Aquascaping is a long-studied art form that allows you to create an underwater landscape. Inspiration for many of the works comes from underwater locations, as well as natural landscapes such as mountains, jungles, deserts, waterfalls and many others. Before you can create a beautiful aquarium design with your own hands, you will need a functional component of the aquarium environment. Some aquatic plants require intense light and nutrients to grow.

Low operating costs of an aquascape allow you to consume a low amount of carbon dioxide, less fertilizer and lighting. Diffused or dim lighting can be just as stunning as the plants will create beautiful highlights. For aquarium design plants, stones and driftwood are usually used.

Types of aquascapes

The Iwagumi style is a stone aquarium design that came from Japan. All decorative elements are thin and pointed, but supported by flowing elements. Large stones with uneven surface placed in central part reservoir. To create an analogy with the natural environment, the stones have slopes that water can hit.

Admire the Iwagumi-style aquarium.

Iwagumi aquascapes are often used for short plants that are planted in the foreground. The emphasis is on the rocks rather than the plants. Dark and cool stones are popular in this type of design.

Dutch style is an aquascape made from many types of plants. Traditional Dutch style places minimal emphasis on stones and driftwood. The choice of plants, their color and arrangement are key factors in creating style. Dutch aquascapes visually look like dense thickets of underwater rivers. Here you can often see bright red, orange, green plants, which are planted in large quantities in the foreground, center and background. This type of design involves the use of the most unusual and whimsical forms of plants. Preparing an aquascape takes a lot of time, skill and patience.

Natural style - recreates natural landscapes. Plants, driftwood and stones are arranged in such a way that they resemble a lake or river from a natural environment. This style is characterized by chaotic forms and simplicity. It uses exclusively natural materials. The placement of plants, driftwood and rocks is key. Pisces is just an addition to beautiful design. Modeling the natural environment requires careful planning. Plants for this aquascape are required to be short and attached to snags, stones or planted in the ground. The fish chosen for it are those that can enliven the landscape - barbs, swordtails, tetras, neons, angelfish (schooling species).

Symmetry

To design an aquarium with your own hands, you need to know some rules for arranging parts.

Form

1. Avoid straight lines and fenced plants. Tall seedlings in the background that spread out are not recommended. Natural views often have very few straight lines and little continuity. The best shapes are those that look like a smooth curve, or chaotic ones.
2. Natural curves and concavities are a plus - plants can be trimmed to create height at the edges and lowered in the center, creating a visual fall. This will help create more open space for the fish to swim.
3. Beveled shapes can be quite attractive - triangular shapes and islands can look natural and aesthetically pleasing. Beveled dark plants look like a river bed that gradually becomes deep.

See how you can decorate a 100 liter aquarium.

Foreground, middle ground and background (background)

It is important to differentiate each aquarium background. Each background should have both tall and low bushes of plants. Medium shot should consist of driftwood, rocks and medium-sized plants. The foreground should have beautiful broadleaf seedlings such as Anubias, Cryptocoryne, Arrowhead, Aponogeton, and others.

You can make a synthesis - stones and driftwood can be planted in the foreground, and plants can be planted on any plane to improve the appearance of the aquascape. If you can afford an open-top aquarium, then you have more opportunities to use rocks and driftwood that will stick out from the water surface.

It is better to plant plants this way: starting from the foreground and ending with the background, visually “going down” down. Long-stemmed species weigh less and easily become entangled in low plants that are in the foreground. Use silicone aquarium glue to install rocks, stones and attach them to each other. It is safer and keeps mosses, ferns and all wires in place. Also, mosses, ferns and creeping plants should be attached to a hard surface - wood or stone. Do this with aquarium glue or fishing line.

Aquarium design 200 liters with description and photo

Increasingly, most people around the world are becoming interested in aquarium keeping. And this is not at all surprising, because thanks to this hobby and performing a few simple steps, you can create in your room a real corner of living nature that will bring joy and give great mood, both its owner and his guests. And in today’s article we will look in detail at how you can design an artificial reservoir for 200 liters.

Choosing a 200 liter aquarium

As a rule, before you think about creating a magnificent and intriguing underwater world, you need to decide in advance on its shape. After all, how harmoniously it will blend with the interior of the room largely depends on it. So, a 200 liter aquarium can be:

1. Corner. Ideal for office spaces. Thanks to their structure, these vessels make it possible to build incredible underwater harbors or a coral lagoon, the photo of which is presented below.
2. Wall-mounted. Registration in this way for quite a long time caused concern even among experienced aquarists. But today this option is increasingly beginning to be found both in office and home spaces.
3. Panoramic. Such vessels are distinguished by concave glass, which allows us to examine in great detail the events taking place inside the aquarium.
4. Rectangular. Standard option, which is perfect for keeping all kinds of fish, for example, discus, barbs, angelfish, gourami. In addition, such a vessel allows you to implement any underwater landscape design. And that's not to mention him high quality and quite affordable price.

It is also worth considering that an artificial pond of 200 liters has an impressive weight. Therefore, it is advisable to purchase a special stand for it.

Selecting a design for an aquarium

First of all, I would like to note that the design of an aquarium should largely take into account not only interior interior premises, but also certain characteristics of its inhabitants. Thus, discus prefer the presence of pebbles as soil and the presence of small snags. Others require dense vegetation and living rocks. Therefore, we will consider several ways to decorate a vessel designed for 200 liters.

Pseudo-sea design

This design is perfect for aquarists who want to recreate a piece of the seascape in their premises. In addition, the pseudo-sea style is ideal for calm and peaceful fish. So what does it take to make it? First of all, a pleasant and calm background is selected for a 200 liter aquarium. For this purpose, both photos with corals and drawings depicting water can be suitable. After this, it’s time to choose lighting.

For this purpose you can use:

• neon lamp;
• cold light;
• standard light bulb.

Important! Many aquarium inhabitants, such as discus fish and guar fish, react differently to light intensity.

It is recommended to decorate the bottom with stones. Tuff stones are best suited for this style. Also, we must not forget about the indispensable attribute of such design as corals. Of course, you can use a design in the style of a pseudo-sea and without stones, as shown in the photo, but then you can forget about creating such beautiful decorative designs like coral slides.

