Aquarium 60 liters: sizes, design and selection of fish

Today it has become popular to start an aquarium with fish at home, as it not only decorates the interior of an apartment, but also gives peace of mind and a sense of comfort. Aquarium keeping involves the creation of an ecosystem in a limited space filled with water - an artificial reservoir. People who are fond of this activity must consider many factors when modeling aquariums of different sizes: lighting, the number of fish that can be kept, soil, plants, etc. Those who decide to buy a 60 liter aquarium should take into account that its design and selection of inhabitants is not such an easy task as it might seem at first glance. However, people who are interested in this lesson will find it very useful to know the intricacies of the design of such aquariums.

Novice aquarists should know the main rule when setting up an aquarium - providing equally comfortable living conditions for various representatives of the aquatic fauna. The water temperature level, compatibility with plants and other fish, and the degree of illumination of the lamps are some of the highlights, which should be taken into account by everyone who decided on this matter. Before starting the process of arranging the aquarium, you need to familiarize yourself with the information about the fish that are supposed to be launched there.

Another important component in aquarium design is the substrate. Its main purpose is that it serves as the basis from which plants will grow. It is worth paying attention to the amount of soil, depending on the size of the aquarium and the materials it consists of - soil for plants, decorative stones, gravel, quartz, etc. In no case should you choose metal and rubber decorations, as well as those with an external enamel coating ... These accessories can be toxic to the inhabitants of the aquarium. It is better to choose a dark color so that the inhabitants of an artificial reservoir can be better seen against the background of the soil.

The second most important stage in the design of the aquarium is the choice of representatives of the flora. It is of great importance whether live or artificial plants will be chosen, since many representatives of the aquatic world eat not only specialized food, but also the plants that surround them. Therefore, it is extremely important when choosing live plants to take into account their belonging to the diet of the inhabitants of the aquarium. Another important point is that the frequency of replacing water in it directly depends on the number of plants and fish in a 60 liter aquarium (however, it mainly depends on the quality of the installed water filter).

Aquarium lighting affects not only the inhabitants, but also living plants, the existence of which mostly depends on the degree of illumination.

Almost every aquarium comes with lamps of various types and powers. How many watts are needed to illuminate each of them depends on the size of the vessel. Most often, 60 liter aquariums are equipped with either two 11 watt fluorescent lamps, or it can be one 15 to 24 watt lamp. Even if the lamp included in the kit does not differ in high power, the general lighting can always be improved by purchasing additional lamps or a reflector for lamps, which will help to amplify the lighting several times.

Some manufacturers such as Aquatlantis (Portugal), Juwel produce a series of aquariums, complete with pedestals, among other things, which helps to decide what to put the artificial reservoir on. The standard colors in which these products are produced are black and white. In addition, water filters, reflectors, heaters, air conditioners and even food can be supplied with 60 liter aquariums. It all depends on the manufacturers and, of course, on the price.

When choosing an artificial reservoir of 60 liters, it should be borne in mind that its dimensions may vary depending on the shape. In specialized stores, aquariums of various shapes are presented - square, rectangular, panoramic, trapezoidal, hexagonal, etc.

For example, manufacturer Dennerle launches the Nano Cube in the form of a cube measuring 38x38x43 cm (length x width x height), also includes two fluorescent lamps and a filter.

Another brand - Juwel - produces aquariums Korall 60 with dimensions 61x31x36 cm by 54 liters. The price of such a product is very attractive, however, the lamps that come with the vessel have a short service life, and it is almost impossible to find the same ones.

Another model Juwel - Record 600 60 liters with dimensions 61x31x42 cm - sold only in black. The advantage of this model is the possibility of purchasing it complete with a curbstone, which will significantly expand the number of options for placing an aquarium in the house. The set also includes a fluorescent lamp, a filter, a heater and a connector for an auto-feeder.

The original design has aquarium Tetra Explorer Line Tropical 60 liters, the size of which is 32x50x50 cm. It is equipped with 8.5 watt diode lamps, as well as a filter with replaceable cartridges and a heater. This model combines optimal cost and good quality characteristics.

Manufacturer aquariums Aquael offers its customers several options for aquariums of 60 liters in different price categories: premium - Brillux, medium - Aqua4Home and lower - Classic Set... There are also models, both rectangular and panoramic. The final cost of the goods will depend on the shape and configuration. Sizes of Aquael Brillux Set 60 - 60x30x40 cm, Aquael Aqua4Home for 54 liters - 60x30x30 cm, Aquael Classic 60 for 54 liters - 60x30x30 cm.

Any of the options has its advantages and disadvantages, so when buying an artificial reservoir of 60 liters, you should carefully read each model in order to know what to expect during its operation.

After buying an aquarium, as well as all the components for its design - a filter, lamps, soil, plants and other accessories - the turn comes to choosing those who will live in it. You should not mindlessly go to the store and buy up all the fish you like - this will be a huge mistake. Before purchasing animals, you must first carefully read about each of the prospective candidates. Get acquainted with the conditions for their comfortable existence, the peculiarities of nutrition, reproduction, as well as their compatibility with other representatives of the aquatic fauna.

The number of fish directly depends on the size of the artificial reservoir and on the number of decorations that will be in it. But the main thing is that the number of fish depends on how often the animals feed, the aquarium is cleaned and how high-quality the filter costs. That is, the less often it is supposed to take care of the aquarium, the fewer inhabitants should live in it, moreover, very unpretentious ones. It is also important to consider the size of future pets and how often and how much they carry eggs, since caring for an overcrowded aquarium is quite difficult and has a lot of nuances. Below are approximate calculations of the number of fish per vessel with a volume of 60 liters.

All fish, besides the fact that they differ from each other in size, also have different requirements for the amount of water that should fall on one fish.

Depending on the size, the fish are divided into small, small, medium, large. Since we are considering populating an aquarium with a volume of 60 liters, it is advisable to describe only those groups of fish that can comfortably exist in an aquarium of this size.

• Small - neons, guppies, cardinals and others. Such fish can be safely launched into an aquarium with a volume of 10 liters or more. There is approximately 1 liter of water for one fish. But you can take less, it all depends on the density of the aquarium and its size.
• Small (no more than 6 cm in length) - platies, minors, thorns, barbs, etc. The volume of the vessel is more than 20 liters. When checking in, a calculation of 1.5 liters per 1 pet is taken. You need to look so that visually everything looks harmonious.
• Fish up to 10 cm in length - swordsman, rainbow fish, black barb, apistograms, etc. Here the aquarium should already be 60–100 liters, one fish will need about 4–10 liters of water.

Novice aquarists are advised not to over-populate a 60L tank, at least for a start. Over time, it will be seen whether it is worth buying more fish. This is most likely not necessary, as most fish reproduce quickly.

If you are faced with the problem of an overcrowded artificial reservoir, you need to familiarize yourself with the basic tips for caring for it:

• increasing the intensity of water saturation with oxygen - aeration;
• installation of a second water filter (better than an external one);
• change part of the water more often (at least once a week, up to 30% at a time);
• control the level of nitrates in the aquarium.

Following the above tips will help keep a densely populated aquarium hassle-free and waste-free.

See below for starting a 60 liter aquarium.