Aquarium 50-60 liters: fish, plants, equipment

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Aquariums of 50-60 liters are still considered small aquariums, they do not take up much space, and are not so heavy that they require strengthening the surface. And at the same time, you can already expand, a wide selection of plants and fish opens up, and no expensive equipment is required.

50-60 liters is already a fairly stable habitat, unless there is overpopulation. The main thing here is to select suitable inhabitants and give preference to small species of fish.

Aquarium type

First you need to decide on the type of aquarium, and it depends on the future population. In an aquarium of 50-60 liters there may be several of them, and the choice of equipment will depend on the type of aquarium.

• Tropical. The most common type of aquarium. It will give you a huge selection of tropical fish and plants.
• Shrimpman. The choice of shrimp these days is simply huge, and in such a large aquarium you can choose more expensive and rare varieties. It should be remembered that neocaridins of different varieties cannot be housed together.
• Cold water. 50-60 liters is a sufficient volume to keep one goldfish, or a pair, but with the prospect of purchasing a larger aquarium in the future. In general, you can put a couple of small goldfish here, such as telescopes or comets.

Next, we will select equipment and population depending on the type of aquarium.

Style

An aquarium made in the same style always looks more attractive than a pond with chaotically arranged elements. A 60-liter container can be decorated in one of the existing styles, or you can come up with your own. Among the popular styles for a 60 l aquarium, the following are suitable:

• Dutch - involves the creation of a herbal pond with an abundant amount of green plants.
• Biotope - a container in this style imitates a certain natural body of water: a lake, river or stream.
• Thematic style will fit perfectly into the interior of a children's room or playroom. In this case, the container is designed according to the plot of a cartoon, fairy tale or book.

A striking example is the tank, designed according to the plot of the fairy tale “The Little Mermaid”.

Priming

For a tropical aquarium and shrimp tank, it is better to choose soil with a fine fraction of 0.1-0.5 cm. This can be neutral sand or gravel, special soil for plants or a nutrient mixture - it all depends on the future population and plants.

For expensive and demanding types of shrimp, it is advisable to choose special mixtures of soils for shrimp - they improve water parameters, stabilize them, which has a beneficial effect on the health of animals. Also, in such mixtures, microorganisms that baby shrimp feed on actively develop, which promotes reproduction. Such mixtures are quite expensive, but it is worth it.

Equipment for a 60 liter aquarium for goldfish

If the soil is neutral and the plants need root nutrition, choose a nutrient mixture for laying under the gravel.

For goldfish, you can choose soil of a larger fraction, especially since plants are practically excluded in such a container. But the gravel must be rounded - goldfish are active diggers, they will dig and move everything in the aquarium, and can be seriously injured by sharp edges. In general, sand is suitable as a covering for goldfish, and its layer can be only 1-2 cm - this is enough to hide the glass, and this is the entire function of the soil in such an aquarium.

The amount of material required can be calculated using a soil calculator.

Small subtleties

Group effect

It has been noticed that peaceful fish living in schools are much calmer, which means they consume less oxygen than solitary fish. It is recommended to keep such species not even in pairs, but in small “companies”; in this case, their population density can be safely increased.

The aquarium must be populated on all “floors”. If you don’t know what breed the fish belongs to (bottom-dweller, inhabitant of the middle or upper layers), look at its “face”. Turning the fish's mouth downwards will indicate its predilection for “digging” in the ground; it prefers to live in the depths. The fish's mouth is directed straight - its place is in the middle layers, upward - on the surface of the aquarium.

We think correctly

When calculating the ratio of fish and water, it is necessary to reduce the volume of the aquarium by the amount of soil (it is approximately 1/6 of the total volume), and by the volume that remains unfilled with water. Please also note that young specimens are more often purchased and increase in size with age. Calculations are made taking into account the “adult” size of the fish.

Not everyone has the space to set up an aquarium or the time to devote to caring for it. The best way out of the situation is to have a 20-liter aquarium, which can become a decoration for your desktop or small table. In any case, it will give the room some zest if it is properly kept clean and the space is organized for small inhabitants.

Editorial: Echinodorus rose

It is not uncommon for small aquariums to be equipped with fontanelle filters, which make the pond interesting. The point of the spring is to create a fancy bundle of sand that looks very much like fancy stones. This can be achieved thanks to carbon dioxide, which precipitates and binds sand grains together.

A special find for the aquarist is sandstone, which is not needed for such a small volume. This decorative material allows you to create unique compositions that highlight the beauty of the aquarium in photos and in real life. For small aquariums, plates are suitable; they will successfully camouflage the service devices; in large aquariums, they will create a unique relief.

