Sea Hares

Many reef aquarists who have some experience in maintaining their aquariums that is maintaining seawater quality at a high level are constantly on the lookout for something that could fall into the category of ‘unusual’.

The life form that is found – if found – has to meet certain criteria in the aquarist’s mind before it receives the sea of approval. First and foremost, it has to be reef safe, in other words it must not start eating the aquarist’s coral collection! Second, it has to contribute something to the reef, this contribution could be beauty, or shape, or a combination. Or it could be just weird.

A life form that is not only interesting, could probably be called beautiful, and in addition is useful to the aquarist is the sea hare. These are often termed ‘slugs’ but this is a little unfair, as the word ‘slug’ could initiate thoughts of the gardening problem slug which eats if it has the chance much of the garden plants. Sea hares don’t deserve this kind of press. They will actively consume algae in the aquarium. The aquarist with a green hair algae problem would no doubt be delighted, but it is possible the creatures would also find decorative algae a pleasant food.

Sea hares are sometimes obtainable from the local fish shop, or if not can usually be found for sale wider afield. They are also being commercially bred too, which is a great boon. Its wonderful how many sea creatures, on a lengthening list, are now being bred.

The aquarist if intending to buy one of these creatures has to show some caution, but no more than when buying a fish. It is important to know the species that is being obtained; this information should be readily obtainable from the seller. If it isn’t, then don’t buy.

Why should caution be necessary? When buying a fish it is necessary to know the species so that the eventual size is known. Many fish are small when at the dealers but grow quite rapidly if nature intended them to do so.

Similarly, sea hares have different sizes. For example, one type which is of no interest to the aquarist is reported to grow to 39.5 inches (circa 100 cm), just a bit large for our aquariums! Another, the spotted sea hare (Aplysia californica) could grow to about 15 inches (circa 38 cm). Another much smaller species commonly called the green sea hare (Phyllaplysia taylori) could grow to between ¾ inch (circa 2 cm) and 3 inches (circa 7.5 cm). The spotted sea hare will usually eat good quantities of algae, the preference being for green. The corals that that the sea hare is living with need to be fairly robust and well anchored, particularly as the hare’s size increases. The smaller hare is not such an easy feeder, as it lives in sea grass ‘fields’, the sea grass is its reported food. They are reported to eat algae but this could prove to be inadequate. Also, predators in the aquarium could take an unhealthy interest in the creature.

Sea hares do not have any particular demands apart from the usual one of good seawater quality. If the aquarist is cautious in purchase and is able to provide the food required, then the aquarium will be enriched with a creature that some would call beautiful, others different, and others weird.

There is one link provided and a video. The link is to an advanced website, but this should not put any reader off as the text is straightforward. Just scroll down until the sections that are of interest are found. The video shows a sea hare in an aquarium. Note the camouflage.

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/oct2004/invert.htm

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‘Big’ To The Marine Aquarist

Most marine aquarists keep mixed reef aquariums, some of them are very small ‘nano’ systems and others could be six footers, large in the hobby world. There are a few who own aquariums even larger. Other aquarists have fish only systems that could be the same in size range to the captive reefs.

Mention ‘big’ and the reef aquarist thinks of a system larger than the one he/she already has, a huge affair maybe that looks like part of the Pacific Ocean has been transported for the aquarist’s personal use. Or perhaps thoughts turn to a more usually dimensioned system but still larger than the one already owned. I suppose its human nature to think this way.

There’s another meaning to ‘big’ though and this time it doesn’t refer to the aquarium size but to the livestock in the aquarium, specifically big fish. There are those who find keeping large fish fascinating and it is a side of the hobby that is often overlooked, as said most aquarists think of mixed reefs and small fish only systems.

Keeping big fish is a discipline in itself. Considering the diversity of size on the wild reef there is a fair choice, though it could be the larger fish are not so plentiful in local fish shops as demand is not so high. We’re not talking of the very large reef fish but those that are considerably larger than those usually kept in a reef or even a fish only aquarium.

