Sponges

Everyone knows what a sponge is; they go in the bath or shower and are great for washing. They can appear or be placed in the marine aquarium as well, though they’ll look different!

Living sponges vary in size from very small, 1″ (circa 2.5cm) or so, to huge, 18″ (circa 45.75cm) or so in diameter. There are many different ones, the total numbering 9000 plus*. The sponge is not a single celled organism but multi. They are always stationary and meet success or failure in that one position. In a similar way to soft corals, the sponge holds its shape by means of calcium spicules, though some are silica which divides sponges into calcareous or siliceous types. Different types can be found from very shallow to very deep seawater.

Sponges feed by drawing seawater in and filtering out nutrients. Once the filtration is complete the seawater is ejected with any waste. This is a continuous process.

Sponges are fairly common in retailers and come in various colours and shapes. The shape usually indicates the area where the sponge originated, flat encrusting types originally living in high water flow and taller wider ones offering more resistance to flow coming from quieter areas. Sponges are sometimes found on coral rocks when the aquarist acquires a new coral. They could also be growing on live rock, perhaps unseen as they are hidden from view.

Some sponges seem to be hardy, these being the encrusting types which can be found on living rock and coral rock. They often survive without specific feeding and are welcome.

The larger, more upright and brightly coloured sponges are more difficult. When on the captive reef they without doubt add bright colour and shape, and can be a real temptation to an aquarist. The aquarist should resist the impulse to buy, unless he/she has experience enough to maintain corals successfully, that is maintaining them long term in a healthy and growing condition. This at least gives an indication of husbandry abilities. Sponges are sensitive to declining seawater quality.

If a sponge is bought, it must not be exposed to the air at any time. Transfer into the home aquarium should take time allowing the seawater to equalize. The aquarist should not touch the sponge but maneuver it by the attached stone. This makes the point that there should be an attached stone; a purchase shouldn’t be made without one. On no account place a sponge on or into sand, it will die.

Position in the aquarium is very important. Reef aquariums use very bright lighting for the sake of the corals and this could lead to some encrusting and other algae. Algae are one of the enemies of sponges. Therefore they should be positioned in a dimly lit area, under an overhang perhaps, or low down where light is reduced. The position should also have gentle seawater flow.

The major problem with sponges is feeding them. Nutrient levels in reef systems are low, with efficient protein skimming and routine seawater changing. It is very unlikely that there will be sufficient food matter to sustain a sponge. I don’t know if a sponge is able to make use of dissolved organic matter (DOM) but placing the protein skimmer on a timer and running it for half the usual period may be useful? A close watch would need to be kept on seawater quality in case corals objected. Perhaps the way to feed a sponge with the best hope of success is to use a pipette with very fine foodstuffs, such as the foods commercially available targeted at filter feeding corals and fan worms. The corals and fan worms will also benefit and hopefully the sponge will obtain nutrients. This feeding will place an additional strain on the bio-filter as it is likely not all the food will be consumed. Again, a watch will be needed to ensure there isn’t excessive deterioration of seawater quality.

Sponges are food for some livestock. There are fish that eat them and a good example is the rock beauty angelfish (Holocanthus tricolor). Other angelfish and butterflyfish are a danger to them. There are more, including some snails and urchins. So it is essential, as always, to check compatibility with existing livestock before purchase.

The sponge I remember was purchased because of its lovely bright orange colour. It was properly attached to a rock and was shaped like a lollipop, about 5″ (circa 12.75cm) tall. The sponge was introduced properly and carefully positioned.

A demand was certainly placed on that virtue of marine aquarists, patience. This was required when feeding took place – a commercial filter feeding food was used. Great care was taken to ensure a small cloud of food surrounded the sponge once, sometimes twice a day. Seawater quality didn’t deteriorate, I assume because the aquarium had other filter feeders. I didn’t reduce the period the protein skimmer ran; it was left on full time. Perhaps I should have experimented with that.

