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Breed Banggai Cardinals!

Rich Ross — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 19:39:13 +0000

Described as the guppy of the saltwater world, the Banggai cardinal is extremely easy to breed. More importantly, populations in their native range are threatened, get this, by over collection for the marine hobby. This equation seems like a no brainer: cool fish + easy to breed + threatened = everyone should breed them. They don’t take much space to work with, the males carry the eggs until they hatch, and raising the fry is an excellent introduction to home culturing because raising baby brine shrimp to feed the fry is also extremely easy. Breeding these fish is an great learning experience and if enough of us do it, could have a real world impact on wild populations.

I have two pairs of Banggai, one captive bred and one wild caught, and with extreme minimal effort on my part I have produced over 60 little cardinals in the last year that have gone to pet stores, reef club members and public aquariums. Thats 60 fish that weren’t taken out of the wild, and weren’t subjected to the chain of custody that produces so many Banggai cardinal mortalities. It didn’t take much work, it was easy to place the fish, and my wife and my 6 year old daughter love having the cute little fish around.

So many of us have been pining for a way to actually make a positive difference in the hobby we love, and here it is. Got an empty tank laying around? You should breed Banggai cardinals. Got a sump with some space? You should breed Banggai cardinals. Got some kind of refugium? You should breed Banggai cardinals.

There is lots of info all over the web, but click here for an article in Reef Hobbyist Magazine that can help you get started:

Happy breeding!

Steinhart Aquarium the first to successfully breed dwarf cuttlefish

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Breed Banggai Cardinals!

Breed Banggai Cardinals!

DIY: Tea Jar Auto Top-off

Ryan Gripp — Tue, 26 May 2009 13:56:36 +0000

If you need a great DIY auto top off device, then you might want to look at this clever invention. The auto top off uses a Sun Tea jar, and a air tube that fills the tank automatically. How does it work? It uses water & air pressure. Originally popular back in 2005, this device still has practical application today if you need a cheap auto top off system. Follow the break below for the full how to by Greenuku.
Sun Tea Jar Auto Top-off

I promised at the beginning of the summer that I would post a how-to for a cheap gravity-fed auto top-off. Well the summer was busier than expected, and if your lazy like me, that’s a death knell to side projects (even easy ones like this). Anyway, here’s my how-to and discussion for a sun tea jar auto top-off:

What, How, and Why:
This auto top-off is gravity fed and controlled by pressure (no pumps or float switches). I don’t know if there is a good, catchy name for it, but it doesn’t seem to be a very popular type of auto top-off, even though it is arguably better than the float switch type for smallish tanks. That’s why I thought I’d post plans for a cheap, easy version.

The way this top-off works is pretty simple. The air inlet tube is placed at the level of the desired water line. The drip tube puts fresh water back into the tank. When the water level reaches the air inlet tube, the water prevents air from entering the container and the dripping stops. In practice, water is actually sucked up the air inlet tube until it rises to a level where the pressures in the container offset each other. When enough tank water evaporates, the water level drops below the air inlet tube, letting air into the container, and top-off starts again.

I’ve been using a similar top-off on my main system for about a year and have had very few problems. Here are what I see as advantages (over other auto top-offs):

Cheap (this one cost me about $10, though fancier versions can use some expensive parts)
Very low maintenance
Relatively failsafe (no moving parts)
Works (maintains your water level automatically)

Specifically, this version that I built was very cheap with (relatively) easy to find parts. (More on this later.)

Parts:

Glass sun tea jar with plastic lid ($4 at the grocery store, a seasonal item)
1/4 inch (outer diameter) tubing (standard airline tubing, I got 20 feet of vinyl tubing for less than $2 at Home Depot)
3/8 inch (outer diameter) tubing (about $4 for 25 feet of polyethylene tubing at Home Depot)
Number 4 rubber stopper ($1 at a chemistry supply store)
Silicone aquarium sealant (a small tube is a few bucks [~ $3])

There are a number of reasons I went with the glass sun tea jar. For this top-off to work the container needs to be very rigid. Besides being cheap, the sun tea jar is rigid, pre-drilled at the bottom, and even comes with it’s own bulkhead (sortof). Unfortunately, sun tea jars only seem to be for sale at the beginning of summer every place I’ve been. I was going to use one a year ago, but I waited too long and they were no longer for sale.

