Last Updated on June 10, 2024 by admins
Thinking of making an underwater waterfall aquarium decoration? Stay with us to learn the steps involved with creating this incredible aquascape.
Making your own underwater waterfall aquarium decoration is very easy and cheap. The project itself only takes a few hours to put together, and best of all, you probably already have most of the material at home. Accordingly, all you need is a little bit of time and creativity.
Table of Contents
What is an Underwater Waterfall Aquarium Decoration?
Water flowing inside water…how is that even possible? The secret is that it is not really water, it’s sand! Something like the inverse of a waterfall. Interesting, isn’t it?
By knowing some basic principles of physics, it is possible to build all kinds of beautiful waterfalls. Using the principles on which bubble filters work, it is possible to direct air to push water up a pipe to the top of the aquarium, while creating a kind of vacuum that will carry the sand to the top.
Now let’s move on to the basic steps of crafting.
How To Make an Underwater Waterfall Aquarium Decoration
Materials needed:
- PVC pipe
- 2 elbow joints
- Air pump
- Air tubing
- Air stone
- Fine- to medium-grain sand
- Rocks
- A plastic water catcher tray
- Drill
- Scissors
While there are plenty of good sand selections out there, Royal Ram provides this natural sand which, according to reviews, consists of medium-sized granules of about 0.5 – 1 mm in diameter. Washing the sand prior to use will help to reduce initial clouding. A smaller granule of sand might risk clouding the water, and anything much larger risks clogging the pipes. This is real sand, 100% natural, and safe for aquarium use. Consider that you may need more than one bag if you plan to use this as the substrate, depending on the size of your aquarium.
Step No. 1 Pump Assembly
First, you need to cut the PVC pipe. As for measurements, cut it to a length that is about 3 inches shorter than the height of your aquarium tank to allow room for the elbows. Now, it’s time to drill, simply drill a hole in the top of one of the elbows, the size of the air tube, and then thread the tubing into it. This will be the top of the pump you will install onto the pipe. Note that the air tube goes all the way through to the other end.
The next step is to attach the air stone to the end of the tubing and fit the other elbow onto this end. As for the position, the air stone should be at the bottom of the PVC pipe.
Congratulations, you have completed the pump, now all you have to do is attach the air tube to your air pump and submerge it underwater. Do this in such a way that the top half of the top elbow is out of the water.
Step No. 2 Collecting Pool
Since every sand waterfall aquarium must have a pool that sand will go into, this is the way to do it. It is necessary to cut about a third of the water tray around the edge leaving about 2 inches of plastic around the base. In case you set up your waterfall in the middle of the tank, cut it in half.
Place the tray on the bottom of the tank and secure it with stones to hold it in place. It will serve as a place where the sand will be collected again by the pump. Install the pump and fill the area with sand.
Step No. 3 Arranging Rocks
Hobbyists often suggest placing a few smaller river rocks in the sand on either side of the pump to provide a stable base to start stacking rocks on. However, you don’t need to worry if you can’t find such stones, because anything that comes to hand should work. It would be good if they could be square for easier stacking, keep stacking them until outtake.
It’s time to finally move on to the last part of making underwater waterfall aquarium decoration.
Step No. 4 Decorations & Ornaments
Since waterfall aquariums are usually considered a state of the art, decorate them the way your heart desires. Add a little bit of sand to the bottom of your tank, but make it deep enough to cover the plastic tray.
As for underwater waterfall aquarium decoration, you can use some live plants such as Staurogyne Repens, Water Wisteria, Amazon Sword, Willow Moss, and Cyprus Helferi. In addition, various forms of stones, driftwood, as well as plastic ornaments are often used. Most hobbyists will opt for plastic plants because they are often more colorful than real plants, coming in colors that are not found in nature. These are, of course, much easier to maintain.
Also, consider adding some character to your underwater creation. The ornaments will give a nice visual atmosphere but will also provide a space for your fishes to retreat to if they want to escape the gaze of fascinated humans. Whatever you choose, make sure it is made of non-toxic materials and is free from sharp edges that could harm your fish. It is best not to attempt to hunt and collect decorations directly from nature, but rather to buy them in a specialty store. This reduces the risk of introducing harmful diseases or parasites to your aquatic environment.
After following these steps, you have officially made your own underwater waterfall aquarium decoration. Congratulations!
In Conclusion
Aquarium waterfalls are unique accessories that can elevate any space in which they are located. Just imagine how good it will feel to be sipping coffee while captivated by the everlasting sand flow, created by the work of your very own hands.
Making your own underwater waterfall aquarium decoration is easy and does not require large amounts of money or time. Give it a try, and let us know your impressions.
We hope you found this article useful. Happy fishkeeping everyone!
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