An Excellent Online Reference
July 30, 2008
Dependable reference points for the marine aquarist’s livestock are of great value, whether this is during research for livestock that is being considered for purchase or stock that is already kept. High quality photographs are necessary so that the appearance of say, a coral can be seen pre-purchase or to check the appearance/identity of one already held.
Following is a link to such a reference. It is of value to any aquarist - fish only, corals only or mixed reef, as fish, corals and mobile invertebrates can be checked. In addition there is a lot of useful information on the website. It’s really good.
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Tags: aquarium reference, aquarium-information, marine-aquarium, reef-tankSigh!
July 29, 2008
I really like my soft coral reef - all the time it developed over the last 5½+ years and how it is now. It is really full of a diverse range of corals coloured various pastel shades, the tall ones swaying in the currents. There is hardly any rock to be seen as it is nearly all covered. The rear glass and one side are decorated with varying shades of algae, purple, dark and light green, brown and, thankfully, not a trace of the nuisance stuff.
Three fish were originally housed, a flame angel (Centropyge loricula), a flashback dottyback (Pseudochromis diadema), and a blue devil damsel (Chrysiptera cyanea). They were all chosen as they would be able to stand up to each other’s aggressiveness. This proved to be the case; the flame angel became boss quickly. They were all introduced to the tank at the same time.
The dottyback at 2½ years disappeared and I have no idea why. The fish was well fed with rounded body, good fins and clear eyes. Perhaps it got itself stuck in the rockwork somewhere? As said I haven’t a clue as to the reason. To date it hasn’t been replaced as the other two are really well settled healthy and happy. I don’t want to upset the equilibrium, and am also afraid that two quite aggressive fish, well established, could pick on a newcomer with sad results.
The system started off with canister bio-filtration (yes, I know, but I’m coming to live rock). There’s a skimmer (of course!) and also a home-made reverse flow anti-phosphate reactor. There’s also a home-made anti-nitrate sulphur based reactor.
As time passed I wondered if there would be a need for the de-nitrator any more. It was originally attached because of the presence of canister filtration and the consequent production of nitrate. The seawater never showed any trace of nitrate. The rocks that had been used for the reef were not live but inert hard porous types, locally called Grotto rock. I don’t know the proper geological name. Anyway, the rock became covered with all sorts of growths and looked after time had passed very much like live rock. I decided that the nitrate was being dealt with by the now live rock. So switch off the de-nitrator then. This was done but only after I’d dithered for another few months, and after the device had been switched off I needed to do nitrate tests regularly to assure myself all remained well. It did, and to date there hasn’t been any nitrate detected.
The anti-phosphate reactor is still running and will not be stopped. There has never been any phosphate detected.
Originally I ran two Eheim canister filters containing bio media. One has had the media removed and now runs empty - I am considering what to do with this, if anything. The other still contains bio media and I am considering removing that too. The rocks will contain sufficient bacteria, but I am always cautious. Once the second canister is empty ammonia checks will be done for a while, again to confirm that bio filtration is adequate. The livestock, all corals and two small fish, is not exactly a heavy load.
I sit and look at this system having seen it develop and continue to develop and feel really pleased overall. It’s so interesting, corals and fish as said, but also tiny life that darts about on the rocks and deep sand bed particularly at night.
Being so pleased, what’s the big ‘Sigh’ about? Well, it’s about defeat. At least, defeat up to now.
I’ve had two problems. One was those little green balls, known as Sailor’s Eyeballs, properly known as Ventricosa ventricosa. It is a green algae that is thought to be the largest single-celled organism on earth. It’s also quite attractive, at least it is until it begins to spread. Inside each ball are spores - if the algae is broken the spores go all over the place and new algae grows. In time the algae can overwhelm an aquarium. However, I obtained a length of rigid airline and some flexible airline, and went round at seawater change time bursting the algae. The seawater running down the tube to a bucket carried the spores with it. The algae was defeated - occasionally two or three appear but meet the same fate. No problem - very happy.