Keeping large fish requires careful thought – there will not be as many for a start. There could be one or perhaps two or three. The stocking guidelines apply, it should be particularly remembered that the net seawater gallonage dictates the fish size/numbers that can be accommodated. So any rockwork that supplies a home for fish will reduce the gallonage. A sump will increase seawater gallonage (and quality) but should not be included in the stocking calculations as to do so could lead to too high stocking and subsequent aggression. The size of aquarium is obviously very important and a very large one, or the largest practically useful, should be obtained so that accommodation will not be excessively restricted. The guideline for the aquarium size is that its length should be four times that of the biggest fully grown fish and the depth and width at least twice the length of the biggest fish. The guidelines on aquarium placement also apply.

When considering the size of aquarium it is best to research the fish that are desired first. Fish grow and need more space, so knowing their eventual likely size will either cause a search for more suitable fish because the needed aquarium is too large, or confirm the intended size is adequate. The fish in the shop could be small, but to what size will it grow? Some grow quickly!

Lighting is not the consideration it is with a reef system. What is required is sufficient light for the fish to see and be seen. This is easily met by two aquarium length fluorescent tubes. They can be selected to enhance the fish colours; two that are usually good for this are ‘marine white’ and ‘actinic blue’. In addition, it is good to have a ‘dawn’ and ‘dusk’ sequence which is achieved with electric timers. One timer turns the blue tube on and off say one half hour before the white tube comes on and the same period after the white tube goes off. Flooding an aquarium with sudden light or plunging it into sudden darkness is not good management.

During the research of the fish temperament should be carefully considered. The fish could well be an interesting and beautiful one, but also very aggressive and/or a predator. Suitable tank mates have obviously to be found for such a fish or trouble will not be long in coming. Fish that grow large could be purchased at a considerably lesser size, but it is still incorrect to house the fish with fish that have a full grown smaller size. Fish in good conditions could and hopefully will have a long life – but not if there is a growing aggressive fish or predator in the aquarium.

Research should also cover the suggested captive diet of the fish, so the aquarist knows that he/she can cope with the demand – is it available locally and is it able to be stored in the home ready for use?

Big fish eat big and the filtration system has to cope with it. The filtration is that operated by the bacteria of course (the bio-filtration) which must be able to handle and convert the generated waste. In addition big fish are generally messy and mechanical filtration is usually required, the canister filter is probably the best choice. The canister filter should be large enough to cope with the amount of seawater present and one a little oversized will not go amiss. Some aquarists use two canister filters of appropriate size, one for purely mechanical filtration and one for bio-filtration. The bio-filtration unit will also have mechanical filtration to protect the bio area. With both filters, particularly the bio one, it is important to regularly clean the mechanical media and replace it if it is suspect.

Regular maintenance applies to the big fish aquarium as it does to any other. There is a need for regular seawater changes. The commencing guideline is 10% of the net system volume per week but the aquarist should adjust this if seawater quality is below that required. Cleanliness of the aquarium needs watching and seawater siphoned out on a routine change gives the opportunity to remove detritus – big fish as mentioned could be ‘messy’.

The words ‘seawater quality’ bring up an important piece of equipment that most certainly should not be missing on a big fish aquarium, and that is the protein skimmer. A model should be selected that is fully capable of dealing with the net system seawater volume, including any sump. An old guideline suggested that when purchasing a protein skimmer it should be capable of dealing with twice the seawater volume present, and if there is any doubt it is a good guideline to follow.

Again dealing with seawater quality there are five test kits that are required, ammonia (there should never be any reading present*), nitrite (there should never be any reading present*), and nitrate (which is best kept as low as possible but as a guideline should not rise above 30ppm, better 20ppm. Nitrate levels are usually kept in check by routine seawater changes). *Ammonia and nitrite will make an appearance in any maturation period required with a bio-filter.

