The One That Went Missing

We moved address and I had to close my reef aquarium. It was a sad but necessary action. At the new address, once all the seemingly never ending jobs after a house move has occurred had been done, my thoughts turned to another reef aquarium. This one, the current one, is a little smaller because of space.

According to my notebook the aquarium was initially mature in October 2002 that is any unwanted ammonia/nitrite readings had gone. This was with an aquarium full of seawater and rocks, nothing else. I wanted a soft coral reef (as always) and a selection of corals went in. These were left to settle before any fish additions.

I always understock my aquariums and only considered three fish which needed to meet the criteria of being reasonably hardy and not over timid, also they would need to remain small. The selection was a Flame Angel (Centropyge loriculus), a Flashback as in the photo (Pseudochromis diadema), and a Fijian Blue Damsel (Chrysiptera tampou). Once the fish had been selected and given time to display any unwanted problems they went into their new home. This was in April 2003.

They were fine, no problems at all. They all fed really well and didn’t cause each other problems. After a while the Flame Angel became boss fish and the other two bickered with each other occasionally.

The whole reef continued in really good shape. The fish were in good health displaying excellent colour and no signs whatsoever of any problem. In time the Flashback became very rounded – he (she?) spent much time in amongst the rocks which I assumed was because tiny creatures were being caught and eaten. The Flame Angel did the same but to a lesser extent and the damsel mainly just cruised about in open water.

We all from time to time have some identifiable problem with an aquarium, in my case it has been with hardware – a powerhead became very noisy and had to be fixed, likewise with the protein skimmer motor. Not a big problem.

After three years, in March 2006 I noted that the Flashback had not appeared as usual when food was offered. The fish was often the first at the table even beating the damsel to the offering. Waiting and watching achieved nothing, the fish didn’t appear. I wasn’t particularly alarmed and the next day I expected the Flashback to appear as usual, particularly at feeding time, but the fish was nowhere to be seen. The fish, as were the other two, was in clearly good health. The only noticeable thing and different from the other two fish was the very rounded belly from the food available among the rocks.

Some fish have been known to jump though the Flashback is generally not one of these. However, as I run my reef with an open top I checked for the fish everywhere, on the floor all round the aquarium cabinet, everywhere that the fish could be on aquarium braces etc but found nothing. There is a weir for the seawater but nothing had gone over this, and it would be very difficult for anything to do so. I even checked on the top of the fluorescent tubes!

I continued to watch and hope for quite a few days but the fish didn’t appear. At this point I did ammonia and nitrite tests but these were normal at zero and remained so. There wasn’t any sign of a reef problem: all the corals were happy, extended and showing off their polyps.

So I wonder what happened. I have to admit that I haven’t any idea based on fact as there wasn’t any indication of anything amiss whatsoever, the fish was certainly in good health and mobile with no sign of age. It wasn’t a timid fish (they’re known to be the opposite generally). There’s certainly nothing in the aquarium that would predate on the fish. The only conclusion I can come to is that the fish paid the price for being greedy and getting well rounded, there certainly wasn’t any overfeeding by me but there’s quite a lot of live food in the rocks. Somehow, maybe, it got stuck in the rocks.

The Flame angel and the Fiji damsel continue in great health and colour having now spent eight years in the aquarium. I’ve not replaced the Flashback as the display is lovely as it is.

What’s In Marine Aquariums – The Beginners Guide

We have had a few people contact us asking what is in our new book and who it is beneficial for. We have replied to them but I thought it might be beneficial if we listed this information on Aquarists Online as well.

Basically the book is available in both physical printed format as well as in downloadable digital format. The latter is where you download it and read it directly on your computer screen.

The book has been split into several sections as we believe that the important research should be performed prior to even purchasing a single thing. This research is covered in the introduction as well as parts 1 and 2.

The introduction section details such things as what the marine aquarium hooby actually is, the differences between saltwater and freshwater as well as detailing what marine reef systems and fish only system are.

Part 1 is based around the equipment either required or a possible extra. Various types of equipment are discussed and details what the equipment is, how it works and what it is used for.