So! Explain the sigh. Yes, to date I am defeated. Well, not entirely to be truthful. I’ll mention the words Aiptasia and Manjano and there are so many aquarists who will no doubt say ‘Ah’ sympathetically. The dreadful anemones, weeds of the reef. They seem to grow so easily and often pick a spot that is really awkward. They don’t have intelligence do they?
I have never made the mistake of squashing them or scraping at them, this will only spread them around. I’ve considered the natural possible remedies - the Copperband butterfly (Chelmon rostratus) and the peppermint shrimp (Lysmata wurdemanni). I won’t try the Copperband for the reasons stated earlier, but I might try the shrimps. Reports on the internet, anecdotal not scientific, suggest that they could eat the anemones not that they will. It is quite likely that I’d get shrimps that turned their noses up at them.
So to date I’ve used Joe’s juice. This is successful and clearly destroys the anemone quite quickly. So how do the things keep re-appearing? When they do re-appear they are small, so they are new growths. Wandering around on the internet I found that apparently the anemones recognize the Joe’s Juice application as deadly. It is said that as they are attacked they release what could be termed ‘emergency’ spores - and hence new anemones appear. There is a new application available which apparently the anemones do not recognize as dangerous. Perhaps I’ll try that after a time so that effectiveness can be judged.
I said that I hadn’t been fully defeated by the anemones. There aren’t that many in the tank as periodically I attack them all when they are small - they are not allowed to grow (except one or two that have lodged in very difficult places, letting them grow a bit provides a bigger target). They don’t spoil the appearance of the reef at all. It’s just…well…they’re there and I know they are and they shouldn’t be! Why don’t they comply the little perishers.
A gardener doesn’t give up because there are weeds to be dealt with. There is no way I’ll allow the anemone to get too far under my skin. I tell myself they are part of nature; they’ll be on the reef. On the reef of course will be an efficient predator.
I enjoy my reef immensely and will continue to do so. The anemones are the only thing that I’ve not had success with. Sigh. But one day!
Tags: aiptasia, Algae, aquarium-pests, marine-aquarium, reef-tank, sailors eyeball
We Have Made Some Changes To Aquarists Online Social
July 28, 2008
We have made some changes have been made to the Social aspect of Aquarists Online.
Actually there is one change and two additions!
Prior to having Aquarists Online Social we had a community forum on the site and whilst it did well and was growing it felt cold (if you know what I mean). People came on asking and answering questions. Some people returned and others did not - yet it did not feel like a community. Aquarists Online Social was created so that we could build a community. An area where aquarists of all skill levels could come hang out, share pictures, movies, articles etc etc. We also wanted this to be an area which anyone could visit and read the content and view the other areas of the site. We chose to make uploads etc to the site for members only so that we could combat the various types of spam attacks which do appear to come out of nowhere.
The forum area is still available as we felt that there was some good content in there with some good discussions and we do appreciate that there are many people who will still prefer to use a community forum.
The one area that we wanted to accomodate was for people to have the ability to be able to do all of this and for it not be hard. We believe that our Social area does accomodate for the above but there was something missing - well two actually and that is why we have two new additions.
Before that though I will cover the small change made.
On the home page there is a members login box. This has been changed so that existing members can easily log in and new members can easily sign up. Only a small change but one that makes it easier for both new and existing members.
On to the additions.
The new additions to the site are an auction area and a news/article area.
Addition One
The first addition is the inclusion of an auction area. This area is basically like E-Bay but is designed specifically for the aquarium hobby. E-Bay is a huge site with thousands of items listed and for this reason it is sometimes hard to find the items you are looking for. One big difference is that E-Bay charges for items to be listed as well as pictures etc. We are not going to charge for items listed on this area of the site. The only time we may implement a charge to this area is if it becomes popular and we need help in funding the website hosting costs (we only have a certain amount of traffic our current hosting allows and as with anything if you need more you have to pay for it!) - if this happens it will not be a lot and nowhere like E-Bay charges.