As for fish, as mentioned above, predominantly peaceful and calm species are populated. For example, discus, panaka, cichlids.

But before populating an aquarium with 200 liters of its future inhabitants, it is necessary to take into account the ratio of 7 liters per individual. This is necessary in order to avoid territorial overpopulation.

Artificial Vegetation Vessel Design

In most cases, this design, a photo of which can be seen below, is distinguished by non-standard decorative elements that bring brightness to the interior. water world aquarium So, first of all, the advantages of this style include:

1. High life expectancy of the used decorations.
2. Possibility of keeping various types of fish, which under standard conditions would cause irreparable damage to vegetation.
3. Lightweight and easy to care for.

So, first of all we add aquarium gravel. This choice is due to the fact that not only cichlids, but also other fish feel more comfortable in such soil. After this, you can add artificial plants, for example, driftwood with imitation Java moss. Next we decorate the back. Plants are perfect for this purpose. big size, forming in the viewer the concept of the height of the vessel, but without imposing the depth of perception. Next, if desired, you can again add a little gravel to the sides of the vessel with planting red plants.

Story design

This design allows you to maximize your imagination and turn any idea into reality. So, if you wish, you can create a fairy-tale meadow, the gloomy castle of Count Dracula, or even a flooded Atlantis. Various options the decor can be seen in the photo below.

So, for this style, you can use ceramic products that imitate both various sculptural works and models of sunken vessels. It is worth emphasizing that such decorative elements will not harm the other inhabitants of the artificial reservoir, but on the contrary will serve as good shelters. For example, discus fish, in case of danger, will be able to hide their fry in them.

But it is worth noting that before creating such a design, you need to decide on the size of the decorative elements of the vegetation and, of course, the fish.

Biotope design

As a rule, discus, gouramis, angelfish and other types of fish feel most comfortable in artificial reservoirs with conditions that best match their natural habitat. That is why design in this style is not only a real art, but also vital for all inhabitants of the vessel. But it is worth noting that in order to create such a design you will have to work hard.

So, first of all, it is necessary to select for it both vegetation and fish that will feel comfortable in the reproduced landscape. For example, when planning a vessel in which discus fish are located, it is necessary not only to constantly maintain the required temperature, but also not to forget about the presence at the bottom of the aquarium of a large number of small branches and leaves, among which discus fish live in their natural habitat.

Design nuances

In order for the decoration of an artificial pond to go as planned, you need to remember a few simple rules registration So, it is not recommended to overload the aquarium with decor or leave too much empty space. In addition, do not forget about the simplicity and ease of subsequent maintenance of the vessel. That is why the ideal option would be to use collapsible structures. Also, if there are fish in the aquarium that like to burrow into the ground, then it is prohibited to use large pebbles as it. Best choice will use sand or 1-3 mm. soil.

Aquarium design: photos, video examples, styles and options

AQUARIUM DESIGN

Decorating an aquarium is a worthy and fertile topic of conversation. This is not surprising, because this is the primary question that people who have just bought an aquarium ask themselves.
Unfortunately, this issue is surprisingly poorly covered on the Internet, briefly or fragmentarily. We hope this article will reveal all the aspects and nuances of aquarium design and help you create your own aquarium kingdom.

Due to the volume of this issue, let's divide the article into two sections:
1. MATERIALS REQUIRED FOR DESIGNING THE AQUARIUM: soil, stones, grottoes, driftwood, the background, artificial and live aquarium plants, aquarium lighting, shells, castles, ships.
2. MAIN DIRECTIONS, TYPES AND EXAMPLES OF DESIGN OF AQUARIUMS.

Materials necessary for decorating an aquarium

And so, as you know, in order for fish to appear in your house, you need a vessel and water. However, aquarium keeping is not just the banal keeping of fish, it is the creation of a closed ecosystem, imitation natural conditions content of hydrobionts. It’s trite, but aquarium science begins with fish. Before you think about decorating an aquarium, first of all you need to decide on your desires and the fish that will swim in your pond. And this is very important! Each individual fish needs its own conditions of detention, its own water parameters, and other conditions. And it is precisely for them that an “aquarium house” needs to be built, this is precisely what we need to start from. For example, if you decide to keep African cichlids and at the same time want to see a garden of living aquarium plants in your aquarium... You are initially dooming yourself to a virtually impossible task. Natural habitat The habitat of most African cichlids is the rocky banks of the river. Nyasa and r. Tanganika, there are no plants, no algae - this is a “stone desert”. If you place plants in an aquarium with cichlids, they will pull them out and destroy them.
Based on what has been said, we advise you to first decide on the fish that will live in your aquarium, study their characteristics and habits, read and find out the conditions for keeping them. And then start and think about decorating the aquarium.
DESIGNING AN AQUARIUM WITH GROUND The soil is one of the most important elements of the aquarium; it is its mood. It is very important to approach the issue of its choice with special attention, because in addition to decorative functions, the soil plays the role of: a substrate for plants, for spawning and life of fish. It is important to choose the right fraction of soil, it is important to choose the required volume of soil, and only then the color of the soil. There is a good article on our website about the selection and selection of soil, we suggest you read: HERE.

Speaking about the decorative properties of the soil, it is recommended to choose a soil of darker tones, so that the bright and light colors of the aquarium bottom do not overshadow the charm and beauty of the “main heroes of the occasion” - the fish. DESIGNING THE AQUARIUM WITH STONES AND GROTTOES. An important technical nuance when decorating an aquarium with stones, grottoes, caves, etc. is the use of non-toxic, non-toxic materials. If stones and driftwood are selected and made independently, you need to do everything according to the rules and make sure that they do not release harmful substances into the water. Certainly the decorations should not be made of limestone, rubber and metal, no paints or enamels!!!
Speaking about the aesthetic part of the design of the reservoir, you should always remember that stones, grottoes, and driftwood take away the “usable area” of the aquarium - the living space. The amount of such decor is calculated based on the volume of the aquarium and the needs of the fish themselves. In addition, it should be taken into account that large decorative elements are installed along the edges of the aquarium or in the background. Don't put a huge castle in the middle!!! This is the equivalent of people putting the refrigerator in the middle of the kitchen instead of in the corner. An aquarium is an amphitheater of life!
DESIGNING AN AQUARIUM WITH A BACKGROUND. The background of the aquarium is not so important for the aquarium inhabitants themselves. In fact, fish can live without it. The background is more important for a person; one might say, these are “aquarium curtains”, which play more of an aesthetic role than a technical one.
For information on what types of aquarium backgrounds there are, how to make and attach them, see HERE.

