What stones are suitable for a pseudosea aquarium? The design of the aquarium is “pseudo-sea” style. Photos of aquariums with different backgrounds

The most beautiful seascapes and the vibrant underwater world of the seas and oceans are always exciting; they attract special attention and encourage some aquarists to create marine artificial aquatic 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 detail of the interior does not correspond business style and in some 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 often placed in a pseudo-marine aquarium (due to their bright colors), they need own plot 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 specific case more suitable, giving 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 balls, 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, the 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.

Feel good in this aquatic environment also red silversides, mollies, swordtails. 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: an aqua filter, an aerator, a thermometer and other 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.

Delightful seascapes can captivate the imagination and arouse the admiration of lovers. Currently, there has been a real boom in the marine aquarium hobby, so it is not surprising that an equally attractive, but more economical twin style has appeared. A style that reflects the beauty of the sea reefs, with beautiful and vibrant fish, and which, from a biological point of view, is a simplified copy of the “sea”. It's about style "Pseudo-sea" .

Shells, corals, and white stones are used to decorate a marine aquarium. Blue effect glowing water achieved using a Marine-Glo fluorescent lamp in combination with Aqua-Glo and Power-Glo. For such an aquarium, fish are selected taking into account their tolerance to hard water. These include: iris, bright African cichlids, viviparous carp-toothed. The color scheme of the “Pseudomea” style mainly consists of red, gray, white, and blue.

A layman may not immediately be able to tell the difference between saltwater and freshwater fish. "Kings" pseudo-seas are cichlids from the African lakes Victoria, Tanganyika, Malawi - in the brightness of their outfit they are similar to the inhabitants of coral reefs. Many Australian rainbows are not dull. Therefore, in terms of thematic content, mood, and style, a pseudo-sea aquarium is a copy of the real sea; it is much simpler in content and design.

You can create a pseudo-sea from aquariums of any size and shape: prisms, arcs, balls, “deltas”, “panoramas”. There are no specific recommendations here, because the pseudosea is universal and looks great in any form. When designing a pseudo-marine aquarium, you can use the same materials as for a marine one. For filling the soil, natural marble chips, colored synthetic soils, etc. are used. There are no restrictions on the size of the soil, because there will be no living plants in our aquarium. The most natural look is white, not very fine, marble chips, which are sprinkled in places with gray or beige soil. Although the aquarium is contrasting and bright, it is not advisable to use artificial soils of unnatural colors - red, green, blue. Still, we want to create a picture that is close to natural environment. Decorate the aquarium with natural materials, including dead corals and porous calcareous rocks. It is better to buy inanimate attributes of sea life in specialized aquarium stores, because only in this case can you be sure that the decorations have not been subjected to pre-sale preparation(varnishing or etching). Such operations are harmless for souvenirs, but can be dangerous in an aquarium, causing poisoning of fish. If you bring corals from the sea yourself, you need to prepare them well before placing them in the aquarium. The simplest and most quick way- digestion, although the corals become very fragile after this. After boiling, you need to wash them with a brush under high water pressure to remove any remaining soft polyps. A gentle, but longer method involves treating with a non-concentrated bleach solution and soaking for 2-3 weeks with constant water changes. You cannot take gorgonians, because they begin to rot in fresh water. It is advisable not to boil the shells, as in this case the pearlescent color will be lost. In order not to leave parts of mollusks inside the shell, you can use a non-standard method: you need to put them in an anthill for several hours, then wash them - and you can be sure that there is no organic matter left there. However, it will not be possible to get rid of calcium leaching from shells, limestones and corals, so the water in an aquarium with such materials will certainly be hard, and you will need to choose the inhabitants of your aquarium, taking these features into account.

The synthetic materials from which most artificial decorations are made are inert to water, so for such an aquarium you can freely choose any kind of fish, you can even take apistograms from soft Brazilian waters. In addition, the luxurious color range of artificial decorations and soils for the aquarium provides the opportunity to form beautiful landscape using fish of almost any color.