The sponge didn’t grow or deteriorate. It maintained full colour and shape for about 12 months. Then a little grey was noticed, and this was seen to be very slowly spreading. The sponge was removed from the aquarium, as I was afraid of sudden failure and pollution.

If an attempt is to be made in keeping a sponge purchased from a retailer, then it is suggested that notes are kept on the techniques used from the very beginning, including introduction to the aquarium, positioning, seawater quality and particularly feeding. If reasonably successful then let your local club or internet forum know about the procedures used.

The link gives pages of sponge pictures.

http://www.poppe-images.com/images/search_results.php?keyword_mh=sponges&x=65&y=10

(* Reference: Marine Aquarist Manual Comprehensive Edition. Dr. P. V. Loiselle & Hans A. Baensch)

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Cuttlefish

Usually seen in public aquariums, cuttlefish are likely to draw plenty of ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ from onlookers as they swim with their unusual long undulating horizontal fins. This reaction is particularly likely if the cuttlefish displays, sending waves of colour down the body with a rippling effect. They are also able to move by jet propulsion in the same way as an octopus.

The cuttlefish can be partly known to bird keepers, particularly those with budgerigars and similar. It is the cuttlefish bone that is used as it is a good source of calcium and also the birds seem to enjoy pecking at it.

Cuttlefish live in various areas of the world and can be large, 19″ (circa 48cm) or more, to small, 1½” (circa 4cm). Therefore, at least in most home aquariums, the larger ones are not suitable.

The colour displays that have been mentioned are achieved with the aid of chromatophores which are located in the skin. They are controlled by muscles and can activate with little delay allowing waves of colour to flow quickly across the body. It is reported that these colour patterns are a means of communication, indicating excitement, fear and also involved in mating.

Cuttlefish are predators and will continue their natural practices in the aquarium. Clearly prey is subject to the size of the cuttlefish, and includes crabs, shrimps, small fish, snails and even on occasion other cuttlefish. They have eight arms with two more that can be very quickly extended to grab prey.

Suitably sized cuttlefish could be considered suitable for the captive reef aquarium. Unfortunately there are two reasons why this is not so. The first is the lighting that is needed on reef aquariums to ensure the health and growth of the corals. This lighting is strong and can be a bank of fluorescent tubes to a halide system. Cuttlefish do not like this brightness. This may be because of their natural habitat situation and also perhaps because their eyes are well developed, possibly more so than any other invertebrate (other than in their own family group). The pupil takes a similar shape to a ‘W’ and can distinguish colour. Anyway, light levels in a reef system are too high, cuttlefish prefer medium to low light. The second reason is their predatory nature. Very often in a reef system there are small shrimps and/or crabs present and these will be a prey target, which is not going to please the aquarist. Further, many aquarists try to maintain high seawater quality by not having too many fish in their reef system, and one of the ways of achieving this is to house a restricted number of small fish. Again, it is likely that these fish will become a target.

It is possible to keep cuttlefish in two ways: in a species only aquarium or in a fish only aquarium. There will not be a problem with lighting as two fluorescents are sufficient, preferably arranged with electric timers into a ‘dawn/dusk’ sequence. If it is to be a species only type with more than one cuttlefish they should not be very different in size or there could be trouble. Mixing different types is also suspect and should be avoided. So ‘same species similar size’ is the guideline. The best and safest way, unless there is a lot of confidence, is to have one specimen – they are usually solitary in nature. If using a fish only system is being considered then the same comments about shrimps, snails, crabs and small fish apply, and in addition there should not be any larger fish that are aggressive or predatory by nature. In other words neither fish nor cuttlefish should be attractive as food to, or subject to aggression from the other.

As with most sea creatures the cuttlefish requires somewhere that is secure, such as a cave or the like. Rockwork will normally provide this but attention is needed during construction to ensure the cuttlefish is not too large to make use of the hideaway(s). The macro algae Caulerpa can be grown in the aquarium as well, which will enhance the aquascape and also be beneficial to seawater quality.

