Where to start ?
You have your perfect tank, complete with all the bells and whistles of filtration. You have your water quality test set ready. You have a list of the fish you want in your collection. So, how will you decorate your aquarium? Believe it or not, a lot of people run into problems here.
Sometimes they get so excited about all the cute decorations in the pet store that they overpopulate the bottom of the tank. This is not good. This will not only make tank maintenance more difficult (just remember to wash all of this), but it also looks sticky. With this in mind, how do you choose decorations for your tank? This is the time to be creative, as the sky is really the limit.
Work from bottom to top
Which aquarium substrate should you use?
The first thing you want to consider is what type of substrate to use. There are many different options. Do you want a sandy bottom? What about small gravel or large? You can even use small stones. Do you want to use glass pebbles? Do you want the tank to be more colourful or more natural?
The most important thing when choosing a substrate is your fish. Sometimes the type of fish you want will dictate what type of substrate you need to use. If you want fish such as eels or knife fish, you must have a sandy bottom. Eels will spend most of their time on the bottom, and if you have a rocky substrate, they will rub their bodies raw, which is bad for them. If you are considering a freshwater stream, you must have a large bottom with sand. They will bury themselves in sand, which would be almost impossible for them to do safely in a tank with gravel as substrate. Sand will also give your tank more of the saltwater feeling that many people desire.
However, sand has some disadvantages. If you plan to do gravel watering, which you should consider urgently, sand can make it more annoying. Because sand is smaller and lighter than gravel, it tends to make the pipe higher. It also tends to go into whatever you use to collect your sewage. This means that you will need to replace sand more often than you would need to replace gravel.
Gravel and stones are popular choices for fresh water tanks. They create a natural look for the tank and they are easy to clean. They are a better alternative to colored glass pebbles, which, as pretty as they may be, are not always the best choice for a large fish tank. Glass pebbles aren't necessarily bad for your fish, they simply don't provide as much surface area for good bacteria to colonize. You need good bacteria to keep the nitrogen levels in your tank in check. Glass pebbles will break over time, as is natural, and gravel will also erode. However, the glass pebbles will have sharper edges, while the gravel will just get finer. Glass pebbles are pretty, but they are for show only. It wouldn't be harmful to have a few of them scattered across the bottom of the tank as they add some color. Just be sure to change them once they start showing signs of wear.
You need to make sure that everything you put in your tank is rinsed properly - and that includes your substrate. Sometimes you need to rinse it a few times to get all the dust and debris out.
Plants: Live or fake?
Fake plants can add a splash of colour to your tank. If you use live plants, make sure they are a species that can be fully immersed in water.
Choosing the right plants for your aquarium: real or fake?
Plants are a very popular decoration in many aquariums. Some people like them because they add color to the tank. Some people add them because plants are found in many freshwater environments and can give the tank a more natural feel. When you go to the pet store, you will see a wide selection when it comes to aquarium plants.
The vast majority of home aquariums use plastic plants instead of live ones. Why? Plastic plants are often more colourful than real plants, in colours not found in nature. They are also easier to care for because they cannot die. And like real plants, they offer the fish a place to hide.
However, real plants can offer systems something that fake plants cannot: They can help improve the water quality of your tank. How's that? Plants need to use nitrogen and in an aquarium they are able to use the waste products of the fish. This keeps the levels low in the tank, which is a great bonus. Plants also use CO2 (carbon dioxide) for their respiration and give off O2 (oxygen) as a waste product. This is ideal for domestic tanks as carbon dioxide build-up can be toxic and stable oxygen levels not only help your fish breathe, they can help maintain a stable pH.
Of course, fake plants have their own advantages: they do not drop leaves or die. Dead leaves and plants decompose, which can cause the nitrogen levels in the tank to rise. This spike can stress the fish and, if it is high enough, potentially lead to death.
Fake plants can be used to add colour to fish tanks
Adding decorations
What other decorations are safe for your tank.
Dos and Don'ts of decorating a fish tank
The sky really is the limit when it comes to adding decorations to fish tanks. You can even get a miniature replica of Bikini Bottom or Stonehenge if that's what you're into. The shelves of animal products are lined with fake rocks, coral and sunken ships and many other curiosities. These items have been specially designed for fish tanks. This means that the materials used do not deteriorate when they are immersed in water for a long period of time.
