Aquaworld is a miniature, completely sealed aquarium that lives according to the same principles as the Earth’s biosphere, that is, nothing leaves or enters the system from the outside except sunlight. Shrimp live in such a mini-aquarium. They swim peacefully among corals and shells, nibble microalgae, and sometimes rush after each other or drag grains of sand. If disturbed, the shrimp temporarily lose their red color and become environment. Having calmed down, they turn red again. In Aquaworld, shrimp do not have their natural enemies, and their life can last a very long time, approximately 10 years.
You do not need to feed the aquatic animals or change their water. No air, water or food enters it. When exposed to light, microalgae produce oxygen through photosynthesis and food for shrimp, which in turn produce carbon dioxide and fertilizers for plants.
The creation of miniature biosystems was the result of long and complex scientific experiments, carried out in the USSR and the USA within the framework of space and environmental projects for several decades .
Do shrimp reproduce in aquaworld?
Our shrimp live a long time, but rarely bear offspring. We spent a lot of time getting them to reproduce to produce Aquaworlds, creating special conditions. There are no such conditions in Aquamir.
But still, thanks to the attention and care of the owners of Aquaworlds, if this happens in your “Aquaworld”, please be sure to let us know. Send photos of shrimp with caviar and newborn fry. We are trying to document these cases.
How do shrimp feel in a closed ball?
Biosystem "Aquamir" - balanced system, designed for long years life, it contains enough substances to maintain comfortable life shrimp. Let us only remember about light and room temperature.
The fact that they were in Aquamir indicates that even in a closed system it is possible to create excellent conditions for them.
Our shrimp are ideal for keeping in regular mini-aquariums, so-called nano-aquariums.
Why can’t you plant more shrimp in AQUAMIR?
The main thing we are trying to achieve when creating “AQUAMIRS” is to provide comfortable, healthy conditions for the long life of shrimp in a closed biosystem. Naturally, 100% recycling of waste is impossible; the system must have a safety margin. Therefore, there should not be more shrimp than the calculated quantity. Be careful when purchasing biosystems where the number of shrimp, even small ones, is more than 2 shrimp per 1 liter.
Is it difficult to comply with the conditions of detention of AQUAMIRA?
The main thing is light and room temperature. The conditions of an ordinary office or apartment are quite suitable for maintaining AQUAMIRA. In order not to depend on the weather, we recommend keeping the aquaworld under a table lamp, away from windows.
Algae on the walls of "AQUAMIRA"
"AQUAMIRS" has a culture of special algae. Over time, there may be more of them on the walls of AQUAMIRA. It `s naturally. The system is healthy if the algae is green. If the algae is brown, you need to add light. Algae can be removed from the walls with sand or magnets, which we equip “AQUAMIRS”. The internal magnet is made of a special anti-corrosion alloy.
By purchasing "Aquaworlds", you help protect animals
For our "Aquaworlds" we use shrimp grown in our laboratories. Reproduction of our shrimps in artificial conditions was the result of many years of work. By purchasing Aquaworlds, you are supporting efforts to prevent the extinction of this species.
.Ministry of Education of the Penza Region
GAPOU PA "Penza Agro-Industrial College"
Individual project
"Aquarium is a closed ecosystem"
Specialties: “Land and property relations”
Kulazhenkova Elizaveta
Head: ecology teacher
Voronkova S.V.
Penza, 2017
Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………4
Theoretical part ……………………………………………………………...5
Types of closed ecosystems........................................................................ ....................5
1.2 Florarium………………………………………………………................................. ..........6Practical part ……………………………………………………….………9
2.1Aquarium with a closed ecosystem……………………………….……....13
2.2Aquaponics……………………………………………………….…......15
Conclusion ……………………………………………………………….…….....17
Literature and sources ……………….……………………………….…….....18
Introduction
How great it is to watch the fish swimming peacefully in the evenings. home aquarium. It's so relaxing. However, how unbearable it is to constantly monitor the cleanliness of this reservoir! How annoying the smell of fish food can sometimes be, especially for people with allergies! How much financial resources do you need to spend to maintain the “reservoir” in your apartment in decent condition! To a similar “ headache“Not all nature lovers agree. American residents also seem to be against it. It is not for nothing that a closed aquarium was recently invented in America.
