Pseudo-sea with black soil. Decorating an aquarium in the “pseudo-sea” style. Population of a reservoir with fish

It’s hard to resist the beauty of an aquarium in the “Pseudo-Sea” style; it’s a piece of the deep sea, as if forever frozen in glass. However, for the aquarium to be truly harmonious, you will have to work hard: every pebble, every grain of sand must take its rightful place.

photo: Aquarium in the style of Pseudomore

A sea of colors and shapes. Oddly enough, the main thing when choosing colors is not to overdo it, otherwise the eye simply will not be able to focus on one thing. Imagine the depths of the sea, what colors do you associate it with? – blue, silver-gray, white, dark green – this is an excellent background for bright plants and fish. If you want to focus specifically on the color of the fish, then the decor should be more faded; if you want to highlight the topography of the aquarium, the inhabitants need to be selected carefully.

As for the shape of the aquarium, in addition to the standard rectangle, you can choose something unusual: ball, panorama, “delta”, corner aquarium– the choice is great.

Priming . Unlike an ordinary aquarium, in a pseudo-sea reservoir, the soil performs more an aesthetic than a practical function. It should become a backdrop for elegant shelters, corals and, of course, fish. Most often, gray, white or beige shades are chosen; it is better to choose soil of different fractions: marble pebbles, coral chips, quartzite. To painted in unusual colors Treat products with caution: when exposed to water, they can release toxins, which will lead to fish poisoning.

photo: In a pseudo-sea style aquarium, the soil is usually white

Lighting. The marine setting will be incomplete if the viewer does not create a feeling of depth and relief. In stores you can find spectral lamps of a cool blue hue, which, when combined ultraviolet light(for example, light from lamps for reptiles such as Reptil Glo, SERA, JBL and others) give a stunning effect of sea depth. If you fix ultraviolet lamp clearly above the water, the shadows will be a little blurry, but the outlines of algae, corals and fish look clearer. There should be no more than 8 hours of daylight, since algae may appear in the aquarium, which will not be easy to get rid of.

photo: In a pseudo-sea style aquarium, it is better to use blue spectrum lamps

Plants and algae . Since algae intended for a marine aquarium cannot live in fresh water, you will have to give preference to artificial plants. They are made from materials inert to water: plastic, silicone, therefore they are safe for the inhabitants of the tank. Don’t forget about corals – it’s better to buy untreated, matte ones. Gorgonians in freshwater aquarium If they don’t put them in, they will begin to rot.

photo: Artificial sea plants are used in pseudo-sea style aquariums

Scenery. It will be better if you conditionally divide the pseudo-marine aquarium into several zones: in the main central zone place a large stone, coral or shell, around it randomly build hills and lowlands from others decorative elements– shells, small stones, rolled colored glass, corals. If you brought a shell as a souvenir from the sea, you need to thoroughly boil it and wash it with a brush under running water. It is worth remembering that shells, corals, and limestones make the water harder, which can negatively affect the health of the inhabitants. It is imperative to provide several shelters and secluded places where fish can hide: large shells, grottoes, and terraces will come in handy. Do not place them symmetrically, and it will be better if the stones are not round and irregular in shape. Decorations look best on a blue or dark green background.

photo: Decorating with corals is the basis of the pseudo-sea style

Equipment . Because in pseudo marine aquarium there are no living plants, natural filtration processes are also reduced to a minimum. An aquarist should take care of purchasing a powerful filter (the most popular are Eheim, JBL, Aquael, SOBO, Tetra, Sera, AquaSys and others). The filter must create enough strong current to avoid algae growth. You also need to buy an aerator, a heater, and a thermometer for control. After all the elements are secured and the decor is placed, you can cover the soil and decorations with film and carefully pour water in a small stream. When a third of the aquarium is full, the film can be carefully removed - this way you will not violate the original idea.

Inhabitants . Basically, people strive to fill their aquarium with colorful inhabitants: cichlids, mollies, swordtails, synodontis, aulonocara, labidochromis, pseudotropheus, monodactyls, lamprologus and other species are perfect.

photo: Cichlids look good in a pseudo-sea style aquarium

It is important to regularly change the water, siphon the soil, and maintain temperature conditions. Do not overfeed the fish, as the remaining food will settle on the decorations (it is very difficult to wash the crumbs out of the pores of the corals). In general, caring for a pseudo-sea aquarium is not difficult - it’s a matter of habit, but this mini-sea will be a wonderful decoration and pride of your home.

DESIGN OF AN AQUARIUM IN THE “PSEUDO SEA” STYLE

(I will try to be as detailed as possible)

All lovers of underwater seascapes can recreate a piece of the sea in their aquarium with fresh water- “PSEUDO SEA.” IN Lately a very popular trend in aquarium design. Unlike a real and expensive marine aquarium, which, in addition to substantial material investments, also requires sufficient knowledge, experience and time for its maintenance and care, an aquarium in the “pseudo-sea” style is not so expensive, and in maintenance it is not much different from an ordinary freshwater one with plants , snags, etc., except for some nuances, which will be described below. In addition, a person far from aquarium hobby is unlikely to immediately distinguish it from a real marine aquarium. The “pseudo-sea” aquarium serves purely aesthetic purposes and therefore there is no need to recreate any aquatic organism, as is often done in ordinary freshwater aquariums. But this does not mean that you can populate it with anyone and put whatever you want when decorating)). At its core, a “pseudo-sea” aquarium is the same cichlid fish, only designed differently.