Part 2 covers one of the most important research areas in our opinion and this is the area of filtration. Filtration itself is discussed in detail so that the reader understands how the filtration in an aquarium work and then various filtration techniques are discussed so that the reader can implement the filtration method which is most suitable to them or their aquarium.

At the end of these 3 sections the reader is now in a position to start purchasing items based upon the decisions they have made from these sections.

Part 3 covers the process of physicall setting up the aquarium, install and preparing the relevant equipment, water, filtration and then methods to start the nitrogen cycle as well as detailing what needs to be done to ensure that the aquarium is ready to support life.

At the end of this part the aquarium should be ready for the introduction of life so we move on to the introduction of life into the aquarium.

Part 4 details the stocking of the aquarium and covers areas such as how to select livestock, quarantine techniques, acclimitisation techniques, risks and methods of purchasing livestock on the internet as well as feeding techniques.

Part 5 is where we cover the area that aquarists fear – disease. In this section we covers aspects such as symptoms, prevention, treatment, injuries etc.

Part 6 covers the required element of ongoing care and maintenance. This is where we detail what to look after, how to look after it, when things need to be performed and prepares the aquarists for the future where if the required care and maintenance is performed and both patience and diligence are employed that a successful aquarium may be theirs to enjoy.

Part 7 is where we close the book down and cover some closing elements such as safety and running costs.

Both John and I are very pleased with the book and feel that it will be of benefit to numerous people however it is aimed at people who are considering starting the marine aquarium hobby or have just started and are looking for more information.

We have attempted to write this book so that anyone will understand it. There are some areas of this book which are classed as advanced techniques however we have spent considerable time writing these areas so that they are understandable and do not confuse the reader.

As said both John and I are very pleased with this book and hope that many aquarists from around the globe will find it beneficial and end up having successful aquariums.

There are some people who will feel that it include information which is only suitable for beginners but that is why it is called ‘Marine Aquariums – The Beginners Guide’

Further information about our new book can be found at http://www.salt-water-aquarium.com

Below is the table of content from the book which details the contents more in depth.

Table of Contents

Foreword And Acknowledgements
This Wonderful Hobby
Introduction
Chapter 1 – The Saltwater Aquarium Hobby
Chapter 2 – What You Can Find In This Guide
Chapter 3 – The Differences Between Saltwater And Freshwater
Chapter 4 – What Is A Fish Only Aquarium
Chapter 5 – What Is A Marine Reef System
Chapter 6 – Considerations
Part 1 – What Everything Does
Chapter 7 – The Aquarium
Chapter 8 – The Sump
Chapter 9 – Substrate Selection
Chapter 10 – The Nitrogen Cycle
Chapter 11 – Protein Skimming
Chapter 12 – Ultra Violet Sterilisation
Chapter 13 – Water
Chapter 14 – Temperature
Chapter 15 – Lighting
Chapter 16 – Water Circulation
Chapter 17 – Water Parameters
Chapter 18 – Calcium Addition
Chapter 19 – Algae
Chapter 20 – Decor
Chapter 21 – Other Equipment
Chapter 22 – Here’s What You Need
Part 2 – Filtration
Chapter 23 – Mechanical Filtration
Chapter 24 – Biological Filtration
Chapter 25 – Chemical Filtration
Chapter 26 – Man Made Filtration
Chapter 27 – Natural Filtration
Chapter 28 – Usage Of Chemical Filtration
Chapter 29 – Filtration Techniques
Part 3 – Setting Up Your Aquarium
Chapter 30 – ‘Fail To Plan And You Plan To Fail’
Chapter 31 – Tank, Stand And Hood
Chapter 32 – Sump
Chapter 33 – Heater
Chapter 34 – Power Heads And Pumps
Chapter 35 – Lighting
Chapter 36 – Protein Skimmer
Chapter 37 – Nitrate Removal
Chapter 38 – Use Of Chemical Filtration
Chapter 39 – Water
Chapter 40 – Filtration
Chapter 41 – Power On
Chapter 42 – Starting The Nitrogen Cycle
Part 4 – Ready To Stock
Chapter 43 – Selecting Your Livestock
Chapter 44 – Quarantine
Chapter 45 – Acclimatisation Techniques
Chapter 46 – Purchasing Livestock Online
Chapter 47 – Feeding Techniques
Part 5 – Fish Diseases
Chapter 48 – Causes
Chapter 49 – Symptoms
Chapter 50 – Water Quality
Chapter 51 – Types Of Diseases
Chapter 52 – Injuries
Chapter 53 – Prevention
Part 6 – Taking Care Of Your Aquarium
Chapter 54 – Equipment
Chapter 55 – New Saltwater Mix
Chapter 56 – Doing The Job
Chapter 57 – Additional Information
Part 7 – Closing
Chapter 58 – Running Costs
Chapter 59 – Electrical Safety
Chapter 60 – Conclusion
Photography Credits
Index
About The Authors
John Cunningham
Peter Cunningham