DECORATING THE AQUARIUM WITH LIVE AND ARTIFICIAL PLANTS.
Continuing to use metaphors, we can say that if the background of the aquarium is “curtains,” then the plants are “ indoor flowers on the windowsill." What they will be like and how many there will be will determine how your aquarium “window” will look. We recommend you look at this wonderful article on this topic - HERE.
AQUARIUM LIGHT DESIGN

The power and spectrum of light is important for aquarium plants - this is their source of life. When it comes to decorating an aquarium, the color of the light is important. Today there is a huge variety color range aquarium lamps. Choose according to your taste! Moreover, there are various bottom aquarium lights in the form of volcanoes, lanterns and LED aerators. Here they are.




DESIGNING THE AQUARIUM WITH ANOTHER DECOR. Aquariums can be decorated with shells, castles, ships, diver figures, skulls, etc. At the same time, it is not necessary to buy all this at a pet store at an exorbitant price. When using such decorations, you need to adhere to only two rules: non-toxicity and safety. The shells should not be sharp, and the figures of divers should not be made of rubber. See also the article Seashells in an aquarium.
MAIN DIRECTIONS, TYPES AND EXAMPLES OF AQUARIUM DESIGN
The classic design options for a fish aquarium are:
Biotope– such an aquarium is designed to match the specific water landscape of a lake or stream.
Dutch- an aquarium, the main place in which is given to plants. Such an aquarium is popularly called a “herbalist”. The most famous Dutch aquariums are created by a mega-aquarist Takashi Amano, here are his works:
Geographical– such an aquarium is designed for a specific region, it contains fish only from this region.
In the vastness of our Motherland, you can most often find "household aquarium"- where the above principles are not observed. In such aquariums you can often find castles, amphorae, divers, skulls, etc., etc., etc. In addition, there is a whole industry children's aquariums. Here's an example:


There are other directions in aquarium design.
As they say, how many people have so many opinions.
Next, let's clearly see the design options for an aquarium.
Pseudo-sea aquariums Such aquariums are designed and imitate marine aquariums - the seabed. The prefix “pseudo” indicates that such a reservoir does not contain sea fish. Only the surroundings are created!
As a rule, brightly colored fish are selected for such an aquarium, which are often characteristic of cichlids, for example, elow, demanosi, parrots, etc. The aquarium itself is decorated with corals, artificial polyps and sea shells.





Dutch aquarium “light version” An aquarium close to the natural habitat of fish. It contains live aquarium plants, driftwood, stones, but “in a lightweight form.” Such aquariums do not require the aquarist to have special knowledge about plant life. Basic care for them is the key to success and achieving your goals.






Truly Dutch aquarium - “herbalist” These are densely planted aquariums. Completely imitating all the beauty of freshwater bodies of water. To create such an aquarium, you need knowledge about plants, you need to study the issue of feeding aquarium plants and using a CO2 system for the aquarium.






Household, children's, themed aquarium Such aquariums are designed according to a specific idea. As a rule, this is a person’s fiction and fantasy.






Futuristic aquariums or Glo aquariums Relatively recently, the fashion for creating Glo-reservoirs has become fashionable among aquarists. Where everything glows with neon and plays with phosphorus. There are even fluorescent live fish. Such aquariums look beautiful in the evening and at night. Read more about Glo-fish are here.






Marine aquariums These are aquariums that contain marine, saltwater fish. The aquarium is permeated with a marine theme. The disadvantage of such reservoirs is the price and the huge cost of maintenance.






Cichlid A species aquarium that contains only fish from the cichlid family.
Look CICHLID - cichlids in an aquarium





There are also industrial and show aquariums


We wish you success in designing and creating your own individual aquarium kingdom; below are additionally presented photos that clearly show all the diversity and flight of aquarium thought in the issue covered.







Video about decorating an aquarium

Aquarium: DIY decoration. Aquarium design styles and options

Nowadays, beautiful and fashionable design of an aquarium for a person involved in keeping and breeding fish is not just entertainment, but a matter of prestige and simply aesthetic pleasure from contemplating the results of his labors.

Psychologists say that an aquarium with fish located in an apartment can calm the nerves and normalize a person’s mental state. To do this, you just need to organize a relaxation area with an aquarium and watch the fish for at least 30-60 minutes. in a day.

Aquarium: DIY decoration

The most exciting and time-consuming activity for all of us in the process of installing and filling an aquarium tank is its correct and beautiful design in the same style as the design of the room.

Today there are a huge number of accessories that can be placed in an aquarium. Decorating it yourself will allow you to recreate as accurately as possible exactly the environment that you want to see there. Just do not forget that the main inhabitants of the aquarium are fish. And they need the maximum amount of free space in order to be able to swim freely.

The main components that allow you to design an aquarium (200 liters and all others) are:

• stones;
• natural and artificial algae;
• pebbles;
• various wooden elements;
• artificial decorative elements, such as locks, chests, etc.

Examples

Let's look at the following stages and examples of aquarium design:

• covering the bottom with soil;
• decorating the aquarium with stones and grottoes;
• decorating an aquarium using a properly selected background;
• use of different types of plants;
• correct selection of lighting;
• decorating an aquarium using decorative elements.

Each of them has its own specific rules, which will be described below.

Laying the bottom with soil

The soil for the aquarium bottom is one of the main and integral attributes. Before purchasing it in a specialized store, decide what type of aquarium you want to have, since this natural material must be purchased according to a specific purpose. Yes, yes, you heard right: a certain type of soil is taken for each purpose.

So, if you have small fish living in your aquarium, then it is best to buy a fine type of soil, while large-grained or mixed soil will suit the larger inhabitants of the tank. A similar approach is acceptable when you decide to set up a Dutch-style aquarium at home, that is, a tank in which plants predominate rather than fish.

In addition, when choosing a bottom coating, you must take into account the individual habits of the exotic aquarium fish you have chosen. If you purchased goldfish or certain types of catfish, you must remember that they love to rummage in the ground. Therefore, you cannot buy fine soil for them, otherwise there will always be fog in the aquarium. To avoid this, you need to purchase a bottom covering of such a size that they cannot dig through it.