If keeping a cuttlefish is being considered, then the first requisite is that the aquarist is able to maintain successfully a fish only or captive reef aquarium. In other words, there should be experience in the maintenance of high seawater quality and healthy livestock. When a cuttlefish is located in a retailer it is important to have the creature correctly identified so that a check can be made on its eventual size (they grow quickly) for aquarium size consideration and also its temperature requirements (some cuttlefish require cooler seawater than is normal in a tropical marine system). It is also worthwhile seeing them fed, which will give the aquarist confidence and also the same food can be used at least to start. Cuttlefish will usually take to defrosted foods such as larger shrimp and fish.

Keeping a cuttlefish on its own or with suitable tank mates is more unusual than fish only and captive reef systems. It is possible, if there is the space, to have a captive reef and a cuttlefish in adjacent systems, perhaps interlinked for filtration purposes (subject to temperature considerations already mentioned). What a display! It goes without saying that maintenance, including routine seawater changes is required. Properly looked after, a cuttlefish can be expected to live to around three years or so, maybe more.

http://www.markspencer.com.au/image_library.php?q_search=Cuttlefish&q_file=tq_cuttlefish

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Sea Urchins

Anyone who has been barefoot in the sea and has stepped accidentally on a sharp spined sea urchin is likely to remember the experience. The spines are often needle sharp (there are variations) and some are equipped with poison glands.

Sea urchins are a good addition to reef aquariums, and also to fish only systems provided there aren’t any fish, such as triggers and puffers, that will do them harm. There should not be large hermit or ordinary crabs, lobsters or predatory snails in the aquarium either. It is not necessary to keep just one specimen of urchin, or the same type, though space restrictions and food supply mean usually one, or maybe two in a large system. They are considered safe with ordinary snails, shrimps and the like, and also corals. Sea stars and brittle stars are normally safe also, though some care has to be taken that the stars are not predatory. Urchins tend generally to move about at night, and during the day find a crevice or hole which affords them good protection. Having a sea urchin makes the overall picture more natural.

Sea urchins require good seawater quality or they may lose their spines and eventually die. They also require good seawater movement. Good seawater quality and movement is a requirement for the marine aquarium anyway so this should not be a problem.

Having enough food for the urchin is usually the main concern. For most algae is needed and in a marine aquarium this can be in short supply, in fact the aquarist probably ensures a low algae presence by if necessary having snails etc present which keep it low. Without algae the urchin will last a while but its demise is inevitable. The choice is to provide algae or not have an urchin. Some aquarists meet the problem by having a few marine safe flat stones available. They allow algae to develop on these stones in a very shallow small separate tank and then they are placed in the aquarium for the urchin. If the stones are used half and half then a continuous supply of food should be available. The other alternative is to reduce or not have any competition for algae in the aquarium though a watch is still needed to ensure there is enough.

There is clearly a requirement to check the space available in the aquarium taking into account the length of the urchin’s spines and the well-being of other livestock, for example the needed swimming space for fish. This usually will not present a problem.

When an urchin is purchased great care is required that seawater is not lost during the journey home because of a punctured bag. When being acclimatized to the home seawater, as with shrimps and sea stars, a fairly long period is needed preferably using the drip method. When the urchin is released it should not be permitted to come into contact with the air.

Urchins come in different sizes with short blunt spines to long sharp ones. The urchins I kept were black long-spined ones, generally known as ‘hatpin’ urchins. Though the retailer couldn’t give the proper name for them, research strongly suggested that they were Diadema setosum.
As these urchins have stinging spines care had to be taken when carrying out maintenance with a hand in the aquarium, but nothing untoward occurred because unlike say a lion fish, the urchins were in one place. They certainly added interest, increased the diversity of the livestock, and at the same time controlled algae (unfortunately it is reported that they are unlikely to touch green hair algae). I no longer have an aquarium large enough to allow an urchin to be present, or there would be one.

http://www.goldenstateimages.com/GSI_search.php?srch=sea%20urchin&op=ex

The link will give some idea of the colour and diversity of sea urchins.