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Got Anything Salty That’s Of Interest?

There are marine aquarists and ex-marine aquarists out there who have had all sorts of experiences with this hobby, good, funny or bad. There’s little that aquarists like better than learning of other aquarist’s experiences.

Why not let everyone know of yours? Experienced or beginner, it doesn’t matter. It could be simply how you feed your fish, how much seawater you change, your frustrations with a noisy skimmer (I’ve had one of those!). Or it could be a sequence of events. Maybe you haven’t started yet and are worried about doing so – let us know the worries. The range of experiences and subjects that this hobby could cover is immense.

It really doesn’t matter that you’re not a professional writer. Or that you are. It doesn’t matter if you aren’t that good at spelling. It doesn’t matter how long or how short the text is.

What matters is that we want it, we’ll be interested and so will many others.

Peter will check to ensure that the text is marine aquarium related, this is for security purposes. Anything that is undesirable, such as swearing and other objectionable material, could be blocked. However, you’ll tell you’re tale after that check just as you intended.

So don’t be nervous. Don’t be worried about how you’re writing style ‘stands up’. Who cares, it doesn’t matter. Just tell your tale, we’re all interested.

If you haven’t your own website it doesn’t matter. If you have, we’ll provide a link-back. Everyone will have themselves acknowledged as the author.

It’s easy and it’s fun. Just go to the home page, click on the banner ‘Guest Post On Aquarists On Line’, fill in the small amount of information required and either upload from an existing file or write direct. Then click submit. Easy and straightforward!

An easier way is to go straight to the submission form which can be located here:

http://www.aquaristsonline.com/guest-post-on-aquarists-online/

Alternatively you can simply email the article into us.

Selected blogs could even be put into our articles section – but we’ll always ask your permission first.

So come on, have a go!

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Pointers To Success

The visit to the LFS when the decision is more or less made to ‘have a go’ at a marine aquarium is an exciting time. In the mind is a vision of those beautiful fish and corals sitting happy and healthy in a modern aquarium cabinet.

Sometimes the mind may go back to a time when goldfish were kept or maybe tropical freshwater fish, with the thought that things can’t be that more difficult. That’s correct, keeping a marine aquarium, even a reef system, is not particularly difficult, but it does present basic demands that must be met. Obviously there is salt water, but marine organisms require more specifics to be healthy.

Some aquarists could advise that it is a difficult hobby and also expensive. Well, I would argue with ‘difficult’, and expensive is a word appropriate to the weight of the wallet.

The budding aquarist needs to do some checks and research, nothing difficult but enough to greatly increase the prospect of success. There isn’t a need to understand complicated chemical formulas or anything else scientific, which could come later if the aquarist develops an interest. All that is needed is a basic understanding of the marine system, an understanding which develops as it is planned. The following is the very basic and initial foundation on which to begin planning.

Take time over the decision to buy.

A marine aquarium is desired and it is intended to buy one and keep it at home. Fine, don’t buy one! Carefully look at the space available and ensure there is a power outlet close by either to one side or just behind. Ensure the floor is strong enough.

Now consider if you are willing to give say two or three hours a week to maintenance. If not, the hobby is not for you. The life that is kept in the marine aquarium, whatever form it takes, demands our respect and care.

If the willingness is there, fine, but don’t buy anything! Consider carefully the system desired, fish only or reef. A reef requires more attention and usually costs more to set up. A fish only system allows fish to be kept that cannot be placed in a reef.

Research.