Lighting

The type of lamp itself does not matter much. These can be LEDs, T5, T9 lamps. The brightness and color range of the color depends on the choice of fish and plants.

If it is expected that there will be demanding, for example, red plants, then strong lighting is needed, with a suitable spectrum.

If the plants are not demanding, in most cases a medium level of light is sufficient for fish and plants.

Power calculations are done in different ways, roughly speaking, this is:

• 1 watt per liter – strong lighting;
• 0.5 watts per liter – average lighting.

But it is more correct to take into account the brightness of the light; for most LEDs and lamps it is indicated in lumens . On average, 30-50 lm per liter of water .

• 50 lm per liter – strong lighting;
• 30 lm per liter – average lighting.

How to choose a fish feeder

There are three types of feeders:

• floating;
• stationary;
• automatic feeders.

What should you focus on in this case? On the frequency of feeding the fish. If you are away from home for a long time, then buy feeders that run on electricity and consistently produce food for two months.

If you are away from home for 6-8 hours, then purchase a simple battery-powered electronic feeder.

If you have the opportunity to feed the fish yourself, an automatic feeder is pointless, and it is better to use a floating factory one or a homemade one, which is also a good option.

Filter and compressor

Tropical aquarium and shrimp tank

You can choose any type of filter, the main thing is that its throughput capacity is at least three volumes of aquarium water per hour.

Cold water

For goldfish, more powerful filters are chosen - a throughput capacity of at least five volumes of water per hour.

A compressor is not necessary, especially for tropical fish and shrimp. But they can be used to complement an aquarium with goldfish - they love oxygenated water.

Equipment

To ensure that the environment inside the artificial reservoir is comfortable for all its inhabitants, a 60-liter aquarium will need to be equipped with the necessary equipment. Install in the tank:

1. Filter. Can be internal, external, canister or bottom. Must have a capacity of 60 l/h. The filter ensures water purification from contaminants and mixing.
2. Compressor. This is a device for saturating water with oxygen. Necessary when keeping a large number of hydrobionts.
3. Heater and thermometer to control water temperature.
4. Lamps and lamps for aquarium lighting. The lamps can be fluorescent (for a 60-liter tank you will need 2 pieces with a power of 10-11 W or 1 piece with a power of 15-24 W) or LED. Must provide daylight (white) light.

Scenery

For a tropical aquarium and shrimp tank, the choice of decorations is huge: live and artificial plants, stones, driftwood, etc. Remember that rocks should not increase the alkalinity of the water.

Goldfish choose plants only those that do not require planting in the ground, and their leaves must be hard enough, or they risk being eaten. The choice is generally small: ferns, anubias, some types of mosses. Cladophora balls are a good choice – they add variety to the decor. You can use artificial plants, as well as rocks or artificial decorations, but they must be securely fastened, otherwise your golden pets will literally chase them all over the aquarium.

Signs of overpopulation

You will understand that the aquarium is full and it is time to replace it by changes in the behavior and condition of the pets:

• The fish often swim to the surface and gasp for air. This indicates a lack of oxygen for all residents.
• Your pets have lost their rich color and turned pale.
• Fish are stunted in growth. Crowding is often one of the main reasons for this phenomenon.
• The inhabitants of your aquarium are not reproducing. In order to have offspring, creatures need enough space. If it is not there, you should not expect an addition to the fish family.

If acquiring a new large aquarium is not possible at the moment, use other methods of helping your pets. For example, additional oxygen will be provided by algae or a special generation unit. Lowering the temperature within acceptable limits for the species will provide more comfort.

Plants

We are, of course, talking about a tropical aquarium and a shrimp tank.

It is worth turning to the category of plants for a nano aquarium, since it is worth choosing from small plants. You can also choose medium-sized cryptocorynes and anubias. Large long-stemmed plants, aponogetons, large cryptocorynes, and ferns are excluded.

What to choose

Aquarium fish

In an aquarium of 50-60 liters, there is finally ample space for activity.

As already mentioned, only a couple of small goldfish (telescopes, veiltails, etc.) can be accommodated in such a volume, but the choice of tropical fish is huge.

All small schooling fish are suitable, and the school can be quite large. It is a great pleasure to observe such a population! Groups of fish can be combined if they can get along, for example, these could be two groups of different types of tetras or different dwarf apistograms.

When choosing several types of fish, it is better to use a calculator.