Aquariums for 20 liters: sizes, number and selection of fish

A compact aquarium with a capacity of 20 liters allows you to equip a real underwater world, albeit a small one, in a small apartment. What other advantages does a tank of this volume have? What are the best models? How to choose and equip a 20 liter aquarium?

Among the obvious advantages that a 20 liter aquarium has, their advantages should be noted:

• affordability;
• simplicity in arrangement and technical equipment;
• ease of care;
• a wide variety of small aquarium dwellers (vertebrates, invertebrates, molluscs) and aquatic plants.

Small-capacity tanks also have their own specific disadvantages. So, it is customary to refer to their main disadvantages:

• limited selection of equipment models and decor options;
• rapid contamination of water and tank walls;
• the likelihood of conflicts between the inhabitants of the aquarium (especially with their excess).

It should also be noted that the overwhelming majority of the aquarium fauna, recommended for keeping in tanks with a volume of 20 liters, is characterized by unpretentiousness, good health and unpretentious care. Such inhabitants of the aquarium are quite simple and easy to maintain, they are easy to care for and maintain cleanliness in their habitat.

On sale you can find small aquariums of 20 liters in a variety of designs, various configurations and sizes. The most popular are square and rectangular tanks.

Rectangular aquariums with a capacity of 20 liters are considered the classic tank option., intended for the arrangement of small home reservoirs. The most demanded among them are constructions measuring 38x26x37, 39.5x28x33, 39x27.5x32, 41.5x27.5x20.5 centimeters.

A classic round aquarium will organically fit into the interior of a modern apartment. Typically, the diameter of such tanks varies between 33-35 centimeters, and the height is within 25-27 centimeters.

Disc-shaped aquariums will look very organic in the interiors of apartments made in Art Nouveau or Art Nouveau style.in shape reminiscent of a car wheel. Another interesting option for stylish interiors is tanks, the bottom of which looks like a trapezoid or hexagon with rounded edges. The average height of 20 liter disc and trapezoidal aquariums usually reaches 38-40 centimeters and 25-35 centimeters wide.

Among the most famous manufacturers of aquariums and aquarium complexes, there are both foreign and domestic companies. The largest leaders in this market segment include the following brands:

• Aquael;
• Aquas;
• Tetra.

Aquael Is a well-known Polish company that produces both classic rectangular and polygonal, round and panoramic aquariums of various sizes. The manufacturer usually includes sets of auxiliary equipment in a set with tanks - filters, heaters, lamps. Also, the structures are accompanied by means for water preparation and feeding for aquarium plants.

Aquas Is a Russian manufacturer that produces aquariums for apartments and offices. In the manufacture of its products, the company uses high-quality components and materials of foreign origin - for example, high-strength Pilkington glasses (England), German silicone sealants. It is noteworthy that the price for tanks of this brand is quite reasonable.

Tetra Is a German brand that produces food for aquarium fauna, aquarium care products, as well as small aquariums with a capacity of 20 to 130 liters. Tank bodies with a volume of 20 liters, produced under this brand, are presented in 2 colors - dark and light.

Experienced aquarists recommend deciding on the shape of the tank before buying a 20 liter aquarium. For many beginners and hobbyists, round aquariums seem to be the most attractive. However, these tanks have a number of disadvantages that some inexperienced hobbyists may not even realize.

So, round aquariums, due to their shape, strongly distort the contents of their internal space... Fish and plants in round tanks often appear disproportionate and unnaturally large.

The best option for a beginner, according to experienced aquarists, would be a rectangular or square aquarium. Fans of structures of an unusual shape may prefer polygonal or trapezoidal tanks.

The most practical and inexpensive are acrylic glass aquariums. It is noticed that they retain heat by 20% better than ordinary glass containers. Thus, in operation, aquariums with acrylic glass can be more economical in terms of water heating costs.However, their disadvantages are usually attributed to vulnerability to mechanical damage that can be caused by a hard scraper or wire brush.

Glass aquariums are among the most hygienic and durable, but expensive structures., vulnerable mainly only to strong blows and falls. It is easier to care for them, easier to clean from algal plaque, disinfect.

When choosing an aquarium for 20 liters, it is worth considering such criteria as:

• environmental friendliness of materials (body, glazing);
• tightness of joints;
• wall thickness and transparency;
• the integrity and weight of the structure itself.

One of the characteristic benefits of a small 20 liter aquarium is that it can be set up in almost any well-lit corner of an apartment. However, in addition to lighting, the place for the aquarium must meet other equally important criteria.

So, the support under the tank must be stable and solid... When installing the structure on a support (pedestal, shelf), it is necessary to ensure that the front of the tank does not protrude beyond its edge, since this can lead to leaks and even breakage of the walls or bottom in the future.

The place for the aquarium should provide a comfortable and easy view of the home pond. At the same time, there should be power sources (sockets) near the tank for connecting the compressor, lamps and other equipment. It is highly recommended to equip all power sources with residual current devices in advance.

The aquarium should be positioned in such a way that there is free access to its back wall. In the future, this will make it easy to perform certain actions - for example, replacing the background decorations, removing garbage, cleaning the outer side of the back wall from dirt.

The compact dimensions of the tank make it quite easy to bring original creative solutions to life. However, when implementing them, one should not forget about the technical side of the task.

So, for the comfortable existence of the inhabitants of the aquarium, you will need to install additional lighting sources... In this respect, tanks with a lid, into which small but powerful lamps are already mounted, are considered very convenient. In other cases, you will need to install an energy-saving lamp or fluorescent lamp next to or above the aquarium.

Other accessories that should be used in a 20 liter aquarium include:

• filter - a low-power and inexpensive model is suitable;
• a compressor for saturating water with oxygen;
• thermometer and heater (depending on whether the inhabitants of the aquarium will need water of a certain temperature).

To prevent the tank from looking boring and impersonal, it needs to be decorated with vegetation and decor items. So, The following types of aquatic plants are recommended for 20 liter aquariums:

• marsilia;
• shieldworm;
• riccia;
• javanese moss;
• elodea;
• duckweed;
• fern.

Small driftwood, medium-sized stones, processed tree branches are usually used as decorative items in small aquariums.

Practice shows that small aquariums require more frequent cleaning and water renewal. In such reservoirs, water quite quickly “blooms” and becomes polluted with waste products of aquarium inhabitants.

In order to keep the freshness and purity of the water in the aquarium without disturbing the established biological balance, it is recommended to renew it once every 4-7 days.

Also, once every 3-5 days, it is desirable to carry out surface cleaning of the reservoir. In small aquariums (especially those that stand in the light), algal bloom grows quite quickly. When cleaning, it should be carefully removed with a plastic or metal scraper.

Pampering the inhabitants of the aquarium with live food (bloodworms, cyclops, tubifex), it is necessary to regularly remove its uneaten remains from the water. Untreated live food quickly decomposes in the water, which negatively affects its chemical composition and the aquarium ecosystem as a whole.

In an aquarium with a volume of 20 liters, various types of small fish, shrimps, and snails feel great. For example, a reservoir of the specified volume can be populated with the following inhabitants:

• guppies (7-8 individuals);
• cockerels (5-6 pieces);
• neons (6-7 individuals);
• swordtails (3-7 individuals);
• cardinals (6-7 individuals);
• catfish corridors (3-5);
• zebrafish (4-6).

Very funny and cute inhabitants of small aquariums are hymenochiruses - dwarf frogs. In a tank with a volume of 20 liters, they can be contained in an amount of up to 10 pieces.

An overview of the 20 liter aquarium and its inhabitants awaits you further.