Now there’s a word to put many off. It is in reality straightforward nowadays, as there are many books available on fish only and reef aquarium construction, plus internet websites such as aquaristsonline.com. All the information is there waiting. Doing sufficient research will enhance the probability of success enormously.

This research doesn’t only apply to the purchase of the aquarium itself. It applies to the equipment required to service the fish only or reef system. Buying incorrect or inadequate equipment initially is going to be discovered later with problems and more expenditure. Obtain the correct size heaters, the correct size protein skimmer, correct lighting for the livestock etc. Research also applies to the future running cost of the system, mainly electricity. It is easy to get a guideline of future running costs before committal to purchase. Doing so will avoid surprises. If the running cost indication is too high then downsize the proposed system. Research everything properly. A clear time for more research when the point is reached is with livestock. This avoids providing a fish with a tasty and expensive shrimp lunch as an example!

Learn the hobby.

Actually this is automatic and follows on from the above research. If the budding aquarist does the research then understanding will follow on how the system works – the seawater temperature required, why a protein skimmer is needed etc. As already said, there isn’t a need to be a scientist or engineer, just a basic need for what equipment is for. In the future when the system is running it will make life easier and any small problems much easier to sort out.

Why not enroll in a good internet forum? There are a lot available and answers to specific questions are happily given. Be aware that there are varying opinions (aren’t there always?) and having a good book and/or reliable internet website will clear any confusion.

Patience.

Everyone has patience; it’s just that some have more of it than others! However, patience is a must, if it is a little short then use that other requirement to boost it – discipline. The worst thing that can occur when initially considering whether to have a marine aquarium or not is to rush. This continues throughout the system building process when selecting and buying equipment, as mistakes will be made and later, when the mistakes are rectified, it will cost more money. Worse, the livestock could be negatively affected causing worry, frustration and expense. Talking of livestock, rushing with purchases is disastrous, as incompatible life will not live together and if say the lighting is unsuitable the life could die.

The surprising part.

That’s it! Doesn’t seem much does it really?

Failing to plan is planning to fail.

The initial vision of a lovely and interesting marine aquarium set-up can be achieved without great depth of knowledge, but it cannot be achieved without knowledge. If patience, and discipline if necessary, is applied then the research will be done and an adequate system will emerge. Obtaining the aquarium and equipment are interesting in themselves. However, as filling the aquarium with seawater gets close, and the prospect of at last seeing some life in the aquarium approaches, the excitement and anticipation can strain the most patient and disciplined of people. Hold on, the aquarium will come alive soon, don’t spoil things now!

Just four words.

Time. Research. Learn. Patience.

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Is It Confusion That Prevents People From Starting Or Something Else?

There are many people who have hoped to start a marine aquarium – some of whom have had some type of aquarium previously and some that have not. A lot of these people, however, do not actually start out in this hobby.

To me that is a huge shame.

There are a lot of people who put this down to cost, lack of knowledge etc however I personally believe that primarily this is due to confusion.

When people look to the marine aquarium hobby it is normally from seeing someone elses aquarium, the natural coral reefs, fish shops, television as well as numerous other areas. Quite often the first thought is ‘I would love one of those but I don’t know anything about them’ so off they go and read books, purchase magazines, go on the internet, ask questions etc.

Whilst doing this initial research the potential aquarist is faced with varying amounts of information – information such as fish profiles, coral requirements, equipment reviews and much much more.

What started out as just wanting to keep corals and fish has suddenly turned into a learning exercise which in itself is not a bad thing as the majority of people love to learn. The potential aquarist is starting to learn about lighting requirements, water movement, water chemistry, equipment requirements and much more and it probably starts to become a little daunting.

Before they know it they are suddenly faced with terminology which they have either never heard before or had no idea that it may be required for a marine aquarium – terminology suck as ORP, kalkwasser, refractometer, protein skimmer to name just a very small amount.

Whilst it is important to understand why these are required I personally believe that it is the terminology which is used in this hobby which creates confusion. Once confusion sets in the aquarists will turn one of two ways – they will either get their learning head on and start researching even more or they will go the other way and decide not to progress as the believe it is too hard.

And who can blame them – as already said, when the idea was formulated all they wanted to do was keep fish and corals!

