Featured Questions below.

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Question......I've had regular fresh water aquariums for years, but was recently given a 45 gallon tank and accessories and would really like to try brackish. Anyway, my question is, I've got a 330 gph regular filter (Whisper power filter type) and Powerhead w/ underground filter. Are these sufficient or do I need to buy a bio-wheel type filter? Thank you for your time. Eric Mortenson Answer:.......Dear Eric, the filters you are using are sufficient, however I would suggest the additional filter for a more complete setup. Best buys, check or store page:   Click HERE We welcome you to our exclusive club, even though we have over two hundred active members and are the largest on the Internet, you will receive individual attention and advice on your aquatic endeavor. We are the largest aquarium club of our type in the world. We are dedicated to our members having a healthy thriving aquarium. Sincerely, The Aquarium Doctor Question...........Hello Doctor, Thanks for providing this web service - I set up my 100 Gal marine tank back in September and all is going well. I have some minor algae irritations but still have some experimenting to do there (tap water quality may be my main issue). I've been taking it slow, only have five of my original 6 break-in damsels, a sebae clown, and a yellow tang. Also a few snails and two red leg hermit crabs. I want to get more fish but I haven't been satisfied that things are all that stable yet. I have two more questions. Do you recommend an RO unit and if so which one - my tank uses only about a gallon per day max, but I understand that I can use the water for drinking etc. Also, are there plant species that are suitable for marine aquariums? I have not seen any in the shops or mail order ads. Some real live green (other than algae) would help the scenery. Thanks, Tom Johnson Answer..........If you already have an RO unit I would say , yes use water from it. If you want to use the R/O water most effectively, I would mix it by the 50 gallon amount, that way you have the ability to keep the water quality more consistent. If you use half of the water in your mixing container and add a new batch of mixed seawater to it, it will stabilize sooner and be livable to culture good levels of nitrifying bacteria. Adding water that has been freshly mixed with the required amounts of salt directly to an aquarium often create quick swings in Ph, salinity, chlorine levels, and other gases. As far as your question about the plants for marine tanks there are really no marine plants available which are not a macro algae such as Caulerpa. To me there are so many beautiful invertebrates that can take the place of plants in the marine tank such as anenomes, featherdusters, corals. Just like with plants there are certain fish you can not keep with the plants and have them stay alive . There are actually more types of marine fish that will pick on these plant like sea organisms than freshwater fish that will pick on plants. So pick your tank mates carefully when you want to keep any anenomes, Dusters or Corals. "The Aquarium Doctor" Hello Doctor,  My name is Larry Best. I have been wanting a reef tank for a couple years and finally got a 55 gal three weeks ago. So far it's even more exciting than I thought it would be. The more I find out the more interesting it becomes. I added the sand and with aragonite over the top. Water was added with ocean salt mixed in to fill the tank. I didn't rinse the sand first so there was lots and lots of dust in the water. I was able to remove the dust by vacuuming after it settled. I would vacuum into 5 gal buckets, let it settle and pump the water back in the tank leaving the settled dust in the bottom of the bucket. After doing this about 4 times I got really dust free sand. My live rocks have been in the tank for 10 days (88lbs worth}. When I first put them in I couldn't find my bag for my charcoal, and I didn't make it to Sandy's(my supplier for my hobby needs)for 2 days. By that time my tank was smelling pretty bad and I started having some doubts about having set it up in the living room. We visited a new salt water aquarium in Newport KY this summer and all the exhibits were beautiful but if you went to the top of the exhibit tank the odor was really bad. After adding the charcoal or the water to flow over the smell is almost unnoticeable. I also got a white fungus kind or thing on my live rocks. it seemed to be spreading. it looked kind of like they had been slimed. I used one of my power heads to blow it off the rocks and it didn't come back as bad. I have done this a couple of times. I have been using