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Beginner Corals

When an aquarist makes the decision to either move towards a marine reef aquarium from some other type of aquarium or start straight away with a reef tank the aquarist at some type or other is most likely going to want to keep corals.

When the aquarium is first set up everything is very new and not settled. The substrate, if used is new, the live rock needs time to settle, the nitrogen cycle will probably have only just completed etc.

Basically the aquarium needs to age.

There is also a second area as well and this is the actual aquarist. The aquarist, quite rightly will be very excited and maybe nervous at the same time. The aquarist needs to gain some experience as well as gain some confidence.

This does not mean that I am saying you should not keep anything for a while – far from it. I believe that it is important to get life into the aquarium as soon as the filtration is ready. You just need to choose something which is right for your knowledge level, confidence level without detriment to the animal.

Look at it this way – at the beginning there is no requirement to understand everything and trust me you will never know everything – you will learn new things each and every day. At the beginning I firmly believe that you need to understand the basics as to how to keep marine animals and then learn from there. There is no point in understanding all the advanced techniques – sure perhaps know what they mean or what they do in general but there is no requirement to understand it inside out.

A lot of aquarists, both new and advanced spend a lot of time researching equipment, techniques etc however when it comes to corals quite often they are chosen because the look nice. Perhaps this is due to the larger investment that equipment requires however I think that corals, fish etc should all be thoroughly research prior to purchase.

Therefore at this stage the aquarium is not ready for the more advanced corals however all is not lost as there are a lot of corals which can be kept by an aquarist who is either new to the aquarium hobby or has only just moved to marine.

For the newcomer to this hobby I would not recommend SPS corals, I would instead recommend soft corals. Soft corals require lower light levels as well as putting less demand on areas like calcium. This therefore makes it cheaper for the aquarist initially and gives the aquarists some excellent corals to learn from and gain confidence.

There are a lot of people who believe that soft corals are not attractive and that they only come in various shades of brown. This is not true – there are some fantastic colour soft corals to be obtained however in my opinion the brown ones are just as beautiful. Johns aquarium is a soft coral aquarium and out of all the aquariums I have seen over the years I have to say that I believe Johns to be one of the best looking.

Below is a list of what I believe to be some good corals for beginners to get going with.

Leather Corals (Sacrophyton, Sinularia etc)

One of the most popular types of soft corals must be leather corals. They are very hardy and are not that demanding when it comes to water quality. They will survive and quite often thrive in water quality which is not as good as it could be.

There are various different types of leather corals – finger leathers, toadstools, cabbage corals etc.

These corals acclimatise very well to the aquarium conditions in which they are place as long as the aquarium is not neglected and the water quality is allowed to suffer.

Even though these corals do well in below optimum water conditions they do fantastic in an aquarium which does have optimum water conditions.

It does need to be noted that leather corals do retract their polyp in from time to time and deflate themselves. When this occurs quite often the corals takes on a shiny appearance. At this point a lot of aquarists panic thinking that there is something wrong with the coral. This is normal is a leather coral – it is believed that this is the corals way of cleaning itself however I have never actually read any literature which proves this. Some time after deflation the coral will push out its polyps and inflate. This may be the next day, two days later or even weeks.

Mushroom Anemones (Ricordia, Discosoma, Rhodactis etc)

Mushroom anemones are able to thrive in conditions similar to that of leather corals.

They are often very brightly coloured and spread at a fast rate once settled in the aquarium. To look at a mushroom anemone looks like a disk with a small bulb protruding from the center. This bulb is actually the mushroom anemomes mouth.

As said you are able to obtain these in a multitude of colours – brown, blue, green, red and purple to name just a few. Some are actually a mixture of colours and look fantastic especially when they viewed under actinic lighting.