A closed aquarium does not require any maintenance. This alone makes you smile and think that inviting sea creatures into your home is not a bad idea at all. Further more. Closed aquariums are small in size, approximately 30 cm in diameter. They are an excellent interior decoration. Aquaworld can be placed in the house on a shelf or in the office on a desktop. An enclosed aquarium would look great in a child's room. There is no need to be afraid that children will accidentally break the product. Aquamir is absolutely sealed and durable.
You are probably wondering what is in this miniature water world? In fact, the aquaworld is a copy of the biosystem of our planet, or rather, it is an ecosystem that lives according to the laws of the biosphere. Nothing gets into it and nothing leaves the aisles of the aquaworld. All the necessary processes necessary for the existence of the inhabitants of a confined space take place inside it.
Goal of the work: design and create a miniature ecosystem.
Tasks:
1.Study the history of the creation of closed ecosystems.
2.Develop and create your own miniature ecosystem.
Subject of study: closed ecosystems.
Relevance: Currently, the world is actively searching for opportunities to reduce the anthropogenic impact on the natural environment and preserve its integrity for future generations. One of the main ways to solve this issue is the creation of highly productive food production technologies that will reduce the load on natural ecosystems. In many countries, aquaculture, especially integrated fish farming, plays a prominent role in food production. One of the technologies of the future, designed to provide the population with natural, environmentally friendly food without harmful effects to nature, is aquaponics. Aquaponics is an integrated technology for the joint cultivation of valuable species of fish and cultivated plants. Commercial development of aquaponics systems requires large initial investments, which are necessary for the construction of greenhouses and ponds. But the profitability of the method is also great. Considering that environmentally friendly products are becoming increasingly popular and the demand for them is constantly growing.
Theoretical part
1.1 Types of closed ecosystems
An ecosystem is a collection of living organisms that different types in a certain area of the biosphere, which are connected not only with each other, but also with the components of inanimate nature through the cycle of substances and energy conversion. It can be natural and artificial.
Natural ecosystems (forests, steppes, savannas, lakes, seas and others) are a self-regulating structure.
Artificial ecosystems (florarium, aquariums, aquaponics and others) are created and maintained by humans.
Fig.1 florarium Fig. 2 aquarium with shrimps
Fig. 3 aquaponics
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1. 2Florarium
This is a miniature ecological system in the house.
A closed transparent container in which the main inhabitants are plants.
The earliest prototype of a modern florarium was created in 1830,and it happened completely by accident.Subsequent experiments showed that many plantsare able to grow and develop excellently in closed glass containers.
Fig.4 David Latimer
Pensioner David Latimer from England has been growing a garden in a bottle for 53 years!The last time he watered it was no less than 40 years ago.
Florariums can be different not only in shape and size, but also placed in the form of compositions of several vessels with plants in one place. Such terrariums are made from solid And - both by the factory method and with the help of improvised means and utensils: broken incandescent lamps, decorative vases and laboratory or spherical . The opening of the container at the top is narrowed or closed. There are also florariums that visually resemble aquariums. Inside, plant compositions are created that resemble natural landscapes in appearance. Florariums come in tabletop, floor, wall and hanging varieties.
An important condition for florariums is maintaining a certain constant temperature and humidity inside. Additional lighting and heating are provided by specialized equipment.
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Rice. 5 terrarium from household dishes Fig.6 hanging florarium
Fig.7 florarium from an incandescent lamp
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Many people enjoy not only contemplation, but also the process of caring for their green pet. London designer Samuel Wilkinson is also a proponent of this activity. But old-fashioned watering cans and pots open ground got tired and he found hisan interesting way to grow house plants - a digital terrarium
Rice. 8 Digital Terrarium BiomeA closed ecosystem with regulated conditions has been created inside it. The terrarium connects remotely to a tablet or laptop. All parameters inside the flask are displayed on a convenient interface, and with just one click of a buttonyou can adjust the light, water, or add nutrients to the soil.But in reality everything is much simpler!
