Setting up and maintaining the Reef Aquarium
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Coral reefs represent one of nature's most diverse and spectacular ecosystems;
no wonder so many people want to keep a small part of this amazing ecosystem
in their homes. The myriad of brightly colored organisms that inhabit today's
tropical oceans are the result of millions of years of evolution. Flourishing
in the stable conditions of this environment are organisms that are extremely
well adapted to a narrow range of conditions. This unfortunately makes it
more complicated and expensive to successfully maintain these organisms in
captivity.
The beauty of a Reef-Aquarium can be achieved and maintained
with surprising ease if proper steps are taken from the beginning to assure
a high quality of life for the new inhabitants.
Do not buy an aquarium if you are innately cheap or lazy!
This hobby will only bring you constant annoyance and irritation while
your fish will die a slow death for their 'inconvenience'.
However, if you are one who has a sincere enthusiasm for the aquatic world,
and one who is willing to invest the money, time, and occasional effort to
support your adopted friends -- You will be rewarded with a glimpse into
a world few know first hand. And this relationship should develop into a
better understanding and respect for 'our' world.
RULE: Do not skimp on the quality of your inhabitants or hardware - this
is 'shooting yourself in the foot'. Ultimately this will bring demise, whether
from a disease-ridden fish or an inadequate pump.
Advice on setting up a Reef
Aquarium
Mixed fish and invertebrate marine aquariums are by far the most difficult
form of aquaria to keep. The vast array of colours, species and behaviours
that this kind of system can hold are very tempting but the cost of ownership
is high, until you are 100% prepared to undertake the long term time and
expense consider trying other forms of fish keeping first.
Reef tanks are more of a science than a hobby. Unless you are prepared
to spend a great deal of effort studying water chemistry and fish &
invertebrate biology DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT BUILDING A REEF TANK. Learn as
much as you can by reading books, searching out the vast quantity of material
on the internet and talking to other enthusiasts and helpful suppliers.
Build good relations with good suppliers. There are a few grotty dealers
around who keep stock in appalling conditions - don't buy a thing from them
- if nobody supports them they will go out of business and stop killing living
creatures. Good suppliers have a vested interest in helping you to get the
most out of your reef aquarium and will be happy to offer help, advice and
healthy livestock.
Don't underestimate the cost. A small 48 inch aquarium set up, along with
all the necessary filters, water tests, rocks, chemicals and some livestock
cost me well over £1000 initial outlay in the UK. Yes, you could set
up a tank for much less. There are plenty of reports from enterprising people
who have made a success on a lower budget. But to achieve, and more importantly
to maintain a really impressive reef display you will need to invest in a
very high quality array of filtration, lighting & water conditioning
products, as well as the livestock itself. The ongoing cost, both in money
and time is also a significant factor to consider.
A reef tank takes a long time to mature - you need to build the eco-system
in the tank from the bottom up, ensuring that the system is able to support
itself before introducing more livestock or more sensitive species. It is
unrealistic to introduce fish or invertebrates into a system without a mature
biological filtration system (minimum maturation time 1 month with artificial
boosters). Invertebrates require exceptionally clean water with Nitrite and
Nitrate levels much lower than can be tolerated by most fish, therefore it
is unrealistic to introduce even the most resilient invertebrates into a
system until the water chemistry is completely under control. Sensitive species
such as anemones require an even more mature environment to have any realistic
chance of long term survival.
NATHAN'S
Reef
Aquarium
SMALL REEF AQUARIUM BASICS
Introduction
The interest in Reef Aquariums has recently grown in popularity so rapidly,
that everyone, including Pet Store owners and personnel, have a hard time
keeping up with all the developments that are occuring. New filtration methods,
and newequipment, appear in the magazines, and in advertising, every month.
Newer methods for keeping such aquariums, including very hi-tech
instrumentation, are being advocated all the time. Sophisticated testing
is recommended as well. In short, a completely different approach than the
one Hobbyists and Stores have been accustomed to, leading to a lot of confusion
and misunderstandings,especially since some of the recommendations have not
been tested over long periods of time yet, and may even conflict.
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The
Aquarium Doctor
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Steps for Setting up a New Reef
Aquarium
There are several steps to setting up a new reef aquarium. Make sure that
you read through all of these steps before beginning. You may find that you
must begin later steps in the series so that when you get to them, the components
needed will be ready.
SETTING UP A NEW REEF
AQUARIUM
There are several steps to setting up a new reef aquarium. But, before
you go out and purchase anything, you must take several things into
consideration. Patience can be the difference between a healthy, pleasing
aquarium, and a unhealthy, or unpleasing aquarium. The following are some
question one should consider before buying anything.
What types of aquariums are there?
What size is best?
How much do they cost?
Steps to setting up a new reef aquarium.
How much time will I need to to maintain it?
REEF AQUARIUM BASICS
Set up and level the tank, if you can, set up the tank in a area that
gets some sunlight. Don't over do it though, heat gain could be a problem
in the summer. I've had no problems as long as the room is air-conditioned.
Make sure you have access to a electric outlet. If the tank is directly over
a heating or cooling vent this is a bad thing (heat gain/loss). If that vent
leads straight down to your furnace it can be a very bad thing (salt water
destroys furnaces, ask my wife). Thinking about spills before they happen
is never a bad idea.
THE MARINE FISH AND INVERT REEF AQUARIUM
BY Albert J. Thiel
WATER QUALITY PARAMATERS
Alkalinity
Arsenic
Boron
Chlorine
Copper
Cyanide
Mercury
Phenol
Phtalate Esters
Lead
Pesticides
Airborne Pollution
Carbon Dioxide
Nicotine
Iron
Permanganates
Hydrogen Sulfide
Nitrates
Phosphates
5. WATER QUALITY PARAMATERS
Water is often referred to as the universal solvent, meaning anything
that enters the water will, in some form or another, in some amount or another,
dissolve in that water and affect its chemical makeup. Any gas that is in
contact with the water will also dissolve to some extent in that same water.
Some of these compounds, elements and gasses - many different names are used,
depending on how semantically precise one wants to be - that dissolve are
beneficial, and others are toxic and noxious.
The key, therefore, is to ensure that only beneficial ones remain in solution
and that all noxious elements are removed in some way or another. That is,
of course, exactly the purpose of all filtration, and it is also the reason
why the success of a tank really boils down to the relative quality of the
water chemistry. The more efficiently these noxious compounds are removed,
the higher the water quality will be and the better a living environment
for your fish, corals and invertebrates you will be providing.
Reef Aquarium Water
Parameters
If you are a member of Andre's Aquarium Club tell
them YOUR PASSWORD when ordering to receive an additional 5% off the already
discounted prices.
Freshwater and
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THE REEF AQUARIUM
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LIVE SAND
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Live
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Live
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INVERTEBRATES
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Gorgonian
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FOR REEF AQUARIUMS
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ndre's
Member, Dale Barger
