Some advising that will never go amiss setting up a little aquarium:
At the first place the thing is to make the little aquarium independent of its environment with regard to the temperature. That means a reliable isolation with f.i. plates of polystyrene of 5 cms thick. Later on these can be plastered with thin plywood, MDF and suchlike and next be painted in the disired color. Do'nt forget the bottomside of the little tank.Further it is of importance, that the warmth caused bij the lighting is removed without being transferred to the water of the aquarium. Therefore a reliable ventilation in the light hood is necessary (see drawing)
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And what is more during the warm months there is to reckon with excessive high temperatures. These are easily to fight with freezer packs. 2 of them in one of the compartiments of the biological filter, in an extra filterpot or normally but less beautifull floating in the aquarium keep the temperature acceptable. And then there is the design: When an average aquarist is able to give shape to a large sized aquarium in an acceptable way, such a mini-aquarium asks a lot more of sensitivity and a good eye for proportions. on wich we will go into in more detail
*) Choose all the decorative elements as terrasmaterials, fossilise wood, stones and suchlike small in the right proportions
*) Choose for plants with little leaves or keep them smal by the way of cultivating them
*) The sollitairy plants for a little sized tank are the plants foor the mid zone out of a normal sized aquarium
*) Choose for little shaped fishes.