Practical part
To create an ecosystem in a sealed vessel you will need:
1. Plants
What to choose? The most suitable options are moss, tradescantia, small sprouts of chlorophytum and fern. You can use other plants, the main selection criteria are slow growth, unpretentiousness and compatibility of plants with each other. For example, cactus and moss are unlikely to get along in the same vessel.
My option: moss, clover and a couple of small sprouts of knotweed dug up in the park (purely as an experiment), as well as soleirolia bought in a store, which also loves wet air and does not favor direct sunlight.
2.Vessels
It all depends only on your imagination and capabilities. You can choose anything from the notorious light bulbs to huge bottles. I even saw an option online with a two-liter plastic bottle. The main thing is that it can be sealed. For these purposes, I took a 500 ml chemical flask and a kitchen jar for bulk products.
3. Soil and drainage
The soil can be used universally for indoor plants, or, if you only take plants from the street, dig up the soil in which they originally grew. I dug up the clover along with a piece of earth into which the roots had sprouted.
Drainage - expanded clay, fine gravel or crushed stone, pieces of ceramics. In general, any material that does not rot and does not retain water. Sand is optional.
4. Stopper/cap and sealant
If your vessel is sealed tightly with a stopper, then no sealant is needed.
Again, whatever suits your taste. The main thing is that it doesn’t rot.
Now about the manufacturing process.
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Next we fill in the soil. The layer depends on the type of plant. Moss, for example, does not require a lot of soil, but plants with a developed root system will need a layer depending on their size. In my case, 1 cm was quite enough for a jar (there will be clover with its own soil and moss) and about 1.5 cm for a flask (in addition to moss, I will plant saltwort there).
I placed a few more pebbles on top of the soil just like that. Wide neck - less problems.
Now you can plant the plants. We simply place the moss on the ground and press it lightly; for other plants we make holes in the ground, place the roots in it and cover it with soil. You can compact the soil on top a little, but only a little. For vessels with a narrow neck, long tweezers or a pair of chopsticks and the skill of eating sushi will be very useful.
The contents of the flask seemed too dull to me, so I decided to brighten up the landscape with a homemade sign made from polymer clay(the “boards” are made of polymer and glued to a toothpick with superglue, everything is painted with acrylic, this will be sufficient moisture insulation for a toothpick
Next, the whole thing needs to be watered. The amount of water can only be determined experimentally, and this is perhaps the most difficult moment. So that such an ecosystem makes you happy for a long time, the amount of water should be sufficient for plant life, but not too much so that the contents do not turn into a swamp. I would advise you to keep your plants unclogged for a day after the first watering, then close the lid tightly and leave for another 12 hours. After that, look at the situation inside.
For example, for moss: if the inside walls are very foggy (a dense fog formed in my jar the next morning after sealing, and there was a layer of water on the stones), you need to open the lid again and let the water evaporate; If the walls are not fogged up at all, you need to water a little more. During experiments with water, by the way, it will become clear whether your plants have taken root
When you decide that you have selected the optimal amount of water, the vessel can be sealed completely. To do this, the lid or plug can be coated with sealant or hot melt adhesive.
That's all, actually.
2.1Aquarium with a closed ecosystem
Using the example of our planet, which is a closed system with living organisms, miniature biosystems were created based on the results of space and bioexperiments of the former Soviet Union and the United States. Consider an aquarium with a closed ecosystem.
The ball, comparable in size to an orange, was filled with sea shrimp. The atmosphere of the ocean floor is recreated there, using ocean sand, shells, and pebbles. The ball is sealed. The supply of air, water, and feed is excluded. Microalgae release oxygen when exposed to light (photosynthesis). Particles of these plants serve as food for shrimp.Shrimp produce carbon dioxide, which is necessary for algae; their waste products fertilize aquatic plants. Analogues of such aquariums participated in experiments of the American Shuttle and the Russian space station"World". In an aquarium with a closed aqua system, you can see the movements of shrimp, their walking and feeding, nipping at their own kind, as well as the transfer of small grains of sand by shrimp! They react to outside disturbance by temporarily losing their red color, changing color to match their environment.