Anyone can view this aspect of the website, however in order to sell an item, purchase an item, ask the seller a question you do need to be logged in as a member.
There is a huge amount of functionality available in this addition - to much to list here in this post so why not pop over to the auction area and have a look. For oobvious reasons it is quiet at the moment however over time we firmly believe that this will become a popular addition to the site. After all who does not like finding a bargain or making a bit of spare cash by selling unwanted/un-used items.
Addition Two
The second item is what is called ‘Dig News‘. A huge area of the site which we believed was missing was the ability for members to upload their own articles. Whilst there is the ability for blogs to be created this is not the same as an article. Of course we create articles for the blog area of Aquarists Online, however this is our opinion, our experiences etc. There are lots of other articles all over the internet. What if we could have an area where these articles could be all be retained in one area and people could peruse them at their pleasure. What if the readers could vote on these articles so that other people would know if there were good or now.
Now we can!
Basically what this area allows is for several things. It allows for the posting of a link to an article on another website, the posting of a link to a video on another website, the posting of a link to a picture on another website and also for the posting of an article which is hosted by us.
When a link is posted you also have the ability to be able to add some content so you can say what the article/video/picture is about and why you like it.
On top of all this people can vote for entries which they like and find useful. The entries are sorted by the amounts of votes they have therefore the most useful and informative entries are at the top of the page. Comments can also be left against any entry, therefore if you really like an entry you can vote for it and also leave a comment.
We have split this area into several categories so that it is easier to locate entries. We have also included a search function so that entries are easier to locate.
As with the auction area of the site we have made this area so that anyone can visit however in order to vote or leave a comment you need to be logged in as a member.
Over time we believe that this could be built into a really useful resource. As said there are loads and loads of useful articles, information videos, great pictures and more all over the internet but they can be hard to locate.
We will be actively posting entries into this news area and invite you to do the same.
So there we go - a couple of additions to the Social aspect of our site. I hope that you agree that these are useful additions and would welcome any feedback you may have about these areas.
Tags: aquarists online social, aquarium discussion, aquarium pictures, aquarium videos, aquarium-articles, aquarium-forum
DIY Protein Skimmers
July 27, 2008
The protein skimmer is considered to be an essential piece of equipment nowadays and assists greatly in the maintenance of high quality seawater. The device removes much of the dissolved organic material (DOM) that could accumulate. Anyone who has seen the dark stinky ‘yuk’ in a protein skimmer collection cup will never be without one.
All protein skimmers work on the same principle and manufacturers do not have any secret methods. What they do have is the expertise and mechanization to mass produce. There isn’t a need to buy a commercial unit however, provided the aquarist has some confidence in his/her DIY ability, and also has access to the required materials. Most have this access nowadays, if not locally through the internet.
If the aquarist takes a little time and carefully looks at a protein skimmer in a shop or at a friend’s it will be seen that they are basically simple. Seawater is moved from the aquarium and through a bubble chamber where the DOM is removed and collected in a cup. The method of moving the seawater and creating the bubbles vary.
This is not an attempt to advise that commercial products are poor - many are very good indeed and do the job well. However, they’re not the cheapest devices on the market! A basically competent DIYer can save money and still have a skimmer that does a good job, and also have the pride of ‘I did that.’ Most aquarists go for the commercial products and fair enough, but some…well, why not?
Seeing some of the skimmer plans for the first time can be a little daunting, but they’re not as bad as they first appear. Here’s a link and there is useful information here too in addition to plans:
http://saltaquariums.about.com/od/diyskimmerplans/DIY_Protein_Skimmer_Plans.htm
Tags: Aquarium Maintenance, Aquarium Water, Care, DIY, Equipment, Protein Skimmer
Don’t Forget We Have Our Own Saltwater Aquarium Gallery
July 26, 2008
A lot of people (including me) enjoy sharing their pictures of their own aquariums as well as looking at pictures of other peoples aquariums - be these fish only, coral only or mixed reef.
It is for this reason that we loaded an Aquarium Gallery section in Aquarists Online Social.
