When you get your pet fish, the very first thing you want to do is make a beautiful, comfortable home for it. A fish tank is as much of a fun art project as a home for your fish. To decorate your fish tank, follow these instructions;
Have a theme in mind
When you are at the pet store, you are bound to see incredible decorations that you feel you must have. The truth is, simplicity is the best. When you have a theme in mind, you already know the types of things you want to buy, so you avoid overspending and overcrowding your tank.
Start from the bottom
Get sand if your fish are buriers like eels, rays, and knife fish. For any other fish, gravel is okay. Glass pebbles can also be used as a substrate, but they have to be changed regularly as they deteriorate in water and get sharp edges. You can use colored sands as long as your water is freshwater.
Add some rocks
If you are a fan of rocks, add them. Any size is okay, but you have to make sure they are not basic; otherwise, they will mess with the pH of your tank. You can get rocks at the pet store and rinse them before putting them in water, or you can pick up your rocks and boil them for about 10 minutes to get rid of unwanted bacteria.
Plant time
Real or fake is the big question. You can use either real or artificial plants in your aquarium. They both have pros and cons. Natural plants will help reduce nitrogen and increase oxygen in your tank, but they will need to be constantly replaced. Fake plants can last for a long time, but they cannot offer any help to the tank’s ecosystem. Bury the roots of either one in your substrate to provide a hiding spot for your fish
Sea elements
You can add driftwood and seashells to your tank if you feel like it. They can be bought at the pet store, or you can pick them up. Just make sure to boil them before use.
Add your fun décor
This is where your theme comes in. Do you want to put it in a treasure chest? Be my guest. Or is it a castle? Go ahead. But avoid the following when you add your decorations.
- Anything pained as the paint will peel off and cause the water to become toxic.
- Things with sharp edges…for apparent reasons. If you want to use glass, make sure the edges are fine.
- Concrete, copper, and anything that might mess with the pH
- Coins
- Some plastics. With plastics, it is safer to buy them at a pet store
The Background
After all, is said and done, you will have a stunning aquarium, but you can still spice it up with a background. The background can be plain or any design of your choice. The background is to be plastered outside the fish tank. You can find one at the pet store or even make them yourself.
Conclusion
Decorating the tank is a fulfilling activity, and I hope you have an enjoyable time doing it. Have fun.