Over time, having calmed down, the shrimp return to their natural red light. It has been noticed that some shrimp exhibit constant colorlessness, while they feel quite comfortable. Conditions for reproduction in such aquariums have not been created, so cases of reproduction are extremely rare. You should not buy an aquarium with a closed ecosystem in which there are more than two shrimp, they will not be able to live long, since the self-cleaning system is not designed for more than that.In such an aquarium, shrimp are freed from enemies and live up to about ten years. It happens that the ecosystem lives up to 12 years. The lifespan of this closed ecosystem is determined by the life expectancy of the shrimp. Shrimp in an aquarium of different ages, therefore, with the death of one, the other will also die
2.2 Aquaponics
In some countries in last years a new type of agricultural enterprises are being created - farms of the future, which use new method organizations Agriculture- aquaponics – one system cultivation of freshwater animals and agricultural crops
The essence of the method isthe complete absence of natural soil on aquafarms,and used to feed green plant matterwaste products from various freshwater animals: fish, shrimp and others.
In addition, by using waste products of aquatic organisms as food, plants purify water from contaminants and saturate it with oxygen.
In the British city of Bristol, an aquaponics farm has been operating for several years, growing various vitamin-rich greens: lettuce, parsley, dill. Specialists in it work according to a closed scheme:
feeding fish - caring for beds - harvesting
An aquaponics system involves two containers: one for breeding fish, and the other, installed directly above the first, serves directly for growing plants on artificial soil.
Fish waste products are an ideal fertilizer for many plants: vegetables, flowers and herbs.
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In the process of aquaponics, bacteria play an important role, which purify water for animals from toxic substances, converting them into fertilizers necessary for feeding vegetation.
Aquaponicsmade it possible to free ourselves from the use of herbicides and pesticides, harmful to the life of bacteria and animals.
At the aqua farm, there is a constant circulation of water, which is constantly pumped using pumps from a container with fish to a container for plants, and then, already purified, is returned to the fish again.
The most commonly grown animals on agricultural farms are carp, common crayfish and edible frogs.
Aquaponics - a unified system for growing freshwater animals and agricultural crops - attracts the attention of agricultural specialists around the world.
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Conclusion
Self-created closed ecosystems are great tutorial for the development of observation and attention, which is the basis for solving various problems.
The problem of ecology in modern society remains relevant to this day. The need to create closed ecosystems now represents not only a purely scientific, but also a vital problem.
In 1997, together with my colleague Dmitry Chashechnikov, we developed and patented the technology for the production of so-called sealed or sealed aquariums - AquaMir. These are autonomous aquariums, self-sufficient. No need to feed the animals or change the water. This is similar to our earth, because the earth is also a big aquarium, where aliens do not feed the animals and do not change the water in the oceans. The earth cleans itself, feeds and supplies itself. The great Russian scientist Vernadsky, because of this property, called the earth the Biosphere.
Our planet is a closed system in which living organisms are located, where practically nothing enters or leaves the system from the outside, except sunlight.
AquaMir is a miniature ecosystem that exists according to the same principles as the Earth’s biosphere. It contains shrimp, snails and microalgae. You do not need to feed the aquatic animals or change their water. Neither air, nor water, nor food from outside enters it. When exposed to light, microalgae produce food through photosynthesis for shrimp and snails, which in turn produce carbon dioxide and fertilizer for plants.
The lifespan of AquaMir is limited by the lifespan of shrimp. Because Since shrimp do not have natural enemies in the aquarium, their life can last quite a long time, up to approximately 10 years.
This is the letter we recently received from Muscovite Olya.
AkvaMir has been living with Olya for 15 years. I think this is a record
An aquarium is like an artificial ecosystem.
