There is one in particular however that in my opinion is more decorative and ’standard’ live rock.

Tonga rock

Tonga rock is different to other types of live rock due to the reason that it looks like branches of a tree. It can be an extremely decorative addition to a saltwater aquarium. Due to tonga rock being thinner and not boulder shaped like the majority of other live rock with the obvious exception of plating rock you have the ability to be able to create fantastic water movement around it.

In my opinion tonga rock is fantastic for SPS corals as you can provide a large amount of water movement and if carefully aquascaped can look amazing. This is not to say that you could not have a fish only aquarium or a soft coral aquarium with tonga rock as you would be able to. You would just have to bear in mind that you will need to create caves etc for the fish to hide in as well as creating ledges to place the soft corals on.

But what about the filtration - is tonga rock as good as other live rock.

Tonga rock does have good filtration capabilities however they are not as good as other live rock. This is mainly due to the size of the physical rock. To purchase enough tonga rock to faciliate the filtration requirement would make it very hard to aquascape.

So what do you do?

In my opinion it is quite simple. I personally would use the tonga rock for decorative purposes and then have an in tank deep sand bed as well. The deep sand bed would be the main aspect of the filtration but the tonga rock would do some as well albeit reduced. You do not need to have the deep sand bed in the display aquarium it could be in the sump in the cabinet. You would just need to make sure that the partiton designed for the deep sand bed was large enough.

One of my dream aquariums (we all have them don’t we) is to have a 3 foot cube tank (3*3*3). In this aquarium a deep sand bed would be placed and tonga rock used for decorative purposes as well as some plating rock to provide some hiding places/ledges. Lighting would be provided by metal halides, the water movement would be chaotic and my corals of choice would be SPS with a small amount of fish.

We can but dream can’t we?

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In the morning when my wife gets up she is well aware of my ability to feign sleep, suddenly waking up when the noise of a coffee cup rattles near my ear. I also manage to check out of one eye on occasion to see if it is a nice day or not, and also to check if I need to keep my eyes shut as my wife is still present!

If the day is a good one - that is, not pouring down with rain or freezing everyone solid - and particularly if the sun is out in a blue sky, I’m up with a fair amount of speed. If it is not so then the temptation to listen to the radio or read is strong.

My aquarium is in the hall, located just outside the bedroom. Even with my eyes shut, my ears are accustomed to check the hum from the equipment - it tells me if all is hopefully well, with the equipment anyway. I don’t absolutely rely on this of course, and do physical checks as well from time to time.

I’m not a lazy bones, honest, but there is one occasion when I sometimes have trouble. It doesn’t happen in the miserable winter when all is grey, though on occasion it might. It happens in the spring, summer and autumn, spring and summer being the worst.

I maintain my aquarium on a Sunday morning. This is ‘the day.’ One week it is what I call a full clean, when everything is checked, major items are cleaned and a seawater change done. The next week it is a short clean, when the glass is cleared of any algae, and the protein skimmer is cleaned (the skimmer is actually cleaned twice weekly).

So it is a lovely day. I have opened my eyes as coffee is about. Up I get having spotted the blue sky and I take the coffee into the garden. Everything is so fresh, and the warmth is very inviting. If is a short clean day then not so bad, cleaning algae off the glass and checking the skimmer takes very little time. I have to make myself get on with it though, and avoid thinking it won’t take very long so I can stay out longer.

It is the full clean day when the weather is wonderful. Why is it that everything is so extra inviting outside on that particular day? It always seems that way, and before long I get tempting thoughts such as missing one won’t hurt, maybe do it this evening, perhaps the weather will worsen later on in the day and the like.

So I do the clean, I go to it and carry out all tasks methodically without break. It helps that if the day is nice my ability to ’stay asleep’ is abandoned (much to my wife’s amusement) and I am up much earlier than I would normally be, perhaps two hours or so, around 7 am. The clean takes about two hours, particularly if I have to deal with some of those irritating aiptasia anemones - which I usually do need to (anyone got a sure fire way of getting rid of them once and for all?). So anyway, I don’t miss out on a good sunny day.