There is nothing that we can do as existing aquarists to change the terminology which is used in this hobby but I believe that all aquarists should help others who are interested in the hobby. The majority of people will do this however there are a minority who refuse to help others or attempt to hinder them.

I was very fortunate when I started this hobby as I had grown up around them and when I made the decision to get my own marine aquarium I had my father, John, to assist me every step of the way. I doubt that I now know as much as John as he is very knowledgeable in this area however there must be one area where I know a little more than him!

We all need to remember that this hobby is confusing at first and we will never stop learning however it is especially confusing at the start when you do not even understand what the nitrogen cycle is etc however if the basics are explained in a manner which does not make the potential aquarist fell silly and actually helps them move forwards then we would probably have a lot more marine aquarists then there are at the moment.

This is what we try to do at Aquarists Online and I encourage anyone else to help anyone else who either needs it or asks for it.

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A Bit Of Fun – An Aquarium Quiz!

This quiz is just a bit of fun and is designed to test your knowledge in relation to the aquarium hobby.

There are 15 questions in total.

Enjoy…….

[QUIZZIN 1]

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Introducing – Aquarists Online Reviews

We are always looking for ways to expand Aquarists Online and one of the things which both myself and John have been thinking about is reviewing aquarium related products.

Initially we thought about providing reviews in the blog area however we decided that the problem with that is that we can only review items which we either physically use or have used in the past and there are a lot of items which we have never used.

So we had a think and John asked if there was any sort of way in which we could have an area on the site where anyone could leave reviews. I had a look and identified some software which was suitable for the task and after a bit of implementation and modification Aquarists Online Reviews was born.

So what is it?

It’s a really simple concept – anyone anywhere can leave reviews of products about which they have an opinion. Other people can then read these reviews when researching a potential purchase. It does not have to be one review per product though – each product can have many reviews assigned to it. Various criterias are assigned to each product and when a review is left each of these criterias can then be scored. This criteria is then converted into an average and if multiple reviews are present an average of all  is taken.

At present there is just over a thousand products loaded into the system for which reviews can be made. The software has been setup so that you need to login to leave a review. The reason for this is spam and unrelated content. If the system was configured to be a free for all then quite quickly the area would become full of useless information which would make the area useless to anyone.

Even though we have loaded various products into the system I am sure that there are quite a few that are not there. For this reason we have configured the application so that any registered user can submit an item into the area. When an item is submitted information can be input about the product, plus images, from where it can be purchased  as well as an editor review. All submitted items are then put into a moderation queue so that John and I can ensure that they are aquarium related – if not they will be deleted.

Both myself and John will be leaving reviews for items that we either use currently or have used in the past and would like to invite you to leave reviews of the products you use as well.

We believe that this area can be a useful resource for many aquarists, especially aquarists who are researching products prior to making a purchase. However, this type of area does require input from website visitors. As said, myself and John will be leaving reviews but we can only realistically leave reviews for products we have used -  otherwise it will be a false review. Therefore this is a resource for anyone to use and it is driven by the users of this site.

With this new addition we now have the following services available here at Aquarists Online:

Articles Section – This is where John and I load our most informative articles for others to read, rate and share. It is also an area where other people can submit their articles for others to enjoy.
The Blog – The area where we post our daily information which ranges from short pieces to informative articles.
The Forum – If you have a question or a desire to help others the forum is the place to do this.
Aqua Compare – A price comparison site purely for aquarium products.
Reviews Section – The section where aquarium related products can be reviewed.
Electronic Book – A downloadable book produced by John and I to assist beginners progress in the hobby.

So there we go – another addition to Aquarists Online! If you are researching products then this area is for you – you can see what other people think about the product prior to purchasing. Then when you are happy to purchase you can always pop over to Aqua Compare and compare the prices of the relevant product and save some money. Once you have purchased you can always pop back to the reviews section and leave your review on the product – the more people that leave reviews the more useful it will be.

Both John and I are quite happy with Aquarists Online and John jokingly calls it the A to Z site for marine aquarists. However, as we always say ‘if there is something you would like us to do on Aquarists Online let us know and we’ll see if it is possible’.

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