DIY
[list=1]
[*]Saw off the end of spigot so only a hole is exposed.
[*]Insert a piece of 3/8 inch tubing (a couple inches long) into the “bulkhead”. I had to shave my tubing down slightly on the end, but then it went in, providing a tight fit. This part will act as an “adapter”.
[*]Place the end of the 1/4 inch tubing into the end of the piece of 3/8 inch tubing. Mine fit snuggly. If it doesn’t, you can silicone it.
[*]Make a hole in the top of the lid for the 3/8 inch tubing. I actually hand turned a small drill bit and then used scissors to enlarge the hole. Not very fancy, but it worked.
[*]Insert the 3/8 inch tubing into the hole.
[*]Important: the whole container needs to be absolutely air-tight.
* Put silicone sealant around the 3/8 inch tubing on both sides of the lid.
* Put sealant on the hinges of the handle (on the inside of the lid).
* Put sealant on the inside rim of the lid and carefully screw onto jar.
[*]After the sealant cures (at least a day), mount the 3/8 inch tube so that its tip is at the level where water should be. Mounting can be tricky. I suggest doing something with plastic cable ties.
[*]Place the 1/4 inch tube so that it can drip into the tank. A knot in the tubing can restrict the flow to what ever rate you want.
[*]Fill sun tea jar with fresh water, put stopper firmly in fill hole in lid, and let the testing begin.
[/list=1]

I would suggest letting the top-off run on your “test tank” for at least a week. Any air leaks or blockages in the setup can result in a gradual change in the water level, either too low or too high.

Considerations
As I said before, sun tea jars are generally a seasonal item, so it might not be easy to find one if it isn’t summer. On my main tank I built a very similar top-off with an acrylic jar/canister that was sold as packaging for pasta. In any event, the container you use needs to be RIGID!

The reason for the 3/8 inch tubing as the air inlet, is that water will just stay in tube of smaller diameter due to surface tension, not letting the drip restart.

I have noticed that when the water level drops and air first enters the inlet tube, some tank water is sucked into the container. Over time, this leads to a lot of algae bits and such ending up in the container. If this happens, you should occasionally flush the container with fresh water, which may entail removing the drip tubing.

A more robust design would probably involve something other than a rubber stopper (my other top-off has a ball-valve), and easily deatchable tubes, for cleaning or replacement. Also you might consider using an IV dripper instead of just airline tubing for better control of the drip rate.

Note that in my pictures I was using a 1/4 inch tube as the air inlet, but I discovered that the tubing was in fact too narrow.

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DIY: Tea Jar Auto Top-off

DIY: Tea Jar Auto Top-off

Eshopps reveals world’s first moving reef rock

Jake Adams — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 13:05:37 +0000

Have you ever had someone look at your tank and ask why the live rock doesn’t move? Well now with Eshopp’s new MVI 3146 you can have that moving live rock look you’ve always wanted. The MVI 3146 might run on electricity but if you ask us it, runs on cool. The ultra-realistic reef comes with preatached frag replicas, but you can take those off and add your own frags. Imagine, you could be the first reefer on the block to turn your fruit stand reef into a full blown poseur coral display case. Larger models with optional laser or led light show will be announced soon.

Aqua Roche seeks to lower your live rock costs

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Eshopps reveals world’s first moving reef rock

Eshopps reveals world’s first moving reef rock

This weekend, Reefstock in Denver and Midwest Marine Conference in Detroit

Jake Adams — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 15:02:41 +0000

Listen up marine aquarists in Colorado and Michigan because there are some great marine aquarium events going down in your area this weekend. This Saturday March 14th in Denver, CO is Reefstock at the Downtown Aquarium. Mile High Reefers can attend Colorado’s biggest event for just $10 per person or $15 per family and another $10 each will get you in the aquarium exhibits too. Reefstock will have a ton of locally made corals , a demonstration of the ALED and the new Apogee Par Meter and fresh presentations from Joe Yaiullo, Sanjay Joshi and Kevin Kohen. For more information about this show visit the Reefstock website.