My wife usually stays in bed on these occasions and gets a long read in peace, with coffee delivered. Well, to be honest, coffee is delivered to her on more occasions than that.

So what’s the point then? I don’t know. Maybe I’m showing off my ability to feign sleep (not very successfully my wife would say).

Actually I’m just showing the ability of my 67 year old brain - it can work out that if I get out of bed earlier and get on with it then I won’t miss out on anything - and to check the weather forecast the night before.

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Old tank syndrome is a totally different kettle of fish (so to speak!). The aquarium could have been running for years, so the bio-filtration will be well matured and fully geared up to the load it needs to handle. The equipment has been in use for a long time and has never given trouble. The aquarist has noticed that it just doesn’t look as good as it used to.

Often the aquarist cannot fathom out why this should be, and this is understandable. Routine seawater changes and general maintenance are done. The livestock is fed as usual and looks healthy enough.

The problem could well be with the aquarist him/herself. When the aquarium first started all was excitement, it was new, there was something happening all the time. It could have been the bio-filtration maturing, the addition of the first fish and then ongoing fish, the corals going in and settling and all the rest. Watching a captive reef settle and develop is terrific.

There lies one possible reason. There comes a point when the system is fully stocked and the aquarist, who has done the proper research, knows that to increase stock would be incorrect. The corals have grown over a period and been successful, so there isn’t a need for anything else to be added. It has been like this for a long time.

So the aquarist does maintenance week in, week out. Doesn’t complain of course, as maintenance is a responsibility, don’t do the maintenance - give up the hobby. There is pleasure generally in seeing the reef, but something is missing, and that’s the excitement and sparkle of it.

Taking things further, the success of the system can actually be a factor in old tank syndrome. Corals have grown, and done so sufficiently to alter the seawater flow patterns in the display aquarium. Consequently, some corals do not have sufficient flow and are showing the result of it. If the system uses piped seawater flow, such as from canister filters, a return pump in the sump and the like, the pipe internal diameter may have been reduced by deposits. This in turn reduces the amount of seawater that is being moved. There are consequences.

Though general maintenance is done, is the aquarist as punctual with new lights as before? Or what about activated carbon changes? Or what about cleaning the decorative sand bed? Or what about feeding the deep sand bed (DSB) (if it needs it)? Or what about regular cleaning of the protein skimmer? The list can be extended.

So old tank syndrome is not a danger of some disease or other malady possibly appearing after x number of years. It is a reduction in attention from the aquarist because the aquarium has become ‘just there’ rather than exciting.

There’s no need. A little bit of attention, such as some checks into possibly required cleaning and some careful cutting (“fragging”) of corals and the like should return the aquarium to its previous glory. When the aquarium perks up, so should the aquarist.

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The past week or so has been one of those occasions. I knew that I was going to be travelling but I did not know at the time exactly how long I would be travelling for. Before I left I made sure that all the maintenance was done on my aquarium, the cleaning was done and the fish were well fed. I then left my wife explicit instructions (again and again I hasten to add) on how to feed the fish - how much, how often etc.

Whilst away I have had limited access in my personal time to the internet so have been watching the site, doing a few things etc but I have not been able to post anything to the site. The trouble is that I have been working on a new area to the site for the past 4 weeks or so and had hoped that it would be live by now but it is a couple of weeks off yet. I will post more about this nearer the time - hopefully it will be of benefit to all our readers.

That was just over a week ago and I am now home. I hate travelling with work and it is always a great pleasure to return and see my family again - as well as my reef tank.

After I returned and settled in, unpacked etc I went to check on the aquarium. Becky and Joshua had been feeding the fish and they looked well fed. The glass however was covered in a thin film of algae. This was to be expected as I normally clean it 2 - 3 times a week.

No problem I thought - a quick clean with the magnet cleaner and it will be gone. Off I went giving it a clean and although some came off there was pieces which were stuck fast. So out came the algae scraper and off I went.