Nitrate and the fact that big fish are big eaters have already been mentioned. If the aquarist finds that nitrate is rising despite reasonably sized routine seawater changes, then another piece of equipment could be considered and this is the denitrator. Basically the denitrator is a home for bacteria. The environment is maintained at a very low oxygen level and the bacteria require oxygen, therefore to obtain it they extract it from the nitrate which breaks this down. There are mainly two types, both commercially available. One is based on sulphur and requires no attention except to ensure that the slow flow of seawater through it is maintained. The other type requires feeding with supplied nutrients. Personally I prefer the sulphur type but it is a matter of personal choice. It could well be that a denitrator is not required.

It was stated in a previous paragraph that five test kits are needed and three have been mentioned. The other two are first a pH test. This is to check the alkalinity of the seawater. The guideline range is 8.1 to 8.4. Whichever it is, it should be stable. Routine seawater changes should assist with this. The final test is not really a kit as such, it is an instrument named a hydrometer. This checks the specific gravity (SG) of the seawater; the guideline suggests a range of 1.022 to 1.026. With a fish only aquarium it would be unusual for the top end of the SG range to be used. Using an SG of 1.022 is reported to be beneficial to fish as it is more detrimental to the well being of certain parasites. The SG chosen should be stable.

All the tests should be completed once a week; they are straightforward and not particularly time consuming.

Keeping big fish means the aquarist will not have so many to look at. However, it follows that there is more of each fish to see! In addition, it could be argued that the visual impact of the fish is greater. Many have beautiful colours. It is known that some of these bigger fish become real pets with individuality and personality and aquarists and their families become very attached to them.

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Is There A ‘Best Size’ Aquarium To Start With

This is probably something which most beginners to this hobby ask themselves and it is a very valid question. A lot of people recommend that beginners start with the largest aquarium which they can both afford and fit into the designated area.

This is very good advice however it can also be confusing as well as off-putting. People sometimes look at the large aquariums as well as the required equipment, see the cost and then are put off.

The reason that a lot of people recommend a large aquarium to start with is due to the fact that it is easier to maintain water quality in an aquarium with more water volume. The way I explain this to people is in relation to a cup of coffee!

In a cup of coffee if you put a spoon full of sugar in there it will taste quite sweet however if the coffee was in a bucket then the coffee would not taste as sweet – if you could taste it at all.

The same is with an aquarium where nutrients such as nitrate and phosphate is the sugar.

So am I different or do I recommend the same.

Actually I am different – I recommend that people start with an aquarium size which is correct for them and their budget. If a new aquarists budget will not stretch to a 100 gallon aquarium then get a smaller one which is within budget. As long as it is known and understood that water quality is slightly harder to maintain in a smaller aquarium then why not get a smaller aquarium. It is better to get a smaller aquarium in my opinion than not get one at all.

If you are a beginner and do get a smaller aquarium then you will need to be vigilant with your feeding, your stocking levels, your water top ups as well as your water testing. As time progresses your self confidence and knowledge in the hobby will increase and this will make it easier.

Smaller aquariums in my opinion can actually be more interesting than the larger ones. In a small aquarium as you are not able to put as many corals, fish etc in as you can with the larger aquariums you can watch and study the aquarium inhabitants more closely. It also has the added benefit that the required equipment will not cost you as much.

As time progresses you may wish to invest in a larger aquarium or you may wish to downsize and go nano – or even pico however at the beginning, as said any aquarium is a ‘best size’ aquarium to start with as long as it is known that smaller aquariums require more careful management.

On a final note – when I say small aquarium I do not mean an aquarium which is very small – I would not recommend that any beginner start with an aquarium which has a water voluem which is less than 20 gallons.

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Do Aquaculture Tanks Have To Be Anything Special

Personally I think that there is a belief that aquaculture aquariums need to be some type of specialist aquarium which is designed purely for aquaculture.

I don’t why I believe this and perhaps I am wrong but when I talk to people they believe that aquaculture is a scientific subject and therefore requires scientific equipment. I suppose that in a way they are correct as this entire hobby is scientific in a way – afterall we are interested in water chemistry etc.

So does aquaculture require specialist equipment.