Also this Saturday, the Marinelife Aquarium Society of Michigan will host the Midwest Marine Conference 2009. Michigan area marine aquarists can be the first to cherry pick the corals at8am for $10 or they can sleep in like normal people and attend the show for $3 starting at 11am. As if there would be any nice corals left by then, psshhh! Matt Pedersen, Mark Leveson, Scott Fellman and Bob Fenner will grace the speaking stage throughout the day. For more information about this show visit the Midwest Marine Conference website.

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This weekend, Reefstock in Denver and Midwest Marine Conference in Detroit

This weekend, Reefstock in Denver and Midwest Marine Conference in Detroit

5 affordable and 1 expensive rare fish on LiveAquaria right now

Jake Adams — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 01:31:45 +0000

Although many rare fish may cost an arm and a leg, there are many unusual and rarely seen fish which can be purchased for reasonable prices. For as rare as it is, the Bali Blackstripe Basslet, Liopropoma latifasciatum is cheap at $299. This is the second specimen of this fish we have seen available and the only reason they are so cheap is because they are virtually unknown. The remaining 5 fish are excellent examples of under appreciated fish which are all priced for less than $100. #5 Yellow Scopas Tang, Zebrasoma scopas var $99. If this fish just looks like a dull yellow tang to you, then you should just move along. Not all yellow scopas tangs are created equal but this specimen is about as vibrant as we have seen them. #4 Maldivian Bluefin Angelfish, Centropyge multispinnis $79. As with the #5 fish, not all specimens are created equal but this one is a cut above. Bluefin anglefish are fairly common but this studly male specimen shows this species in it’s full glory. #3 Pink-Streaked Wrasse, Pseudochelinops ataenia $69 Looking not unlike a miniature 6-line wrasse, the Pink-Streaked Wrasse is a wonderfully patterned little jewel. Perfect for nano tanks where a 4 or 6 line would be too large or aggressive, you might consider the other available specimen to make a pair. #2 True Sebae Clownfish, Amphiprion sebae $39. The true sebae clownfish is a rarely seen species of clownfish which is often confused with Clark’s or Polymnus clownfish. The lack of a third stripe and the solid yellow tail is unique to this species. #1 Sapphire Damselfish Pomacentrus pavo $39. At only 2″, this Sapphire Damselfish is only about half as large as it will become. This species is one of our favorite reef fish for the intricate blue pattern and a graceful yellow lyretail. All of these fine fish specimens are available now on LiveAquaria, WYSIWYG.

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5 affordable and 1 expensive rare fish on LiveAquaria right now

5 affordable and 1 expensive rare fish on LiveAquaria right now

New book available, Advances in Coral Husbandry in Public Aquaria

Jake Adams — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 16:46:43 +0000

The second volume in the heavy hitting Public Aquarium Husbandry Series may not be for everyone but if you are at all looking into building a very large reef aquarium or you just really want to know more about corals, Advances in Coral Husbandry is sure to be a steak and potatoes kind of read. This large publication is a recap of the Coral Husbandry symposium which took place at Burgers Zoo in Rotterdam, Holland just under two years ago. Many of the topics focus on how corals really work and the book brings together all of the big names in large coral system design including Dr. Bruce Carlson, Mitch Carl, Fernando Nostrapour and many, many more. The volume is sure to include a plethora of novel information about corals. For more information about what this book covers, see the table of contents. The 444 page volume will set U.S. residents back a cool $90 and it is now available to order online.

Other items you might enjoy:

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New book available, Advances in Coral Husbandry in Public Aquaria

New book available, Advances in Coral Husbandry in Public Aquaria

Advanced Aquarist’s Magazine now in print at Amazon

Ryan Gripp — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 23:06:50 +0000

For those of you that like to hold things in your hands including among other things reef magazines you’ll be happy to know that the Advanced Aquarist’s magazine is now being published in print form from the kind folks over at reefs.org. “The available editions are 100% color paperbacks measuring 8″ x 10″ in size and come in two separate volumes: the 2007 Edition and the 2008 Edition, Book 1. The 2007 Edition is a compilation of the best articles from 2007 and the 2008 Edition, Book 1 is a complete compilation of the articles from the first six months of 2008.” You can grab a copy for $38.95 for the 2007 edition and the 2008 book 1 edition will set you back $31.95. You can hop on over to Amazon to purchase your own copy.

