If you want your aquarium inhabitants to be healthy, choose the right substrate for it in a specialty store or prepare it yourself, guided by certain rules.
Instructions
Step 1
Purchase soil from the store. It is better that it is dark in color and, accordingly, does not reflect light and warms up well. If you buy a soil that is too light, then the fish will behave restlessly, and some of them may fade in color. In addition, the roots of plants will be stunted, as they need warmth.
Step 2
If you decide to prepare the substrate for the aquarium yourself, choose dark gravel or gray sand from transparent rivers and streams. Basalt crushed stone and gravel of volcanic rocks are also suitable, which gradually release microelements useful for plant growth into the water.
Step 3
Please note: the size of the soil grains also plays an important role. Since fish waste gets into the space between them, the soil will have to provide free circulation of water between its particles (their diameter is from 2 to 5 mm).
Step 4
Rinse the gray river sand (the grain should be 2-4 mm in diameter) so that the water eventually becomes clear. Lay out the bottom of the aquarium with a layer of at least 5 cm. If possible, place pieces of peat and clay near the roots of the plants to nourish them.
Step 5
For a soft water aquarium, wash the sand in 30-40% hydrochloric acid, preheating it. Stir this composition until gas bubbles temporarily cease. Then rinse lightly with water. Place the resulting soil in the aquarium.
Step 6
Rinse river sand (1.5-2 mm in diameter) or gravel (3-4 mm in diameter). Wait for the water to turn clear. Then, boil the mixture for 15 minutes, stirring continuously. Then rinse again in warm water. The thickness of the soil layer in this case will depend on the types of plants and the size of the aquarium, but usually no more than 3-7 cm.
Step 7
Since fish waste gradually accumulates in the aquarium soil and the roots of plants can gradually rot, it should be renewed every 2-5 years. The frequency of replacement depends on the volume of plants, the number of fish and its composition.