So you have decided to decorate an aquarium in the “pseudo-sea” style. What is needed for this?

Of course, the aquarium itself and preferably more, say 200 liters or more. The more, the better! You can do less, of course, even try at 20 liter aquarium, but I'll tell you why more. Because when decorating an aquarium in the “pseudo-sea” style, natural stones and corals (or rather their skeletons) are used; they are often not small in size, especially if you subsequently create terraces. Another reason is that an aquarium in the “pseudo-sea” style is populated with cichlids, because fish of this particular category have the largest number brightness of color and variety, which is closest to appearance coral reef fish. And cichlids love space, plus many species are not small in size and are also territorial and they need enough space both for swimming and for shelter if necessary. Some are best kept in small schools of 4-6 fish. The design is usually done in white, blue and red colors.

As a background I use a plain film of light blue, dark blue or black. With a ready-made composition in nautical style It is not recommended to take film, because this will distract from the composition you have created in the design of the aquarium and will also look too tacky. Installing a voluminous rocky background is encouraged.

The effect of glowing blue water is created by a Marine-Glo fluorescent lamp in combination with Power-Glo or Aqua-Glo. The Marine-Glo lamp is installed in the background, and the Power-Glo or Aqua-Glo in the foreground. It is quite possible to limit yourself to using a regular white spectrum fluorescent lamp in the foreground, for whom the purchase of two special lamps seems costly))

For example, this is what the lighting looks like with only one Marine-Glo lamp turned on.

Which in my opinion is not natural and everything is too blue.

And here it’s already combined – Marine-Glo + Power-Glo, which in my opinion is more natural.

White quartz with a fraction of 3-5mm is usually used as soil for the “pseudo-sea”. or coral chips, or white quartz sand, but not marble! Because due to the abundance of corals and shells, the water will already be quite hard,
alkaline. With a high content of calcium and magnesium salts.

Here in the photo: quartz sand and white quartz

Coral chips

You can make a mixture, say, add 10% black quartz to the entire volume of soil.

The natural stones used are mainly the so-called “Kenyan stone”, better known as Lochgestein or sandstone, and sometimes in combination. Stones should always be taken correct form and the more elaborate the shape and the more irregularities and holes, the better. In the “pseudo-sea” there should not be stones of regular and especially round shape, especially pebbles. And also all the elements associated with a regular freshwater aquarium! These include rounded stones, any kind, especially driftwood!

"Kenyan stone" and sandstone

For additional decoration, you can use individual stones, quartzite (white or burgundy) is best, don’t get too carried away with burgundy)), 1 or 2 is enough to revive color range.

We take soil at the rate of 1 kg. per 1 liter of volume + 2-3 kg. For 200 l. the aquarium will be 22-23 kg. We build a composition from Kenyan stone or sandstone so that, if possible, the load on the bottom is uniform (after all, the weight of natural stones is decent), and collecting them in one pile or in one corner is very fraught with danger for the aquarium. You can also recreate “terraces” by placing more or less flat stones on others in height in a checkerboard pattern. At the same time checking the stability. The more stones of various sizes and shapes, the more opportunities you have for creativity. But this does not mean that you should fill the aquarium with stones!!! Everything should be in moderation! Otherwise, it may happen that the bottom glass will not withstand such a load! When creating a composition, it is very advisable to leave through holes in the stones for free swimming of fish, various shelters and a kind of “pockets” and grottoes, secluded places so that the fish, if necessary, can hide and take refuge from their pursuers.
Individual stones(quartzite) we place chaotically, but so as not to disturb the overall picture of the composition.

In general, you can choose two design paths - ascetic minimalism (less expensive), when only soil and 2-3 Kenyan stones are used for decoration and that’s it. And the fish they usually keep are representatives of the same species. Another way is a coral reef, when stones, corals and artificial plants are chosen for decoration (more on them below) and the population of such an aquarium is colorful and diverse - this method is expensive. It must be said that setting up an aquarium along the route of a coral reef is more labor-intensive, both in terms of subsequent maintenance (cleaning) and in terms of finances. And often even exceeds the cost of the aquarium along with the stand (as in my case)))

Well, actually the coral skeletons themselves. Natural roads, and artificial plastic ones, are usually all painted and the paint will peel off in some places over time. And it’s up to you to decide which ones to take.