To give relief and picturesqueness to the bottom surface, you can use a variety of terraces and grottoes. IN pseudo-sea aquarium It is advisable to take stones of irregular shapes, combined with intertwining coral branches. The same applies to terraces: their number of floors and height are not so important as their attractive shapes. But this does not mean that you can push all the little things into a pseudo-marine aquarium. non-standard shape. It is advisable to place the decorations in such a way that the basic laws of composition are observed: creating a visual center of the composition, observing the one-third rule, asymmetry, etc. Secondary elements of decoration should be subordinate to the main one; they should emphasize its originality and attractiveness. When choosing the arrangement of a reservoir, it is necessary to take into account the fact that many of the fish used in this style are quite large and mobile, requiring space for swimming, and the aquarium should not be cluttered with decorations. Pseudo-sea aquariums are less loaded with decorations than "equators", tropical, etc. in piles of synthetic plants, stones, and corals, the fish will become invisible.

The back wall of the aquarium is decorated with a background. In the simplest case, it is a one-color (black, blue, etc.) film, or a picture with a marine theme applied. The maximum attractiveness of the reservoir is achieved with the help of relief backgrounds, which are specially designed for marine aquariums (it is worth keeping in mind that such decorations are quite expensive).

Synthetic plants add additional beauty to the aquarium. The Hagen Corporation produces plastic plants for marine decoration that imitate real algae (it is better to choose caulerpa). To design a pseudo-sea, you should not use artificial ludwigia, pambulia, broad-leaved cryptocorynes and echinodorus.

Now let's talk a little about technical support pseudo-seas. The requirements for it are mainly determined by the fish contained in the reservoir and the features of this type of aquarium design. Rainbowfish and Malawians prefer warm, fresh water and flow: they require a fairly powerful pump, as well as a thermostat that maintains the water temperature at 25-27°C. Platies, swordtails and other viviparous fish are more tolerant of water quality, but in a pseudo-marine aquarium without good filtering can't get by. Firstly, biological balance is not established if there are no living plants that utilize the waste products of fish. Secondly, and more importantly, when natural corals and limestones are used, we have an abundance of porous, rough surfaces in the aquarium that serve as an ideal substrate for the development and settlement of various algae. To prevent an algae outbreak, it is necessary to take care of effective chemical-biological and mechanical filtration, at a minimum, using activated carbon in filters (except for sponges and foam rubber). Filter with a capacity of 1.5-2 aquarium volumes per hour. On account lighting we can say that in a pseudo-sea aquarium, lamps are chosen not taking into account the needs of plants, but only taking into account decorative purposes. Most suitable here fluorescent lamps cold tones (imported like PowerGlo or domestic LCB), which have a blue-shifted spectrum. Halogen lamps provide an interesting effect: thanks to their powerful directional light, distinct shadows of fish and decorations are formed on the aquarium bottom, resulting in a large visible relief and dynamism of the reservoir. However, it is necessary to avoid excessive light, which provokes the development of green algae, which is almost impossible to clean from natural limestones and corals.

It is appropriate to note here that even with optimally selected lighting and ideal filtration in an aquarium, it is impossible to maintain the snow-whiteness of corals. You can only console yourself with the fact that even at sea they are not completely white. You can periodically bleach them or boil them, although in such cases they become completely unusable over time - they crumble and crack. Unfortunately, with a huge range of ceramic products available in pet stores, there are still synthetic corals with smooth surfaces branches similar to real ones, on given time No. In this regard, synthetic jewelry is easier; they have a smooth surface that can be easily cleaned from algae and bacterial deposits. In addition, they can withstand repeated boiling.

In principle, we have already discussed the selection of fish for pseudo-sea aquarium . It is worth recalling that if materials with limestone inclusions were used in the design, then it is better to give preference to species that love hard water: haplochromis, lamprologus, pseudotropheus and other Malawians, Victorians, Tangalikans, as well as mollies, rainbow silversides. Using only synthetic decorations in a pseudo-sea it is possible to contain large cichlids, such as diamond cichlazoma or hybrid parrots, as unpretentious and quite bright. Due to the fact that the pseudosea aquarium is primarily intended not for educational, but for decorative purposes, there is simply no need to reproduce the attributes of the biotope in detail. Let's say, if we make a lot of shelters in an aquarium tank with Malawians, the fish will feel more comfortable, but the decorative value of the reservoir will significantly decrease, because some fish will sit in them.