That was just under two hours ago!

My arm is hurting, my fingers are all wrinkly and well I;m just tired now!

The aquarium now does look lovely and clean. All the glass is sparkling, all corraline and other algae removed from the front glass and it is back to it’s former glory but I just wish now that I had asked Becky to clean the glass with the magnet whilst I was away.

Becky is always worried about looking after the tank whilst I am away. I don’t know why but I presume that she is just worried in case something happens or she does something wrong etc. Things happen, I know that - we all know that. I remember as a child looking after my fathers aquarium whilst he was on holiday and two of the fish died. I was absolutely positive that it was something I had done. I even went to the shop and purchased him some store credit so that he could replace them when he returned. Store vouchers which he revoked when he came back as he knew, as I know now that I had not done anything wrong.

I truly wish that I did not have to travel with my job as I enjoy being at home with my family and do not like being away but the job requires it and without it we would not have all the things we have so I have to put up with it.

Oh well next Monday I get to go away again for a week - this time not with work though, this time it is a short break with the family. Think I will get my Dad to clean the glass as well as feeding the fish whilst I am away.

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The first and obvious one is the aquarium. What size is it going to be, the biggest that will fit or a smaller one that will be cheaper to run but just as interesting? Then, once that is sorted out, will there be a sump or not? When the basic seawater containers are there, the equipment needs to be obtained. Heaters, protein skimmer, maybe a calcium reactor, a lighting system etc. Plus test kits and of course dry sea salt (unless clean natural seawater is available). As time progresses, new aquarists can get impatient. The wallet tends to get thinner too!

The whole of the construction of a marine system is exciting, but not so much as when thoughts of the reef itself arise. All equipment ready, aquarium in position. Let’s go!

There are still decisions to be made and the attacks on the wallet are not over yet. Will the reef be entirely made out of live rock, or will ordinary rock be used? It goes without saying that live rock is the one of choice, but it is expensive and to be effective there must be enough of it and at a high enough quality.

Perhaps a compromise can be reached. Use ordinary rock on the base and live rock to surface the reef. If the ordinary base rock is of the porous variety it will become live. This does take time though.

A point to watch when mixing live and ordinary rock is to be sure there is still enough live rock to be effective. If not supplementary bio-filtration could be needed, at least temporarily.

The rock can be mixed live to ordinary in any ratio, but obviously the more live rock that can be used the better.

Another possibility is to use all live rock, but save on cost by buying live base rock for underneath and premium rock for the surface. Base live rock is pretty boring looking stuff but still harbours the bacteria for bio-filtration. Premium rock carries the bacteria but in addition a potential diverse range of reef life, and it is much better looking.

Another way is to build a support structure from plastic ‘egg-crate.’ This means that there will not be a requirement for any base rock, therefore if live rock is to be used only the premium grade needs to be purchased. It has the advantage of increasing the seawater gallonage as displacement by rocks has been reduced. There is reduced opportunity to build in caves of course as the rock quantity is reduced, and obviously creative design is reduced as the rock formation follows the ‘egg-crate‘ foundation. It can still look very attractive however. Again, care must be taken that there is sufficient live rock for effective bio-filtration.

Anyway, whatever the aquarist has decided, excitement has increased as reef building is here.

If live rock is to be used it is obvious that it needs to be placed in seawater. If it is ordinary rock this doesn’t matter, it can be built dry. In the latter case, when the aquarium is filled with seawater time needs to be given for air bubbles to clear. This doesn’t take long, a few days. The ordinary rock can of course be placed into seawater in the first place.

Now, what is the reef going to look like? No matter how small or large the aquarium there are design choices. There are things to remember though.

Corals, hard or soft, are going to be placed on the reef. They will grow, so the rock structure does not want to be too close to the surface. Fish will no doubt be added and to feel secure they need holes and crevices to hide and sleep in. It is quite easy to incorporate a small cave or two within the rockwork. The different shapes of the rocks help to create holes and crevices.

