How to independently deduce the aquarist's rule? "The World Around", Grade 3 (Vakhrushev A. A.) - a textbook that gives the concept of an aquarium as an ecosystem. With this information, children can understand how and why to care for the aquarium.
The first rule is balance
If you just pour water into a glass container and put fish in it, they will soon die. The fact is that an aquarium is a small ecosystem that a person creates, that is, an artificial one. And like any biogeocenosis, the abode of fish must be in biological balance. Thus, the first and most important rule of the aquarist is to create a stable ecosystem, ensure cycling and balance.
But what does that really mean? Recall the elements of biogeocenosis that should be in the aquarium. These are the environment, inanimate components (in our case, water, air and soil) and inhabitants: living organisms - breadwinners (producers), eaters (consumers) and scavengers (destroyers). In an aquarium, there must be a circulation of nutrients, carbon dioxide, oxygen and food. In order for the circulation in the system to be closed, all elements must be present in it.
In order for the necessary conditions to be maintained in the aquarium, a constant circulation of substances must occur, then it will be much less common to take care of the dwelling of the fish. Let's take a closer look at all these elements and come up with aquarist rules for kids that will help little fish lovers understand how a small ecosystem works.
Second rule is water
Fish live in water. But is it possible to pour any liquid into the aquarium? Of course not. The second rule of a beginner aquarist is to properly prepare the water. If the tap water is clean, free of rust and bad smell, then it is fine.
Pour it into an open container of the right size and let it stand for one to two days. All harmful substances will evaporate from it, the temperature will rise to room temperature. Too cold water should not be poured into the aquarium, fish and plants will not like it.
The third rule is light
Both plants and fish need light. But here it is also important to strike a balance. The aquarium should not be placed close to the window, especially in no case should it be placed on the windowsill. The fact is that if there is too much light, then the glass walls will quickly become covered with a green coating, the water may begin to bloom.
You can not put the container in a dark corner, otherwise the plants will suffer. From lack of light, they will begin to turn yellow and die. Most often, cartridges for lighting lamps are already mounted in the lid of the aquarium. And if the capacity is nothas lids, special holder can be purchased.
The fourth rule is air
The fish also need air. Most often, the aquarium is equipped with a filter with aeration or aerator. These devices provide gas exchange, saturating water with oxygen and carbon dioxide. But if there are few fish in the aquarium, and the capacity is large, then you can do without such equipment. In a densely populated aquarium, a filter and aerator are essential.
Fifth rule - manufacturers
In any ecosystem, breadwinners are needed - these are living organisms that are able to create organic substances from inorganic ones. Plants serve as producers in an aquarium - they consume carbon dioxide and fish waste, and in return produce the necessary oxygen. Many fish are herbivores and eat young shoots with pleasure. Small fish and fry love to hide in green thickets.
Often, aquarium plants are called algae, but this is not true. Algae are the smallest particles that, if not properly maintained, form an ugly green coating.
From here follows the fifth rule of the aquarist - in the aquarium you need plant producers. They need to be planted in the ground. To do this, small pebbles, pebbles or sand fall asleep at the bottom of the aquarium. Before use, the soil must be rinsed and boiled.
Plant Species
Which aquatic plants are most commonly found in home aquariums? The hornwort is unpretentious, it can beplant in the ground, just leave to float or fasten to a snag.
Pistia, duckweed and riccia float freely on the surface of the water. But they should not be allowed to occupy the entire aquarium, otherwise the rest of the inhabitants will lose access to light.
Vallisneria is an unpretentious plant with long thin stems, it has a developed root system and is planted in the ground. Different types of mosses also look beautiful, such as Javanese moss. It is attached to snags.
Often found in domestic aquariums and hygrophiles, echinodorus, cryptocorynes, ferns.
Consumer Policy
Fish are consumers, as they use ready-made organic matter as food. But fish don't just consume - their waste becomes food for plants and bacteria.
After the plants in the aquarium have taken root, and the ecosystem has started to work (after about two weeks), you can start the inhabitants. But what? Eyes in the pet store just run up, all the fish are bright and beautiful. The sixth rule of the aquarist (3rd graders are already well aware of this) gives a strict indication in this regard: the aquarium needs producers, but it is important to choose the right size fish and avoid overpopulation.
What does this mean? A small fish cannot be placed in a small aquarium, which should grow large in the future. For example, for a small group (3-4 individuals) of angelfish or goldfish, a capacity of 100 liters or more is needed. If you buy 10 individuals in such a volume, then as the fish grow, overpopulation will occur, the water will quickly become polluted, the inhabitants will begin toget sick and die.
