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I would imagine that all marine aquarists have heard of, and probably seen, the cleaner shrimp (Lysmata amboinensis). This colourful shrimp is very popular, becoming used to the aquarist very quickly and even walking around on the hand if the opportunity presents itself - a large and strangely shaped fish to be cleaned perhaps.
Once all the research, planning and waiting is complete and the aquarium is full of water and has finally finished cycling you will finally be ready to introduce your first fish. It is important to ensure that you make the right choice though as there are some fish which are suitable to be added at this stage and there are fish which are not. Do you know what you are looking for in the selection of your first fish?
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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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I thought I’d jot down what I consider to be the five major sins of a marine aquarist, be that for a reef tank or a fish only tank. They are not in any particular order. The list is not just aimed at beginners to the hobby who are just starting a saltwater aquarium but at aquarists of any level.
Shrimps are very well known to the marine aquarist. Perhaps the most well known are the cleaner shrimps, which are so interesting and ‘friendly’ - they climb around on the aquarist’s submerged hand without a care, though they’re actually looking for a morsel to eat. The hand must look like a very strange fish, but then there are some very strange looking fish in the wild, just look at frogfish as an example.
The salinity of the marine aquarium is one of the major parameters that must be routinely checked. Salinity can change because of evaporation, and it is important to keep it stable. Daily top-ups of the water to a pre-determined level is an easy way, or using an auto top-up device.
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 protein skimmer is a device that is essential to the maintenance of high quality seawater in nearly all systems. There is a system that claims to not need a skimmer, but aquarists often run one anyway. Using a protein skimmer is particularly useful to experienced aquarists and beginners alike.
Cover glasses of course are those sheets of glass that rest on the strengthening straps at the top of the aquarium. Sometimes they are fitted in plastic holders so they will slide, sometimes they just lay straight on the straps.
Our everyday lives are controlled by time. We may not like it but that is how it is. On the wild reef things are much the same. I know, reef life doesn’t have a lunch hour! What they do have is dawn, day, sunset and night. Life on the reef is controlled by these changes in light intensity. Daylight fish prepare to disappear into their secure holes when sunset arrives. Night life prepares to emerge. At dawn it reverses.
Keeping a seawater aquarium nowadays is a generally straightforward affair. Provided the design and setting up is satisfactory and the aquarist does the necessary periodic maintenance properly, the aquarium will give pleasure for a long period.
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?
When the aquarium is clean it can look amazing to the eye - both for yourself and for anyone who see’s it. The trouble is they don’t keep themselves clean do they.