Features of the design of a freshwater aquarium in the pseudo-sea style

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An aquarium in the pseudo-sea style amazes with its naturalness and beauty. It is impossible to take your eyes off the blue water with colorful fish. However, only an experienced aquarist who has the necessary skills and knowledge can create a pseudo-sea with his own hands and properly care for it.

Rules for designing an aquarium

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. This is a great saltwater aquarium option for beginners. 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, the correct design of a 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. It could also be a built-in aquarium.

Epilogue:

The above overview concerns only the distinctive features of the designs themselves, i.e. the visible part of the aquarium, its aesthetic component. The author deliberately did not touch upon differences in equipment and filtration systems, so as not to confuse the reader with the number of terms. It is clear that keeping animals of different character and structure requires different filtration systems. But since marine aquarium keeping is a fairly young and rapidly developing science, maintenance systems are constantly subject to changes and modifications. Many housing systems give rise to international “battles” between marine aquarists on numerous forums. The author of the article has two invented devices for marine aquariums and one filtration system, which, after only two years, was considered obsolete and has now undergone significant changes. Therefore, if your goal is not to learn how to independently maintain complex marine systems, but just want to admire their contents, then entrust the technical part to professionals, leaving the choice of design style to yourself.

© Pavel Mashukov © Aqua Logo

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. Particular attention is paid to lighting - in aquariums with a marine 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.

Main differences

I don’t want to focus on why an aquarium is needed in the house at all. Let's boil it all down to the desire to decorate the room. But to the question of why people choose waterless structures, I will answer you by making some comparative characteristics:

Advantages

• Small mass . An ordinary glass tank filled with water weighs a lot, forcing you to carefully select a base that can support it. In this case, almost any bedside table or even shelf is quite suitable;
• Dynamic composition . Nothing will stop you from rearranging the scenery, changing the lighting angle, relief, or even the contents of the bottom every day. In the classic version, this requires first draining liters of liquid, and only then can you make the desired changes;

Experimenting with layers of sand can produce amazing results.

• Basic care instructions . There is no need to constantly change the water, monitor the acid-base balance and temperature. The only thing that is required is to periodically remove dust to maintain cleanliness. Thanks to this factor, a dry aquarium can be installed even in a hard-to-reach place;
• No risk of depressurization . You are not at risk of flooding even if the glass is damaged;
• Low selling price . There is no need for live fish, algae, a compressor and various dietary supplements, which gives a noticeable relief to the family budget;
• Possibility of creating with your own hands . Since the sealing requirements are reduced, the process of assembling the tank is greatly simplified.

Flaw

The only disadvantage that an imitation of an aquarium in the interior has is the lack of life in it. But then we would have to exclude all the advantages described above. So just decide what exactly you want: a silent domestic animal that is undoubtedly beautiful in its own way, or a beautiful, undemanding interior element.

A real aquarium fascinates with the appearance of its inhabitants, but also introduces a lot of additional problems into your life.

Substrate

For a pseudo-sea aquarium, the same soil is used as for a tank with ocean water, for example, how to set up an aquarium:

• 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 advantageous and better the pond looks, which is why aquarists are increasingly choosing light beige marble chips.

Imitation of the sea

A pseudo-sea aquarium creates the illusion of an aquatic ocean environment with associated vegetation and fish. At home it will look great in a spacious living room or large bathroom.

Contemplation of the seascape creates favorable relationships, which is why such a pond is often installed in offices. They are located in the common hall or in a separate office. External lighting is not important, since it can be corrected with local lamps.

Decorative elements

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

• large shells and shells from the sea can be placed in the aquarium;
• limestone stones;
• fossilized corals;
• aquarium background.

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, aquariums include aquarium grottoes, caves, shelters, sunken ships or sailboats. The pseudo-sea design concept is based on one key figure in the center of the tank, which is complemented by various details. The background of the back wall is decorated with a dark or blue film.

What you need to know about decor

White or beige marble chips are ideal as a primer. 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 irregularly shaped sandstone. The stones must not contain metal veins or traces of rust. The surface must be uniform, without gaps or cracks. First rinse natural stones with water and then boil them.

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

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. It is better not to use souvenir corals coated with chemical compounds.

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 a small container and observe. If black spots, white deposits and an unpleasant odor appear, 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.

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 is much more convenient. 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 or 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.

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.

Content

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 needs to be siphoned 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.

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.

Suitable fish for a pseudosea aquarium:

• Malawians;
• swordtails and molynesias;
• rainbow silversides;
• haplochromis;
• Victorians;
• lamprologus.

When using artificial plants and decorations, the aquarium contains large cichlids: diamond cichlamosa or parrots. There are also special jellyfish for the aquarium.

Where to start?

Before buying an aquarium, you should decide where to install it. You also need to plan the interior that will be near it. The thing to understand here is that compliance is important. For example, an aquarium with bright fish and bright blue lighting will look ridiculous in an office with an ascetically austere interior. Therefore, experts recommend that for the living room, dining room, children's room and even bathroom, aquarium lighting should be done in blue, red, white, yellow or gray tones. If the room is made in green and brown colors, then the aquarium should be made in a “tropical” format. The pseudo-sea design allows for any shape of the aquarium. A panoramic, rectangular shape, as well as a ball and many other options can be used. The use of spectral lamps will highlight the bright colors of the fish. At the same time, combining the warm spectrum with blue and lightly adding ultraviolet light will make the depths of the sea very expressive. The secret to designing ultraviolet lighting is that the rays from the lamp should be directed from top to bottom. Thus, the contours of the fish, corals and their shadows will become clear and at the same time slightly blurred below.

Aquarium care

Maintaining and caring for a pond will not require much effort and time from the aquarist. Attention should be paid only to the accumulation of organic matter in the aquatic environment, so you should not overfeed the fish and remove food debris after eating. Water changes are carried out weekly, updating at least 10–20% of the total volume.

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 a wonderful and unique element of the interior that can please even sophisticated connoisseurs of beauty.

Pseudo-sea: photo - some tips

It’s a natural desire to take photographs of a pseudo-marine aquarium you’ve created yourself and share them with friends and colleagues. To make your photos high-quality and rich in color, you need to know a few simple rules and recommendations.

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-colored home furnishings near the aquarium, 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.

Design examples

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Would you like to place a large aquarium with exotic sea creatures and artificial corals in your dining room or living room? Luxurious fish and sea predators can decorate your cozy family evening. In a luxury residence you will surprise your guests, and in your office you will demonstrate to your business partners all your strength and power.

How does an elite automatic aquarium differ from a regular one, besides its impressive size?

Firstly, it does not require regular care from its owner; it does not need to be cleaned or scrubbed.

Secondly, there is no need to monitor the condition of the water.

Thirdly, you will never forget to feed your fish, and all because the AquaDigitalLife aquarium automation system will do all the work for you:

• will create a pseudo-sea eco-environment;
• will allow you to contain the most complex and whimsical creatures;
• will maintain the required water level;
• will provide cleaning and filtration;
• will protect the aquarium from leakage.

And you will only have the most pleasant thing - watching your charges!