Not at all. All you need is a container to place the corals etc, filtration, the relevant equipment etc. An aquaculture container can be a small cut down version of a display aquarium. There are many people who are performing aquaculture in food quality containers.

If you wanted to aquaculture corals for example and wanted a dedicated environment for it all you would need is a container, the shallower the better which can hold salt water, lighting, a protein skimmer, water movement devices, heaters and some type of filtration – the best probably being a deep sand bed. A rack could be created out of plexiglass, egg-crate or something similar and you are done.

It does not look fancy and in truth it isn’t but we should not be that interested in what it looks like – we are trying to successfully aquaculture corals.

Of course there is science involved as mentioned above as the water quality will need to be maintained at optimum parameters, the lighting needs to be the correct kelvin etc but this science is what makes part of this hobby fun.

Perhaps it is the name which makes people believe that they will need to spend a lot of money on specialist equipment – aquaculture – I suppose it does sound scientfic but the truth is that you can do it in any old container as long as it is food grade.

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Another One Done

I maintain my reef aquarium once a week, disregarding feeding, the protein skimmer and anything found needing rectification during the maintenance period. This maintenance is done on a Sunday morning usually, as that is time convenient.

The maintenance is divided into two types, called the ‘big one’ and the ‘quick one’. The quick one is a case of cleaning the viewing glass and carrying out an observation check. The big one is a much more thorough affair. Today was a big one.

The new seawater mix had been pre-prepared and was bubbling away in its bucket and the bucket for old seawater was waiting. As usual the protective polythene mats were down around the aquarium. Additives (calcium and iodine) and required cleaning equipment were out.

I had a cup of coffee. Well, these jobs shouldn’t be rushed should they!

My aquarium is in the hall under open fronted stairs and I try to remember not to whack my head when I stand up. I’ve done it many times.

The first thing done is always the viewing glasses using an algae magnet. They’re not usually particularly algaefied (is that a real word?) so this doesn’t take much doing. Then I can see clearly within the aquarium. A visual check is made to see if all looks fine, it usually does. This check includes the fish and the corals, noting growth and potential problems such as corals interfering with one another and shadows being cast lower down. If there is anything seen I note it down as it will not be done in the maintenance period.

Next comes cleaning of the circulation powerhead intakes as they usually have some dirt trapped. This is needed to ensure full circulation is maintained. I also use powerheads to deliver seawater to the under-reef spray bar (the reef is raised clear of the aquarium base) and the external anti-phosphate filter. The powerheads are hidden in a small compartment. The intakes, which are covered with tubular foam filters, are also cleaned. This is essential particularly for the spray bar under the reef which must be kept clean.

Under the powerheads just mentioned is a small DSB (deep sand bed) kept mainly out of interest though it will have some effect on the seawater quality. There is a lot of life and I take the opportunity to feed it, using a few very small cut up bits of fish. The worms and other beasties are quickly aware of dinner being served.

The canister filter is cleaned next. There are two, both Eheim Ecco models. They are very good and easy to service and in more than six years I haven’t had any trouble (cross fingers!). They were originally used for bio-filtration and still have the media in them, though really I could close one or both down, at least as far as bio-filtration is concerned. When I started I used inert porous rock and this is now live because of the additions I have made over the years. I just haven’t got round to it as they are so easy to service. Servicing is done every two weeks alternatively, so each canister is looked at four weekly.

My wife helps with the next bit. As said the aquarium is under the stairs, so the new seawater bucket is placed on them. Then I siphon out old seawater getting rid of any detritus noticed though this is usually minimal. My wife holds the tube in the bucket on the stairs, I give a quick suck at the other end and the rest is easy.

I sometimes do selected seawater checks at this point, though this is not scheduled at all. The aquarium has been running for over six years and is very mature and stable. The fish load is low, just two small fish. Checks made to date have always read the levels required. Nevertheless I’m careful.

It’s now time to clean up with paper wipes the internal stress bars and external viewing panels. Put away the equipment after throwing the old seawater away, and all is done.