Regarding care, we can say that, again, special requirements are imposed on preventing the accumulation of organic matter in the water: no overfeeding, constant water changes in a volume of at least 10 percent per week, along with cleaning the soil with a siphon. The light turns on while you are at home and watching the fish. The less lighting there is, the less decoration and corals will be overgrown with lower algae. In addition, in such, unlike aquariums with live plants, you can use chemicals to fight algae (Algo-destrovel).

Pseudo-sea aquariums are increasingly found in reception areas, offices, private homes and apartments. It is luxurious, beautiful and original. However, creating a believable seascape is not an easy task. There are many nuances to consider.

How to choose an aquarium

The aquarium must be large. Volume - from 150 liters, height - 50-60 cm. These indicators are fundamental. If the aquarium is small, then fatal fights between fish cannot be avoided. For a pseudo-sea aquarium, bottom fish species are optimal, which means that a “can” that is too high is useless. In addition, in a low aquarium it is easier to build coral slides and terraces. As for the shape of the tank, it can be anything. The pseudosea looks harmonious in a traditional rectangle, in a “delta”, and in a ball.

What you need to know about decor

Marble chips of white or beige colour. The amount of soil is calculated as follows: for 10 liters of water 1.5 kg of sand. The back wall is decorated using a plain or patterned film. Some people like blue or even black monochrome, while others like a colored seascape. The relief background with voluminous rocks and grottoes looks impressive. Uneven texture allows without special effort build a truly realistic composition.

When choosing stones, give preference to shell rock, granite, limestone and irregularly shaped sandstone. The stones must not contain metal veins or traces of rust. The surface must be uniform, without gaps or cracks. Natural stones First rinse with water and then boil.

If you decide to decorate your aquarium with driftwood, remember that some types of wood contain acids. Balsa wood is considered harmless bog oak, mangrove branches. Driftwood can turn the water amber. It will help to get rid of this Activated carbon, added to the filter.

Corals and shells are an integral component of a pseudo-sea style aquarium. Synthetic corals, contrary to popular belief, are quite suitable. They are environmentally friendly, durable, and cannot harm active fish or scratch the walls of the reservoir. Souvenir corals covered chemical compounds, it is better not to use.

If there are real sea corals, they should be boiled and washed thoroughly under running water with a stiff brush. However, after the polyps are removed, the stones become fragile. To prevent this from happening, you can use another method of preparation, but it will require patience and time.

Dilute any bleach in water in a 1:1 ratio and treat the corals. Then leave them to soak in lightly salted water for 3 weeks. Change the water every 5 days. “Live” stones must be tested when immersed in an aquarium. Place them in small capacity and watch. When black spots appear, white plaque And unpleasant odor repeat cleaning.

But you can’t boil shells. This way they will lose their pearlescent shine without a trace. To remove shellfish, you can place the shell in an anthill and then rinse it. The ants will do a great job - there will be no organic matter left in the shells.

A pseudo-sea aquarium with natural decor is difficult to maintain.

And you will have to choose only those fish that feel comfortable in hard water - leaching of calcium from shells and corals cannot be avoided. In this regard artificial scenery more comfortable. The wealth of shapes and shades will provide the opportunity to create an attractive landscape without limiting the flight of imagination. It is also important that synthetic decorative items are easy to maintain in their original condition - they can be washed, boiled without fear, they do not crumble and retain their rich color for a long time.

Do not clutter the composition with unnecessary details - this will only disturb the underwater inhabitants. When laying out stones, make sure that the load on the ground is even. Form terraces and do not forget about shelters - all kinds of “pockets” and grottoes in which the fish can rest. Live plants will not take root in a pseudosea aquarium. There's nothing wrong with that. You can get by with a couple of plastic copies different heights with small leaves.