It is best to buy a plain cover for the aquarium. It is best to choose a dark-colored bottom base, as it will highlight the inhabitants of your fish house.

Before placing the purchased soil in the aquarium, it must be thoroughly washed or, which is ideal, doused with boiling water.

Stones and grottoes

How is an aquarium decorated with stones and grottoes? These parts chosen for decoration must be made only from natural, natural materials. They should not contain harmful or toxic impurities that, if released into the water, can lead to the death of the inhabitants of the aquarium.

In the case of independently collecting decorative elements for the aquarium, do-it-yourself decoration is done only after pre-processing everything previously collected material for the purpose of disinfection and checking for the absence of all elements harmful to the health of the inhabitants of this reservoir.

Processing stones and driftwood

Stones can be processed in the same way as soil for the bottom of an aquarium, but pre-processing driftwood is a little more complicated. To do this, you need to place the selected wooden decor into a container with water (so that the liquid completely covers it) and add salt there until it stops dissolving, then remove the treated driftwood and rinse it clean water, place in the purchased fish tank.

Do not forget that in no case should the aquarium contain elements made of limestone, rubber, various types of metals, as well as elements coated with paint or enamel.

Also, do not oversaturate the aquarium with decor, especially with elements large sizes, such as stones, grottoes, etc., since this leads to a decrease in useful internal space, necessary for underwater inhabitants for vital movement.

Do not forget that large decorative elements should be placed in the corners of the container or in the background so as not to spoil the entire appearance.

Decorating an aquarium with the right background

The so-called background is important element aquarium decor. Since the background covering sets the mood for your entire creation, you should not choose dark and gloomy tones that have a spirit of despondency and sadness.

There are several background options for aquariums:

• You can simply paint the back wall of the tank in a color of your choice. This path has its pros and cons. An undeniable advantage is the uniqueness and 100% originality of your brainchild. The list of disadvantages includes certain difficulties with changing an existing background (removing it with a solvent).
• The background is in the form of a colored plastic film, which has an unlimited number of different variations, among which everyone can choose the most suitable one for him. In addition, the price of such a film will be almost imperceptible in your pocket, and it can be installed or removed very quickly.
• Panels and dioramas for the aquarium. Do-it-yourself decoration in this case is an ideal option, since these parts can not only be purchased in the store, but also made independently using the following available materials: small pebbles, driftwood and branches, polystyrene foam and polyurethane foam. But we must not forget about the environmental friendliness and natural origin of the selected materials, so as not to harm the fish. Such decorative elements will always be one of a kind.

Rules for gluing film

Such a film can be attached both from the outside and from the inside back wall. If you want to get more saturated colors, then, of course, it is better to stick it from the inside.

Before gluing the film, you must make sure that the surface of the inner wall of the back of the aquarium is completely dry (to avoid the appearance of pimples). Treat the purchased film around the entire perimeter with a special transparent silicone sealant, purchased in advance at a pet store. Do not use regular sealant under any circumstances, as the consequences of its use can be irreparable for aquarium inhabitants.

If you decide to stick the film inside the aquarium, then you should not skimp on silicone: it is better to coat the film very carefully, especially its upper edge, to avoid the possibility of it peeling off. After fixing, wait until the material has completely dried, and only then fill the tank with water.

Decorating an aquarium with various types of plants: live or artificial

If you have purchased an aquarium and are decorating it, then do not forget about purchasing and planting various types of algae. There is no need to oversaturate the container with them, but you can’t do without them, since they saturate the water with oxygen and are food for some types of fish.

They also act as a “nursery” for newly born fish, since only by hiding in algae can they survive, since it is common among many species of fish to eat their young. Those species of fish that spawn hide them on or under sheets of algae.

Planting and caring for live aquarium plants

Before purchasing aquarium plants, it is best to consult with a seller at a pet store; he will help you choose the ideal plants, and also tell you how to properly plant them in the aquarium so that they please your eyes for a long time.

In any case, there are varieties of aquatic vegetation that do not require planting in the ground. For all others, the thickness of the soil should not exceed 3-5 cm, and it is recommended to choose medium or large grains. It is this size of soil that will speed up the process of full rooting of plants. A newly planted plant can be lightly pressed with pebbles or other decorative elements. At the same time, its roots should be in a straightened state.

Choosing the right lighting

If you decide to decorate the purchased aquarium with your own hands, then do not forget about the correct lighting, because not only the appearance of the tank, but also the health of its inhabitants depends on it, since the strength of the light flux and its spectrum are vital for plants.

Today there is a huge number of different lights, both external and fully adapted for working underwater, so everyone can find the option that suits them. To help the novice aquarist, many different manuals have been published to help set up an aquarium correctly and quickly. The photos below will help make this process as simple and easy as possible.

Decorating an aquarium using decorative elements

When decorating an aquarium with decorative elements, you must remember that they must be environmentally friendly and free of harmful impurities, and in no case should you oversaturate the aquarium with them.

You can use both purchased and self-made decor.

Styles

Today there are various styles aquarium design. All of them are very richly presented in the pictures and photographs posted in our article and in various books devoted to the aquarium business. Also in Russia they can be seen in dolphinariums. Among them stand out the following options aquarium decoration:

• Biotope, which is the landscape of a single body of water.
• Dutch design style, placing the main emphasis on the richness of the underwater flora, and not on the fish.
• Geographic - an aquarium with representatives of the animal and plant world of a particular region.
• The pseudo-sea aquarium is stylized to resemble the seabed without plants, and its inhabitants are brightly colored fish. Since such a tank is decorated with large-sized decorations, such as stones, corals, artificial polyps, shells, and there is almost no vegetation, it is excellent for cichlids. After all, this is the ideal design for an aquarium for cichlids.
• Children's aquariums are designed in accordance with the child's favorite theme (games, cartoons, book plots, etc.).
• Marine aquarium with inhabitants living in salt water.
• Futuristic aquariums filled with luminous elements, including special hybrid fluorescent fish.
• Household and themed containers created based on human imagination.

