I set up all my aquarium nurseries
at least 2 weeks before getting
any pets in them.
Make sure the narrowest side of your
new aquarium is at least
3 times the size of your pet.
It is the necessary minimum -
make it larger than that.
I like the shape of this vase.
It is about 29 cm wide,
23 cm deep.
And it is 8 cm at the narrowest point.
Which makes it suitable for a 2.5 cm
(or 1 inch) long pet.
That is size of my adult
dwarf guppies and cherry shrimp ;)
Put gravel and rocks in the aquarium.
This rock looks like a fossil of
a dinosaur head.
Should I name the tank accordingly? ;)
Add dechlorinated water.
4.5 liters fits in this
dinosaur head aquarium.
Let's add plants.
Here I add two bulbs of a Dwarf Water lily.
They are dry and very small...
will they sprout?
It takes time for bulbs to soak.
I want to put some plants
on the back side of the tank.
Here I just drop cuttings of
growing underwater land moss.
I like to have a combination of fast and
slow growing plants in my aquariums.
The more varieties the better.
Here I add cuttings of Elodea and
some Duckweed comes with it.
Let's make a feeding frame very quickly
out of a disposable plastic straw.
A feeding frame is useful
in aquariums with floating plants
like duckweed in this example.
Put the frame into the aquarium.
I like to add pond snails and other
tiny critters in my aquariums.
Also, I add Frogbits floating plants.
And a pinch of homemade fish food.
So, here I have 5 different plants
in this aquarium to start with.
Later I may and will! add more plants.
Plants are natural filters that provide
oxygen, food, and shelter for pets.
Also, algae provides oxygen and food.
And there are different bacteria
breaking down organic waste
for algae and plants to feed on.
Plants compete with algae for nutrition
dissolved in water and CO2.
Plants, algae and bacteria are
essential parts of every aquarium.
It takes a couple weeks to establish
initially healthy balance
between them all.
It's all natural self-regulating and
never ending process.
Every pinch of fish food given to pets,
snails in this example, also provides
food for bacteria, algae, and plants.
Be mindful of overfeeding!
Overfeeding is the main cause
of most problems in aquariums.
Period!
The very first pinch of food I give
to snails speeds up growth of algae.
Snails eat food and produce waste
that fuels algae growth.
Then snails eat the algae
and so it goes in cycles.
Any additional feeding is supplementary
in this self-sustaining ecosystem.
Cover your aquarium with a lid.
The design of this lid
allows air circulation while
greatly reducing water evaporation.
Also, the lid serves as
a base for an aquarium garden ;)
This setup does not require water changes
and can self-sustain for years :)
On May 9th, 2019
I add Cherry shrimp in this aquarium.
I try new plants to see which fits
and looks better, test ideas
and new designs all the time.
And I wish you do too!
Check description of the video
for useful links.