artefakty.org _(qp)_ Galeria sztuki użytkowej i fotografii.

A well-designed aquarium can be decoration of interiors, of course if you take care of it. Otherwise, it may overgrow with algae, losing its appeal.
First, we need to find a place for it. It’s a good idea to put it on a stable piece of furniture. It should be located at eye level so that you don’t have to bend to look at the fish and plants.
The size of your aquarium depends mainly on what you want to have there, and on your purse.
Larger aquariums are more stable and it’s easier to keep balance there. That’s why you will have less work with them later. But also small aquariums that are well-stocked with plants and animals can go without care for a very long time, which is very important if you often leave town.
If you don’t feel like spending too much time taking care of your aquarium, I suggest plants, snails and shrimps. Shrimps and snails will clean your aquarium from algae and rotten pieces of plants. Aquariums with predatory fish require the most care, because such fish need live food.
Plant aquariums, called Dutch aquariums, are the easiest to keep – they often require less care than normal plants, because they don’t need watering:-)
Aquarium and light
Most fish look best in natural light, that’s why it’s a good idea to leave the top open so that light can enter the aquarium feely. If you have roof windows, check where and when they let light beams in and place your aquarium there. It’s an amazing view when it’s illuminated by a beam of natural light for a few hours. You also need some extra lighting. It’s best to buy light sources that are as close to natural light as possible – plants grow best then, and colors are most beautiful. Such light which is filtered through the aquarium illuminates your room in a very nice and delicate way. An automatic light switch is worth buying – you set it to turn on at a given time so that there’s not too much lights, which makes algae grow too fast.
If you keep nocturnal fish, you can install night lighting that is bluish and has low wattage, e.g. a set of diodes. Also, such lighting is useful if your apartment is dark and you want to make it a bit brighter at night. Such light is supposed to look like the cool light of the moon.
You’ll also get an interesting effect if you use a light beam and direct it to the wavy surface. Beautiful moving reflections will be seen on the ceiling then.
Aquariums introduce delicate movement which interiors often lacks and which can’t be replaced with moving pictures on TV (which you should replace with an aquarium right away:-).
People have always lived in a dynamic environment: wind, fire, animals, water, everything is in motion, and now more and more often they’re ending up in static rooms, which is something they are not used to.
Also, aquariums have a calming effect thanks to their colors. Natural green relaxes us and makes us return to our natural environment. The fact that we see green plants positively influences our general well-being. There are many people who can stare at their aquarium and the life forms living there for hours.
Aquariums also have educational values: taking care of them, children can learn a lot about underwater life. If children are little, it’s a good idea to set up an aquarium together.
Before you make an aquarium, it’s good to do some reading and think what you’d like to have there. First you buy a fish tank, then you plant some plants, and when the water stabilizes, you can release some fish into it.
This is just general information, so if you have any specific questions or you want to order an aquarium, write an email or call 607 916 616.
Barnaba Wójtowicz Szczotka
PS. If you like this article and you want to use it on your website or publish it in a magazine, let me know – I have nothing against it, but I’d like to know about it J.