Decorations are important for aquariums, specifically for fish. On the one hand, they make the tanks look better. Nice decorations make aquariums more attractive and appealing. On the other hand, fish will feel more comfortable. If fish live in tanks with nice decorations, their stress will be lightened. Since decorations are beneficial for your cute fish, have you ever been stumped by how to decorate your cool fish tanks? If your answer is “Yes”, this article will help you out! Let’s explore together!
Make your fish tank more interesting
When you decorate your aquariums, you should consider factors, including the size of fish and tanks, the number of fish, and the species of fish.
- The size of fish and tanks
Small fish require less space, while large fish need more space. It is recommended to leave room around the edges for movement.
Generally speaking, small aquariums do not need too many decorations. You should permit there to be enough room for fish to swim. On the other hand, you can put fish tank decorations in available space for large aquariums. But if you want to apply multiple plants in tanks, you should avoid touching between plants and keep space, or they may block out the light.
All in all, decorations should not bring a bad impact on your fish. It is necessary to manage the space of aquariums. If properly managed and decorated, your aquariums will look more attractive and clean.
- The number of fish
The available space for decorations depends on the number of fish in the tanks. The more fish and creatures in tanks, the more space they need to move around, and then the less available room for decorations. Please remember that you should avoid the decorations becoming hindrances to the movement and living of fish.
- The species of fish
The fish species also affect the setting of decorations. If you keep bottom-dwellers in your tank, then you should not apply too many decorations, because they will interfere with the movement of bottom-dwellers. On the contrary, if you keep top-dwellers, you can apply more decorations accordingly. But the decorations should not be obstacles.
Moreover, fish from fast-moving currents and open and deep water areas prefer hard coverings, including large and solid objects, rocks, and logs. And fish from slow-moving rivers, lakes, and shallow ponds are in favor of soft covering, such as plants.
Decoration Pointers
By the way, except for the factors mentioned above, there are also pointers for you.
The selection of decorations
When you decorate freshwater tanks aside from tanks for hard water or high pH fish, and rift lake cichlid tanks, you should avoid real shells and limestone, because both of them will gradually dissolve in tanks and lead to the rise of hardness and pH of the water in aquariums.
For saltwater tanks, there are some suitable plants, including Halimeda, Sea lettuce, and Green finger algae.
The following decorations can be applied in freshwater and saltwater tanks: gravel, sand, artificial coral, rocks, plants, shells, pebbles, or others.
The smooth edges of the decorations are better. If decorations with sharp edges, fish may get injured easily.
Avoid toxic decorations: For example, some minerals are water-soluble. The stone is not toxic, but if it is dissolved in water, it may produce toxic substances.
Avoid plastic or rubber items not designed for aquariums, because these items may contain preservatives, which are harmful to fish.
The placement of decorations
Large decorations and plants are put in the back or both sides of tanks.
Short decorations and plants were in the front of tanks.
High decorations and plants: use them to hide the tank heater or other unsightly necessities.
Place decorations away from tank walls. As a result, it can create enough room for movement. Moreover, do not put too many decorations in the same place, or the shadows will affect the lighting.
The design of decorating
Combine the same type of plants, and you can design tanks with plants of different colors and textures. But you should avoid applying too many different types of plants. By doing so, the tank will be more attractive.
Choose two “main” plants or decorations, and place them around the center of the aquariums. You should keep decorations simple as the complex ones may distract fish and need time to clean. And the simple ones work better.
Use small rocks or plants to hide the edges of resin, ceramic, or plastic decorations. It will make your tank look more natural.
Select a suitable background. An ideal background provides a more comfortable environment for fish. Besides, it can hide tubes and pipes, which can improve the appearance of your aquarium.
When you design tanks of aquatic plants, you should pay attention to the focus and golden section. There should be only one focus on the tanks of aquatic plants. And you should decide on the theme before design. On the other hand, the composition is another main factor. In general, the golden section is usually applied. The ratio of the golden section is always taken approximately, such as 2:3 or 5:8 or something like this.
Do fish like decorations in the tank?
Fish prefer decorations in tanks. But it does not mean that the tank should be filled with decorations. However, you can create a living condition that is similar to nature.
Besides, well-decorated tanks provide benefits for fish.
- A well-decorated tank makes fish feel comfortable and safe. As they will get stressed if they feel exposed. So if there are hiding places in tanks, they can hide in plants, caves, or rocks. Moreover, fish with less stress can live happily and longer, and they are healthier than high-stress ones. In addition, they can get cured quickly if they are sick. And their immune system also gets promoted.
- Fish in well-decorated tanks are more likely to show their natural behavior.
- If fish are kept in a well-decorated tank, they will be more active, and they can spend more time exploring in the tank. As a result, they will be healthier and their body color will improve.
Fish tank decoration ideas
In the end, there are some gadgets for decorations. And it is worth taking a look!
Besides plants or stones, a mist maker can achieve mysterious fogging! You can place the machine fully submerged in the water and put it on top of rocks or things that can hold it. Besides, keeping the machine 0.4-1.2 inches below the water can achieve the best fogging effect.
You can also add a hollow tree trunk, which is natural and not toxic. Besides, the openings are smooth so that your fish will not get injured. Moreover, the weighted base can keep it in place. Rinse it under tap water, and then you can put it in the cool fish tank.
A unique decoration light adds a natural look and cool lighting to your aquarium decorations. The lighting flows out from the gaps, giving you a beautiful and mysterious feeling. The lights are disguised as stones in the fish tank, which increases the ornamental value of the landscape and enhances the dramatic effect of the entire fish tank.
Conclusion
At present, you have learned more about decorating fish tanks, right? By the way, too many decorations for aquariums will bring bad impacts. For most fish, the ideal cover rate of decorations is 50-70 percent. If there are too many decorations, they will narrow the space and reduce the swimming room. And the fish will feel uncomfortable. Besides, the aggressive fish may fight with each other, and cause injuries in the end. On the other hand, too many decorations will limit the water volume. If there is less water, the water will get polluted more quickly than normal. In such a case, you will need to change the water frequently to keep water quality.
Finally, thank you for your reading. Hope you have enjoyed this article!
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