The first step is always to fit the bottom of the aquarium, which can be sand, volcanic rock or a specific substrate for plants that can be bought in pet shops. Only then do we move on to the decoration.
It is essential to integrate aquatic decorations in perfect harmony with the type of fish, namely saltwater fish and freshwater fish. Therefore, aquatic plants and decorative objects should be chosen according to the origin of the fish.
For example, in a seawater aquarium, you should choose soft decorations. A cold freshwater aquarium has fish that are generally not very colourful, so you can count on decorations with strong colours, but you must limit the number of them so that the inhabitants benefit from an environment that is clear enough as in their natural element. In a warm freshwater aquarium, the fish are very colourful, so decorations with neutral tones enhance the species that live in the aquarium.
Each plant, mineral and other elements must imperatively be dedicated to aquarium keeping in order not to encourage pollution of this particular environment. We avoid varnished objects as well as putrescible natural elements because they will inevitably lead to an imbalance of the hydrogen potential (pH) of the water, which would result in the death of the fish. This is the reason why all the accessories for the decoration of an aquarium must be bought in a specialized aquarium shop.
Care should also be taken to install only decorations with non-sharp edges.
Your aquarium should be an addition to your home. The ideal is to create a living picture, which the aquarium’s lighting can magnify. Travel enthusiasts generally do not hesitate to create an exotic landscape, for example. But one can also prefer to bring a high design touch to his room.
The trend is to bring a natural touch to the home, and the aquarium can play an important role in this if it is decorated with elements of plant and mineral origin. A few fast-growing aquatic plants at the bottom, another with colourful foliage in the centre and a few pebbles or quartz rocks, some of which are hollow, are enough to decorate an aquarium very simply.
By choosing only natural elements, you can recreate the aquatic biotope that suits your fish perfectly, provided that they belong – in the wild – to the same environment. This allows you to respect the rules of nature.
An aquarium decorated by children can include Disney characters behind which a clownfish can hide. Note that children usually start aquarium keeping with a goldfish bowl. If they want to put decorations in it, it’s best to give them a large jar!
There is an incredible choice of natural and artificial objects. Artificial aquarium plants these days are so realistic that they can be mistaken for the real thing, and cost much less. They have at least the advantage of being acclimatized to any environment and have no requirements. The choice is up to each aquarist.
You’ll eventually have to take down all of your decorations to clean them. Brown or green algae can form on aquarium ornaments over time. Artificial plants with fine leaves appear to be a “catch-all” for stray food particles and trash.
Pre-wash your decorations under running water to clean them. Then fill the sink with really hot water and soak them for a bit. A lot of the muck appears to be dislodged by the hot water. Then, with warm water, wash them again, and they should appear nearly new. When cleaning aquarium decorations, never use any sort of soap. Cleaning aquarium muck from fake plant leaves is a difficult task.
Make sure that your decorations follow the rules of the aquarium, you may want to have some recommendations from the aquarium shop, or you may pursue further research on the net. Let us know in the comments how you decorate your aquarium…