Last Updated on June 10, 2023 by David
Decorating the aquarium is a favorite part of everyone who engages in this hobby. It adds our personal touch to any ordinary aquarium. Not only does it look more aesthetically pleasing if the aquarium is decorated, but it also adds entertainment as well as places for the fish to hide. We should start each aquarium decoration by choosing a good substrate. If the aquarium does not have a substrate, it will be necessary to change the water more often. We choose the substrate, as well as the stones that we add later to the aquarium, according to the hardness of the water and the plants we plan to plant.
Live vs. Artificial Aquarium Plants: Which Are Better?
The combination of clay and peat is perfect if we plan to plant plants. Clay contains certain nutrients, and we get peat from decaying trees. And all this should be covered with a layer of heavier material for stability. When we talk about stones, plants, and other decorations, most aquarium lovers will agree that a more natural decoration, a more natural look of the aquarium in general, is more beautiful than an artificial one. Although artificial plants and plastic stones are seemingly more beautiful and easier to reflect, they take away the naturalness of the aquarium, as well as the fish themselves. Natural plants are essential for an aquarium, not only aesthetically. But, plastic plants come in a variety of colors that cannot be found in nature but still serve their purpose, which is to provide the fish with a place to hide. Another downside of natural plants is that we have to take care that they are not harmful to the fish in the aquarium.
Aquarium decoration ideas with stones, coconut shell
We already know that stones are a very nice decoration for the aquarium, but we can also use them to make small caves. It is best to use flat stones and glue them with silicone. If we are able, while the silicone is drying, a nice addition to the cave is to sprinkle a little sand and thus get a more natural look. Stumps and hollow trees are also interesting decorations for the aquarium. Most pet stores carry them, and they add a whole new look to the aquarium. Like the previous decorations, it is important that the fish can hide or swim around the tree. Although not recommended, there are exceptions where we can add wood from the garden ourselves. The reason why this option is not the safest and recommended is the fact that few of us know which trees are poisonous to fish, and how to properly dry them to be able to put them in the aquarium. Although it is better to use natural decoration, we can add various toys and ships as well. It is especially useful to insert small ships as decoration because we can use them later to hide the water displacement filters.
Another very interesting decoration can be a coconut shell. The only important thing is that before putting it in the aquarium, we disinfect it well and boil it to kill the bacteria that may be on it. Although this is not a common decoration, many professional aquarists say that it adds a certain charm to the aquarium and a unique look. In the end, the only thing we can add is that it is not necessary to exaggerate the decoration, a neat aquarium looks better than one in which decorations are thrown all over the place. Mixing natural and artificial decorations achieves the best effects, but the only thing that matters is that it is good for our fish in the aquarium.