Very important is the need for good seawater flow within the rock structure, so the reef shouldn’t be built too tightly. It does need to be stable.

Very small aquariums are more restricted in reef shape, they could be restricted to two or three pieces of live rock. These can be put together in more than one way though, and as there isn’t much of it the very best and good looking live rock can be used.

Larger aquariums can allow more imaginative reefs. They don’t have to be a straight run of rocks from one side of the aquarium to the other. That type of design has been likened to a display in a vegetable shop. It must be remembered that it is personal preference that is the rule in design, and if the aquarist wants a run of rocks so be it.

There are other ways though. Perhaps the reef could start high on, say, the left and gradually slope down leaving a good space at the front and on the right for a decorative sand bed. Or perhaps there could be one big pinnacle in the middle (not the exact middle, a little offset one way or the other), with decorative sand all round, and a few live rock pieces placed randomly. If the aquarium is big enough, how about two pinnacles, not geometrically set but one close to say the left and the other offset to the right of the middle. Then comes the sand and the singly placed live rock pieces.

The choice of design is up to the aquarist and his/her imagination. Just remember that corals are going to be placed on the reef so this needs to be considered when building.

Looking at ’featured aquariums’ on different internet sites, the imaginative design of reefs can be seen. With the careful addition of corals the display can be stunning. No matter if the corals are going to be hard or soft types, if they are carefully chosen for colour, shape and consideration is given to potential size, the captive reef that has been built can be individual and very beautiful.

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Obviously the first thing required is the new aquarium, and a sump if one is to be used. The aquarist should have decided if the new system is going where the old one was or if there is somewhere suitable elsewhere for it is to be positioned. If the second is the case then procedures are a little easier. Normally, however, the new aquarium is to go where the old aquarium is.

Be sure that the floor is strong enough to support the increased weight of the new aquarium if it is bigger. Any doubt, get qualified advice.

A full check should be made that all necessary upgrades of equipment are available. If the new system is of a similar size to the previous one perhaps upgrades of the equipment will not be required. If the new system is substantially bigger than the old one a check of the protein skimmer should be made to ensure its capacity is suitable. Likewise calcium reactors and other equipment. The bottom line is that the new system should be complete, the realisation that equipment should have been upgraded during the transfer is not disastrous but could have been avoided.

The old aquarium cannot be moved with seawater, rocks and sand. Seawater safe containers are required to hold these temporarily. They cannot be placed in the new aquarium until it is in position. The containers can basically be anything. The capacity required can be generally judged from the net gallonage of the old system.

Have a supply of cloths standing by to mop up the inevitable drips or spills.

It is a good idea before the move - a day or two before - to draw a basic diagram of how the reef looks with its corals. This will assist in the placement of the rocks/corals in the new system.

Talking of rocks, it could be that further live rock or rock is required for the larger aquarium to increase the size of the reef. Or maybe the aquarist is to redesign the reef, or leave it as it is to increase swimming space. If further rock is required, arrange to collect it as early as possible on the day of the move or as near to the move as possible.

Obviously, the net gallonage of the new aquarium is going to be more than the old one if it is larger. If more rock is to go in this will offset it somewhat. Take the gallonage of the old system away from the gallonage of the new system and prepare new seawater to the normal specific gravity and temperature in advance.

It is a good idea to talk to a friend (or more depending on the size of the aquariums) so that physical assistance is available for lifting. Don’t forget to have a few beers on hand!

Right then, the day has arrived and all is ready. The first thing is to move the old aquarium. The night before the light control should have been set so that the lighting does not activate on the day of the move. The first action is to turn off the heaters and protein skimmer etc.

This is going to be a stressful time for the fish (and corals), and so even though the desire is just to speedily get on with it, try and be as gentle as possible.

Take as much seawater out as possible without over exposing corals and put it into the waiting containers- the containers should be half filled. Take the top layer of rocks out and place them into the containers, displacement will raise the seawater level. Continue doing this until the rocks are out. Beware of damaging corals.

If there is a sump, then this can be emptied, moved and then used as a container.

