don't go too crazy with the quantity.

Caring for a “pseudo-sea” aquarium

The freshwater “marine” aquarium does not require special care, everything is as always:

• compliance temperature regime depending on the species needs of the fish;
• changing 20-25% of water once a week;
• filtration and aeration;
• cleaning the bottom with a siphon.

The only difference is caring for corals - algae and the plaque that settles on them is very difficult to clean off, so the following rules must be followed:

• the less lighting the better, turn on the lamp only when you want to admire the fish;
• make sure that there is no overfeeding - the remaining food will settle in the pores of the corals;
• To combat lower algae, you can use chemicals, for example, algo-destrovel, which are contraindicated in aquariums with live plants.

To ensure that your water is truly clean and clear, purchase good filter with mechanical and biological treatment. In this case, powerful ones are more suitable external filters, such as “Eheim”, “Professional 3”.

Photo source: http://budova.info/

As you can see, with great desire, diligence, imagination and financial resources, even if this is your first aquarium, you can create a wonderful “sea corner” in your home.

On our website you can compare the cost of cleaning and maintenance services.

Funny video

The 2 year old loves to throw. Look what happened when his parents bought him a basketball hoop!

04
05/19

How to create a pseudo-sea aquarium at home.

Aquarium owners know that one of the most beautiful and vibrant design options is marine style. However, a real marine aquarium is not a cheap pleasure, and maintaining it is quite troublesome - you need to constantly monitor the characteristics of the water, control the amount of salts, and care for the capricious inhabitants of the deep sea. Great alternative This design is the “Pseudo-sea” style. Such an aquarium looks no less colorful, but at the same time it is much cheaper to maintain and easier to maintain in a healthy condition. Key Feature“Pseudo-sea” is that the aquarium is filled with fresh water and all the inhabitants, accordingly, are freshwater. The landscape of the aquarium, depending on the interior of the room where it will be located, can be created either in cold colors, or in warm, bright colors, or based on the play of contrasts. But the main colors of this style are white, blue, red and gray. Optimal premises for placing aquariums decorated in the “Pseudomore” style, there are an office, living room, children’s room, and bathroom corresponding in style.

As in the marine style, corals, white stones, and shells are used here. Also for the “Pseudomore” aquarium you can. The effect of glowing blue water can be achieved using a Marine-Glo fluorescent lamp in combination with Power-Glo or Aqua-Glo. Fish for the “Pseudo-Sea” should be chosen that will be quite comfortable living in fairly hard water conditions, for example, rainbowfish, African cichlids, viviparous cyprinids. But let's talk about the design of the “Pseudomore” aquarium in more detail.

Choosing an aquarium

The first thing to start with is to choose suitable aquarium. A piece of the sea should be recreated in an aquarium with a volume of at least 150 liters. You can, of course, try to do all this in a small aquarium, about 20 liters, but in this case the fish will not be able to divide the territory, so “fights” with a fatal outcome will occur quite often. In a large aquarium, the aggression of its inhabitants is distributed among many fish, and the fish can always find a secluded corner to hide. The “pseudo-sea” is most often inhabited by cichlids, and these fish are not the smallest in size; they love space and need large quantities swimming places.

Another argument in favor large aquarium is the use of coral skeletons, natural stones, which are often large in size.

The height of the aquarium in which you are going to create a “Pseudomore” should be no higher than 50 cm, maximum 60! Firstly, it is very difficult to build a high hill of 50-60 cm in an aquarium using corals. Secondly, the fish in the aquarium will live near the bottom and will not swim in the water column.

The number of decorations is directly related to the volume of the aquarium. If the aquarium is large and there are few decorations, then the space will look empty. At the same time, the fish will have few hiding places.

Creating a background

Once you have chosen the aquarium, you should start choosing the background. A good background for the “Pseudomore” aquarium is a film of blue or blue color, sometimes they use a black background, although for “Pseudo Sea” it is a bit gloomy. A plain background will highlight the fish. You can, of course, use a background with a pattern depicting corals or water. But such a background does not allow you to concentrate attention either on the fish or on the design and looks too tacky.

The background is glued to outside aquarium, on back wall. To stick it evenly, you need to clean the wall of dirt. Then apply a little glycerin to the film and press it against the glass, using a plastic ruler or other similar tool to expel any remaining air from under the film. Otherwise, the remaining bubbles will be clearly visible through the water and glass.

Photos of aquariums with different backgrounds.

