Aquarium glass: pros, cons and design

The aquarium glass will be a great gift for novice aquarists, as well as for adherents of minimalism. You can decorate a glass with several types of algae and populate it with cockerels or small catfish. Caring for such a large vase requires a minimum of time, and the original appearance of the aquarium in the form of a glass will be an excellent addition to the interior.

Aquariums in the form of wine glasses have different volumes. Most often, such tanks have a capacity of 5 to 16 liters. Glass aquariums are not suitable for placing schooling fish in them. The volume of the aquarium up to 16 liters is suitable for the habitation of only one individual. If the capacity of the tank exceeds 16 liters, then such an aquarium is suitable for settling a couple of smaller individuals.

The main advantage of a glass aquarium is its practicality. The containers are made of acrylic glass or ecological plastic, which makes the product quite durable. There are other pluses as well.

• Thanks to its shape and light weight, the glass aquarium can be easily moved from one place to another.
• In summer, such a container can be placed in fresh air.
• Of the advantages, it is worth noting the ease of care. The pond is easy to wash and clean.

The disadvantage of such a reservoir is its complete set. Most often, mini-aquariums come with a filter, pump, cover, lighting. Good water purification requires a powerful filter, which is not the case for glass aquariums. Backlighting in a small pond helps to heat the water, which negatively affects the well-being of some species of fish. After turning off the backlight, the water cools down quickly.This leads to temperature changes, which also does not contribute to the provision of good and stable living conditions for the inhabitants of the container.

Besides, it takes a significant amount of time for beneficial bacteria to inhabit the filter... This takes up to 6 weeks. Therefore, there should always be settled water at hand. At first, it is required to replace 25% of the fluid at least 2 times a week.

The shape of the glass has several limitations:

• the height of the product is greater than the width, and this significantly limits the movement of the fish;
• curved walls distort the image;
• the amount of soil in the aquarium is minimal, so only some plant varieties can be planted;
• a small filter clogs up very quickly and is much more problematic to clean than a larger unit.

When populating an aquarium in the form of a vase, you should take into account the peculiarities of the spherical shape. In such a reservoir, the presence of oxygen in the water is insufficient for some species of fish. In addition, the curved lines of the glass distort and refract light, which is very stressful for the fish and can affect their well-being.

For a small tank, small specimens are suitable. For example, in such an aquarium, you can populate a small catfish. It's good that the catfish themselves clean off the green plaque from the walls of the container.

In a small pond, cockerels, neons, lalius and guppies feel great. In most cases, it is the cockerels that live in the glasses. The fish is very bright and noticeable. The cock can regularly swim to the surface and swallow oxygen. The fish prefers warm water temperatures and bright lighting. If a cockerel lives in a glass aquarium, you should take care of buying a heater to constantly maintain a comfortable water temperature in it.

Some people believe that a goldfish is considered the ideal option for a glass aquarium. This is a misconception. Under conditions of limited oxygen in the tank, goldfish can get sick and develop poorly. Goldfish are more suitable for large bodies of water with dense vegetation.

The following equipment is required for the glass aquarium:

• filter;
• heater;
• compressor;
• lighting.

The power of the devices should be selected depending on the type of inhabitants of the aquarium. When choosing, you should purchase compact equipment designed specifically for small bodies of water.

Minimalism is considered the main principle of designing a small aquarium. A small amount of soil can be placed on the bottom and supplemented with algae. Experienced hobbyists are advised to purchase a couple of live plants that do not need rooting in the soil. You should not decorate the vessel with plants in layers. This planting of vegetation can lead to problems with sanitation and the growth of bacteria.

You can complement the furnishings with various decorative elements, but they should be in moderation. The fish should always be in sight.

Wine glass containers are always complemented by a lid. And also this option is suitable for those who have a cockerel in the aquarium.

Several advantages of glasses with a lid should be noted:

• prevents fish from jumping out;
• protects against the entry of various objects;
• illumination in the form of illumination can be fixed on the lid.

Such an aquarium has its own characteristics in care.

The water should be changed once a week or once every 10 days. Replace up to 25% of the water. The water must not come from the tap. It is better to use settled water for the change.

When cleaning the aquarium, you need to move the fish to another container so as not to cause harm. For this, a special landing net is used.

The glass walls of the tank are cleaned regularly using magnetic or blade scrapers. The bottom also needs to be washed thoroughly.

All decorative elements are wiped and disinfected to avoid contamination of the aquarium by dangerous bacteria.

To remove excrement residues from the soil, a compressor or siphon is used. To remove organic residues, the soil is siphoned up to 3 times a month.

When buying a glass aquarium, it is recommended to immediately purchase a biological filter. The device cleans the soil from dirt, excrement and algae.

Required tools for cleaning the tank:

• special net for fish;
• container with fresh water;
• paper napkins;
• scraper.

It may seem to many that a glass aquarium is more of a problem than a large container. This is not true. With timely prevention of illnesses and care and proper maintenance of its inhabitants, the vessel in the form of a glass will become not only an aesthetic addition to any interior. The design of such tanks is a pleasure, and watching the fish contributes to relaxation in the evening.

An overview of the glass aquarium in the video below.