Well no, not quite all done – another cup of coffee and a sit down near the aquarium to admire my handy work. I didn’t bang my head either.

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The Protein Skimmer And The Nano Reef Aquarium

Nano aquariums are small, ranging from the very small of 10 gallons or a little less to around 30 gallons or so. They are popular, at least partly because they have the advantage of being able to fit almost anywhere, so the aquarist pushed for space doesn’t need to do without.

The big thing (if I can put it that way!) with a nano aquarium is they are relatively inexpensive to set up, stock and run. Having said that, all the considerations required for a large or very large aquarium apply, such as heating needs, stocking limits etc. Obviously the choice of livestock is restricted, for example a surgeon fish should not be in a nano.

The equipment considered for marine aquariums includes a protein skimmer. Though some manufacturers have improved, skimmers are often purchased with a capacity of around twice the aquarium net gallonage to make up for any ambitious claims by manufacturers. With some nano aquariums the difficulty would be finding a skimmer small enough.

That is often the problem – finding a skimmer that is physically small enough to fit the aquarium. With an aquarium of, say, 30 or even 20 gallons a hang-on skimmer could be found that will fit. However, the very small nano aquarium will often present difficulties, at least those that are being put together by the aquarist could. If a small nano aquarium is being marketed as a complete piece of equipment, and there are a few available, then perhaps the manufacturer has fitted a skimmer. The aquarist who is putting one together could check to see if that particular manufacturer also sells skimmers of the same specifications as a separate item. If so, perhaps there’s the answer.

Failing to obtain a suitable skimmer locally means trawling the internet to see which manufacturers produce what skimmers. Normally it is a hang-on variety that is used. If none suitable can be found what can be done?

The protein skimmer is an essential piece of equipment, and a great many aquarists support this view including me. This is all well and good, but what if a skimmer just cannot be found that will fit?

The first action that could be considered is the use of activated carbon. This media adsorbs dissolved organics and might be thought suitable instead of a skimmer. However, as I understand it the skimmer and carbon are effective on different organics. Nevertheless, in the absence of a skimmer activated carbon could be used. It should be regularly changed and preferably be in a pumped container such as a small canister filter – this will ensure adequate seawater flow through the media.

The second action is one that should be undertaken with any aquarium no matter what the size is, and that is to carry out routine seawater changes. The normal guideline for starting routine changes is 10% of the system net gallonage (this is often varied as the aquarist gains experience, both in personal knowledge and of the particular aquarium).

A great advantage of the nano aquarium is that it does not hold a lot of seawater, the very small ones as said perhaps 10 gallons or so. Obviously 10% of 10 gallons is 1 gallon. Doing a seawater change isn’t going to break the bank! So if there isn’t a skimmer and the aquarist wishes to minimize dissolved organic concentrations in the seawater, then the amount of each routine seawater change could be increased. This would have to be built up by the aquarist on experience, though there are some difficulties with this, as the test kits for organics commercially produced I am advised do not measure the organics that skimmers remove. Helpful! It should also be noted that seawater changes that are too large are not helpful because the mix is ‘raw’ and disliked by livestock. Generally 25% is the upper limit and this should be much more than enough.

The aquarist should ensure the minimum routine seawater change is completed weekly, and at the same time keep a watch for two things – first, the seawater should not have any slow bursting bubbles and/or oily and perhaps dusty looking film on its surface, and second there shouldn’t be any yellowing of the seawater, even slightly. This yellowing is termed ‘gilvin.’ If pale it is difficult to see and, though not required weekly, an occasional check should be made as follows. Take a white saucer or small plate and place it upright inside the aquarium at one end. Alternatively, tape a piece of white paper to the outside of the aquarium at one end. From the other end looking down the full length of the aquarium, check for any sign of yellow. It is unlikely that there will be if activated carbon is in use.

The protein skimmer is a wonderful device assisting the aquarist a great deal in the maintenance of high quality seawater. However, if the nano aquarium is just too small to make use of one, then the other advantage of the nano can be taken advantage of – very affordable seawater changes.

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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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