Mishustin Dmitry 3 "B"
An ecosystem is a unity of living organisms and their habitat, in which living organisms of different “professions” are able to jointly maintain the circulation of substances.
An aquarium is a model of a fresh water body, where almost all biological processes characteristic of fresh water bodies take place. An aquarium is considered an ecosystem because it contains all its components - air, water, soil, producers, consumers, destroyers. It is considered artificial because it is created by human hands and not by nature.
The “producers” in aquariums are plants. They can be either aquatic flowering plants (Wolfia, Duckweed, Hygrophila, Cabomba carolina) or algae (Spirogyra, Xenococcus, Cladophora). They help establish harmony in the water. If the algae take root well and correctly, then the water in the aquarium is crystal clear and transparent. 
The “consumers” in aquariums are fish. Fish can be either warm-water or cold-water. They cannot be placed in the same aquarium, as they need different temperature conditions. The warm-water group includes swordtails, gambusia, callichts, gourami, guppies, zebrafish, macropods, mollienisia, and cichlids.
Cold-water aquarium species include a group of fish adapted to the life and conditions of a room, unheated aquarium. The most ancient representative is crucian carp ( gold fish), veiltail, loach, telescope.
The walls of the aquarium are gradually covered with a green coating - tiny algae. They block the light. Then the “destroyers” living in aquariums come to the rescue. They are snails that clean algae from glass. Snails also eat dead fish and the remains of live food, preventing the water from spoiling.
In addition to fish, other animals are also placed in aquariums. These are turtles and crayfish. But keeping them together with fish is not advisable, as they eat them and harm the plants. Therefore, they require special content.
The ecosystem of each aquarium is unique and depends on a huge number of factors. If you follow the simplest rules, your underwater world will turn out to be truly stable and will delight the eye for a long time.
A novice aquarist bought fish and plants, poured tap water into a jar, planted the plants, and introduced the fish. The fish died immediately, the plants within a few days.
A more experienced amateur knows that the water needs to be settled, the plants are planted in washed sand, and the fish seem to be doing well at first. But then they begin to pay less and less attention to food, the water becomes cloudy, a bad smell appears, the plants are destroyed, and in the end a picture of complete collapse and death sets in. The aquarist either quits or runs with a claim to the seller, claiming that he was sold sick fish or poor quality food.
And in the aquariums of other hobbyists, the water is crystal clear, like it is not even poured from the tap, the fish are playful and cheerful, and the plants grow in such a way that you have to constantly remove their excess. What's the matter?
We have already said earlier that an aquarium is a model of a natural ecosystem that is in dynamic equilibrium, that everything in an aquarium is interconnected, as in wildlife. We have already traced some of these connections, analyzing what happens to the water in an inhabited aquarium. Neither fish, nor plants, nor protozoa and microorganisms invisible to you can exist separately for any long time. In our underwater world there are many connections between its inhabitants, and the aquarist should strive to maintain them all, and at least try not to break them with rude interference.
First of all, you should understand that in an aquarium we do not keep aquatic animals and plants, but aquatic environment habitat and the main task of the aquarist is to maintain the healthy state of this environment, and not its inhabitants. If the environment is healthy, the organisms inhabiting it will be healthy.
The underwater ecosystem model you keep at home, called an aquarium, is constantly evolving.
The environment develops from the stage of youth to maturity, from maturity to old age and death. At the very beginning, the amateur creates a young habitat, and his task is to accelerate the maturation stage and delay old age. Sooner or later, the aquarium becomes decrepit, and it has to be “recharged” again. An experienced amateur can delay the degradation of the environment by ten, or even fifteen years; for a beginner, its entire life fits into just one year.
To prolong this life, it is necessary to obtain the most powerful equilibrium state in the aquarium. The environment enters this state at the moment of transition from youth to maturity and, like a natural ecosystem, acquires the ability to restore disturbed balance in the event of unfavorable external influences. The rate of formation of the habitat in a room aquarium does not depend on its size, but its continued existence and the rate of aging in small aquariums are much higher than in large ones. Establish environmental balance in the small and large volume equally simple, but maintaining this balance is easier the larger the body of water.