The design of a corner aquarium follows the same principles as all others. A variety of types and styles of work by world-famous aquarium experts will help you with this not an easy task. We hope that the recommendations given in this article will help you get a clear idea of ​​the future interior decoration of the fish house. In addition, the photos we offer will help you decorate your aquarium correctly and beautifully. They will serve as an excellent visual aid.

Aquarium: DIY design (photo)

Today it is not difficult to implement design solutions internal and external design turnkey aquariums. Modern studios offer the most unusual variations in the artistic design of hidden depths. However, if you wish, you can create your own personal project, making a truly unique aquarium. A do-it-yourself design will allow you to bring any idea to life, making the created underwater world the main element of the interior of the room.

Aquadesign

It is best to keep aquarium fish for those people who see it as a pleasant activity and relaxation, and not as hassle and problems. After all, it’s not enough just to buy an aquarium and add inhabitants to it. It is also important to be able to care for it so that it not only pleases, but provides aesthetic pleasure.

The underwater world at home or in the office is a kind of living picture; it is a way to emphasize the individuality of the interior. Aqua design is an integral part of aquarium keeping. Its special uniqueness is guaranteed by its own vision of the design of the underwater world. When thinking through their artistic project, real aquarists approach it with all their hearts. Their main goal is to create an original landscape and a comfortable living environment for aquatic inhabitants. Such artistic design allows you to most harmoniously integrate the aquarium into the interior of the room. The design, made with your own hands, allows you to realize the most incredible design options for compositions, from which in the future it is simply impossible to take your eyes off. These can be fabulously beautiful sea, rocky scenes, mountain valleys, mangrove forests.

With your wild imagination, you can create the most incredible decoration projects. However, they all require a clear concept - from their development to implementation. First of all, you need to decide on the style of the aquarium and its features. It is also important to take into account the size of the aquarium and its shape, so that the chosen style is appropriate for a given area. The selection of the internal contents of the aquarium and its appearance should harmoniously blend into the surrounding environment.

Great importance also have fish. The design is developed for them, taking into account their usual habitat. Compositions are made depending on the type of fish. Many of them require shelter, without which they may die. Some of them like to hide in the sandy bottom, some prefer small thickets. The role of shelters is excellently performed by snags and grottoes. These decorations, with special lighting, add special charm and mystery to the underwater world. Allows you to create unique compositions and a real paradise for exotic inhabitants, for which your aquarium has become a new habitat. The design, made with your own hands, makes it possible to implement any creative ideas, if you wish.

Types of aquariums

Decorations for the object environment of the underwater world serve as a win-win decoration for the aquarium. But the main component interior design is its thriving biosystem.

Aquariums according to their purpose are divided into decorative and special (spawning, selection, nursery, quarantine and others). The most popular of them are species and biotope.

A species aquarium will not only decorate the interior of your home, but will also give you a unique opportunity to observe a certain type of fish or their closely related species. Its inhabitants have a significant influence on the design of the aquarium. It’s not at all difficult to design it with your own hands, but before implementing the idea, you should seriously familiarize yourself with the habits of the selected fish in their natural habitat.

Biotope aquariums reproduce an imitation of any natural biotope with a characteristic species of fish, plants and certain parameters their usual habitat.

Design styles

There is no single qualification for aquarium design. Typically, the design of a project is carried out according to established stylistic directions. The main ones are:

• decorative;
• natural;
• Dutch;
• Japanese;
• pseudomarine;
• plot;
• vanguard;
• collector;
• seawater aquarium.

For newbies

For beginning naturalists the best option The design of the aquarium will become a collector's style. This is an ideal option for getting your teeth into it. Absolutely everything is allowed here. You can mix plants and use them artificial imitations, choose any aquarium. The design, brought to life with your own hands, allows you to create interesting compositions from plants of different textures and decorative elements. There is an opportunity to experiment with different storylines. The choice of plants should depend on the theme. To begin with, it is recommended to give preference to unpretentious and hardy plants.

Natural style

In 1980, Takashi Amano, a famous Japanese aquatic designer, introduced a new direction in aquarium design - the natural style. The philosophy of these aquarium paintings lies in the understanding and feeling of nature, recreated according to the principle of “Wabi – Sabi” (“modest beauty”).

This style takes inspiration from mountain and forest landscapes and water streams. With the help of various decorative elements (driftwood, stones), defining focal points design, small architectural forms are created. Their asymmetrical placement, based on the rule of the “golden ratio,” makes it possible to set the direction of the natural sense of perception of the entire composition.

Schooling fish will effectively highlight the recreated landscapes, add variety to the underwater world and literally draw attention to the aquarium. Do-it-yourself design (100 liters of volume, no less) of a miniature version in a natural style is better to start with using no more than 5 types of plants.

Underwater garden

The Dutch style is considered one of the most beautiful trends in creating an underwater world. It’s quite exciting to create a similar aquarium design with your own hands. 250 liters for creating an underwater garden is quite the optimal option.

The basis of this style are aquarium plants of various textures, shapes, sizes and colors. Paths made of green spaces, occupying almost the entire main area of ​​the bottom, allow you to create an amazing effect of depth. Architectural forms in the form of decorative driftwood and stones are present in limited quantities. A well-kept underwater garden is visually perfect and interesting.

Seawater aquarium

Many people today are passionate about breeding marine fish. It is more difficult to prepare a biological environment for them, especially when using living corals, which are quite demanding on water parameters. But experienced naturalists are quite capable of creating such an aquarium design with their own hands. 200 liters is the optimal average volume for enjoying the contemplation of the underwater world. It should not be overpopulated with living beings, since such a tank has a limited life support system.

It is necessary to design a marine aquarium taking into account its appearance, which not least depends on the inhabitants. These can be predators (sharks, rays, moray eels), non-predatory fish (zebrasoma, angelfish and other species) or corals and invertebrate sea anemones. Predatory fish are considered the most unpretentious; invertebrates are more difficult to care for and can die from minor deviations in the chemical parameters of water.

To support the life support of such aquariums, it is worth purchasing expensive equipment. It will need to be decoded, this is worth taking into account when designing an aquarium with your own hands. The photo demonstrates how successfully you can hide all the wires, hoses and tubes, decorating the background with picturesque coral reefs, rocks and shelters for fish in the form of mysterious grottoes and caves.

