The soil gives the aquarium the appearance of a natural reservoir. It creates a color background for fish and plants, emphasizing their unique features. In addition to decorative qualities, the soil performs the functions of maintaining the biological balance in the aquarium, determines the properties and composition of the water. Important processes for the processing of waste take place in it: fish excrement, uneaten food residues, dead plant leaves. The soil contains bacteria that provide biological treatment and decomposition of organic matter.
Instructions
Step 1
You can find substrate for an aquarium in streams and rivers, but this is a very tedious task. In addition, it takes a long time to process, and therefore it will be easier and more convenient to buy it. Before purchasing soil, you need to find out its origin, as well as its chemical composition. If it is limestone, it will release carbonates into the aquarium water, which increases its hardness. Not all plants and fish are able to survive in hard water. To test the soil for carbonates, you can pour a few drops of vinegar over the soil. The release of gas bubbles will indicate the presence of carbonates.
Step 2
Aquarium soils can be divided into 3 groups according to their origin: artificial soils; natural pebbles, sand, crushed stone and gravel; soils obtained by chemical or mechanical processing of natural materials.
Step 3
Coarse sand is ideal for aquariums containing weak root plants and small burrowing fish. In those aquariums where there are plants with a powerful root system and large fish that undermine the soil live, pebbles are better suited as the latter. As for artificial soil: it can be plastic or glass balls.
Step 4
Artificial (glass and plastic) soil is completely harmless. It does not release substances into the water that are harmful to fish. However, it can only be used in aquariums with artificial plants or if live plants grow in pots. In addition, it must be remembered that such soil is not suitable for keeping burrowing fish.
Step 5
It is believed that the substrate for the aquarium should certainly be dark in color, in no way colored. Of course, against the background of dark soil, the fish will look brighter, and the greenery of the plants will look more impressive. But what if the aquarium is equipped in the form of a pseudorith? In this case, the appearance of dark soil against the background of corals will become completely inappropriate. If you like colored or light soil - feel free to buy.
Step 6
The optimum size of soil particles is 2-8 mm. It can be slightly larger, the main thing is that all the particles are of approximately the same size and generally round in shape. Also, the soil must be porous. The ingress of small particles between large ones will lead to the fact that the circulation of water in the soil will be impeded, stagnant processes will begin in it, which can cause rotting of plant roots, as well as spoilage of water.
Step 7
Regardless of whether you purchase soil or extract it yourself, it needs to be processed. If sand is used as soil, it should be sieved through a sieve to remove finer particles. It is undesirable to use sand of a reddish hue, as it contains a lot of iron, which is harmful to some fish. The pebbles also need to be sorted out so that its particles are approximately the same size.
Step 8
Now the soil must be thoroughly rinsed. To do this, place it in a container and fill it with water, then stir and drain the water. Repeat this procedure until the drained water is completely clear. After rinsing, disinfect the soil by boiling it for 15-20 minutes or calcining it on a baking sheet in the oven.
