Many people love having aquariums at their homes. It brightens up the room it is in and gives a relaxing feeling to anyone who looks at it, especially when there are little companions ready to be taken care of.
You may have the perfect fish tank with all the filters and such, and you probably already have a list of fish waiting for you to bring them home. Although, there are things you need to keep in mind before rushing in to decorate your aquarium.
Decorating your aquarium for your fish always seems like a fun idea. It can be an enjoyable activity, and it can help make your fish feel more welcome to their new home. However, you might feel too excited and accidentally overcrowd it. Overcrowding makes your aquarium end up being shabby and unsafe, so you should know the proper ways to decorate your aquarium for your water babies.
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Decorating Your Aquarium
There are so many available options to decorate your aquarium. You can even come up with a theme like making your aquarium look like Atlantis or putting a sunken pirate ship, or you could go classic!
However, make sure not to overcrowd it because it is unsafe for your fishes and it also makes doing tank maintenance a lot harder than it should be. Imagine trying to wash all of them when it is time to clean. Also, make sure that the decorations are made for aquariums so that they won’t deteriorate even if they will be underwater for a long time.
You need to make your aquarium decorations safe for your fishes.
There are some things you need to consider some things when choosing decorations for your aquarium. You should be mindful of the sizes of your decorations, how deep your aquarium is, and the other items you already have.
Many people get too excited with decorating and tend to go overboard with it since there are so many options available for them to choose from. Ensure that you have enough room for all your decorations that your fishes won’t have a hard time swimming around. If you’re in doubt, don’t include it.
Substrate
Start with a substrate. Substrate is what is used on the bottom of the tank. It is usually for the aquarium’s aesthetic appeal. However, it does affect the water chemistry and filtration of the aquarium and the well-being of your fishes.
There are many different options for the substrate of your aquarium. You could choose sand, gravel, stones, pebbles, and so on. It depends on your taste and of course, what is best for your fishes. The type of fish you want to keep will be the deciding factor for the substrate you need to use.
Making your Own Decorations
If you are the artistic type and you would prefer making a unique-looking aquarium, then you could just make your own decorations. It is a lot more personal and it is also a fun thing to do. However, be mindful that there are some limitations in doing this.
Anything you add to your aquarium has the possibility of endangering your fishes. An aquarium’s pH level is a delicate balance, so be mindful that most household items contain chemicals that can be very harmful to your fishes.
Safe Materials for Your Aquarium
It is important to know what materials are safe to use for your aquarium, especially since its pH level is so delicate and many things could cause it to go off balance.
Some of the few materials that are safe for your aquarium include ceramics, plastic, and glass.
Ceramics
For ceramics, as long as they do not have lead or copper glazing, it is safe. Some people use ceramic mugs and plates since it can be a good hiding place for shy fishes.
Plastic
Be mindful of using plastic as decorations for your aquarium. Make sure that the plastic you will be adding is food-safe. Do not include one-use plastics like water bottles or painted toys since they have toxic chemicals that could be fatal to your fish.
Glass
You might have some beautiful old goblets that you don’t use anymore that could be a perfect addition to your aquarium. Just make sure that there are no signs of cracks or sharp edges and they are not painted since paint can be extremely toxic.
Things you Shouldn’t Put in Your Aquarium
There are a few things you may want to keep out of your aquarium for your fishes’ safety. These include wood, metal, rocks, beach sand, coins, shells, corals, and anything degradable or consumable. Unless these items were purchased from a pet store, do not put them in your aquarium!
The general rule is to not add anything that smells like strong chemicals in your aquarium. With the number of available options to choose from for your decorations, it would be easy to keep these items off your aquarium.
What about plants?
One of the most commonly used decorations for aquariums is plants. They add color to the aquarium, and it gives a natural feel.
Most people use plastic plants for their aquariums since they are more colorful and are easy to maintain since they cannot die, unlike live plants. They also serve the same purpose as live plants since they provide aesthetic appeal and a place to hide for your fishes.
It is also not recommended for anyone to put live plants as only aquatic plants are suitable for underwater. However, if you really want to have live plants in your aquarium, you can try Java Moss, Amazon Sword, Java fern, Pygmy chain sword, or Water wisteria.
Conclusion
Having an aquarium with fishes swimming around gives a relaxing feeling to anyone who sees it, especially when the aquarium is decorated beautifully. However, be careful not to go overboard with it as it can be unsafe for your fishes.
Keeping your aquarium decorations safe is essential if you want to keep your fishes alive and well. Fishes like to swim around and have hiding places when they want, so always be mindful of the decorations you put in.
It is a very easy process since there are so many aquarium-safe options for you to choose from. You can also make it so that it is aesthetically pleasing!