Lighting

Since there are no plants in “Pseudomora”, the lighting serves a decorative function. The right lamps will help you recreate the seabed in all its glory, tinting your aquarium blue. Today you can find special lamps whose spectrum is balanced for aquariums in marine and pseudo-marine styles. Please note that the lamps must be cold light.

If you are looking for a budget lamp option, then look at bulbs with a temperature of about 6400 Kelvin. Of the more expensive options, you should pay attention to fluorescent lamp Marine-Glo, or Hagen Life-Glo, Sylvania coralstar. The lamp should be installed in the foreground. If you install it in the background, the lamp will illuminate the aquarium with back side. The lamps can be installed in two rows. IN more doesn't make much sense. These lamps are used as additional lamps. Power-Glo and Aqua-Glo lamps can be installed as the main ones.

“Pseudo-sea” with a special light bulb

Filtration in the aquarium

Live plants are not planted in a pseudo-marine aquarium, since they grow extremely poorly in hard water, and cichlids eat them and don’t mind digging up the soil. Since there are no living plants, good aeration is necessary. In pseudo-marine aquariums, this needs to be taken care of right away, otherwise literally in one evening you can say goodbye to all the fish. One dead fish in conditions of poor filtration and lack of aeration can cause mass death. Before buying a filter, read more information on this topic so as not to make a mistake with your choice. The filter can be either internal or external, the main condition is that it must be powerful. Some people calculate it like this: the volume of the aquarium is multiplied by 7 and the filter power is obtained. So, for an aquarium with a volume of 200 liters, you will need a filter with a capacity of 1400 l/hour. This is not as much as it might seem, since in reality the filter efficiency will still be slightly lower than stated by the manufacturer. But the water in the aquarium will be clear, clean, and the fish will be comfortable.

Bottom design

White quartz of a fraction of 3-5 mm, or white quartz sand or coral chips are used as soil in such aquariums. Marble should not be used under any circumstances! Because due to large number shells and corals, the water will already be quite hard, with a high alkaline content.

As for stones, tuff stones look best in the Psvedor aquarium. There should be no pebbles, round or regular-shaped stones in such an aquarium! These elements are designed to decorate a regular freshwater aquarium. You can do without stones altogether, but in this case it will be much more difficult and expensive to lay out coral slides.

Corals today can be found in almost all colors of the rainbow and the most different forms. Different coral skeletons are used. They certainly look better alive, but they do not live long in freshwater.

Soil for “Pseudomore” is taken at the rate of 1 kg per 10 liters of volume + 2-3 kg. For an aquarium with a volume of 200 liters you will need 23 kg of soil. Arrange compositions of stones in such a way that the load on the bottom is distributed evenly. You can create so-called terraces - install more or less flat stones on top of each other in a checkerboard pattern along the height of the aquarium. The more stones you use various forms and sizes, the more opportunities for creativity you will have. But do not fill the aquarium with stones, there should be a sense of proportion in everything, otherwise the aquarium bottom may simply not withstand the load. When creating a composition, it would be good to leave in it through holes so that the fish can swim freely. And, of course, do not forget about various shelters, grottoes, “pockets” and other secluded places where the fish can hide if necessary.

Fishes in “Pseudomore”

In such aquariums it is welcome species diversity. The aquarium is mainly inhabited by cichlids different types. “Pseudo-sea” is a bit like a children’s aquarium with an abundance of different bright colors. But, unlike a children’s aquarium, the fish in “Pseudomore” are similar in shape to one another and look very harmonious. When stocking an aquarium, count about 7 liters per fish.

As a rule, there are no snails in such aquariums. But if you really want a snail, then get representatives of an unusual shape - the “Pagoda” snail, for example, or the “Devil’s Thorn”. Ancitruses can perfectly cope with the function of snails in a pseudo-sea aquarium; fish from the Corydoras species can also play the role of bottom orderlies.

Aquarium care

Special requirements in such an aquarium are to prevent the accumulation of organic matter in the water. The light should only be turned on when you are at home and watching the fish. The less lighting there is, the slower the lower algae will appear on corals and other decorations.

Otherwise, the “Pseudomore” aquarium is not much different from the usual one in terms of care. Owners of such aquariums often use this care option:

• once a week the water is changed by 10-20%;
• 2 times a month - soil siphon + water change and, if necessary, glass cleaning.
• Also, bleaching corals and cleaning other decorations from algae and other contaminants - once every 2-3 months.
• once a month, bleach the soil in the front part of the aquarium;
• 2 times a year bleaching Kenyan stones (if they are, of course, present in your aquarium);
• Once a year, bleach the rest of the soil.

You can do all this little by little, in parts, as you get dirty.