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Advanced Aquarist’s Magazine now in print at Amazon

Advanced Aquarist’s Magazine now in print at Amazon

China Fought algae to save Olympic sailing races

Ryan Gripp — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 01:49:41 +0000

Over 20,000 people were involved in removing algae off the coast of Qingdao, China. This city of course is host to the Olympic sailing regatta and the algae must be removed. China’s news agency reported that over one third of the waters designated for the Olmypic competition was covered. Untreated sewage has been dumped into the sea, rivers and tributaries by Chinese coastal cities. What’s in the waste? Nitrates. The same nitrates that play havoc with your home reef aquarium. Apprently this hasn’t been in the first time in which this algae has been a problem, as red tides of algae bloom along sections of China’s coastline in months past. Granted the Chinese government denies any such pollution from facotries or raw sewage from being put into the coast. That sounds like any proud governement, however we are just glad this won’t interfere with the sailing races.

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China Fought algae to save Olympic sailing races

China Fought algae to save Olympic sailing races

Christmas Tree Worms (Spirobranchus giganteus) guide

Ryan Gripp — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 00:37:22 +0000

Christmas trees worms are a popular addition to the modern home aquarium. Sadly most die with a few short months, generally from an array of problems ranging from poor water quality or malnutrition. Christmas tree worms are not for a beginning aquarist, and should only be tempted by advanced aquarists.

Christmas Tree Worms
The Christmas tree worm, Spirobranchus giganteus, is a Christmas tree-shaped serpulid tube-dwelling worm with magnificent twin spirals of plumes used for feeding and respiration. This cone-shaped worm is one of the most widely recognized sedentary polychaete worms. They come in many colors including orange, yellow, blue, and white and, though they are small with an average 3.8 cm in span, the are easily spotted due to their shape, beauty, and color. The colorful plumes, or tentacles, are used for passive feeding on suspended food particles and plankton in the water. The plumes are also used for respiration. Though the plumes are visible, most of the worm is anchored in its burrow that it bores into a live calcareous coral. Christmas tree worms are very sensitive to disturbances and will rapidly retract into the burrow at the slightest touch or passing shadow. They typically re-emerge a minute later, very slowly, to test the water before fully extending their plumes.

If you have problems keeping SPS corals alive in your aquarium then you should steer clear of the christmas tree worms. They are filter feeders which require filter type foods such as live rotifers and brineshrimp nauplii.

Recommended Water parameters for keeping Christmas Tree Worms
PH: 8.2-8.3
Temperature: 77-79F
Ammonia: zero
Nitrite: zero
Nitrate: zero
Specific Gravity: 1.021-1.026
Dissolved Oxygen: 7-8 ppm
Calcium: 400-450 ppm
Phosphates: zero
KH: A natural seawater level of 7 dKH
Redox Potential: 350-400mv

Christmas Tree Worms Retracting on Reef Video

References:

1 Spirobranchus gigantea corniculatus (TSN 68304)
2. Spirobranchus gigantea gigantea (TSN 68305)
3. Dakin, N (1996) The Marine Aquarium Problem Solver, Keeping Invertebrates and saltwater fish
3. Christmas Tree Worm, Spirobranchus giganteus

Other items you might enjoy:

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Christmas Tree Worms (Spirobranchus giganteus) guide

Christmas Tree Worms (Spirobranchus giganteus) guide

Beginners Guide to saltwater reef aquariums

Ryan Gripp — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 20:36:46 +0000

When I first saw a saltwater aquarium I don’t remember my age, but I will never forget the sight of that tank. If you are like me you want that in your home, business or wherever you are so that you may enjoy it at all times. It is interesting isn’t it? To sit and stare and look at a saltwater aquarium for hours, the fish, invertebrates and other creatures in their own little world. It just captures your attention, is relaxing, and needless to say, is an enjoyable way to reduce stress. This guide endeavors to assist you in reaching your goal of enjoying a piece of the saltwater world.