There are a few things to consider when picking out decorations for your tank. You need to know exactly how big the bottom of your tank is. You also need to keep in mind what you might already have. Do you add plants? How many? The last thing you need to keep in mind is exactly what you want your tank to look like. Many people often go overboard when it comes to picking out decorations for their tank. It can be really easy to do, and let's face it, it's really fun to pick out things for your tank. Just think of how much space you have to work with. Do you really have room for that sunken ship, fake coral and that huge treasure chest? Sometimes simple is better. A big piece and a few smaller pieces are all you need, especially if you add plants.
You might be tempted to add real coral and driftwood. That can be dangerous. You don't want to add diseases or parasites to your tank. Disturbing coral reefs are also illegal in many places, not to mention extremely frowned upon by inquarist and diving communities. Since I do not support this practice, I will not discuss it further. But, let me say this: living coral loses its colour as soon as it dies, and wouldn't you rather have fake coral that has a realistic colour instead of a white mass in your tank?
Sometimes people are tempted to add things that were not designed in fish tanks. You'd be surprised what some people want to use for decoration. Sharp edges, concrete, copper and plastics that have been painted should not be put in your fish tank. Why? These elements cause problems. Copper is toxic to fish and concrete will leach chemicals into your tank. Sharp edges can harm your fish and should always be avoided. Paint can flake off or poison your fish. If you ever put anything in your tank and notice that it seems to be leaching or the paint disappears, remove it immediately.
If in doubt, do not add it to your tank. It is better to be safe than sorry. Do you really want to endanger your fish just to have costume jewelry in your tank? Always remember that whatever you add, you want to rinse it thoroughly before it goes in.
Ceramics, wood, rocks, glass, plastics, coins, shells and corals may not be safe decorations for your tank.
Things that do not belong in fish tanks
- Ceramics (if you can't eat it, don't put it in your tank; they can leach chemicals and heavy metals)
- Wood (unless it was purchased and pre-treated in a pet shop)
- Rocks (some rocks have minerals that you don't want in your tank)
- Mussels and corals (in freshwater systems they will add calcium that the system does not need)
- Some glass (glass is safe unless it has sharp edges or has been painted)
- Plastics (general rule of thumb is, if it smells of plastic, it will not go into a fish tank)
All decorations must be cleaned at some point. Here's how.
How to clean aquarium decorations
No matter what you use for decorations, except for living plants, you will have to clean it at some point. You will need some basic tools to clean your tank and decorations. Scrub brushes with bristles, soft pad peeling pads, and a gravel wash kit are a few of the items I would recommend. Be sure to get items that go with your tank, and remember that acrylic scratches much easier than glass, so never use a coarse brush or pad on an acrylic tank.
Scrub the algae off the sides of the tank.
1. scrub off algae and built-up gunk
The first thing you want to do is to wash off any algae or cannons from your decorations and the walls of the tank. The hard bristle brush is good for scrubbing the decorations and the soft pads, especially on the long handles, are good for the walls.
2. change the water
Once you have scrubbed the algae, it is time for the water change.
3. clean the substrate
Cleaning the substrate is easy and you remove your water at the same time. Two birds with one flap, what is better than that? A gravel washing pipe is typically an acrylic pipe with a flexible hose that goes into a bucket. The acrylic pipe and hose use suction to shake up the gravel and pull dirty water, detritus and poop through the hose and into the bucket.
You can change your water and clean your substrate at the same time.
How often you should clean your gravel depends on several factors. How many fish do you have? Do you feed your fish often? Do you have live plants that lose leaves? Even if your tank has excellent water quality, you should consider doing small gravel heatings weekly to remove excess food, poop and detritus.
Cleaning the decorations in your tank keeps them bright and the tank healthier. It is also very satisfying to see all the gunk you remove from the gravel in your tank.
How to use Gravel Wash
Methods behind gravel washing
Should you add a tank background?
Many tinkerers choose to add a background to their tank. There are many different options for backgrounds. They come in different colors and patterns. Really, there are no wrong choices, so you can do what your heart desires. If you want a plain blue background, go for it. If you want a sunken ship in your background, you got it. If you want a picture of the castle at Disneyland, knock yourself out.
If you do not want a background, you do not need one. Some people just don't like the view of the wall behind the back to be visible from the front of the tank. It's really a matter of personal choice. Personally, I don't mind seeing the wall behind my tank, but when I use backgrounds, I make sure I hide the tape well. I can't bear to see the tape; I feel that it makes my beautiful tank look sticky.
To the side: I've never seen the Disneyland Castle as a background option in a pet store. But, if you happen to have a picture (and if you don't, the Internet is a nice place), you can simply have a picture printed and laminated to the right size. Why laminated? Think about it. Eventually, no matter how careful you are, you will get water on the background.
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