some polyester in my filter before the water meets the charcoal. It gets pretty dirty looking pretty fast as the live rocks have a lot of growth and this and that on them. I have seen live and dead worms of different variety, snails, and small crabs. I have not been turning my lights on but only when I need to inspect or do some maintenance. I have four vho bulbs blue two white. I have bought a reverse osmosis water filter rand use the filtered water to maintain the water level in the tank. I bought a 10 gal aquarium that sets under my stand. I hand a piece of plexi glass cut for a top and have a power head in the tank that is connected to a water sensor in my filter so water level is automatically maintained. I love that. I plan to mix up my salt in the 10 gal tank and as I remove water for my water changes it will pump the new water in. I have tried to arrange my live rocks so water can flow between them. Now for some of my questions. 1. I have one ballast. would you recommend buying a second ballast that would be a two bulb ballast so I could run my blue lights longer than my white ones. I know the blue only looks nice. 2. What should my water temp be? I have it at 82 but I think that could be a little high. 3. How much salt per 5 gal of water to obtain desired gravity? I think it would be about 11/2 cups. When I do water changes I will dissolve the salt in about a gallon of water, pour it into my 10gal tank, run my powerhead for a few minuets and then pump it into the tank as pump out tank water. 4. After my tank is established can I use a vacuum on the sand? 5. When do I start using the protein skimmer? 6. I have one power head for current now. Would you recommend two. Maybe one in each Conner with a wave maker so they would pulsate? 7. I haven't seen much plant life in reef tanks. What do you think about that? 8. I am anxious to get a maintenance crew going in my tank. Do I have to wait until my tank completes it's cycle for that? Guess that's all for now. Regards, Larry Answer....Hi Larry, sounds like you have everything pretty much under control. I like your bottom tank idea. I would suggest that your leave your lights on more you need to get some green algae growing. If you have a undergravel filter system I would put a reverse power head on it with a foam filter that you can clean, this will eliminate the need of vacuuming the sand. I. I would suggest that buy a second ballast. 2. Recommended Reef Tank Parameters -Calcium...................380 to 450 mg/L -Magnesium.........1000 to 1320 mg/L -Alkalinity........................8 to 11 dKH -Ammonia..........................< .2 mg/L -Nitrites..............................< .2 mg/L -Nitrates.............................< 10 mg/L -Phosphates........................<.03 mg/L -Specific Gravity.............1.022 - 1.024 -Water Temp..........................78f to 80f -Water Flow > 5 times tank volume per hour 3. The amount of salt depends on the brand you are using, I recommend reading the directions. 4.I recommend the reverse power head, this drives the flow up rather than into the sand. 5. The protein skimmer should be installed as soon as possible. The seaclone skimmer by Aquarium systems is a good one. It is basically like a tornado in a tube and it whips up a hefty froth of protein on a daily basis so you know it is performing well. It uses something called a venturi valve to create this tornado effect. I would advise you to check it out. For supplies, I recommend buying them on the Internet. 6. One power head for current is enough, use the other one with the reverse flow, the wave maker would be a great added feature. 7. There a very few plants for reef tanks. Concentrate on animal life for now. 8. I would wait another week or so and make sure the tank has completed its cycle, the live rock has enough life going for the tank. I would add a Damsel or two at this time to help the cycle speed up. You will save a great deal on all your supplies at World Petstore.com "The Aquarium Doctor" WORLD PETSTORE.COM For Fish, Plants and Supplies at Discount Prices Members may ask questions on any aquarium related subject and look for information returned on their own personal email faster than most can look it up. If you are really serious about this hobby, check out Andre's Aquarium Club's SPECIAL MEMBERSHIP Click Here