Mushroom anemones look better in my opinion when placed or allowed to grow in a group. They reproduce readily simply by a piece of the coral dripping off to a nearby rock where it attaches and turns into another mushroom.

They are amazingly hardy however there are some fish which will take a nibble at them.

Button Polyps

In the aquarium trade these are quite often know as ‘zoos’ which comes from their latin name which is zooanthus.

They come in a range of colours from the more subdued browns to the very bright pinks and oranges. They do very well in the home aquarium especially once settled and will quickly start to spread.

Polyps when they are young are joined at the base however as they mature they separate from the colony and ‘go their own way’. They are very resilient corals and do well in the majority of conditions.

It does need to be noted that these can at time grow so fast that at times they may even overgrow a coral and kill it therefore you do need to keep your eye on them.

Another thing that needs to be noted is that button polyps secrete a substance which is harmful to humans. It is believed that this is for defense purposes therefore it is imperative that you always wash your hands after dealing with button polyps.

Star Polyps / Xenia

These are another type of coral which do well in a new aquarium. They settle in very well to the aquarium and once settled rapidly spread.

Star polyps are a colonial species and all grow from an encrusting mat. This mat spreads over the surface of hard substances. I saw a picture a while ago of an aquarium where the mat had covered the entire rear glass of the aquarium.

In the aquarium they open and retract as one therefore it is believed that somehow the polyps are connected to each other in some way – perhaps via the mat. This may be a defense mechanism but I honestly do not know the reason.

They come in various colours however the most attractive in my opinion is the green variant. This type grows very rapidly once settled and looks fantastic in the aquarium especially under actinic lighting.

They are not fussy corals and do well under practically any type of lighting as well as water conditions. Quite surprisingly for a coral they are also not that fussy about water movement. They are one of the few corals which will thrive in strong water currents as well as very low water currents.

Another one which is a personal favourite of mine is the pulsing xenia. This coral as the name states pulses. It is believed that this is for the movement of water over the coral. In the aquarium these are very attractive and are a pleasure to watch.

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Tube Anemones

Tube anemones (Cerianthus sp) are fairly commonly seen in local fish shops (LFS’s). They are different and very attractive. They remind me a little of ‘feather dusters’ in how they live, and also of some fireworks in appearance. The ‘pretty’ fireworks that is, where colourful flames and sparks exit the tube a little way before curving over downwards. There are around 50 tube anemone species in the world.

In the aquarium they should prove to be generally hardy – the usual demands for a quality environment are required. The area in which they are located should not have strong seawater movement because of the long tentacles – it is better if it is fairly weak. The lighting that falls on the anemone should not be strong, but moderate to weak. There is another essential requirement and that is sand for them to bury into. The sand depth should be in the region of 3½” to 4½” (circa 9cm to 11.5cm), though deeper sand does no harm. The sand should be coarse and from coral. Those who do not want a decorative sand bed (the depths given are deeper than the normal decorative 1″ to 2″) could consider using a marine safe plastic box full of sand. The edges of the box would need to spread 2″ to 3 beyond the anemone’s tube edge. This could solve the potential for a dirty sand bed. A deep sand bed (DSB) is constructed of very fine sand and is not really suitable.

The anemone has a long tube which is made up of secreted mucus and sand. It extends down into the sand and forms a home and anchor for the anemone. As the tube is quite slender and pointed, it would be possible for it to come out of the sand, so the anemone can create an expanded tube or bulb at the bottom, which prevents this.

It has been reported that if the aquarist does not want sand in the aquarium a plastic tube is sometimes successful. The plastic should be marine safe and a little wider than the anemone, ensuring that the length is more than adequate. The tube can be placed in the aquarium – between rocks for example – where it will not visually intrude and the anemone put into it. Any plastic showing should be covered in encrusting algae growth fairly quickly and the anemone should hopefully be secure and healthy.

The anemone will be on full display when waiting for food capture. If a threat is perceived the anemone will disappear into its tube at very high speed.

