Decorative fish give a lot of positive emotions. The process of observing their lives calms and brings peace. A correctly selected round aquarium will organically fit into the interior and become a comfortable home for its inhabitants. But for this it is important to know what rules are used to populate fish in a spherical pond.
In the old days, round aquariums were more affordable than rectangular ones. When wonderful specimens of home rectangular ponds appeared on the public market, the boring spherical ones were forgotten. Today, the fashion for round aquariums is returning.
In stores you can find acrylic options, as well as traditional glass types. The capacity can be very different - from three to fifty liters. Acrylics are valued for their durability and reliability, because durable plastic is more difficult to break. Such aquariums can have very interesting designs. But marks from sharp objects in the form of scratches may remain on it. This is its significant disadvantage.
Before choosing a round aquarium for your room’s interior, it is recommended to get acquainted with its pros and cons.
Advantages:
Round shaped tanks are cheaper in price than a similar rectangular one of the same size.
The design of spherical home ponds is presented in a large assortment.
Thanks to their rounded shapes, they are compact and take up less space.
Easier to move from place to place thanks to the comfortable grip.
The round shape is easier to clean from fish waste products.
In the interior of a room or office they look stylish and elegant.
In a non-standard model of a home pond, you can create an original water landscape.
Flaws:
Round shaped aquariums are very cramped for many fish species.
It is impossible to install a full-fledged filter system. This limits the number of fish species allowed to be kept.
The flask narrows upward, air exchange is worse, you will have to change the water more often.
It is absolutely impossible to keep marine fish species in them, because it is almost impossible to maintain the required levels of salt water.
The spherical shape of the walls distorts perception, which negatively affects the fish.
Plants are much more difficult to place.
However, these shortcomings do not frighten aquarists. They manage to successfully keep aquarium fish in round shapes for many years.
In order to properly equip a tank with rounded walls, you need to know what equipment will help establish a favorable microclimate in it, and which aquatic inhabitants will not be uncomfortable in such conditions.
Necessary equipment
In round aquariums you will need to install the following equipment:
Compressor. They saturate the water with oxygen. Power depends on the capacity parameters.
Heater. This will be necessary if the pond is located in a cold room and is inhabited by heat-loving fish species.
Illuminated lid. Solves the issue of lighting and fish safety. If it is missing, many novice aquarists install the container closer to the window. It should be noted that direct exposure to sunlight is very harmful, as it provokes the rapid development of algae.
Bottom filter. Such a reservoir simply needs it. The appearance resembles a pancake. Equipped with a pump on a leg, which is hidden behind the aquarium decor. The power is selected based on the displacement of the container. The larger the volume, the more carefully the filter is selected. It is better to take it with a small power reserve so that the equipment works longer.
On a note! When using a bottom filter, you cannot use sand as soil, as it will quickly clog the filtering equipment.
The design of a round aquarium has its own specifics due to the fact that the bottom is limited in area.
The following rules must be adhered to:
The thickness of the soil should be 40-50 mm.
It is advisable to use decorative stones that will disguise the elements of the equipment.
When selecting pebbles, you need to see how they look through the spherical walls. The lens effect distorts the outlines of the stones.
It will not be possible to place large decorative items.
We will have to abandon large dilapidated castles and sunken ships, and place a minimum of decorating elements. The advantage of decorating a round aquarium is that the spherical shape makes it possible to demonstrate the beauty of the underwater world, revealing its secrets in detail.
Don't expect plants to clean the soil. They will not cope with such a task. Twice a month you need to change the water, siphon the bottom, and clean the walls. A complete water change will have to be done infrequently, every 1-2 years, so as not to disturb the established biological balance.
A round aquarium has both advantages and disadvantages. To mitigate the disadvantages, you should listen to the recommendations of experienced aquarists: do not overload the pond with decorations, plant compact plants, and populate unpretentious aquatic inhabitants. Every cubic centimeter of the tank must be saved and freed up for fish movement.
There is one little trick: you don’t need to fill the water to the edge, but just below the top edge. This will increase the size of the water surface, which means the quality of the biological environment will be significantly better.