Necessary equipment

The technical side should be given special attention. Powerful filtration and aeration are important. A thermostat and a sterilizer will not be superfluous. For lighting, “cool” fluorescent lamps are preferred. Halogens endow underwater picture dynamism: the scenery becomes more prominent, the shadows of the fish become more distinct. Since there are no living plants, there is no need to turn on the light for more than 3-4 hours a day.

Fish in a marine aquarium

Avoid overcrowding the aquarium. Calculate the number of fish using the formula: 1 fish per 7 liters of water. The functions of cleaners can be performed by snails or ancitruses.

How to care for an aquarium

By by and large Caring for a pseudosea is not too different from caring for a regular aquarium. The soil is siphoned twice a month, water is changed weekly (10-20%), and once every 3 months the decorations are cleaned of algae and corals are bleached. It is advisable to bleach the soil in the front part of the tank once a month, bleaching the rest of the soil - once a year.

Don't overuse lighting. Less light means less organic matter. Only turn on the lamps when you are at home and watching the fish. The rest of the time there is no need for lighting.

Aquarium in the style of “Pseudomore”. If you have chosen this style of aquarium, then here step-by-step instruction, how to run such an aquarium and all the pitfalls. Of course, a pseudo-sea aquarium cannot compare in beauty to a real marine aquarium. But a saltwater aquarium has one drawback. The minimum price for a filled aquarium, even for 30 liters, is 1000 USD, which not everyone can afford to pay. And this aquarium is cheaper to maintain than a sea aquarium. They are trying to recreate the beauty of a marine aquarium with a pseudo-sea. Make a copy of it. There is no point in comparing a real marine aquarium with a pseudo-sea aquarium from a decorative point of view. But there were, are and will be aquariums in the pseudo-sea style. As an alternative to a marine aquarium. Let's start with the pseudo-sea style.

Aquarium Pseudomore

This is what classic “pseudo-sea” style aquariums look like. A real marine aquarium. A person who has encountered this can determine from a photograph whether it is a marine or pseudo-marine aquarium. But live there is a big difference. Where can I use a pseudo-sea style aquarium? Well, this aquarium is not for calming, but for mood. The fish is bright and pugnacious, and the aquarium is also colorful. Wherever I recommend this style is in meeting rooms and in the boss’s office. More muted tones are needed there. I recommend placing it at the reception, in the living room, in the aisle, in the office. Its job is to lift your spirits. They will look at such an aquarium and smile.

Volume for a pseudosea aquarium

So, let's start with the aquarium. The minimum volume for a pseudo-sea style aquarium, I believe, is 150 liters. This is my opinion based on practice. In smaller volumes, the fish cannot divide the territory, therefore “fights” in such aquariums are very frequent with fatal consequences. In large aquariums, aggression is distributed among many fish, when each one has “dappled” eyes and has somewhere to hide. An aquarium higher than 50 cm is not suitable for this style, maximum 60 cm. There are several reasons. First, the fish is bottom-dwelling, it does not swim in the water column. Secondly, it is difficult to build a high slide of 60 cm in an aquarium with corals. So there are 2 reasons why tall aquariums are not recommended.

We recently ordered a 70-liter pseudosea aquarium. The first reaction is that this is impossible. But, since I really want it, we came up with an exception. Tanganyika cichlids + small artificial corals.

Well, and most importantly - what bigger aquarium, the better for the pseudo-sea style. Below is a 450 liter aquarium.

Aquarium pseudosea launch

Here we will describe all the subtleties that you need to pay attention to.

Background for aquariums pseudosea

After choosing an aquarium, you need to choose a background. I am a supporter of the idea that the background should highlight the fish, just as there are matte and glossy photographs. Here is a pseudo-sea - this is a glossy photograph. That's why I just use a blue background. Without any bells and whistles. You can use blue backgrounds with patterns where there is either water in the photo or corals. But personally, I am not a supporter of this approach. Everything turns out blurry with them and attention is not focused on either the fish or the design. Sometimes a black background is used. This is rare, but they also glue it. For a pseudo-sea it is gloomy, but... Below are photographs of aquariums with different types backgrounds.