The seventh rule of the aquarist - the world around us teaches us that in nature some fish can feed on others, so you can’t put a predator and its prey in the same aquarium.
Fish can be aggressive or peaceful. Aggressive ones attack representatives of another or their own species, cut off their fins, and can even kill them. Therefore, the neighbors of such tomboys should be able to stand up for themselves. Peaceful fish get along easily with others.
Animals should match each other in many ways. The eighth rule of the aquarist is to choose neighbors from the same climatic zone or those who prefer the same water parameters. For example, goldfish love cold water. They cannot be settled in the company of tropical fish if it is impossible to choose a temperature in which all inhabitants will be comfortable.
Fish Species
What kind of fish and other animals can you keep in your small ecosystem? Consider the most common inhabitants of aquariums.
Guppies are small, bright and extremely unpretentious fish. They are the best choice for a beginner. Guppies are peaceful, undemanding to temperature. They love clean water. These fish are kept in groups or pairs. In good conditions, they actively breed.
Bettas are also good for beginners. These fish have a peculiarity - they breathe atmospheric air with the help of a special organ. Male cockerels are very bright, elegant. But it is impossible to keep two males in one aquarium, they will fight and cankill each other. Cockerels are kept in harems - one male and several females.
Swordtails are rather large fish. Most often they are red in color, but there are black, yellow, spotted species. A distinctive feature of this fish is a long process on the tail, resembling a sword. Swordtails are also undemanding to conditions.
Striped barbs are fast and cocky schooling fish. They are kept in groups of 5 or more. Barbs can attack slow fish, pulling their fins. The aquarium in which they are kept must be covered with a lid - barbs can jump out of the water.
Goldfish can be the real pride of any aquarist. Veiltails with chic fins, orandas with "hats" on their heads, telescopes with huge eyes are especially distinguished. Goldfish are cold-water species, they are undemanding to the conditions of detention, but they prefer to live only in the company of related species.
Scalars are very unusual, they attract attention. These are predators that can eat all small fish. Angelfish grow large, so a large aquarium is required. It is better to keep them in a group.
Catfish swim near the bottom, eating leftover food and algae. Spotted Ancistrus and Corydoras are the most common.
Other aquarium inhabitants
Not only fish can live in an aquarium. Large yellow ampoule snails often coexist with them. Ampoules eat the remains of food, a raid of algae. They can be fedcucumbers, carrots, dandelions.
Aquarist rules say you can't put predator and prey together. Therefore, it is impossible to place fish and turtles, crabs, crayfish, large shrimps in the same container.
Shrimp can coexist with some small fish species. But crabs and crayfish are dangerous for fish, as they feed on them. In addition, crustaceans need access to land and a small amount of water, so they are usually kept in a separate aquaterrarium.
Another interesting inhabitant of the aquarium is the red-eared turtle. She also needs access to land and will require special lighting - ultraviolet is added to an ordinary incandescent light bulb. They feed the turtles with fish, so it is impossible to keep them in the general aquarium.
Ninth Rule - Destroyers
Destroyers in the aquarium are necessary, but a person can help them - this is the ninth rule of the aquarist. Grade 3 is the period when children go through the "professions" of living organisms and find out their purpose. Destroyers consume organic matter and oxygen, and as a result of their vital activity, minerals and carbon dioxide are formed.
In an aquarium, bacteria are the destroyers. If there are too many bacteria in the water, it begins to become cloudy. Also, small red coils can be cited as an example of destroyers. These are tiny snails that feed on the remnants of food that has fallen to the bottom, eat algae on the walls, and destroy rotting parts of plants. Human help is to clean the aquarium and siphonsoil.
The tenth rule is leaving
Finally, the last, tenth rule of the aquarist - you need to take care of the aquarium every day. Without human intervention, the balance in a small ecosystem will quickly break down. Therefore, you need to take care of the aquarium regularly: turn the lights on and off every day, feed the inhabitants.
The aquarist's rules remind you that once a week you need to clean the soil from food debris and fish waste products using a siphon, rinse the filter. You also need to change it weekly - pour a small amount of clean, settled water into the aquarium.
Finally, it is worth noting that the smaller the aquarium, the more attention it requires from the owner, the more difficult it is to establish a balance in it. Many beginners make the mistake of buying a small container. The best choice for a beginner would be a volume of 50 liters. These are the golden rules of the aquarist. The surrounding world shows that the aquarium is a small ecosystem that depends on a person.
