Do You Go To Any Public Aquariums?

Everyone likes a day out, be it shopping, sightseeing or pursuing some hobby. A day on the golf course is a favourite for many, though in many cases a non golf loving partner may limit those occasions.

Aquarists tend to love looking at other people’s aquariums. This could be pictures and descriptions in magazines or on the internet, or at a friend’s house.

If the partner, and perhaps the children, can be persuaded how about a day out at a public aquarium? I love these opportunities but have one strict rule - I won’t go if there isn’t a café. Got to have a coffee and biscuit at some stage of the proceedings! The café  could be a welcome break for the partner and children too, when happiness can be restored if necessary with ice-cream and the like.

Many areas are within striking distance of a public aquarium. They vary in size and quality of course, like a visit to anything else.

One or two visits stick in my mind. It was a great pleasure when on holiday to see the Monterey Bay Aquarium, California. Wow! Professional and outstanding. This aquarium has been running for quite a time and has become well known generally, never mind just in aquarist circles. They have contributed to the knowledge of the sea over the years. The aquarium was also on TV not long ago, when some of the technical side was shown. This was good because on a visit as mentioned this isn’t really seen. I was particularly interested in the method of clearing the seawater intake pipe (natural seawater is used) of growths and other debris. A ‘bullet’ (it has a proper name but I’ve forgotten it) is fired down the pipe. As it is close fitting all is cleaned, and the gunk that exits the pipe is amazing. This act takes place once a month.

Another good aquarium I visited, again when on holiday, was ‘The Aquarium Of The Smokies’ at Gatlinburgh, Tennessee. This was large though not enormous. It is a fairly recent construction, just a few years old. The layout was logical and the displays were interesting. Unlike Monterey Bay, this aquarium uses synthetic salt, it was advised how much but again the figure is forgotten - it was a lot. Some of the technical side could be seen in operation, controlled by computers - flow rates, temperature and the rest. The size of the protein skimmers was something, perhaps 15 feet in height and full of bubbles.

Aquariums more local to me are ‘The Deep’ and the ’Sea Life Center’. The Deep is about 40 miles away so is easily accessible, fairly new, around 10 years old, and follows the normal pattern for ’standard’ displays. I found the exhibits of fossils to cover too large an area, but that’s me. My wife was very interested. Just after opening the aquarium there were problems with seawater quality which caused the loss of some fish, but this has now been sorted out.

The Sea Life Center is very close, about 10 miles. It is small in comparison to those mentioned, but nevertheless has some good displays. A few compare to the larger home aquariums, but of course there are the big ones and the what is becoming normal walk through tunnel. They do a lot of good work with local seals, having a hospital for them if they are injured or ill. This has just been upgraded to include extra pens.

What is really good about public aquariums is that big fish can be seen, much too big for the hobbyist. Groupers are one of my favourites and everyone loves watching sharks. Many of these are the more common type such as the black tipped reef shark. The Monterey Bay Aquarium kept a Great White, but released it when growth could become a problem, and also because it had started to take chunks out of one or two tank mates. The period the shark was kept set a record. Previously many thought this type of shark would be impossible to keep in captivity.

There are the smaller aquariums of course, where captive reefs can be viewed. They are usually stunning with a high number of smaller fish..

Public aquariums do make mistakes though. The one close to me put some damsels and a large shoal of green chromis in a middle sized aquarium (still much bigger than large hobbyist tanks). To my surprise they then put in two large lionfish. Now we all know what lionfish do - and they did! A little while later the lionfish had been removed.

In the same establishment I noticed a plastic bag in a tank where a large turtle lived. I advised an assistant but nothing happened. A while later I advised the assistant of the potential danger of this bag and why - the bag was fished out.

I like to wander round marine stores but my wife, though really patient, is clearly not so enthralled. Public aquariums, though, usually have something for everyone. There are public aquariums I’d like to see - the one at Chicago (is it ‘The Shedd Aquarium?’) sounds great. Well, you never know.

