Tips

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Speeding Up Maturation

Adding bacterial cultures speeds up maturation. You can accelerate the aquarium maturation process in a fish only system by adding special bacterial cultures that seed the filtration system. These are available from your dealer and used properly will help to establish colonies of nitrifying bacteria in a much shorter time.

 

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Fluidized Bed Filter

A fluidized bed filter is highly efficient. Used in a fish only system it has an amazing nitrifying capacity, but the efficiency of the bacteria involved seriously depletes the oxygen content of the water flowing through the unit. Always aerate the water as it returns to the aquarium, either by introducing air into the return bulb or using a spray bar to distribute the water over the surface. (Be aware that fluidized beds and biological filtration in canister fliters are unsuitable for a reef aquarium).

 

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Restoring Ph Values

Normal seawater and new mixed saltwater (at the correct salinity, or specific gravity, and temperature) have a pH value of 8.3. At the end of the maturation period in a fish only system it is likely that the pH will have dropped toward 8.0 or below. A falling pH - water becoming more acidic - indicates that the quality is deteriorating and that a water change is necessary. Carry out a 25% water change to restore the pH to its normal value.

 

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LOW pH

Insufficient water movement can also be a cause of low pH readings. If there is not enough distrubance at the surface of the aquarium, CO2 levels can build up in the water, depressing its pH, by increasing surface water movement, the excess co2 will be gassed off, retruning the pH to normal. If you cannot see the surface rippling then you most likely do not have enough flow.

 

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ANOTHER LOW pH CONTRIBUTOR

Lack of ventilation can also contribute to low pH levels. Surface biofilms, or cover glasses that fit too tightly without allowing for ventilation, can be the cause of low pH readings, because the CO2 present in the water (as a result of biological processes) is not allowed to escape. Be aware that a large gathering of people in a poorly ventilated room can contribute to decreased pH in your aquarium by putting unusually high levels of CO2 into the room's atmosphere.

 

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LOW pH CAUSED BY CO2

You can easily test whether low pH is caused by excess co2. Measure the pH level of your aquarium taking note of the reading, then immediately take a sample of the water (about 1/4 gallon(1 L) should do. Remove the sample to another room, aerate it for 12-24 hours and then measure the pH of the test sample. If the pH has risen, this shows that excess co2 has been gassed off in the intervening time, indicating that an accumulation of co2 is the cause of the pH problem in your tank.

 

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Water testing

In a reef aquarium pH varies over the course of 24 hours due to different biological processes taking place during the night and day. An aquarium will be at its lowest pH first thing in the moring just before the lights go on and at its highest at night when lights are turned off. To make meaningful comparisons of pH changes, always test at the same time each day.

 

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Carbon

1- Carbon can be very useful in the reef tank. You can use it to remove the toxic compounds produced by soft corals (for the purpose of checmical warfare against rival species) and to clear up any discoloration of the aquarium water. Even if you do not use it on a regular basis, it is well worth keeping some on hand to use in the event of any emergency where the aquarium water has become polluted.

2- When it comes to using carbon in a reef tank, there are three common strategies. You can use it for 24 hours once a month, for seven days once a month, you can use it continuously, replacing it at regular intervals, preferably every six weeks or less. If carbon is used for extended periods it will start to perform as a biological filter, with the resultant risk of elevated nitrates. If your water is very discolored, do a water change first and then add the carbon. Be wary in this kind of situation as sudden increases in the amount of light reaching the corals can cause bleaching.

3- In a fish only system replenish activated carbon filter medium regularly. If left for too long a period it is likely to unload all the absorbed materials back into the aquarium water. if still active a small portion of activated carbon will remove any yellow color from a sample of the aquarium water. Try texting some carbon after a month or so to see if it is still capable of doint its job.

 

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Traditional Filtration Or Not

Traditional methods of man made biological filtration are neither advisable nor neccessary in a reef aquarium. Man made biological filtration processes ammonia to nitrite, then nitrite to nitrate, but stops there. The buildup of nitrate will act as a fertilizer for pest algae. Forget about filtration and think more in terms of water treatment. At the very simplest level all that is needed for a reef aquarium to work is lighting and water flow appropriate to the species being kept. Live rock, mud or deep sand beds are the best ways of completeing the nitrogen cycle in the reef aquarium. (protien skimming may be another item of interest if fish are to be present). ( the use of traditional filters requrie that the filters be cleaned often to keep them from becomming a biological filter increasing nitrates.

 

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Maturing Process

When using live rock as the basis of a reef aquarium, there is no need to add anything for the maturation process. The bioload of the live rock will take care of that itself.

 

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Protein Skimmers

1-(CHOOSE A GOOD QUATLITY PROTEIN SKIMMER) The efficiency of a protein skimmer is in direct proportion to the time that water is in contact with the microscopic air bubbles generated in the reaction chamber. The longer the path the water has to take, the better. Take a look at the protein skimmer's design before you buy. Relatively inexpensive air operated systems may not incorporate long flow paths or even countercurrent exposure to the bubbles.