Part 1: Budget As with any new hobby, you would be wise to set a budget. Owning a saltwater aquarium is just such a hobby where a budget is an absolute must. A budget will let you know what you can and cannot afford. As with most who want to get into this hobby, we love to see those fancy 15 year reef projects and want the same result tomorrow. So you really have to ask yourself, can you afford all of the bells and whistles and losses which might certainly occur when starting out, or am I looking to just start with a barebones system to get up and going. Once you have set a budget, you can begin to move into the planning stages. Please for the sake of all aquatic life, don’t jump feet first into this without planning ahead. A good rule in setting a budget is to figure at least $25 per gallon. Yes that is correct. I am sure you are now feeling a little shock as the math is done and you are thinking, “it is just fish” as a lot of wives will say. But it is much more than that “honey”, it will “reduce stress”. It will help reduce stress, but getting started might create stress. Oh and if you are a do-it-yourself kind of person then you are already saving yourself money. If you are not the do-it-yourself kind of person, anything can be bought, and don’t worry, neither am I.

Part 2: Equipment When I had just turned sixteen, I, like the rest of the world wanted a car. Without a car, you can’t go anywhere in Texas. So I had to have the right equipment to do things. The same can be said about Saltwater Aquariums. Without the right equipment you have nothing. Here is a quick list of the things you need to have a basic saltwater aquarium.

Aquarium The aquarium is the single most important piece of equipment you will buy. Granted I may say that again on something else, but for the time being, it is very important. There are two types of aquariums, glass and acrylic. Acrylic tanks are stronger, lighter, and won’t be affected as much by your room temperature versus glass tanks. The drawback to acrylic tanks is that they scratch easily. This can be a very big drawback. I personally hate acrylic because of this fact. Glass tanks do not scratch as easily, but they are heavier and can crack and leak. Both have pros and cons. This is nothing more than personal preference. Picking one type of tank over the other will not make your tank look better, but it might make it last longer. Get the biggest one that you can afford as well as fit in the location that you want.

Why should you get the biggest one that you can afford? The bigger the total system volume, the more stable your aquarium is, which means less water changes, and less time spent by you in maintaining your new found hobby. I had a 55 gallon starting up and when I got my new 75 gallon it was much easier to maintain because the tank parameters were less affected by minor changes, thus making it more stable. A quick note about stands: be sure that your stand will be able to support your aquarium weight plus water. More importantly, make sure your floor will support the weight. This is especially important if this is a second floor or higher room and is not designed for the types of weight we are discussing here. Water is very heavy. At about 9 pounds per US gallon, this can add up very quickly! Consider a 75 gallon glass tank. Basic weight will be around 140 lbs and when you add water this becomes almost 900 lbs! Don’t forget that when adding any of the following two aspects (substrates and or live rock), will also in turn add additional weight as well.

Substrate Substrate is the next step when planning your saltwater aquarium. There are several different types to choose from, all of which are great for beginners, however, some as with most things are better. Since you are just starting out, you will want a regular sand bed, which is about 1 inch deep. Figure at least one pound of substrate per gallon. If you have a 90 gallon tank, that is 90 pounds total of substrate. You can pick between crushed coral which is commonly sold at national pet chains or live sand which can be purchased from online vendors or perhaps a local store may carry or be able to order it for you. Crushed coral is less expensive than live sand, but collects more detritus, which means more tank maintenance for you. Live sand is the best substrate you can pick, and is expensive, but it offers the most efficient substrate for your aquarium. What is live sand? Live sand is sand that has been taken directly from the ocean floor. There is also something called southdown playground sand, which is a subject for future discussion.

Live Rock Live rock is a huge investment for you aquarium but can be well worth it. Live rock is the single best way to improve your filtration of your aquarium which will make your water clearer your fish happier. It provides lots of area to attach corals including your invertebrates who will love the environment as well. Live rock acts as a natural biological filter. Figure at least 1 pound per gallon. You can max out at 2 pounds per gallon but that is again a personal preference. You can either get this from your local pet store or order from an online vendor. Some of the best rock I have found has been through online vendors.