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Tags: aquarium, home-aquarium, marine-aquarium, public aquarium, reef-aquarium, saltwater-aquarium

The Best Of Both Worlds

Marine aquarists have to make a decision before the planning of an aquarium system even begins - is it to be a fish only aquarium or a reef aquarium. For the most part the desire is for a captive reef.

Choosing a captive reef system is entirely understandable. What could be more challenging and exciting than with both the construction and ongoing life of a captive reef? Just viewing some of the reef photographs on the internet is enough to sway the choice. There is a cost, however.

The fish only system may be chosen because it costs less to set up (there is actually not a great deal in it, it is the reef lighting and live rock that increases the cost. If a fish only with live rock - FOWLR - is chosen the cost difference shrinks). The great advantage is that, provided the fish stocked are compatible and sized to the aquarium dimensions, there is a great variety of fish available.

That is the cost of choosing a reef system, the fish. For a start, a reef system cannot hold as many fish as a fish only, because of concerns for water quality. In addition, many of the fish that would be suitable for a fish only system are not suited to the captive reef, simply because they are not reef compatible. Fancy seeing a prized coral being munched by a butterfly fish!

Most aquarists have one or the other of the two systems. There are some lucky ones who have both. What a wonderful display, a reef system alongside a fish only one. All the interest of the reef and fish types that really attract the eye - larger angels and butterflies for example.

The next thought is, let’s combine the systems and run them in a loop. What an idea! Hang on, no it isn’t. The water quality must be high in the reef aquarium, the fish only water may put downward pressure on it. Nevertheless, if there is the space it can be done, without interconnection, with two individual (matching?) aquariums. If there is the space for a sump it can be attached to the reef system. If plenty of space the fish only can also have a sump. Wow! What a thought.

Of course, cost becomes a definite major consideration if there is the space in the first place. With two systems, the aquarist has increased routine maintenance including water changes. This would have to be acceptable.

I can see it though. Marvellous - everything an aquarist could wish for. Ah well, most of us just have the one system. Complaining? Me? No, I look at my reef and I’m satisfied.

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Tags: home-aquarium, marine-aquarium, reef-aquarium, reef-tank, saltwater-aquarium

Two Become One!

A while ago, about a year if my memory serves me right I agreed to look after my brother is laws reef tank whilst he moved home.

It has now become quite apparant that it is not going back!

You have probably noticed that recently a lot of the articles being posted have been from my Dad. The reason for this is that I decided to go back to the one aquarium. Whilst I love aquariums with the 9-5 day job and family life looking after two largish aquarium was proving just a little to much to handle.

Plus I dread to think how much electricity I have been using.

I have to admit that I would have loved to have kept both of them but I have to be realistic in the sense that it is not faesible.

So I had a decision to make - do I keep the one which I have been keeping for years or do I keep the one which is apparantly now mine.

I might regret it and maybe I made the wrong decision but I decided to keep the reef tank which used to be my brother in laws.

The old aquarium cost me a lot more to run as it had two metal halides over the display aquarium, one halide over the propagation tank, a separate cryptic zone tank and a sump the same size as the display aquarium. On top of this it had a huge amount of water movement inside as was stocked full of SPS corals. Because of the SPS corals I had a calcium reactor running full time.

I’m sure I will miss the old one but I am looking forward to getting the one I have kept back to it’s glory. It was for many years unfortunately neglected and whilst I have done bits to it to try and recover it I simply have not had the time to devote to it - something I aim to put right.

So that is the reason why I have not been posting much - I have been helping move the old aquarium to it’s new home, a reefing friend of mine who has had a break from the hobby and wanted to get back into it. Perfect time for him and the perfect time for me.

It has improved a great deal over the past year than when it first arrived. Water conditions are now good, the water circulation is correct, equipment has been replaced where neccessary etc.

What I might do is record monthly picture blogs here on Aquarists Online so that over time this will show a representation as to how things are improving.

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Tags: home-aquarium, marine-aquarium, reef-aquarium, reef-tank, saltwater-aquarium

What Is A Natural Reef Aquarium?