Here are photos of some types of corals:

Open brainwort, Brainwort, Ballyanus or sea acorn, Acropora

Cat's Paw, Finger, Pocillopora, Fungia

Separately, I would like to say about the gorgonian - it does not look like coral, but it is also coral and more reminiscent of a fan-shaped branch of some plant))

For example, artificial corals

Red and Montipora

Now about the plants. Live plants are not planted in a pseudo-marine aquarium. They grow very poorly in hard, alkaline water, and cichlids, in turn, actively eat them and are not averse to digging up the soil. You can use artificial ones.
I think silk ones are the best option, they look the most natural. Plastic ones will also work. Very few plants are needed, mainly to enliven the design and hide equipment (filter, thermostat, hoses). All colors are suitable, except green and too unnaturally bright, I would recommend more natural colors, although one plant is acceptable blue color I don’t rule it out, just like red)). 3-5 plants are enough different heights.

Since we have an aquarium without living plants (although I once thought about planting live ones, but decided not to do it), good and most importantly round-the-clock aeration is necessary. Both external and internal can be used as a filter - at your discretion. It is advisable powerful - I usually calculate it this way: I multiply the volume of the aquarium by 7 - I get the filter power. For example, for 200 liters. aquarium – 200x7=1400 l.h. With such water pumping there must be a filter. Say a lot! But depending on the parameters declared by the manufacturer, the power of the filter and its efficiency will still be 40 percent lower. But in the aquarium, the water will always be clean and transparent.

You can also use artificial sea anemones for additional decoration; they are usually made of latex or silicone.

It is better to buy sea shells for decoration in such sets - it turns out cheaper

The best option is to choose the largest and most colorful, bizarrely shaped ones. Sinks serve not only for decoration, but we also use them to mask (cover) the weights of the artificial plants and sea anemone.

So we gradually approached the population of our pseudo-sea. As a rule, there are no snails in the pseudo-sea either, but if you really want to, you can try - it’s better to get one unusual shape, for example: devil's thorn snail or pagoda snail.

The absence of snails in the pseudo-sea, or rather, their function is performed by ancitruses, also, as bottom orderlies, you can populate a small school of fish from the Corydoras species. If a diverse population is planned, it is better to stock with teenagers, because the fish get used to each other better and when they grow up together, conflicts are unlikely or rare. Fish for the pseudo-sea are, as I wrote above, cichlids (mostly). As a rule, they are African - Malawian or representatives of other African lakes, less often Americans, although there are also mixed ones - where both Africa and America are present together.

Almost any aquarium made in the “pseudo-sea” style has these trinity)) It’s safe to say that not a single pseudo-sea aquarium can do without them. Below in the photo:

Labidochromis yellow (Labidochromis caeruleus var. "Yellow"), Red zebra (Pseudotropheus zebra.red), Pseudotropheus demasoni (pseudotropheus demasoni)

I offer a few more photographs of brightly colored cichlids as possible candidates for an aquarium in the “pseudo-sea” style:

Copadichromis Kadango (Copadichromis sp. "Kadango"), Jackson's Haplochromis (Sciaenochromis ahli) or cornflower blue haplochromis, Julidochromis Regani, Julidochromis Marlieri (Julidochromis marlieri)

Nicaraguan Cichlazoma (Hypsophrys nicaraguensis), Cichlazoma eight-striped
(Cichlasoma octofasciatum) or biocelatum, also known as “bee”, Aulonocara sp. “multicolor”), Turquoise acara (Aequidens rivulatus)

Melanochromis Maingano, Golden Leopard (Cyrtocara venustus), Cichlasoma salvini, Thorichthys ellioti

There are many beautiful and colorful cichlids - in any case, the choice is yours.

In general, the maintenance of a “pseudo-sea” aquarium is no different from a regular one, except that it is periodically necessary to bleach natural corals (with the exception of gorgonians), Kenyan stone and the soil itself. For these purposes I use “Whiteness”. For 10-12 l. I pour out a quarter of the bottle into a bucket and immerse corals or stones or soil into it, the main thing is that the water completely covers them and leave it like that. Let's say I put it in the evening, and the next evening I took it out and washed it under running water (in the shower).

I do this:
Once a week water change - 10-20%
Once every two weeks, I siphon the soil with changing the water and cleaning the glass; if necessary, I bleach the corals (they become dirty most quickly) from algae and other “dirt”
Once a month, bleach the soil in the front of the aquarium
Whitening Kenyan stones every six months
Once a year, bleach the remaining soil.

You can do everything in parts and as you get dirty and a little at a time,
Each time it’s the same thing, it takes less time, and it’s easier.

In conclusion, a few photos in the “pseudo-sea” style

I wish you good luck, Alen Wild!

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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 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 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 also install a neon lamp, when used, white decorative elements (corals, for example) visually become even whiter.

As a rule, two lamps located at front panel and above the center, it’s 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, 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 hard, slightly alkaline water well. 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.

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. The uneven texture allows you to build a truly realistic composition without much effort.

When choosing stones, give preference to shell rock, granite, limestone and sandstone irregular shape. 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 specimens of 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. “Cold” ones are preferred for lighting fluorescent lamps. 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.

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 marine reservoir in the full sense of the word, since it is filled with 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. A tank with real sea water requires expensive equipment, constant monitoring and care, and a freshwater aquarium, stylized as a 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 white sand 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 decorate pseudo-marine aquariums, 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 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 that can be placed in a pond are: artificial seaweed and corals that are prepared for aquatic systems.

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 on 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.