Question..........I am looking into buying an aquarium soon... Unlike my first attempt at aquariums I am researching on them now =) I will probably make a freshwater tropical aquarium. I would like to know what I need to buy to maintain good water quality? I would also like to know how I test if it's good and what the readings should be? Also I would like to know what size tank I should buy? I know you recommend around 55 gallons but I live in Australia and I'm not sure how much that is (maybe you should also use metric conversions on your site). Plus I also don't want such a big one. How many feet would 55gallons be? Thanks - Answer..........A 55 gallon is 4 foot long and 12 inches wide. I am not sure what that would be in liters. As a tank goes through its cycle it would be best if the ammonia levels never exceed 3 ppm. Many fish will show extreme signs of stress above this point. For freshwater, there are many fish that will be kept very healthy in a smaller tank as well. A 30 gallon long is a good size for a freshwater tank as well. It is 3 foot long by 12 wide. If you have any other questions let me know. "The Aquarium Doctor" Question.........Hi, We are just starting with the fish hobby and wonder, what kind of filter to use in a 25 gallon fresh water tank, some natural plants and about 1 dozen. 1-3 inch fish. Right now I am setup with only a under gravel filter. Is there additional filtration needed? What kind of filter would you recommend? Thank you very much for your advise. I really enjoy your "fish page" on the Web. Best Regards, Mike and Jennifer Answer.........Mike and Jennifer......... The undergravel filter is a good primary filter system, however it would be more efficient if used with powerheads. A rear filter would be a good additional filter. I like the Whisper Bio bag type filters or any filter that uses a bio wheel. An undergravel will utilize a biological breakdown of wastes while the rear filter will extract the suspended biological organic matter. By using powerheads on your undergravel filter you will drag more freshly aerated water through your plates thus promoting a good nitrifying bacteria base. These bacteria are more efficient when they receive more oxygen. If you have any other questions please write again. "The Aquarium Doctor"or" QUESTION: We are considering setting up our first reef tank. We purchased a 120 gallon tank, we were wondering what type of lighting and filter-system you would recommed. Also how much live rock would we need? How should we go about getting it started? ANSWER: A reef tank more than any other tank is equipment intensive. The organisms that will inhabit a reef tank require conditions that a fish only tanks often can not create. First you must decide what kind of organisms you want to be your main creature. The type of organisms you choose to keep will greatly influence the type of equipment you will need. For instance corals will require a very high intensity lighting. Another example would be if you are mainly interested in anemones, rear filters would be hazardous to their health by threatening to suck them into the intake. The traditional reef tank consists of a variety of mobile and non mobile invertabrete with a relative small population of fish. The fish in a reef tank must be species that have no ill effects towards the types of invertabrete you plan to keep. Remember the Ocean is a vast LANDSCAPE OF ONE CREATURE PREYING ON THE NEXT. You must minimize this natural selection among creatures by researching the behavior and perimeters each creature possesses and select only those creatures that can coexist. This wont be easy, especially if you plan to use large quantities of live rock. Live Rock often contains many different organisms in its many holes and pours, and not all of them are harmonious. For example, Mantis Shrimp are often found in live rock and they can be especially hard on other crustaceans you plan to keep. Bristle worms are also a common problem, they will literally eat some of your sessile invertabre alive, such as clams and tube worms, and even smaller fish can be eaten alive, especially if the fish are of the hiding type and are in close contact to the live rock. The next big consideration is what type of filtration are you going to use. Dry filtration probably creates the best water quality but can have its drawbacks as well. The nitrifying bacteria live in a separate tank than the organisms thus decreasing the chance of out of control bacterial infections. However dry filtration must be monitored closely so that the sump does not overflow or run dry. Some organisms can cause blockage to the flow, especially if they are inadvertently drawn into the prefilter. A fine mesh screen around the prefilter will minimize such an occurrence. A protein skimmer and ozinizer would be other helpful additions to a reef tank. Most Corals especially have a very low tolerance to nitrates, so any equipment that can increase your filtering efficiency would be suggested. a reef tank can be a costly venture, but replacing these creatures