This seems to be a bit of a nonsense. How can there be a [tag-tec]natural reef aquarium[/tag-tec]? An aquarium is a container with seawater and captive livestock. A natural reef is a large entity out in the wild and home to millions of free life forms.

There is sense in the title however. Let’s look for the sense of it.

The salt water aquarium has been in existence for decades. The hobby languished in the doldrums for many, many years as it was without doubt very difficult. Only the most determined of aquarists had any measure of success, and that was often short lived.

With the huge advance of saltwater aquarium technology over the last two decades, the hobby has become much easier and more open to all. Generally, set the system up correctly and do the correct [tag-ice]aquarium maintenance[/tag-ice] and all will be well. This occurred not that many years ago when under gravel filters and canister filters were the norm. The hobby expanded immensely.

Success breeds success. As the hobby expanded, so did commercial interest. Competition to build better and more efficient equipment began.

At this point, salt water aquariums were artificial. They were run on the [tag-self]nitrogen cycle[/tag-self], of course, but were mainly decorated with dead white corals and fish.

A massive breakthrough occurred when someone had the idea of using live rock. Who this person or persons were I do not know. Live rock is bacteria laden and comes from near the reefs. In other words it is a natural process. It was discovered that live rock has an amazing filtration capacity and, within reason, can deal with the full nitrogen cycle. This is more than under gravel and canister methods can do.

This lead to the so-called Berlin system. The live rock used for filtration is supported by efficient protein skimming. This skimming removes many substances before the filtration starts to work on it. Now the salt water aquarium had changed: it now relied on a natural filtration system. The natural reef aquarium is much nearer.

The Berlin system is still used today, or the basis of it. The live rock filtration is now helped by deep sand beds (DSB), plenums (a raised DSB), algae beds, and the like. These additions assist in keeping the seawater to a very high quality. This in turn means that the aquarium system can support a higher diversity of reef life.

These systems are very advanced compared to the days of the pioneers, even to the possibilities of just fifteen or less years ago. The one trend that stands out is the move towards natural systems. There is no way that an aquarium reef will ever be able to support the variety of life that a wild reef does: some of this life is too large, or too delicate, or too narrowly specialised to be maintained in captivity. A modern reef system tries to mimic nature as far as possible, where live rock, sand, assistive algae, small and larger snails and shrimps etc are present. It has evolved from being simply an artificial reef. It is now a natural captive reef.

I look at my aquarium DSB and watch all the small creatures scurry about their daily business, particularly at night. This is nearly as fascinating as the main display. But forward the march towards improvement goes. Advanced pioneering aquarists try this and that. It is probable that the salt water system of the future will be a series of aquariums, most small, each representing a natural function on the wild reef.

So the natural reef aquarium is here, and what an improvement it represents.

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Tags: Coral Reef, marine-aquarium, reef-aquarium, reef-tank, saltwater-aquarium

What Happens If You Lose Power

This happened to me today - just as I was sitting down with the family at the dinner table the power suddenly went off.

Up I jumped quick as a flash to make sure that the [tag-tec]aquarium[/tag-tec] was ok - my wife was more concerned over the freezer and that all the food might defrost - she obviously needs to look at her priorities!

My son found it all highly amuzing watching his mummy and daddy running around the house leaving their dinners to go cold - and we didn’t even ask if we could leave the table. [Read more]

Tags: marine-aquarium, marine-equipment, reef-aquarium, saltwater-aquarium, saltwater-aquarium-setup, saltwater-tank

Old Tank Syndrome?

Aquarists who have been in the hobby for many years may recall a problem of the early days, “[tag-tec]New Tank Syndrome[/tag-tec]”

New Tank Syndrome was when a newly set up salt water system failed to properly support livestock, or failed to support it at all. This was nearly always down to new aquarists being impatient and stocking too early and/or too heavily. In those days the normal procedure was to use under gravel filters or external canister filters. [Read more]

Tags: reef-aquarium, reef-tank, saltwater-aquarium, saltwater-reef, saltwater-tank, tropical-fish-aquarium