In aquariums we are faced with maintaining a closed, self-sustaining habitat. And its well-being depends on the aquarist’s knowledge of some basic environmental laws. In ecology, the law of the minimum operates, from which it follows that the well-being of the environment and all its inhabitants is determined by the sufficient presence of all necessary factors. If any of them is at a critical minimum, the well-being of the entire environment is disrupted. For example, there is not enough light in the aquarium, and under all other favorable conditions (temperature, presence nutrients etc.) plants stop growing and gradually die. In an unheated aquarium, at room temperature, some fish grow and develop successfully, while for others this temperature is critical minimum, and with all the others normal conditions these fish nevertheless become ill and die.
Ecologists consider the following to be the main factors influencing the environment:
1) abiotic (temperature, light, chemical and physical properties water and its movement);
2) biotic, representing a closed cycle: plants that create mass from inorganic substances organic matter; animals consuming this substance and other animals; bacteria and fungi that decompose organic matter into simpler inorganic substances, again consumed by plants.
It's easy to see that A biotic factors directly depend on the person who owns the aquarium, while biotic ones depend only indirectly. A person influences biotic factors by adding food, cleaning the aquarium and selecting its inhabitants.
The inhabitants of the aquarium must be compatible with each other, occupy different ecological niches, do not interfere or harm each other. A large number of bottom-dwelling fish species will lead to the fact that they will not have enough bottom area and the weaker ones will be doomed to death. Floating plants, growing beyond measure, shade everything growing under them. Dozens of cichlids coexist peacefully in large bodies of water, but as soon as they are transplanted into a smaller aquarium, deadly fights begin for the right to own the territory.
In an aquarium that has recently been set up and is currently without fish, the pioneers of life activity are microorganisms. Organic particles remained in the washed sand, individual roots were damaged when planting, and some of the stems and leaves died in fresh water. Microorganisms are called upon to process all this, decompose dead organic matter into simple compounds dotted with plants. The water becomes cloudy from the abundance of bacteria that have proliferated on rich food, but as the amount of unprocessed organic matter decreases, the microorganisms die en masse from lack of food. The water becomes clear. Sometimes after clearing, a second, fleeting wave of cloudiness occurs. It was the protozoa that multiplied - bacteria eaters, primarily ciliates. But after the death of the bulk of bacteria, most micropredators also die of starvation. A relative equilibrium is established in the aquarium.
Then the plants gain strength and begin to grow, and their vital activity turns tap water into a living environment. Now you can launch fish. Typically, from the moment the aquarium is planted with plants until the water clears, it takes from 2 to 4 weeks. This period can be reduced by adding some water from an old aquarium. It is even more useful to add a little sludge from it, containing all the necessary classes of microorganisms. Can be used special drugs containing spores of beneficial microbes. In the presence of such a seed, turbidity may not occur at all, or it will be very short-lived.
The initial stage of environmental development is fleeting. The maturity stage is tens and hundreds of times longer. Of course, its stability is not unlimited, but in large aquariums it is quite strong. The power of self-correction is determined by the circulation of substances between animals, plants and microorganisms in the presence of numerous direct and feedback connections. For example, active cleaning and adding large quantity fresh water after a long break can cause stress to the environment. In a small aquarium, the environment may never recover from it, and you will have to start all over again. In a large body of water, a stable balance will allow the environment to cope with stress and return to normal after a few days.
The existence of environmental balance imposes certain obligations on the aquarist. Before intervening in environmental sustainability, think seven times: is this intervention necessary? Will you harm the balance, will the environment have enough strength to overcome stress?
An example is the use of microfertilizers for plants. When plants are clearly starved, the added additives have almost no effect on their development. The forces of inertia of the environment react to them as an undesirable interference in the state of equilibrium; mineral supplements quickly bind into insoluble compounds and precipitate. To outwit the environment, organic complexing agents must be added simultaneously, saving microelements from precipitation. Only in this form do they become available to plants.