The slider features all types of backgrounds, but the pseudo-marine aquarium classic uses blue colors.

Our works in the pseudo-sea style

Here in the text all the videos are our work of aquariums in this format. Below are just links to our proposals and what we did in this direction.

Photos of pseudo-sea style aquariums until 2014

Equipment for aquariums in pseudo-sea style

Further - . Lamps with cold light are used. If cheap option- look at light bulbs with a temperature of about 6400 Kelvin. I always use one light bulb in the foreground with a special spectrum, like Hagen Life-Glo, marine glo, Sylvania coralstar, etc. It is expensive, several tens of dollars. But it's worth it, I think. Reasons - the aquarium looks different. Richer. And the fish, and the soil, and the corals, and the color of the water - everything changes. It is placed in the foreground because if you place it in the background, it will be highlighted with back side. I use it as additional blue light bulbs. On them the white is even whiter. Alternatively, you can use a neon light bulb, which is used to illuminate money and in nightclubs. It gives little light, but the white is even whiter against their background. How many lamps should I install? 2 rows. And that's enough. I don't see the point anymore.

Now aquariums are switching to . We also make our own lamps. Just as there are fluorescent lamps for 40 cents, and there are the same size for 60 cents. the quality is different. Therefore, under the pseudo-sea, do not try to buy cheaper. try to buy correctly - the best thing is that you come to the office and can see how the aquarium looks under their light.

2

3

4

1 – Pseudo-sea with a neon light bulb

2 - Pseudomore special light bulb

3 - Pseudomore cold light

4 - Pseudo-sea ordinary light bulb

In pseudo-sea style. Well, there are big fish swimming there, shitting a lot, which would block the schools, no. , as they spoil the appearance of the aquarium. So filtration should be up to par. Moreover, the aquarium is overpopulated. That's why it should be there too. In such aquariums, all this must be done at once. If you don’t do it, you can remove all the corpses in one evening. One dead fish in the absence of aeration and poor filtration can cause mass death of fish in an aquarium. This happens quite often. Read about aquarium filtration before you buy.

Decorations for an aquarium in the pseudo-sea style

Here are the options for aquariums with various types soils

Pure white is used. This is a classic. I don’t see any others in such aquariums and, probably, 99% of such aquariums use white soil.

We use tuff. I also use others sometimes. There are especially good options artificial stones from Blue Barbus. No other decorations look this good in a pseudo-sea style aquarium. You don't have to use stones. But then it will be harder and more expensive to lay out coral slides. Below are 2 photos. In the first one, tuff stone is used as a base, in the second it is not used.

Corals. Well, corals come in all the colors of the rainbow and in a variety of shapes. They use different coral skeletons. They look even better alive, of course, but they do not live in freshwater. Blue Barbus began its production of artificial corals. We advise you to take a closer look at them. The question is especially relevant when there are almost no corals in Ukraine, and those that exist are several times more expensive.

Pay attention to quality

Nowadays, natural corals have not been imported to Ukraine since 2013. All you buy is leftovers, and usually not best quality. Anyway. but it's time to switch to artificial corals. Their minus is everything bright colors fade.

Fish for an aquarium in pseudo-sea style

Pictures of the depths of the sea fascinate and attract with their beauty and bright colors, making you want to take a piece of the ocean world home. But maintaining a real sea body of water is expensive and troublesome, so many aquarists choose a simplified copy - a pseudo-sea aquarium. It fully conveys the uniqueness of coral reefs and colorful fish, which is why it is very popular.

The pseudo-marine aquarium is a new trend in aquarium art, the main feature of which is the creation of a marine picture with all the inhabitants, vegetation and decorations. It is worth noting that the reservoir is not a true sea reservoir in the full sense of the word, since it is filled fresh water. However correct design The pseudo-sea aquarium creates such a realistic spectacle of the ocean that only professionals can calculate the illusion.

The key advantage of such a reservoir is its simple maintenance. Tank with real sea ​​water requires expensive equipment, constant monitoring and maintenance, and freshwater aquarium, stylized under the sea, is suitable even for beginners.