Once the old system is down to seawater in the bottom, the question of the fish arises. It is best to have a container empty of rock but fairly full of seawater that has been removed from the old aquarium. Now the fish can be caught - they will try their best not to be and it may be that two nets will shorten the process, or they can, one at a time, be chased into a container. As already said, try to avoid over stress, but stress itself will not be avoided. Gently release the fish into the container. Hopefully, the delay in transferring them back will be short. If there is any doubt about their welfare, put in an airstone and a small heater (hang the heater up away from the bottom as the stressed fish will try to hide behind it - it is the only object available to them).

The old aquarium is now ready for moving. If there is seawater left in it, remove and save as much as possible but avoid any detritus that is present.

Your friend or friends can now bring their muscles into action. Move the old aquarium to its pre-designated place. If the stand is to move, now is the time.

While the area is clear, any dust etc that could not be reached can be cleared.

Again with friendly help, the new stand can be put in place. Check with a spirit level that all is well front to back and end to end. All should be well if it was with the old aquarium. Ensure that it is exactly where it should be and that there is access to the electricity supply.

The new aquarium can now be put into place. Make sure it is properly supported under the base plate.

If a sump is to be used, then it can be placed into position. Connect the seawater down-feed and, if it is required, silicone the joints. Silicone takes 24 hours to cure so when the tank is filled do not allow the seawater to reach this overflow.

Once the sump is in place, if silicone has been used place the switched off heaters temporarily in the display aquarium. Fix in position circulators such as powerheads.

Now put seawater into the display tank, if there are containers with seawater in but without rocks and fish use this first. Try to use the old seawater first as far as possible, not the new mix. When the seawater has risen high enough to take the first rocks, place these in. Then take more seawater, then more rocks. As before, be careful with the corals. Eventually, all the rocks will be in and covered in seawater.

When putting the rocks in attempt to be reasonably accurate, but do not delay too much as some adjustments can be made later. At this point, reasonable speed is important.

Once the seawater is high enough, and there isn’t any danger of falling rocks, turn on the heater(s) if they have been put temporarily in the display aquarium. Once the circulators are covered sufficiently, turn them on.

Using remaining seawater, including the new mix if necessary, bring the level up. If silicone has been used, do not cover this up. If silicone was not used, bring the level fully up- if a sump has been fitted this will now start to fill from the overflow. The heater(s) can be turned on if they were placed in the sump as long as they are well covered with seawater. Once the sump is full, turn on the return pump. Check for levels once it has been running a little while.

The fish can now be gently transferred from their holding container to the new aquarium. If seawater has been used from their container it will not cause problems to them, as long as they have sufficient remaining. Remember to turn off the small heater and air stone if used. The heater should be allowed to cool in seawater before removal.

The system is now heated, has filtration and is stocked. Now is the time for that beer!

If it is not late, clearing up can be done. In any event, if the old aquarium needs to be moved again get the friendly muscle to assist while there.

All is not yet done of course. If silicone was used on the pipe work to the sump, once it is dry (after 24 hours it should not be sticky or give off a smell) the seawater can be brought up to the proper level. Once there, the return pump can be turned on. Final level adjustments may need to be made. In addition, the heater(s) that were placed temporarily in the main aquarium can be transferred to the sump. Make sure they are switched off and allowed to cool in seawater before they are moved.

The protein skimmer can now be put in place and turned on, as can any other equipment.

The lights can be positioned and connected, but it is a good idea to let the fish settle a little before turning them on. A full day is a decent period (the corals will not suffer).

Check for leaks, these are unlikely. Check the proper functioning of equipment. Make sure the seawater temperature is correct.

When the lighting is activated, adjustments to the reef structure can be made. Do this carefully, as the fish are de-stressing and there isn’t a desire to stress them again.

Account for the fish - are they all there? They need time to feel secure, this will be after they have explored and got used to their new home. There may be some bickering over the new housing arrangements.

Try some food, but feed like a miser to start. Make sure food does not get left to rot.