Abiotic factors are entirely in the hands of the aquarist. Let's consider the most important ones - temperature, light and water movement. If the temperature in your apartment does not drop below 24 ° C, which is unlikely, for most fish you can do without additional heating of the water. This, of course, does not apply to spawning or nursery aquariums. Things are especially difficult in the spring and autumn when starting and stopping the heating systems of our houses, so it is necessary to have heaters. Temperature must be observed throughout the life of the habitat. Adding fresh water to small aquariums should only be done after its temperature has equalized the temperature in the aquarium. In containers larger than 150 liters, water can be added directly from the tap, but only in a very thin stream. The environment will cope with both temperature and chlorine stress. But when changing water, never change more than 100% volume at the same time. For larger replacements, the environment may not be able to cope because you are removing part of it.
The duration of illumination corresponds to a tropical day - 12 hours. During the dark period of the day, a complex process of processing carbon accumulated during the day occurs in plant cells. Alternating light and dark is mandatory for them. It is also a must for fish. Daytime fish rest at night, and nocturnal fish become more active. Some catfish will never leave their shelters during the day and even very hungry ones will not take food. For such fish it has to be set before turning off the light. The decrease in light output of fluorescent lamps over time should also be taken into account - a decrease in light flux affects the life of plants and accelerates the aging process of the environment.
The aging of the environment is also affected by the immobility of water. The most stagnant water in nature is more mobile than aquarium water due to wind and rain. To prolong the viability of the medium, water circulation in the aquarium is mandatory. This is achieved by aeration or filter operation. The main purpose of aeration is vertical mixing of water in the aquarium. At the same time, the bottom layers brought to the surface are saturated with gases, the pH in the water column is leveled (in standing water, the pH value is higher at the surface due to the vital activity of plants). In the bottom layers, a decrease in the redox functions of water - redox potential - is prevented. Aeration helps to quickly mix water when adding fresh water, promotes clumping - coagulation of organic turbidity. The movement of water is necessary for plant leaves for the normal absorption of dissolved substances, which is beneficial for the health of fish. Aeration also helps supply oxygen to the soil layers where beneficial microorganisms live. Some species of fish feel good only when they are in the current.
Only small part The substances necessary for animals and plants are in solution and are directly accessible to them; a larger amount is contained in bottom sediments and directly in organisms. The rate of transition of these substances into solution, as a result of the work of plants and microbes, is one of the conditions on which the normal functioning of the environment is based.
Bacteria utilize nitrogen-containing excretions from animals and convert them into substances that are simpler and more accessible to plants. The process of converting toxic nitrogen compounds into less toxic ones depends on the health of the environment as a whole, but if medications are used in the aquarium, the process can stop completely. Methylene blue stops the activity of microorganisms completely. Antibiotics slow it down by more than half. Reducing the pH below 7.0 also slows down the bacteria. Therefore, when treating fish, after their recovery, it is necessary to urgently but carefully begin changing the water, otherwise the fish risk being poisoned by nitrogen compounds. The same can happen in a spawning tank, where methylene blue was added to protect the eggs. If you do not remove it after the larvae hatch, they can be lost due to self-poisoning with nitrates and nitrites.
You shouldn’t lower the pH below 7 unless absolutely necessary. Neutral and slightly alkaline environments have stronger buffering properties and age much more slowly than acidic ones.
There are three main groups of bacteria active in the aquarium. The first group mineralizes organic excretions of animals, their corpses and dead parts of plants to nitrites. Toxic nitrites are converted by the second group of bacteria into less toxic nitrates, and the third group of bacteria, breathing nitric oxide, reduces the nitrate nitrogen to dioxide and free gas. Removing excess nitrogen from water is one of the most important ways to prolong the health and longevity of the environment. But here you cannot rely only on the vital activity of bacteria; the aquarist must facilitate this process by regularly changing the water and washing the soil. Some nitrogenous compounds are also absorbed by higher plants.