Aquascape

Having acquired practical skills and relying on the experience acquired over time, you can try to master such special kind art, a kind of analogue of landscape design for parks and gardens, like aquascape.

This is a DIY aquarium landscape design that more experienced aquarists can create. They organize the underwater world using certain aquascape rules. This direction in aquadesign implies a composition thought out to the smallest detail. To create an underwater landscape, decorative elements, plants and inhabitants are selected that can not only coexist peacefully, but also express the main idea contained in the landscape.

Aquarium background

A beautiful background for decorating the back wall of an aquarium is easily created using special films on which images of the underwater world are printed. They can also simply have a rich blue color, creating the effect of depth and contrast. But it is much more interesting, using your imagination, to think about the background, the size and volume of the tank, the decorations used and include everything in the developed aquarium design with your own hands: 250 liters, there is a stone background, spectacular driftwood, stones, moss, various plants- all these elements will come in handy.

It is worth noting that the background of an aquarium often gives the entire composition (especially volumetric ones) a unique charm and naturalness aquatic environment. It is not difficult to create it with your own hands, using, for example, foam plastic broken into different pieces, which is glued to the back wall of the aquarium and painted with special paint in intermittent strokes. The result is an excellent imitation of a stone background. It can be made in a similar way, using pieces of bark from driftwood.

The composition can be created from dead coral, stones from a sea reef. In a marine aquarium, small invertebrates, polyps and other inhabitants will find refuge here.

The design of an aquarium, developed and executed with your own hands, allows you to implement a considerable number of excellent ideas for story aquariums using exotic plants, shells, and sea pebbles. An incredible number of them can be brought to life by creating your own “rock gardens”. And then enjoy watching bright fish with unusual colors flash against their background.

The main thing is not to overdo it with decorative elements, plants and inhabitants of the aquarium. Everything should be harmoniously combined, give pleasure to its creator and not harm the fish.

Aquarium - interior element

Thanks to their unusual beauty, modern aquariums can become a real pearl of any interior. The variety of styles and shapes is simply amazing. Aquariums can be suspended, floor-mounted, or built-in. Diorama aquariums create a stunning effect indoors; their shape seems to promote immersion in the exciting aquatic world. A hand-decorated version improves well-being and lifts your spirits. Today it is not uncommon to even have a dry aquarium. The design, carried out with your own hands, allows you to give yourself an unusual creative concept of a seascape. Many solutions can be created through an incredible flight of creativity. It's definitely simple and incredibly fun!

After purchasing an aquarium, the first question that arises is how best to decorate it. Creating a stunning design requires imagination, careful planning, diligence and, of course, the desire to create a miracle. I will give examples of aquarium design, talk about styles, materials and give useful tips that can help you in the future. I wish your beautifully decorated aquarium to become the center of everyone's attention!

Previously, during the early days of aquarium farming, there was no suitable equipment or special information about aquarium design. Most kept their fish in ordinary jars, without even dreaming of more. But time passed and everything changed. World modern technologies brought automation and new fashion trends. A whole trend in aquarium design has emerged, called aquascape. Now you can recreate any natural environment, landscape, even fantastic. It all depends on the idea and the right material.

Design styles

Let's talk a little about design styles. There are many of them in the world of design art, and each is unique in some way. Let's consider only the main ones.

Dutch style

The role of falling water will be played by sand. Only very small and clean ones are suitable for good visual effect. Here you will need to experiment with selection. You will also need a tube with a sprayer. The waterfall will work on the principle of injection. Air bubbles rise up. Because of the pressure, small grains of sand are drawn into the tube and, rising up, fall. To avoid the formation of a pile of crumbling sand, you need to experimentally select the amount of material, air pressure and the diameter of the holes of the underwater waterfall.

Let's sum it up

Whatever theme and design style of the aquarium you choose, the main thing is that the reservoir is comfortable for the life of its future inhabitants. All decorations must be made of durable and non-toxic materials. It is the fish that will be the center of attention, and all other decorative attributes are only a harmonious addition to the interior, which should fade into the background. I wish you success in designing and creating your own individual underwater kingdom!

Decorating an aquarium with your own hands will not only give additional comfort to the fish, but can also decorate the interior of your home. To ensure that the decor is not too mediocre, we have prepared the most stylish ideas, photos and videos for your inspiration.

Choosing the right style

There are many styles for decorating an aquarium. The most popular are Dutch, Japanese and maritime. Let's look at each of them in a little more detail.

Dutch

It involves decoration using a variety of aquarium plants, which are planted from the back of the tank to the front. Aquariums decorated in the Dutch style look really impressive and it’s not for nothing that this option is very popular. You can choose any underwater plants; they are most often planted in small groups every 10-12 cm2 (depending on the volume of the aquarium).

The combination of green, red and brown algae colors looks beautiful. In the Dutch style, the emphasis is on flora, so a large number of plant species is welcome. The main thing is that they are all appropriate and the decor does not look tasteless. Successful examples You can see DIY designs in this style in the photo below:

Japanese

Unlike the previous option, the Japanese style in aquarium keeping does not require a large number of plants. The emphasis in the design of the aquarium is on large stones, low-growing algae and the use of moss. Such option will do lovers of minimalism in the interior.

Registration in Japanese style looks very unusual and attracts admiring glances from most people. It seems that you are looking at a real landscape in miniature, only instead of birds there are fish swimming in the “sky”. Some experts add spectacular bonsai made from driftwood and moss to the underwater decor. This realistic direction even received a special name - aquascaping.

Nautical

When decorating an aquarium, the marine style is the most common, but far from the most boring. This is where you can show your imagination in full force, because you can make a so-called “pseudo-sea”. The most popular decorative elements remain artificial corals, shells, pebbles and various algae.

To decorate in a marine style, it is also advisable to use a variety of props from a pet store. A sunken ship, a treasure chest and even a miniature scuba diver in a suit - all this will undoubtedly look great in a large-volume aquarium of 200-300 liters.

Some fans nautical style They are also setting up the sunken island of Atlantis in a house for fish. In this case, the decorative elements are a castle with towers, a grotto and statues. It turns out very impressive, beautiful and not at all banal. You can be convinced of this after viewing the photo of the design of the “pseudo sea” in the aquarium:

Decor elements

Remember that an aquarium can either highlight the unique interior of your home or make it tasteless. To prevent this from happening, you need to carefully consider all the elements of underwater decor with your own hands.