It’s done! Keep an eye on the fish for any problems following the stress they have endured over a period of a week or two. Aquarists should routinely keep an eye on them anyway.

All that’s left is to watch the new reef develop. If the friends left any beer, get one out and just enjoy.

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The very first requirement for a successful hard coral reef is seawater quality - it must be high and consistently so. This includes the necessary levels of calcium, alkalinity etc. Water movement must also be appropriate, and hard corals generally prefer considerable movement, more so, again in general, than the soft corals.

The second requirement is appropriate lighting. This should be of the appropriate power, which is measured in watts (W) and also the appropriate spectrum. With spectrum, metal halide bulbs are usually purchased with a Kelvin (K) rating. Kelvin is a measurement of colour temperature. The perceived colour of the bulb will become more blue and colder looking as the Kelvin rating increases. For example, a 6500K bulb will appear more yellow than a 20000K bulb, which will appear more blue, or colder looking. Nowadays, it seems there is favour with the 14000K bulb, though the best Kelvin rating for corals is still argued over.

It should be remembered that the corals harbour symbiotic algae known as zooxanthellae. This algae is important to the corals so it is necessary for it to thrive. Zooxanthellae need light of the correct type so that they can photosynthesise. Current thinking is that blue light of the correct wavelength is needed. This seems reasonable, as much light of other colours is lost as the depth of the sea increases. Blue is nearly the last remaining light at depth and must therefore be available to the zooxanthellae in the natural habitat.

So, getting back to the point. Excluding power LED’s (now becoming more available) which are very expensive, there is really only one other light type that could be useful with hard corals, and that is the T5 fluorescent tube. These tubes come in various spectrum outputs, and the two that are of most interest are the marine white and actinic blue types. They should be fitted with reflectors and as many as possible placed over the aquarium, with an equal number of actinic and white if possible.

T5 tubes can produce the correct spectrum, but there is another problem, and that is light penetration. To be fairly sure that hard corals will be adequately lit, the tubes need to be fitted as close as possible to the water surface, maybe two or three inches away. This is quite safe with the fittings used nowadays. Even so, light penetration may not be adequate to any depth, and the corals could need to be sited in the top third of the aquarium (the top third being subject to the overall aquarium depth of course). Some adjustment of the coral’s position could well be required as time progresses.

It is feasible to have a reef such as described in the previous paragraph, with corals that are happy with less light lower down. If the aquarist selects carefully, then many soft corals could be used, but it is necessary to check that these corals are not going to be detrimental to the hard corals. This is because some corals use weapons such as sweeper tentacles which sting, and some soft corals use chemical warfare.

The metal halide bulb has more power (W) and therefore more penetrative ability. The light produced reaches corals lower down. There are guidelines on the power needed for different depths, to provide light for light loving corals. These are guidelines, not rules:

150W 10″ (circa 25.5cm)
250W 14″ (circa 35.5cm)
400W 22″ (circa 56cm)

While we’re at it, another guideline - a metal halide bulb can light around 36″ (circa 91.5cm) of aquarium, that is, 18″ (circa 45.75cm) each side of its centre. So a 72″ (circa 183cm) aquarium could need two bulbs placed 18″ (circa 45.75cm) in from each end. Again, these are guidelines.

As can be seen, ideally the depth of tank needs to be taken into consideration in the planning stage. There are other factors that can affect light penetration but the above is a general guide. It does not mean that a coral will not grow below the stated penetration point - the growth rate could be slower or the coral could be selected by the aquarist to suit the light conditions. (We’re back to that word again - research.)

Some aquarists fit, and many manufacturers provide, actinic fluorescent tubes to be used with the metal halides. Many aquarists consider it advantageous to do this. There is argument over the necessity of it - what if the Kelvin rating of the bulb is high and into the blue range? However, to my knowledge anyway, the additional fluorescent tubes don’t do any harm and seem beneficial.

