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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 purpose of acclimatisation is simple - the water that the animal is packaged in may have a different temperature, pH and salinity than that of your aquarium. Aquatic life (especially corals and invertebrates) are very sensitive to minor changes in water parameters therefore acclimatisation is a requirement for success. There are two ways which are recommended to acclimatise your new purchase to your aquarium. Neither of these should be rushed and should both be performed with the aquarium lights off. The lights should also remain off for a further 6 to 12 hours after the animal has been introduced to the quarantine tank, or the main display tank, whichever you are using.
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.
When this topic arose I wondered what to do with it. The reason I wondered is that this website is designed for beginners and ‘earlier-on’ aquarists (though I notice that experienced aquarists are now visiting, and they’re more than welcome). Lighting is a scientific and technical subject.
Once the aquarium is up and running then the aquarist should stand back and admire it. This relaxing period is well deserved, after all a lot of time has been spent in planning and obtaining equipment never mind the cost of it all.
The marine reef aquarist carries out routine changes to maintain the necessary high quality of the seawater. The life within the aquarium makes demands on the seawater and the aquarist needs to ensure that there is sufficient quantity to meet those demands.
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.
Purchasing a used fish tank or even a complete [tag-tec]saltwater aquarium[/tag-tec] system can save you a great deal of money as long as you are careful. As we all know this hobby can become expensive if you allow it to.
In Part 1 stocking a fish only aquarium was considered. This time the reef aquarium will be looked at. Whatever the type of salt water aquarium, fish only or reef, water quality is important. In the reef aquarium, water quality needs to be excellent. Again, it is assumed that the aquarium is fully set up with suitable equipment, and the biological filtration (probably a ‘live’ rock reef with maybe a sump containing further filtration) is settled and adequate.
This is a question which I get asked quite a lot. I have my own personal preference but in reality it is down to you as an aquarist to make your own decision based upon your personal preferences. I suppose really it depends upon whether the aquarium has water in it or not.
We can have a seawater aquarium which is well designed, well stocked and fully mature. All the corals and/or fish are doing well. There isn’t any problem algae as water quality is very high. Yet there is one job that seemingly needs to be done in any aquarium, and that is to clean the aquarium glass so it is clear of the algae that appears on it.