The only condition in choosing a container is the size: the volume of the tank must be at least 150 liters, since exotic decorations will take up a lot of space, and the fish will need room to swim. The shape of the reservoir is selected depending on the preferences of the owner, and can be any: round, oval, rectangular or volumetric.

Equipment

A pseudosea aquarium, like any other, requires the installation of special equipment that will make the reservoir suitable for life. This:

• water pump;
• filter;
• lighting;
• thermometer;
• compressor;
• heating devices.

Filtration and aeration must be powerful; when choosing them, it is important to take into account the volume of the tank. Special attention pay attention to lighting - in aquariums with nautical design Cold light looks best, in which the elements become more prominent and the shadows of the fish are more distinct. As a rule, two light bulbs are placed: one to the front glass, the second - above the middle of the reservoir. Daylight hours should last no more than 6–7 hours to avoid the formation of algae and overgrowing of the walls.

The following devices are suitable for the pseudo-sea:

• halogen lamps;
• neon lights;
• fluorescent light bulbs.

Neon lighting especially effectively emphasizes the design of the pond: corals and sand white visually become brighter and whiter.

Substrate

For a pseudo-marine aquarium, use the same soil as for a tank with ocean water, For example:

• coarse sand of natural color;
• crushed corals;
• marble chips;
• colored synthetic primer;
• white quartz granules.

Particle size is not important since there will be no living vegetation in a saltwater aquarium. The color of the soil is chosen to be white or beige to best match the ocean floor. Substrates of unnatural tones, such as red or orange, are not recommended. The more natural the color of the soil, the more profitable and better the pond looks, so more and more often aquarists choose marble chips light beige color.

Decorative elements

Decorating a home pond with your own hands is one of the most enjoyable moments in creating underwater world. To register pseudo-marine aquariums, the owners use purchased copies or real decorations brought from the ocean coasts:

• large shells;
• limestone stones;
• fossilized corals.

They buy decorations only in specialized stores, and not in souvenir shops or shopping pavilions, where decorations are varnished. When placing such a part in a pond, there is a high risk of poisoning fish and other residents. If corals and stones were delivered from the sea, they are carefully processed before laying out.

Disinfection and treatment methods:

• corals are boiled in boiling water, after which they are rinsed by rubbing with a soft brush;
• shells with a mother-of-pearl surface cannot be boiled, so they are left on an anthill to remove residues inside the shell for 4 hours;
• coral reefs are soaked in water for two weeks, periodically renewing the water.

It is important to know that gorgonians cannot be used to decorate a pond - they will rot in fresh water. The presence of shells and corals in the aquarium implies increased water hardness, which should be taken into account when choosing fish.

In addition to natural natural elements, grottoes, caves, shelters, sunken ships or sailboats are placed in aquariums. The pseudo-sea design concept is based on one key figure in the center of the tank, which is complemented by various details. Background back wall decorated with dark or blue film.

Vegetation

A pseudo-sea style aquarium is not filled with live plants and flowers, unlike a freshwater tank. However, greenery performs important decorative functions, and without it the space looks empty, so aquarists use artificial vegetation.

Fake algae, plants, corals and stadont shells can be easily purchased in specialized stores or on company websites. Only those artificial algae and corals that are prepared for aquatic systems can be placed in a pond.

Population of a reservoir with fish

When decorating a reservoir with shells and corals, the hardness of the water increases significantly, so only those fish that can easily tolerate such indicators are added to the aquarium. The brighter the color of the fish, the more impressive it looks against a dark background among white corals and light sand.

Aquarium care

The soil is siphoned twice a month, and decorations and corals are disinfected once every three months. Soil bleaching is carried out once a year. To prevent the development of bacteria and the growth of harmful algae, the lighting is turned on for 5–6 hours a day.

By following all the rules and recommendations, the result is a real marine world with colorful inhabitants and coral reefs. The pseudosea aquarium is wonderful and unique element interior design that can please even sophisticated beauty connoisseurs.

Video about pseudo-marine aquarium