2-(THE PROTEIN SKIMMER MUST PRODUCE CONCENTRATED FOAM) Adjust the rate of the protein skimmer to produce the correct type of foam. Large amounts of wet foam simply waste water, the aim should be to produce concentrated foam. The performance of the skimmer will vary with the bioload placed upon it through feeding, aquarium additives and extra livestock. if the skimmer suddenly bursts into an extra vigorous production of foam, this is a clear sign of an abnormal increase of waste organic matter in the tank, perhaps as a result of overfeeding or from a decomposing fish or invertevrate. always investigate.

3- (HOW DOES A PROTEIN SKIMMER WORK) A protein skimmer works on the principle that molecules of organic waste, such as those produced in a saltwater aquarium, are attracted to the surface of air bubbles. In the skimmer's reaction chamber, a flow of aquarium water is in close contact with rising columns of air bubbles that carry the attached molecules upward toward a skimmer cup, where they collapse and form a yellowish liquid that can be removed. Water should be drawn into the skimmer from as near the surface as possible.

 

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How Much Nitrate Is Too Much

The question is open to debate. Many fish are quite tolerant up to 150 mg per gallon (40mg/L), if they have endured a gradual rise in nitrate levels, rather than been suddenly exposed to this high level. In a fish and invertebrate collection, it is generally recommended that you try to keep nitrate levels as low as possible and most saltwater fishkeepers appear to achieve minimal levels, 0-4mg per gallon (0-1 mg/L), without too much effort.

 

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Specific Gravity And Salinity

Specific gravity and Salinity, are they the Same?

The terms specific gravity (S.G.) and salinity can cause confusion. Within the marine hobby, aquarists commonly use specific gravity, which is actually a measurement of density, as a means of assessing the saltiness of the water, unfortunately, the correlation between specific gravity and salinity depends on temperature. This means that you would get different readings of S.G. from the same sample of water if you tested it over a range of different tempertures. Salinity is a measure of how much salt is in the water - usually expressed in terms of parts per thousand (ppt). This is the same as grams per gallon or liter - a much more useful and practical way of thinking about salinity.

 

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Best Salinity Level

What is the best salinity for my aquarium system?

For the reef tank aim for natural seawater levels of salt, recognized as a salinity of 35ppt (140 gm of salt per gallon of water, or 35 gm/L), or a S.G.of 1.023. The fish and corals have evolved for this level. Test kits may well be inaccurate when measuring certain parameters at unnatural salinity. Hyposalinity (lower than normal) should only be used as a therapeutic measure.

(Natural sea water is 1.025 but aim for 35ppt)

 

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Clean Instruments

Keep instruments clean to maintain accuracy.

Over a period of time, any instrument used to measure salinity can become inaccurate if subjected to occasional clumsy usage of if it is not cleaned properly. To clean a swing-arm hydrometer, periodically fill it with white vinegar and leave it to soak overnight to remove any buildup of salt or carbonate deposits. Rinse the hydrometer with R/O water following this procedure. Refractometers and electronic meters should be recalibrated on a regular basis according to the manufacuturer's instructions.

 

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Protect your dry salt mixes

Seal Your Salt Mixes to Prevent Water Absorption.

Salt mixes are strongly hygroscopic, meaning they will obsorb water out of the atmosphere. If this happens, and you calculate the amount of salt needed for a given salinity in a given volume of water, your calculation will no longer be accurate due to the increased water content of the salt. So be sure to store salt in an airtight container and reseal it after use.

 

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Stable Salinity

Maintaining a Stable level of salinity.

By putting a permanent mark on the side of your aquarium at the requried water level at the required salinity, you will be able to see at a glance when an evaporation top up is needed. If your system uses a sump tank, remember that the only place evaporation will be evident will be in the pump compartment of the sump, so make your mark there. The maximum level at this location will depend on the amount of water the sump can hold in the event of a power failure. Get this wrong or overfill the sump and a wet floor is inevitable. Today, given the low cost involved, it is well worth installing an auto top up system to endsure that salinity remains stable.

 

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Top Up Water

Top up Evaporatin losses with Pure Water.

When you top up evaporation losses, always use R.O. water, adding it into a region of strong flow and being careful not to pour it directly onto any corals. Only pure water is lost by evaporation; if you were to use saltwater to top up, your salinity would gradually rise to the point where everything in your reef would die.

 

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Clownfish

Two Clownfish with the same Common Name.

Amphiprion ocellaris and A. pecula are both sometimes sold as the common clown, so confusion reigns (A.ocellaris is also called western clown and A. percula is ofter called percula clown). Some authorities consider the two species as a single, related species, while others classify them separately. Both will readily associate with Heteractis magnifica or carpet anemones (Stichodactyla spp.). As far as the hobbyist is concerned, does the identity matter? Many authorities would say yes it does, because there is a commonly held belief that A. ocellaris is by far the hardier of the two.

 

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Healthy fish

HOW DO I KNOW IF I AM BUYING A HEALTHY FISH?

One of the best pointers to look for is the fish's breathing rate. Fish pump water over their gills in order to extract the oxygern. By looking at the rate with which their gill covers, or opercula, move up and down, you can obtain a reliable impression of their state of health. Unhappy or sick fish may appear to be panting, with a rapid breathing rate, and you should avoid buying them.