Freshwater Aquarium Decoration: How To Do It Right?

Decorating an aquarium can be fun. There are loads of fun beads, colorful plants, even miniature pagodas if your goldfish are so inclined, but caveat emptor! Remember, whatever you put into your tank will affect its ecosystem and can harm your fish.

Like everything else in your aquarium, it is worth a little time planning beforehand and getting your supplies from pet or fish stores.

Aquatic hobbyists have a wide range of options when it comes to decorating their tanks: a nice piece of hollow driftwood, a conch shell picked up from the beach, or some nice rocks and plants. There are even rainbow-colored pseudo pebbles that release oxygen into the water!

Dos & Don’ts of Freshwater Aquarium Decoration

• Wallpaper: Some stores sell decorative “wallpaper” sheets that fit externally on the glass at the rear of the aquarium. These can help convey a feeling of depth, and block off an unsightly background like a tangle of wires or a boring wall.
• Aquatic Plants: Place big, bushy plants along the back and sides of the tank, then place one or two small ones in the middle as a centerpiece. More details on aquatic plants here.
• Log: A hollow log would be much appreciated refuge for shy or smaller fish fleeing their larger neighbors.
• Glass, Plastic Ceramics: Most items made of plastic, glass, and ceramics are inert, i.e. they don’t release or leach chemical into your water.
• Untreated wood: Like the piece of driftwood you found on the seashore, may be very pretty. But it may leach substances such as tannins that turn the water a yellowish tea color, and can change its pH. If you’re using wood that you’ve found yourself, boil it first to kill any pathogens or dangerous bacteria. Boiling it long enough will also make it sink.
• Seashell: You picked up a lovely shell and thought it would be a great additional to your aquarium decoration? Take a close look, and you may see tiny little inhabitants inside that perhaps should be left alone. Check the insides carefully and rinse the shells thoroughly before adding them to the tank. As a precaution, keep checking pH and buffering levels in your water in the days after adding the shell to check if it leaches carbonates.

More tips on how to decorate an aquarium here.

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