There is another point that needs to be mentioned about metal halides, and the word ‘point’ is the point. (Err, I’ll tie myself up soon!) Because a metal halide bulb is a point source for light (a fluorescent tube emits light over its full length), a lovely ripple effect is created within the aquarium, much like the sun would create on the wild reef. There is argument about the importance of this among advanced aquarists, but it is enough to say that it is an advantageous effect, at least it is to me.

Two important disadvantages of metal halides are first, that they are expensive to run, and second, they can overheat the aquarium water. So before a final decision is made, consideration must be given to the cost in electricity and also to the environment the aquarium is subject to. If it is a naturally warm environment, there could be a need to invest in a chiller (seawater cooler) which in itself is quite expensive to purchase and fairly expensive to run.

Overall, the metal halide is the light of choice for a hard coral reef at the moment. As said, fluorescent tubes can be used, with extra care exercised by the aquarist.

Anyone planning a reef aquarium should be aware that the more than probable reef light of the future is the power LED array. This is expensive to purchase at the moment, but the aquarist may wish to check on the current situation.

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The question here is a little too general. Are we talking of bio-filtration, or is it mechanical and chemical filtration? I don’t know what was behind the question so let’s have a look at them all.

Bio-filtration is the major filtration need in an aquarium, so let’s start with that. Bio-filtration is where the nitrogen cycle, or part of it, takes place. That is, bacteria take dangerous waste such as ammonia and nitrite and convert it. Without this natural service keeping a marine system of any type would be difficult, expensive and not so good for the inhabitants.

The major requirement for bio-filtration (at least the initial stages of the nitrogen cycle) is oxygen. So for anything to operate well this oxygen supply is required.

The first method with this in mind is the trickle tower, where water runs down with gravity through media. This is a good method of filtration, as oxygen is readily available from the atmosphere. The bacteria are not going to have any problems. The downside is that these filters produce nitrate and that point is the end of the nitrogen cycle.

So what about that old and well trusted method, the canister filter. These filters are very reliable and the modern ones are easier to service (this used to be a bind). The bacteria are completely submerged and depend on oxygen from the seawater, so it is important for the system designer to bear this in mind, that is the water surface should be open, and in addition if possible weirs should be incorporated, or a powerhead could be directed at the surface. Additional oxygenation may not be needed in a well designed system with correct water movement. Again, the end product is nitrate.

The under gravel filter is subject to the same oxygen considerations as the canister. However, the under gravel filter is, at least in my opinion, not a good choice because of eventual problems with media blockage. This filtration will not be considered further.

Though there are other bio-filtration methods the last one to be considered in this text is live rock. Live rock is natural in that it is nature’s product. The bacterial process in any filter type is natural of course, but live rock is natural overall. Live rock in sufficient quantity and of high quality can successfully filter an aquarium. A big plus is that this method can deal with nitrate if not abused - in other words, the filtration provides the full nitrogen cycle. That is a big plus. In addition, the very fact that it is rock means that the aquarist can use it to aquascape the aquarium, and it doesn’t matter if the system is fish only or reef. The bacteria again rely on the oxygen in the seawater, so the points noted about this are relevant.

It doesn’t take a detective to discover the champion bio-filtration system here, and yes, it is live rock. The downside is that live rock is expensive, and corners should not be cut to save money with this filtration. If money is a problem, then consideration to the canister and trickle methods can be given, remembering the point about nitrate.

Right, that’s that bit covered. What about mechanical/chemical filtration? There’s not much to be discussed here.

With this filtration the aquarist requires a method that is unobtrusive and reliable. There aren’t any oxygen considerations. The canister filter is the one, and ideal for the job. They usually have compartments where different media can go - sponge of various densities and other fine filter types to trap detritus, and carbon if used. As said, canisters are easier to service nowadays than they used to be and that is the main requirement - they should be regularly serviced and any carbon changed, and detritus trapping media cleaned or renewed. The cleaning can be under a tap, there isn’t any need for caution in respect of bacteria. (Note that this is mechanical/chemical filtration. If a canister is being used for bio-filtration then cleaning under a tap the media supplied for the bacteria is a no-no, as the bacteria will be killed with dire consequences.)