can be even more costly, so it is best to get the best equipment you can afford before you start populating. If you have any further questions please feel free to ask me any question. "The Aquarium Doctor" Question...........My name is Adam Levitt and I am a beginner fish lover. I currently have a 30 gallon fresh-water tank. But I am beginning to get bored with the limited fish and unrealistic landscaping. I look at the marine fish with envy. I am wondering what I need to do (if possible with this size tank) to turn my aquarium into a marine one. Currently I have a penguin filter. Can I use this for salt water or should I buy a different one? In that case, which one would you suggest. I also am a bit confused with the whole protein skimmer business. I see them in stores ranging from $15-$300. Which one would suit my needs? Thank you for your time. I hope to hear from you. Answer..........Adam...... It is a good idea to get as good and as much filtration equipment as you can if you are planning to keep marine fish. your penguin filter will work, but it would be a good idea to supplement it with other filtration. Protein skimmers are also very helpful, they remove excess proteins and phosphates that are suspended in saltwater by whipping it into a foam. This process can be seen at the beach when the waves wash all that white foam up to shore. A protein skimmer virtually does the same thing. Churning and movement help separate the pollutants from the purer waters. I can recommend a good protein skimmer. The protein skimmer I am speaking of is a Seaclone made by Aquarium Systems, it is a Venturi and is for tanks up to 90 gallons. It costs about $90.00. I just recently bought a seaclone skimmer by Aquarium systems and I love it. It is basically like a tornado in a tube and it whips up a hefty froth of protein on a daily basis so I know it is performing well. It uses something called a venturi valve to create this tornado effect. I would advise you to check it out, I think it is neat. I have also noted a decrease in red algae and a healthy crop of green  algae growing since the installation of my seaclone. Good luck for your search for the right skimmer for you. P.S. Andre also recommends the Visi-Jet protein skimmer model PS-100, about  $29.00 Check it out Marine equipment and fish can be expensive so go at it at a rate you are comfortable with. Also show patience, Marine processes take longer so populate slowly and don't start with expensive hard to keep species of fish. Many hobbyist start by using black mollies to get the cycle going. "The Aquarium Doctor" Question........Any good info on the life of UV bulbs would be appreciated. My experience has been that 6 months is too long and that my tank starts getting unhealthy before then. Thanks!, Marlene Answer......Marlene .... Yes, the time frame you are changing them is for optimum performance. However instead of throwing them away use them on an aquarium that may not have the same high quality light demands. Fluorescent bulbs can last several years, but do lose intensity over time. Marine tanks and planted tanks are the types of tanks I would most likely change the bulbs on a 6 month basis. If you need more info like what kind of light to use for a specific aquarium write again. "The Aquarium Doctor" Question.......I'm starting a new saltwater tank only 20 gallons. New to this. Just curious on some good hints, tips and some low prices. I live in St. Louis Mo. if it matters. Thank you very much for your time, Chris Answer...........Chris .... How are you? as you set up your tank feel free to ask me any questions. I live in Iowa and go to Beldts aquarium for all my fish and supplies. Perhaps you are familiar with it. I highly recommend them, They are located in Hazelwood just north of Hiway 270.   20 gallons is pretty small for saltwater, so it would be best to go with fish like Gobies, Firefish, and Basslets. Let me know how your tank progresses. Hope to hear from you again. "The Aquarium Doctor"

Received from the diver himself

Dale Barger, member

Gulfview Marine     Live Rock ,    We have four classes of Live Rock...   Gorgonians & Sponges,    based on availability...  Gulf Sand , Taken next to natural reefs... Inverts, Crabs & Snails, etc..

Gulfview Wholesale Marine specializes in Aquaculture, Live Rock, Gulf Sand, Gargonian, Coral, Sponges, Snails, and Crabs. Since 1988, Gulfview has been a live rock harvester and established a solid reputation for the quality to which they are committed. "We strive for quality... not quantity." Gulfview is one of the few aquaculturalists permitted by the government to harvest rock specifically grown for the marine aquarium in the Gulf of Mexico.