As with other anemones, the tube anemones have defensive/offensive weapons. These are the nematocysts, or stingers, that lie curled like spring loaded barbed harpoons until released. They carry venom and this could cause problems if the aquarist does not exercise sufficient care.

The anemones must be located away from all other corals, colonial anemones etc as the sting is strong and could cause severe damage, even killing neighbours. The tentacles are long and therefore have a long reach. The anemones live singly in the wild and should be kept away from each other. Similarly, the aquarist should not put slow moving and less agile small fish in the aquarium, because if they come into contact with the anemone they are likely to become lunch or be badly stung.

Feeding is straightforward as the anemones will take small pieces of defrosted mussel, shrimp or similar – ensure the food is cut very small. Brine or mysis shrimp could also be target fed. The food just needs to fall among the tentacles. Do not overfeed, two perhaps three times a week is enough.

As with other types of livestock, if the needs of the tube anemone are met then the aquarist will be rewarded with a lovely and ‘different’ display.

The following link has photographs of these lovely anemones.

http://www.poppe-images.com/images/search_results.php?=Anemones&species=Cerianthus%20species%204

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Identify That Invertebrate

Many, probably the majority of aquarists keep invertebrates. Captive reef systems are plentiful nowadays with a high rate of success because of the information available about them, including many invertebrates that could well be considered as livestock.

Information and identification are the two words in mind here – the reef aquarist could make use of the following website just out of general interest or for a specific need.

The link provided goes direct to invertebrates under ‘common names.’ They can also be searched for under ‘proper names.’

The website is well worth exploring as there is more available than that mentioned.

http://fins.actwin.com/species/index.php?t=3&f=3

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SPS Corals – Are They For The Beginner?

More than two decades ago the marine aquarist would be pleased if fish survived in the aquarium, never mind corals of any type. The aquarium would have a fairly deep coarse sand bed, and underneath the sand would be an under-gravel filter plate. Another filtration method was a canister filter.

Canister filters can still be put to good use but for the most part under-gravel filters have seen their day. However, the advance of aquarium technology has changed a lot of things. No longer are marine aquariums decorated with white dead coral skeletons on a sand base, they have rock structures (often live rock) with just fish, or contain a full captive reef.

Having a living reef in an aquarium was an impossible dream to those earlier aquarists. Now, though, aquarists can achieve water quality at a high level by using commonly available equipment, and just as important can keep the quality high. Many of the captive reefs that are kept by ordinary aquarists are stunning, whatever the size of aquarium. They are so good that potential aquarists see them and are often persuaded to go to the local marine store to see what is available. Once at that point they are very nearly committed.

So should a potential aquarist consider corals at all? If so, should SPS (small polyp stony) corals be considered?

The ideal answer is ‘no.’ For the sake of the livestock, it would be better if the new aquarist obtained experience before moving to corals. This does not prohibit the keeping of marine fish – in fact, with a fish only aquarium the aquarist could keep some fish that are unsuitable to the captive reef, and also more of them. A really colourful and interesting display is obtainable.

The important point about keeping fish only is that it permits time for experience to develop – experience in maintenance. Ongoing maintenance is essential for success with an aquarium of any type, and particularly with a reef of SPS corals and their particular demands. It allows the aquarist to experience feeding techniques, one area that is more than likely to cause grief with seawater quality. All the required maintenance will become routine and used to, and that other essential will also develop – patience.

However, as said, the above describes, to my mind anyway, an ideal world, having fish only to start with. In the real world, the new aquarist is faced with enormous temptation. All the equipment available suggests that ‘it isn’t hard’, and indeed it isn’t – all things into consideration. The one thing that will never change is that no matter how much sophisticated equipment there might be, if the basics understood by the aquarist are lacking, which of course includes the necessities of husbandry, there are going to be problems or even failure.

So let’s consider the aquarist who is looking to set up a reef tank and cannot be dissuaded. Fair enough.