Salt Mix Saltwater isn’t salt without the salt mix. If you thought that you would be just using table salt then you will be in for a big surprise. The natural ocean water contains more than just salt. It contains a host of other minerals that create proper water chemistry. Salt is measured in relative gravity and should be between 1.022 and 1.025. There are several brands that you can buy, however the key is that whichever one you decide to use, you need to stick with it. That is the most important aspect of this hobby: consistency.

Filtering or Filters If you bought live rock and live sand, the only thing you will need is a mechanical filter or something that catches free floating debris. You can buy an overflow for your aquarium and have that drain into a sump sock system, or a hang on the back filter. I really recommend the overflow system into the sump. The most important thing is water flow which I will get to a little later on.

Lighting Okay, we have reached the part where you want to know which animals to place inside your saltwater aquarium. Do you want to keep corals or fish only? I suggest that you plan on keeping corals from the start. Eventually you will be learning more and more that will make keeping corals easy and something that is nice to add to your aquatic world. It is important to consider this when speaking of lights because different types of coral have different light requirements. Soft corals will do fine under fluorescent, power compact, and Very High Output (VHO). Hard corals need Metal Halides or T5 fluorescent fixtures in order to survive. This is because a lot of hard corals can be compared to plants and thus they require TONS of light to survive.

Protein Skimmer A protein skimmer will increase the quality of your aquarium water and is a must have. I would not run a saltwater aquarium without one. When shopping for one, look for either a needle-wheel or a re-circulating design. Those are the best.

Water Temperature Saltwater Aquariums require a constant and stable temperature. This is achieved via a heater and/or chiller. If you live in a climate that is cold for most of the year a chiller may not be needed. I always recommend a heater since most aquariums are indoors and home air conditioning will affect the water temperature in your tank. There are a lot of horror stories about where a heater has gotten “stuck” and has literally cooked the livestock. Therefore it is extremely important to invest in a quality heater. If you did decide on Metal Halide Lighting, this will increase the temperature in your tank. If you are using such lighting, I would highly recommend a chiller or fans blowing across the aquarium to cool it down, otherwise your temperature will peek and your fish and corals will die. A good thermometer is also something that is very important to have. If you are able to afford one, a controller can be a great friend in maintaining the environment. The key to remember is that your water temp should be between 78-84F.

Water Flow Good water flow contributes to the success of a saltwater aquarium. In a reef aquarium, water flow should be at least 20x that of the size of the aquarium. If you had a 50 gallon aquarium, total water flow or gallons-per-hour (GPH) should be 1000GPH. Water flow can be achieved by power heads which are like mini pumps inside your aquarium. They easily stick on glass with suction cups, are adjustable, and most are inexpensive.

Test Kits & Precision Grade Hydrometer Water parameters tell you if you will have success in keeping a saltwater tank. Brands that I recommend are Seachem and Salifert. Those are the best you can buy. When you first start out, a 6 in 1 test kit is fine but you will eventually need to upgrade to a higher quality test kit that measures more precisely your levels. A hydrometer measures specific gravity of your aquarium. This is an absolute must have tool when keeping a successful salt water aquarium. One important thing to remember when purchasing a hydrometer is that precision grade hydrometers are much more accurate than refractometers. This can easily be seen in the prices alone. You can pick up a precision hydrometer for around $50 compared to a general hydrometer for around $9. This can make a very big difference in the success of your aquarium.

Quarantine Tank A quarantine tank is great for keeping new corals or fish in before they go into your main display tank, but is not something that you really want to avoid NEEDING. This is necessary when you need to treat an illness of fish or other invertebrates without treating the whole tank. Some medicines will kill other inhabitants in your aquarium. In order not to add stress to the treated fish or invertebrate, make sure that the water parameters in the quarantine tank are kept as close to your primary tank as possible. A 10 gallon is a perfect size tank for this. Another simple and viable option is to use a simple hang on filter as well.

Odds and Ends It is helpful if you make sure that you have a few 5 gallon buckets (to drain and mix new saltwater), a scraper (to clean the glass or acrylic), a fish net and a power strip to run your aquarium system.