Priming

Sand, pebbles, granite and some other volcanic rocks can be used as soil for an aquarium tank. After filling the base with a thickness of 4-5 cm, you can begin to decorate the bottom with various stones and shells as you wish. Please note that decorative elements found independently require heat treatment (boiling or baking in a stove).

The color of the soil should be combined with the overall style of the aquarium. It is considered a good idea to choose a white shade for decoration, as it reflects artificial light and puts an advantageous emphasis on the entire composition. However, if you want to recreate the underwater world in miniature, then black, brown or dark gray colors are more suitable.

Decorations

You can decorate an aquarium beautifully using ordinary driftwood. You can purchase a suitable piece of wood from a pet store or find one yourself. If you like the second option better, then be sure to take into account some features:

1. The driftwood must be strong and without coloring properties.
2. To kill pests, place the wood in a salt solution for several hours.
3. After disinfection, be sure to boil the driftwood in fresh water several times.
4. Soak a piece of wood in water for two to three days, and periodically change this water with fresh water.

This way you can make the driftwood safe for fish and other aquarium inhabitants. DIY decor also uses real and artificial plants, stones, Java moss or figurines. Choosing the right decorations will be much easier once you decide on the style of your aquarium.

An interesting idea is to decorate the background of the aquarium. This is done using double-sided tape and a special film from the pet store. The image can be anything: from the standard underwater world to realistic mountain landscapes. This solution helps to make the decor as complete as possible.

Decorating an aquarium with your own hands brings unforgettable pleasure, because it’s so nice to feel like a real landscape designer. We hope that we were able to surprise you with colorful photos and inspire you to new achievements!

Finally, we suggest watching a video with step-by-step instructions for decorating an aquarium using improvised means:

The design of the aquarium is interesting, but not enough difficult process not only for a beginner, but also for a professional aquarist. It has its own characteristics and recommendations, which it is advisable to familiarize yourself with before starting the design. Let's take a closer look at the main points and main decorative elements.

The soil in a freshwater aquarium should be dark in color; on light soil, the fish lose their bright color. Select a suitable substrate and carefully place it on the bottom using a plastic spatula or cut plastic bottle. If there are plants in the aquarium, sprinkle a bacterial culture before adding soil. In the future, it will promote plant growth. And use several layers of different substrates (sand, coarse and medium gravel). Styrofoam sheets should be placed under heavy decorations or rocks. Fill the soil carefully and only into a clean aquarium without water. Make a slight slope towards the front wall. The height of the soil near the back wall should be 5–7 cm, in some places up to 12 cm, near the front wall – 5 mm -15 mm. It is convenient to use a wooden spatula to level the substrate. If you wish, you can make a light stripe on the dark soil. Before adding light gravel or sand, separate the edges of the strip with two sheets of cardboard. Pull them out very carefully. The background in an aquarium can be external or internal. The simplest option is roll film. It is sold in specialized stores by the meter. Happens different heights and with a variety of patterns. You can also use plastic, paper, cork tiles as an external background, or simply paint the glass in dark colors. The internal background is always installed before filling the aquarium. It is made from special plates that are glued onto silicone directly to the glass or an additional substrate. This process is longer and requires certain skills, but the result is worth it. Shells are not the best solution for all fish. They contain calcium and affect water hardness and acidity. You can place any items you buy at a pet store in the aquarium. The main thing is that they are made from safe materials (ceramics, clay, porcelain). Don't be afraid to experiment and place objects in unnatural positions. Pipes for supplying drinking water can be used as decoration.

Driftwood in an aquarium looks very beautiful, but they need to be properly prepared. Choose a dense, already dry branch. Any wood will do, except oak. Oak strongly colors water. Now clean the driftwood from the remaining bark, saw off or break off the excess parts. Boil the branch for 12-24 hours. Change the water periodically. You can add potassium permanganate or salt. Cool it in the open air and place it on the bottom of the aquarium. It is better if this is in the process of preparing the aquarium, when there are no plants yet. It is worth noting that any driftwood will soften the water and give it a slight brown tint.

A day or two after setting up the aquarium and checking the equipment, you can introduce the first inhabitants (a pair of apple snails, shrimp or newts). The fish are released no earlier than a week later.

Aquarium design. It would seem, what to do with that decor? especially my 100 liter jar. I took some pebbles, threw them in, planted some grass, like, and off we go. But no. There are many nuances that are worth talking about. I'm a noob in this matter, so I turned to a specialist. The closest specialist in aquarium design is Anatoly Motrich. Recently we changed everything and this is what happened:

It turns out there is also a concept about the view of the aquarium. Which side to look at it from and what should be observed in the design. On the one hand I look like this:

From the second side of the aquarium, the design looks completely different. Question of viewing angle and decor:

We also recently mined interesting stone on one of the trips. We will also carefully integrate it into the design of the aquarium. Later

So how can you create this same aquarium design with your own hands? Several principles and concepts from the Internet are further in the article.

For starters, a Zen video about designing a 100-liter aquarium with your own hands:

The website myaqua.com.ua distinguishes the following types of aquarium design.

Types of internal filling of aquariums:

Pseudo-sea.

A freshwater aquarium that simulates the seabed. As a rule, corals, shells, and ceramics are used in its design. Coral sand or other light-colored soil is used as a primer. In most cases, the pseudo-sea is populated by bright cichlids, which are closest to the color of the marine inhabitants of the coral reef.

Unforced herbalist.

A striking example of this type is the majority of aquariums with live plants for beginner aquarists. The composition uses stones, driftwood and living plants. The unforced herbalist looks very natural, which captivates many lovers. As a rule, such aquariums are quite densely populated with fish; most characins, carp-toothed and cyprinids will be ideal inhabitants.

Forced herbalist.

The use of CO2, regular addition of fertilizers and microelements - all this creates an underwater garden of incredible beauty. Whether it is the Dutch Aquarium or Takashi Amano's natural aquarium, plants play a major role in its composition. Driftwood and stones are also used as decorations. Fish in such an aquarium play a secondary role or may be absent. As a rule, these are flocks of small characins. Also, the forced herbalist is often populated with shrimp.

