Children's aquariums: varieties, selection, settlement

Child psychologists often talk about how important it is to have a pet in the family where the child grows up. And if the family cannot “pull” a dog or cat (for various reasons), fish become the best option. Quiet, beautiful, obedient fish will really appeal to children. They will not run around the house, gnaw and scratch furniture, they do not need to be walked or vaccinated. Therefore, an aquarium for children can be a compromise solution when it comes to establishing a pet.

A small underwater kingdom in the house is, of course, interesting. All household members will enthusiastically follow what is happening under the water, how the fish behave, how beautifully the light streams in the aquarium and the underwater gardens sway. It is aesthetically pleasing, very decorative, and at the same time, a living corner appears in the house. This means that it requires care, care and attention.

If the child only watches how the mother feeds the fish, how she changes the water, how she turns on the filters, this is already some kind of teaching the rules of care and taking care of living things. But if the child himself is accustomed to help, if he delegates some powers, instills responsibilities - this is already a practical skill that really should be formed from childhood.

Baby aquarium care process disciplines, increases interest in the study of the living world and nature, develops responsibility and distracts from gadgets. Already these reasons are enough to think about purchasing a "sea house".

Educators give interesting examples. When an aquarium appeared in the family, the child began to spend almost all his free time with him.He came up with names for all the pets, he began to compose fairy tales about them, study their habits and even keep a diary of observations. At some point, the child wants to know more about his charges, and he begins to read. First, encyclopedias about sea inhabitants, then books on natural history for children, and so on. So, with the help of one acquisition, the "non-reading" child was able to become addicted to books.

And if at preschool age the aquarium is perceived as an observation game, then schoolchildren can take it more seriously. They already understand that the fish will remain alive and healthy only if people feed them, change the water, and clean the aquarium. Then the guys begin to delve deeper into the topic: they will learn what biocenosis, photosynthesis, and so on.

An aquarium for a child is not so much a game as a useful, cognitive tool for absent-mindedness, hyperactivity, inability to manage their times and be responsible for their actions... And the famous doctor Komarovsky reminds parents that a tank with fish is also a natural humidifier in the room.

All the arguments in favor of an aquarium for a child have been said, and now it is worth mentioning the safety measures. Aquarium hobby should, first of all, be safe. First, the principle should act: "You can watch, you can not touch!" For preschoolers, this is the main rule, since they will certainly want to touch the fish, send their favorite car into the water, feed the underwater inhabitants with cookies. And only a strict rule will save the fish and the aquarium from the harmless pranks of the child.

Important! Parents should think about how to correctly connect the aquarium to the power supply, taking into account that access to electrics should be impossible for the baby... If it is unrealistic to organize inaccessibility, the child should be clearly explained why he should not touch the wires under any circumstances.

You should think about where to place the aquarium itself. Its place should be where parents can freely control the interaction of the aquarium and the child. The curbstone on which the tank stands must be strong: all dangerous situations must be suppressed. A child cannot overturn an aquarium, sit on a pedestal, and so on. The rules of conduct in relation to the aquarium are discussed with the child even before his little sea kingdom appears in the house.

Aquarium fish are the best first subject of research for young naturalists. Not all underwater inhabitants are suitable for this role. Fish should not only be beautiful, but also, preferably, tenacious. It's great if for the first such experience you buy fish that are unpretentious in terms of living and nutrition. If this is your first aquarium, choose freshwater fish, they are easier to keep than marine life.

And you also need to learn how to properly combine fish: you cannot settle giants and babies together. Even non-aggressive large fish can accidentally swallow a baby, confusing it with food. It is better to start fish in flocks, as due to certain circumstances the fish may die. In a flock, losses will not be so noticeable: and any loss of a pet is very frustrating for the baby.

It is worth noting the suitable fish for the first aquarium.

• Pecilia - a cute little fish 4–5 cm long, active, mobile, peaceful and unpretentious. There should be plenty of plants in a petsilia tank, but there should be plenty of room for swimming.

• Swordsman - bright and very beautiful fish with a gorgeous tail. Towards the end, the tail is sharpened, and this feature is noted in the very name of the fish. The unpretentious and, one might say, modest inhabitants of the aquarium are very popular with children.

• Guppy - it is the most popular domestic underwater inhabitant. They easily adapt to different conditions, unpretentious to food.Male guppies have lush tails, they are very mischievous and drive around the aquarium like racers.

• Neon Is a beautiful fish with a silvery belly and a wide greenish stripe. Peaceful disposition and modest requirements of this fish make it a favorite for buying in a children's aquarium.

• Somik - another unpretentious underwater inhabitant. He will get along in any company, make friends with everyone. But he prefers dark lighting. If there is none in the aquarium, it will "sit out" in the shelter.

There is no need to try to buy a lot of fish at once, different, exotic. Start with a flock of pets of the same species. Should be considered compatibility of the inhabitants of the aquarium. Many are in conflict over the conditions of keeping, food, some species simply cannot divide the territory.

And it also makes sense to rely on the choice of fish and the character of the child: fidgets will be interested in watching the same energetic and mobile inhabitants of the aquarium (zebrafish, neons, barbs). And if the child is calm, he will be more interested in goldfish, diamond and black-striped cichlazomas.

The fish house itself is no less interesting for the kid. Aquariums for children come in different sizes - from 5 to 60 liters. For a start, a tank that is modest in size and design is enough. For example, calm cockerels can live in a small, round, cozy aquarium.

Interestingly, a large aquarium is easier to care for than a small one. The tank itself is a mini-model of an existing reservoir. And when you populate it with animals and plants, a kind of biological balance is established in the aquarium. The larger the aquarium, the more stable this balance. Therefore, it is believed that the standard of living of fish in an aquarium will be 80 liters higher than those of those inhabitants who are forced to live in a "apartment" more modestly, by 20 liters.

But for young aquarists, small models with a small number of pets are also suitable. For each fish there should be about 1 liter, from such a calculation they start off when buying an aquarium and its inhabitants. A round aquarium looks beautiful, but it cannot be said that it is especially convenient for fish. It is not as comfortable for them to live in it as in a rectangular one. Yes, and equipping it, looking after a round aquarium is not very convenient.

There are a few important things to note about the aquarium.

• You should not put an aquarium near a window or next to a radiator. Do not allow direct sunlight to fall on the container. Because of this, algae begin to outgrow, the water "blooms", a biological imbalance occurs.
• Setting up an aquarium cannot be a matter of five minutes. First, you need to thoroughly wash the glass tank, place the washed soil in it, then fill it with settled tap water, plant the plants. Then the filter, lighting and heating are connected. Then the aquarium is covered with a special lid, only then fish can be populated into it.
• If your aquarium has a good filter, you can do without an aerator. But in principle, such a compressor is needed - it saturates the water with oxygen.
• The lamp will maintain constant illumination in the container. In the dark, fish and plants cannot exist, and direct ultraviolet light is contraindicated in the underwater kingdom. Therefore, the lamp must be on for 13-14 hours a day.
• Heating maintains a stable temperature in the aquarium. You cannot do without this if your pets are thermophilic creatures.

A steady interest in animals is formed in a child aged 4–5 years. At this time, you can start visiting pet shops, reserves, bird markets. Visiting animals is becoming more and more meaningful. By the age of 6, babies can already provide all possible assistance in caring for the aquarium. At first, they only assist an adult at the level of an assistant, but after such practice they will have experience in order to take care of their sea kingdom on their own.

For information on the types of children's aquariums, see the next video.