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Amino Acids are quickly becoming one of the most popular additives to any serious reef keeper’s arsenal. There are many different reasons why they are being used and many why I suggest everyone should use them.
Many aquarist’s have been bit by the red bug, or the monti nudibranches or flatworms etc etc. In this article I will explain a few ways to prevent these mishaps.
As an aquarium professional I would like to discuss the pressure our hobby as put on the worlds reefs and what we can do to minimize damage. First and foremost we must promote responsible reef keeping by learning and researching these wild animals we wish to care for out of their natural environment. Management through collector and consumer education as well as captive farming and aquaculture we can make this hobby sustainable.
The seas and oceans cover the majority of the planet surface. Within those seas the wild reefs have grown and all of their needs are met, be that calcium or whatever
Most marine systems are set up to house tropical livestock, which means that attention has to be given to maintaining a moderately high seawater temperature
…..I need a very basic list of needs for the basic marine system There are a lot of individual items about setting up a marine aquarium in the blog and article areas on this website, but nevertheless flicking around locating topics for a beginner who has little idea of the basics could be confusing. So an ‘in a nutshell’ list could be of help. We’re told it will be anyway, so here goes! Remember this is basic. At the end I’ve put article locations which could be of use.
Whatever type of marine system is kept lighting is important. With a fish only aquarium the fish need a day cycle and of course need to see where they are going.
Disease in the aquarium is one of the main fears of aquarists. Once the presence of a disease is known the aquarist’s stress level shoots up and quite understandably so – at the worst there could be a full aquarium wipe-out.
These lovely and strange life forms are very endearing and become a household pet very easily. Children in particular seem to be fascinated by them. The care of seahorses is not to be undertaken lightly. They need very similar maintenance to a fish only marine system, so the requirement to carry out maintenance regularly needs to be accepted.
There is understandably great fascination with some anemones, mainly because of their well known association with clownfish. Seeing these colourful little fish nestling in among what are normally dangerous tentacles is amazing.
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The quality of the seawater in the aquarium is of paramount importance. There are basic parameters that need to be correct and stable, and one of these is pH. There isn’t going to be any scientific mumbo jumbo here, but the foundations of pH need to be understood. pH is a measurement of the acidity or alkalinity of the seawater. On the pH scale, 7 is neutral, 0 is acid, and 14 is alkaline. (Just for interest, sulphuric acid measures 0, and sodium hydroxide measures 14.)
What is the sterilizer? It is a container, usually in a near tube shape, in which an ultraviolet (UV) fluorescent lamp is contained. The lamp emits light at around 254 nm. The lamp is constructed of quartz glass to prevent the UV being absorbed as it would be if ordinary glass were used. The lamp is in a container of its own to shield it from the water, and then there is an outer container. The space between the containers is very small allowing full penetration of UV light. The water is passed between the outer and inner containers by a pump or power head.
As we know aquarium live rock is an extremely effective filtration media to use within the saltwater aquarium. Not only does it provide filtration it also makes the aquarium look more natural. With so many different types of live rock available however which one should you choose and how much do you need.
Aquarium filtration is at the very heart of the aquarium. Without it fish waste, uneaten food etc cannot be processed and with the aquarium being a closed environment before long the aquarium inhabitants are going to suffer. An aquarium cannot function without filtration. There are various ways to implement a filtration system to the aquarium one of which is the bio ball. But are they any good - do they work?
In some areas of the world, including mine, it isn’t often that the words “isn’t it warm” can be heard. Often it is the pitter-patter of rain, or in the winter the howl of winds and the formation of snow drifts. There are places in the world where it is always or mostly warm (coral reef areas are an obvious example). In the summer the weather can be warm and very pleasant where I live. Well, no problem with that says I! It can be a problem, though, if you keep a salt water aquarium.
Water hardness in the marine aquarium is important. The term ‘water hardness’ is maybe too general. It would probably be better to call it carbonate hardness. Another term that is perhaps more recognised in marine hobby circles is alkalinity.
Everyone who goes to the seaside for a day out or a holiday and has a paddle or a swim knows that a mouthful of water is salty. This saltiness is important, and the level of it. Livestock that comes from the wild reefs is used to stability, and this stability requirement also applies in the aquarium.
Aquarium lighting for a reef aquarium is very important. It is second in importance only to seawater quality. The lighting system needs careful consideration if corals are to prosper. In a fish only system the lighting is not particularly important. The fish need to see and also be seen, that’s all. Two fluorescent tubes¸ one white and one actinic blue are sufficient. Two tubes are required in order to create a ‘dawn and dusk’ cycle. Of course, the aquarist could use more tubes if desired.
The provision of light to a reef tank is a very important aspect and is only second to that of water quality. However providing lighting is not just about purchasing a [tag-tec]metal halide[/tag-tec], fluorescent tubes etc and placing them above the aquarium. We need to think about colour.
Using mangroves as a type of filtration in a salt water system was started by Julian Sprung several years ago. He planted a mangrove into one of his aquariums just to see what would happen and to his surprise it actually started to grow and flourish. An article was produced by Julian Sprung detailing the benefits of utilising mangroves in an aquarium and many aquarists started to utilise mangroves as an additional form of nutrient export.