An aquarium in which the activity of all three groups of bacteria corresponds to the amount of organic matter entering the water and is ecologically balanced, an environment with buffer properties is established in it. The equilibrium operates quite simply - an increase in the supply of organic matter is compensated by an increase in the activity of microorganisms, but, of course, up to certain limits. An overcrowded aquarium cannot exist healthy for a long time. You can throw the environment out of balance by giving too much food. When decomposing, uneaten food overloads the bacteria with work, and they are not able to completely utilize it. You need to be especially careful with dry food and highly nutritious feed for fry.
Plants play a huge role in the health of the environment. In natural bodies of water, the first place is occupied by phytoplankton - microscopic floating algae. In a balanced aquarium habitat, the first role remains with higher aquatic plants, and the presence of phytoplankton in clear water completely invisible. But sometimes it suddenly becomes more and more noticeable and causes a disaster. Under the influence of direct sunlight and with an excess of organic matter, the growth of phytoplankton first gives the water a whitish color, and then an increasingly rich green, up to black-green. The aquarium "bloomed".
In the initial life phase of the aquarium, lower algae that sit on the ground, glass and leaves of plants usually begin to develop. The development of blue-greens indicates that ecological balance has not yet been established; once it is established, they usually disappear. The appearance of brown ones is an indicator of insufficient illumination, and the excessive development of green ones is an indicator of its excess. A small amount of green algae growing as films on the glass of the aquarium is normal and indicates a healthy environment. An indicator of the beginning of equilibrium in a new aquarium is the appearance of green algae dots on the glass. In heavily polluted water bodies, red algae, the so-called “blackbeard”, develops in the form of untidy, hard black threads.
Specialized groups of bacteria are located precisely in the sludge that fills the spaces between grains of sand and accumulates on the filter media. Therefore, soil washing should not be done more than two or three times a year, but it must be done. And wash the filter filler warm water and immediately put into work to preserve the cultures of microorganisms. Even in aquariums with crystal clean water and a healthy habitat, the operation of filters is mandatory if we want to preserve the life of the aquarium for a long time.
The habitat during the formation period is extremely unstable. After planting the plants and waiting a couple of weeks until they take root and begin to produce new leaves, you can plant fish, but you absolutely must not interfere with the operation of the aquarium. During the first two months there is no need to change the water, wash out the filters, apply fertilizer to the roots, and do not overfeed the fish, even a little.
What is allowed? You can cut off dead leaves of plants, you can and should monitor the operation of lighting, heating and aeration, and clean the front wall of the aquarium from fouling. You can replant some plant bushes and add new ones. After a couple of months, the habitat in the aquarium will begin to enter the stage of youth, from this moment it is necessary to begin cleaning the glass and the bottom, while simultaneously replacing the removed water with fresh water, but not more than 1/5 of the total volume. Along with fresh water, you need to add microfertilizers for plants. Repeat cleaning and water changes once every two weeks, and in large aquariums - once a month.
After 5-7 months, be sure to rewash the soil with a tube with an extension at the end. It will not be possible to wash all the soil at once, and you will have to do this in two or three steps, during the next water change. It is necessary to regularly thin out thickets of plants, check the condition of fish and remove decrepit and sick ones. It may seem like a small job, but it will help the health of the environment and delay its deterioration.
Plants should be positioned so that each plant has enough light. You can't let them jam each other. Fish should be selected based on habitat compatibility. It is necessary to combine fish of open water, fish of thickets of plants, near-surface fish, fish of the middle layers and bottom. In addition to being environmentally friendly, such an aquarium will look more aesthetically pleasing.
What happens? Quite complex discussions about groups of bacteria and ecological balance lead to simple recommendations. In reality, the processes occurring in the environment are much more complex and diverse than described here. But even a schematic understanding of them will help you not to get confused if the water suddenly becomes cloudy or the plants stop growing. The main thing is to understand why and why it is necessary to do this and that and why something cannot be done. Mechanically following the most detailed recommendations, without understanding their meaning, gives little, and not only in the aquarium hobby.
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