From the outset it needs to be understood that the fish that could be kept will be restricted. The types kept must be ‘reef friendly’, but there are plenty of those. The number of fish in the aquarium needs to be restricted, and this restriction applies to size as well as actual numbers. There could be, say, two largish surgeons or four small 2″ or 3″ size other fish. (This is not a guideline, just an ‘out of the air’ example.) Larger fish in ones put pressure on seawater quality equivalent to smaller fish in greater numbers.

Ok, so the aquarist wants to keep corals and accepts there will be restrictions on fish numbers. So SPS corals?

Again, I would attempt to dissuade the newcomer from taking the plunge into SPS corals. Look at the unarguably beautiful soft corals with their lovely pastel shades, different shapes, and how some sway so attractively in the currents. Many aquarists prefer soft corals to the hard types (including me). The great thing about soft corals is that they are generally easier to keep (there are exceptions) and have a better chance of surviving the mistakes a beginner could make. Soft corals are generally available and make a very attractive display.

At this point most newcomers will have got the message. There will be some who are adamant that it is to be SPS corals or nothing. Ah well, ok.

I’ll now appear to contradict all that has been written above – there isn’t any reason why SPS corals cannot be kept by the beginner. But, the aquarist must be willing to sit down and learn and hopefully have a mentor, such as a friendly local experienced aquarist or a local dealer (who is genuinely interested in livestock welfare and not just sales). This is a good thing for any type aquarium system, but particularly so for what some see as the pinnacle of the hobby.

SPS corals make the most demands. The aquarist carries sole responsibility to meet those demands (as with any aquarium type). Just a couple of examples – to start with, seawater movement needs to be strong, so powerful and possibly more pumps or powerheads are required. Seawater quality has to be high, and within this there is a requirement to maintain, for example, a high calcium level. This will mean in a smaller aquarium using supplements, or in a larger one employing equipment such as a calcium reactor. This equipment needs maintenance and of course costs additionally in the first place. Then there is the lighting. This will need to be powerful, so metal halides will usually be employed. If the aquarium is a deep one, then higher wattage bulbs will be needed to permit sufficient light penetration. Along with heating, metal halide lighting is hungry for electricity, and electricity becomes ever more expensive.

There are those newcomers who have come into the aquarium hobby and made a success of it from the start. I bet they got down to it and did a lot of research and checking before making the final commitment.

There are also those newcomers who follow a list and set up an aquarium system, or buy a full system that is ‘plug and play’. All is fine at first, then problems arise, get worse, calls for help are made and after stress and possible livestock losses things are sorted out. The aquarist’s experience suddenly increased, at a cost.

Or there are those who join the hobby, do the research and find it straightforward. There may be the odd problem but it is sorted out. There may be the odd livestock loss. Overall, the aquarium is thought to be successful. Then it declines and is sold off. This is often because it is decided that the hobby is not for the aquarist. The ongoing maintenance becomes boring or gets in the way of other more tempting activities. Or, or maybe and, the cost of running the aquarium, mainly electricity, is high and perhaps too much.

I, along with other aquarists, want more newcomers to come into – and stay in – the hobby. The hobby is growing and that is a very healthy situation.

If experience is gained by advancing in steps, then the likelihood of problems is much diminished. Moving forward in steps reduces the danger to livestock – how sad it is that livestock is lost under any circumstance, there are considerable losses within the hobby and the majority of those are probably with newcomers. The newcomer will have found by experience the cost generally of running an aquarium and the effort required to maintain it and is more able to decide if the system should be upgraded to deal with more difficult livestock.

It is a personal opinion of course, but the answer to the title is “No.” Aquarium requirements seem to be confusing to many newcomers anyway, and, based on that, the ‘higher up’ the difficulty ladder the more confusion is going to arise.

Whatever marine system is set up, there are going to be demands. It is essential the aquarist understands the needs of the livestock and this means research and also experience.

It has been said that ‘knowledge is everything.’ It has also been said – ‘don’t build your house on sand.

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