Aquarium Decoration Project

You've got the aquarium tank, now it's time to decorate. The tanks looked so pretty in the pet shop, but if you're like me, they left you wondering where to start. First, you need to decide on a theme, anything from Disney to Sunken ships. The theme you select for your aquarium décor is a matter of personal choice. The next suggestion would be to create a little diagram and scale everything to size. This will insure that you have room for everything you want and help eliminate gaps in the tank.

There are many different aquarium decorations out there. There are hundreds, if not thousands, to choose from. Coral, driftwood, gravel, plants, artificial plants, rocks and ceramic decorations are just a few types of aquarium décor. So, once you have decided on your theme, you should have no trouble filling your tank. You will want to make sure you put all the smaller objects and plants in the front and arrange the larger ones towards the back so it can all be seen.

It should be noted that you should only put articles in your aquarium that are labeled "for use in aquariums" so as not to contaminate the tank. Driftwood, rocks and plants from your garden or elsewhere may contain harmful ingredients like pesticides or chemicals, and even minerals that can be toxic to the aquarium life.

This is also important when caring for and maintaining your tank. Soap, bleach and other "cleaning products" are harmful for fish tanks. The tank décor and ornaments should be cleaned once a month using a cleaner made especially for cleaning fish tanks and aquariums. Cleaners that will remove biological and mineral deposits should be used. Cleaning aquarium decorations on the average is very low maintenance. Just make sure that before you add or remove any aquarium decoration or ornament that you turn off and unplug all the equipment first.

Aquarium décor is more than just ornaments and decorations in your tank. It can be used to disguise some of the unsightly plumbing of the fish tank, and more importantly, provide necessary shelter for the sea life thriving in your aquarium. It can also provide a place for the fish to lay eggs and even go and brood.

Rocks and other structures used as aquarium décor often become territorial boundaries for some of the fish in the tank. When picking out the rocks and bigger structures to decorate the tank, keep in mind that fish love to explore, so the more holes and ridges the better. It's also a good idea to rearrange the décor every time you clean. It will keep the aquarium experience fun and new for both you and the fish.

A well decorated aquarium would certainly add to the decor of your drawing room. Hobbyists spend considerable amount of time in adorning their fish tank with beautiful aquatic pieces. In fact festooning the aquarium with brilliant colored fish breeds swimming amidst rocky caves and water plants is quite exciting. Both the fresh water and salt water aquariums can be beautifully decorated by creating an artificial underwater biotope life. The following are some aquarium decorating tips that can be a great help for you.

Fresh Water Aquarium Decorating Tips

o You may ornament the aquarium with pieces of objects that would give a look of the ancient Roman Parthenon, a treasure or a chest box, replicas of sunken ship or boats, bridges and deep sea divers. The diver can also simultaneously play the role of a bubble creator in the aquarium.
o Drift woods can also be a good piece for decoration. You are advised not to pick up any wood piece and dip it into the water as that can turn out to be quite harmful for the fish. Buy a piece of drift wood from a good aquarium shop and test whether the wood has any harmful effect on fish or not by keeping it in a quarantine tank.
o Just like the drift woods rocks can also be kept inside the aquarium. Rocks provide ideal space for hiding. The African breeds of cichlids prefer the Texas Holey rock having lime stone as one of its components.