Part 3: Setup of your new tank So you have purchased all of your equipment. This is not a throw it together process. Get used to the slow boring process of cycling your tank. It is painfully slow, but you will be glad you did it. You are going to learn a lot with this process and that is why it is so important.

It all comes together Choosing where your aquarium will sit is very important. This is going to be the tank’s home for possibly years especially because it is very heavy and very difficult to move after it is in place. It is very important not to have it by a major door or air duct with either hot or cold air flowing near it. This one point will help regulate the temperature. Here comes the fun part. You actually get to put everything together now. Place your stand in the location you chose earlier. Lift your aquarium up on top of the stand (get help from someone if you think you need it). Once this is done, you can now fill your aquarium up with tap water to test for leaks. Yes you need to do this, and yes I know this is a pain. You just don’t want to start adding salt right away. Always check for leaks, it will save you a headache later.

You can add a background if you want. There are basically two ways in which to do this. Either buy a pre-printed background or paint a background on the back of your tank. If you buy a pre-printed background pick either a straight black or blue background. Do not pick other designs because it only detracts from your live rock, sand and livestock. If you decide to paint, remember you are painting the outside of the glass or acrylic, not the inside. Make sure you give ample time for your paint to dry.

Adding your equipment is especially easy if you picked a sump design. You can place all of your equipment in your sump. If you didn’t, set up your equipment according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Make sure you use a drip loop on all cords as this will save shocking your fish and perhaps a electrical fire.

Bring on the water Your aquarium will only be as healthy as the water you put in it thus repeat this to yourself: Always use reverse osmosis/de-ionized (RO/DI) water. You can either go to the store and buy this water, or invest in a RO/DI filter and use that for your drinking water as well. This is the choice of most hobbyists since it is cheaper at like 5 cents per gallon. For the first time you can mix your salt that you purchased earlier in your 5 gallon buckets adding it to your tank. You want to shoot for a SG of about 1.024. if you bought any powerheads for your tank you can turn those on to help with mixing the water in your tank. Once the water is added and the SG is good, then you need to relax and sit back. We are going to let the tank sit for a bit.

Nitrogen Cycle Since we have the tank up and running, we can add fish right? No. We now have to go thru the Nitrogen Cycle. You should test your aquarium water every day until your ammonia reaches 0. At first it will read 0, but then will creep up. This may take a few weeks to get thru. You must wait until this process is complete before you add livestock. Now is the time to purchase live rock. Live rock as discussed earlier acts as a natural biological filter and speeds up the cycling time. You can place the rock in the tank and have your powerheads pointed towards the rock, this helps cure the rock and remove any dying organisms. You can remove any water with your gravel vacuum to siphon the debris, and then just make new water with your salt mix and add that back into your aquarium.

Adding Substrate Arranging the rock in a manner that you like is called aquascaping. You want to do this after the live rock has been cured. When you add your substrate your water will be cloudy, this is normal, it will eventually get stable again. At this point you need to make sure you have a reliable test kit that has at least ammonia, ph, nitrate and nitrate along with PH. If you are thinking reef you need to buy calcium, carbonate hardness, magnesium, phosphate. Temperature: 78°F-82°F Specific Gravity: 1.024 PH: 8.3 Ammonia: 0 Nitrite: 0 Nirate: 0 Carbonate Hardness 7-11 dKH

Adding livestock If you achieve these parameters then you can begin adding livestock! Congratualtions! You’ve come a long way. First, start with smaller livestock such as crabs and snails. If these do great for a few weeks then you can buy fish. Don’t forget to acclimate your new livestock (this is covered in another article)

Maintenance As with everything you buy, odds are that it requires maintenance. This is true with saltwater aquariums too. You need to do water changes at least 20% of your tanks volume, which for example: if you had a 100 gallon tank, 20% would be 20 gallons. You remove this old water, and mix fresh new water from RO/DI source water. You can either do this weekly or monthly. Whatever schedule you decide to keep, stick to it! The secret to keeping a successful saltwater aquarium is stable tank parameters. If something gets out of whack, seek advice on the forums to correct it.

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