So there we have it, the best: live rock for bio- filtration and canisters for mechanical/chemical filtration. This is of course my opinion, but I would hazard a guess that there aren’t many who would disagree.

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Now the start of May is here this website has been running for a year. Again, it is hard to believe.

It seems such a short time ago that the concept of the website arose - a source where beginner marine aquarists (and more experienced ones) could come and answer their queries, obtaining straightforward simply put information.

Individual texts (blogs if you like) have gone on being submitted under different categories at a rate of very nearly one a day, so using my mathematical genius there must be around 365 - I haven’t counted them! The most useful ones in our view have been put into the Articles list. All of them are divided into different categories to make any search easier.

The electronic books that can be downloaded continue to go out in a steady flow. These too were prepared to lead an aquarist on the sometimes confusing path to a successful reef or fish only aquarium. They are certainly comprehensive and cover everything from the absolute beginning to maintenance after it is all done. They’re good - but we would say that wouldn’t we! Fortunately, many purchasers of the books have confirmed the point, which makes the considerable effort of producing them in the first place worthwhile.

The website doesn’t look as it did when it first began. It is now very comprehensive in the home page area from blogs to articles etc. Then there is the latest addition, the ’social area.’ This includes a forum and a chat room. Aquarists can have their own accounts and view videos etc, and additionally put up their own blogs, videos and photographs etc. There is more to the social area than that too.

It could well be that a further enhancement will appear before long. New aquarists need equipment and other supplies at competitive prices from a reliable source. So do aquarists who have set their aquariums up. So a possible ’shop’ is being looked into. That would be the icing on the cake in a way - how to set up an aquarium put simply, and reliable equipment at competitive prices when the knowledge is gained. We’ll have to wait and see how things progress.

All the website enhancements are done by Peter, who is as committed as I am in the drive to provide a really comprehensive service without any mumbo-jumbo techno speak.

I cannot guarantee it as the internet is a big place, but I haven’t seen a website such as this one before. Peter created it and should be proud.

We are both delighted at the comments that have been received, they have been positive overall. The numbers using the website are very high. We both hope that the information provided continues to be of use over the next year. Above all else, we hope that there are happy successful marine aquarists who are really enjoying the hobby.

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One of the things I note every time is the corals growth. They never stop. I’ve taken quite a few cuttings (‘frags’ if you like) when the corals have become oversize or have overshadowed something else. Some of these cuttings have gone to Peter who is growing them on. A few cuttings were quite a size.

One cutting was taken from the left end of the tank, as the coral branch was so large it was travelling along the top of the water and a little distance along the back length. This particular branch will have been around 12″ or so.

Having removed the branch I noticed a space that had previously been hidden. There wasn’t anything of note in it, but something needed putting there as it was fairly obvious, and the loss of the mentioned branch had meant a loss of height appeal.

For quite a while I considered various options, choosing a new coral species then changing my mind. However, my mind was made up for me.

Sitting gazing at the tank recently I noticed that a coral, a Kenyan tree (proper name Capnella sp) was not too far from the water surface and appeared top heavy and in danger of falling over because of it. I wondered if a cutting could be placed in the aforementioned gap, thus solving two problems in one go.

This was considered for a while - I like to be sure the impact on the reef would be aesthetically correct. Shape and colour need consideration. It seemed alright to me.

So out came the sharp scissors and, after the cutting point had been decided, off came a section, a fairly big one. The part that had been removed was pressed into a crevice where it appeared to be secure. The mother coral had of course gone into a serious sulk.

The next morning the cutting had moved probably because of the water currents. So out came a cocktail stick, the cutting was pierced, and the cocktail stick pushed firmly into a tiny hole in the rock. It has remained in place this time.

The mother coral has now ceased its 100% sulk, this has been reduced to 25%. The coral is partially inflated and it looks as though all will be well.

The cutting is in the same situation though of course not yet attached to the rock.

All things being equal the reef will be back to its full splendour in a few weeks.

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