You do not need to be a member of our Social area in order to be able to view these pictures but you do need to be a member if you wish to upload your own or leave comments on any uploaded pictures.
Of course the pictures do not need to be full tank shots but can be of equipment, inhabitants, id requests, etc - anything really as long as it is aquarium related.
It does need to be noted that we do perform an approval scheme for uploaded pictures so that we can ensure that any pictures uploaded are relevant.
The aquarium gallery is starting to grow and we are pleased with the progression shown in this area.
Have a look and see what you think.
Why not upload pictures of your own aquarium for other people to enjoy.
Tags: aquarium, aquarium gallery, aquarium photo, aquarium pictures, marine-aquarium, reef-tank
Remember To Test The Output From Your RO Unit
July 25, 2008
Not more testing! Those aquarists with a reef aquarium will no doubt feel that they do enough already.
The testing here is not of the aquarium seawater, it’s what goes into the aquarium in the form of routine seawater changes and evaporation top-ups. These routine seawater changes are designed to assist in maintaining high quality by replacing at least partially trace elements and ‘freshening’ generally. Taking this into account there doesn’t want to be anything being put into the aquarium that could be detrimental to it.
Some aquarists use tap water and hopefully have tested it to see if there is an excess of nitrate and/or phosphate etc. If there is the advice is to use an RO (reverse osmosis) unit. This device is a filter, where fresh tap water is forced through a semi-permeable membrane. Very nearly only pure water is allowed to pass, the purity of the output is usually 95 to 98%.
The RO unit in action is simple to use and requires very little maintenance. Now and again at the manufacturer’s recommended periods the carbon filter is changed and also the sediment filter though this can sometimes be cleaned. The time span for this maintenance depends on usage but can be very many months.
There are tests that need to be performed on occasion of the output from the RO unit, again not very often. The tests are usually nitrate and phosphate and the check is done on the purified output from the unit. One occasion when the test should be done is when the carbon filter (and to a lesser extent the sediment filter) have not been changed for a while, and the running period is longer than the manufacturer’s recommendation. This is because the carbon filter is there to protect the membrane from chorine. Chlorine can damage the membrane and reduce its efficiency, permitting unwanted substances to pass through it. So it needs to be tested to be sure that it remains fully effective.
Another occasion when these tests need to be done is if the filter has been allowed to dry out. A membrane can be damaged in these circumstances again permitting unwanted contaminants to pass.
If the aquarist does the simple maintenance at the periods recommended by the manufacturer - these periods are often based on gallons of purified water produced – then it is unlikely that there will be a problem. If the membrane becomes less than fully efficient it is often best to purchase a new RO unit, as the membrane makes up the major part of the price.
As with other areas attention to maintenance will maintain peak efficiency.
Tags: Aquarium Maintenance, Aquarium Water, Care, Equipment, reverse-osmosis, Water Quality
Can You Build A Fish Tank From Plywood?
July 24, 2008
Aquariums get more expensive as they get bigger. Well, there’s a pretty obvious statement to start with! However for the aquarist who is not keen to meet the price of a large aquarium but is able to deal with the cost of everything else there is a way around the problem. It doesn’t have to be a large aquarium really, any size applies, but the cost of smaller commercial glass or acrylic tanks makes the need to ‘get the tools out’ diminish considerably.
The way around the cost is for the aquarist to make the tank using plywood. It stands to reason the aquarist, or a DIY competent friend, should be reasonably good at cutting a straight line. The use of power tools is a great help.
The job is not as daunting as it could appear. Also, the end product is not going to look like a box that doesn’t leak with some water in plus fish. Ok, for the comedian at the back - yes the livestock can be seen as the tank has a glass front!
The first item required is a plan and once again the internet comes to the rescue. The plan here is for a 140 gallon tank, but these dimensions could be reduced or increased if ratios are kept accurate.
Here’s the link:
http://cichlid-forum.com/article/diy_plywood_aquarium.php
Tags: acrylic-aquarium, aquarium, DIY, Equipment, glass-aquarium
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