Story aquarium.

The internal content of such an aquarium is selected to suit any theme. Pirate ship, lying at the bottom, the sunken Atlantis, or Dracula's castle, or maybe even a football stadium for fish. It all depends only on your imagination.

Aquarium - "Vanguard".

An explosion of bright colors and unusual shapes. Such an aquarium simply cannot go unnoticed. This bright spot in any interior will simply attract the eye, and correct selection hydrobionts and setting up the biobalance, its inhabitants will not feel any discomfort associated with its unnaturalness.

Biotope aquarium.

An aquarium that imitates any natural biotope. Whether it is the coastal zone of Lake Tanganika, or the Amazon delta, the entire contents of the aquarium, from the soil to the fish and plants, must strictly replicate the biotope you have chosen. Such an aquarium is the most comfortable for its inhabitants and has many admirers.

Aquarium for large show fish.

Large volume and minimalism in decoration are the main motto of such an aquarium. Show fish are always in demand. It amazes with its size and shape, whether it is an arawana, a challenger or a knife, such a fish simply cannot go unnoticed.

Industrial aquarium.

In such an aquarium the decorations and design ideas give way to practicality. As a rule, without soil and decorations, with a convenient water supply and intensive aeration.

Marine aquarium without live corals.

Such an aquarium will delight the eye from contemplating its inhabitants. The decor of such an aquarium is similar to the decor of a pseudo-sea or is absent altogether.

Marine aquarium with live corals "Reef".

A complete marine aquarium with a very fine biobalance. The reef is truly the king of aquariums, bright colors its inhabitants make it unforgettable. Contemplating such an aquarium, you get the impression that you are plunging into the deep and mysterious depths of the ocean. Such an aquarium will emphasize the good taste and status of its owner.

When designing an aquarium, it is important to understand the basic principles that come from the iwagumi technique. Each stone used in decoration has its own name and place. You already guessed which country the names came from. So, the main postulates when decorating an aquarium...

Theoretical foundations of competent design

Oyaishi(Oyishi)

This is the main stone used in aquarium design. For it, choose the largest and most beautiful stone. By large we mean the stone, the largest of those that you set aside to decorate the aquarium. There is no need to simply take the largest boulder from the road. The height of this stone should be 2/3 of the height of the aquarium.

Fukuishi(Fukuishi)

This is the second largest stone in the composition. It should be placed to the left or right of the main stone, of the oyashi. The stone should be of the same structure as the oyashi to achieve a uniform scene in the aquarium.

Soeishi(Soishi)

This stone is smaller in size, significantly smaller than the previous two. It should be placed to the right of oyishi and to the left of fukuishi. Its task is to emphasize the beauty and splendor of those stones that you have selected for decoration as the main ones.

Suteishi(Syuteishi)

This small stone is practically lost in the overall design of the aquarium; it can be completely hidden by plants. But its presence is necessary to emphasize sophistication and simple elegance.

Aquarium design styles. Sanzon Iwagumi

This is a basic composition where a large stone is in the center of the scene of our design, with two smaller ones on the right and left respectively.

How many stones should there be: seven, five or three?

The main postulate when designing an aquarium, through the Iwagumi technique, it is believed that it is better to have an odd number of stones. An even number of stones leads to symmetry, which creates a split in the perception of design.

The design of the aquarium looks more attractive if the balance of the center is shifted slightly to the side.

What the pictures actually easily demonstrate:

Why is Oyishi's stone tilted?

Without going into Buddhist and other philosophies, the oyishi stone is tilted to the side to symbolize the flow of water.

It looks very effective as a design element.

DIY aquarium design model

1. Place a thin and even layer of substrate or soil. This is one of the differences between the Iwagumi technique and others, where the soil is poured all at once.

2. Place the oyishi main stone according to the golden ratio. A beautiful design can be created by placing the main stone in the golden ratio of 1:1.618. roughly speaking, two to three.

3. Place the remaining stones, respecting the direction of their angles and orientation.

4. Fill in the soil, distributing it from the back wall of the aquarium to the front.

Key points of planting

Visually, aquatic plants soften the hardness of rocks, and are used to create balance in the power of the stones. But, low-growing plants will emphasize this very power of the stones. Also, planting plants next to or between stones enhances the natural feel of your design.

I saw 45 on the website pozitiv-news.ru best views aquarium design. This is a breathtaking sight! Look at the photo! Of course, there is room for improvement...

IAPLC 2009 competition entries
1. “Moment in time” (Short moment)
Author: GRAND PRIX winner - Nnguyen Tien Dung (Nguyen Tien Dung), Vietnam

3. "Time of Eternity"

5. “Looking for Mystery”
Author: Bronze Prize Winner - Wang Chao, China

6. "Towering Peaks"
Author: Bronze Prize Winner - Chow Wai Sun, Hong Kong

8. "Ups and Downs"
Author: Nguyenthi Xuanthuy (Nguyenhi Xuantu), Vietnam

11. "Rain Forest"
Author: Hsu Yung Lin, Taiwan

IAPLC 2010 competition entries
1. “Forest Scent”
Author: GRAND PRIX winner - Pavel Bautin (Russia)

2. “Loess plateau” (“Loess plateau”)
Author: Gold Award Winner - Zhang Jian Feng (Macau)

6. “A day when walk on a jungle trail”
Author: Bronze Prize Winner - Chen I Sheng (Taiwan)

7. “Forest silent”
Author: bronze prize winner – Grigory Polishchuk (Ukraine)

9. "Infinite Wonder"
Author: K.P.Wong (Hong Kong)

12. "Shou Stone Ridge"
Author: May Kwan (Hong Kong)

13. "Mountain of Imagine"
Author: Chonladar Rattanawichien (Thailand)

Competition works ROAPLC 2011

1. Anticipation of the sea
Author: Grand Prix winner - Dmitry Parshin (Russia) / Dmitriy Parshin (Russia)

3. The old grove awakening
Author: silver prize winner - Grigory Polishchuk (Ukraine) / Polishchuk Grigoriy (Ukraine)

4. Escapade in Nature
Author: Bronze Prize Winner - Kevin Teoh (Malaysia)

10. Jurassic Jungle
Author: Adriano Montoro Nicacio (Brazil)