One of the more fundamental tasks one must undertake when maintaining a saltwater aquarium is controlling the nitrogenous waste cycle. Most critical is the elimination of ammonia and nitrite, which are both highly toxic and can “crash” a tank in very short time. Fortunately, this job is naturally (and quite effectively) handled by various microbes. …
Aquarium Maintenance
Building and operating a healthy aquarium system is a lot of work. There’s no getting around that. The only thing an aquarist has some control over is the amount and kind of maintenance that is necessary. More specifically, you can make the task easier and more enjoyable by following certain rules and choosing your tools/equipment wisely. This begins the moment you add your first livestock. Stocking a system too soon or, especially, overstocking, can make routine maintenance a total nightmare long after the initial set-up. Fish in particular can dirty up a tank in little time; without exception, nuisance algae follows. It is far easier to prevent these algal blooms than it is to eliminate them! Beyond this key consideration, minimizing long-term aquarium maintenance is a lot less straightforward. It requires constant and thorough visual inspection, water testing, etc. In the least (and before you even get your hands dirty), it requires a plan! A reactionary aquarium maintenance routine simply swings at problems (most of which are totally avoidable) as they appear. The alternative is a consistent, carefully and thoughtfully regimented plan of action that focuses on putting in place natural controls. These biocontrols help to prevent harmful excesses of detritus and dissolved nutrients–as well as the “bad” algae and pests that these issues give rise to. In this section, you will learn how to prevent common reef aquarium problems (thereby reducing the need for intensive maintenance) by effectively utilizing clean-up crew animals, planted refugia, beneficial bacteria, etc.
Tuxedo Urchins for Hair Algae Control
Hair algae is not just one of the common forms of nuisance algae, it is also among the most difficult to eradicate. Indeed, despite the numerous options for biological algae control (i.e. herbivores), few “go after” hair algae. Thankfully, the select group of reliable hair algae eaters includes the beautiful and fascinating tuxedo urchins. The …
Do I Need a Protein Skimmer?
There are a lot of tough calls in reef aquarium keeping. While the focus of attention should be on creating the healthiest and most natural environment possible for your animals, some thought will (understandably) go into the tank budget. For this reason, hobbyists often question whether or not a particular piece of expensive equipment is …
Building and Maintaining a Peninsula Tank
Unlike other types of animal enclosures (bird cages, rabbit hutches, etc. ), an aquarium is a piece of exhibitry. Often, the keeper will go through a considerable amount of work and expense to build an attractive aquarium system that showcases not just the aquascape but also the cabinetry. In recent days, any home aquarist can …
Upgrading to the ULTIMATE Refugium Starter Pack
You might be setting up a brand-new reef tank. Maybe you’re doing some upgrades to an existing aquarium. Either way, you’ll have a lot of individual concerns to address. First and foremost, “Is this system capable of managing a large(r) bioload?” And then, “How will I deal with all of the nitrate that my biofilter …
Natural Water Quality Management for Non-Photosynthetic Reef Aquaria
There was once a time when zooxanthellate corals (especially SPS corals) were considered impossible to keep in captivity. Then advancements in aquarium lighting technology changed all that. It’s hard to imagine that there so recently was a day when marine aquarists abandoned the possibility of ever keeping Acropora–one of the most abundant genera of stony …
Natural Water Quality Management for Non-Photosynthetic Reef Aquaria Read More »
What Do I Need for a Saltwater Fish Tank?
Whether scouting for your first aquarium, or “graduating” from a freshwater aquarium, there is something about a saltwater aquarium that is mesmerizing. For many lifelong aquarists, that feeling of captivating awe never goes away. Thankfully, the intimidating task of learning how to actually build and maintain a saltwater aquarium system does go away. In fact, …
3 Saltwater Aquarium Pests
There are a few things that any hobbyist dreads finding in their aquarium. Aquarium pests can appear out of nowhere and can spread like a wildfire. Even with all of the preventative measures that are available, at some point we’ve all had one pest sneak into our tank. It happens to all of us and …
4 Macroalgae for Beginners
Macroalgae are a great addition to any aquarium. They remove excess nutrients in the water column (such as phosphates and nitrates) and provide shelter for copepods which helps with successfully breeding them in your tank. There are many different types of macroalgae; in this article I will be discussing the best types for beginners. Macroalga …
Utilizing the Peppermint Shrimp for General Tank Clean-Up
Maintaining a squeaky clean aquarium environment is no easy task. It requires frequent water changes, constantly rinsing mechanical filters, gravel vacuuming, algae wiping, and so on. It also requires a substantial amount of cash; top-quality filters and filter media are not cheap. If we are to be honest, few of us can say that we …
Utilizing the Peppermint Shrimp for General Tank Clean-Up Read More »
5 Overlooked Algae-Eaters
When it comes to your clean-up crew in your saltwater aquarium, you usually will think of snails, crabs and starfish. However, there are some other cool inverts and fish you can add that can help tremendously with your aquarium algae clean-up. There are so many saltwater fish that eat algae and this is just my …
How to Get Rid of Aiptasia
When you’re first starting out your aquarium, you usually will spend all day checking on everything in your tank ensuring everything is still intact. Then, one day you look and you see this translucent looking pink flower… I receive one of two reactions from customers when they first come across Aiptasia anemones. One is panic. …
Identifying Saltwater Algaes
Hundreds or even thousands of species of microalgae and photosynthetic bacteria may appear in your aquarium. Before treating any type of algae, it is crucial to properly identify exactly what type of algae you’re dealing with. Luckily, most of them can be easily eradicated if identified properly. We here discuss a few commonly encountered saltwater …
Aquarium Maintenance 101
So, you’ve set up your first tank and it finally finished cycling and you’re just starting to stock it with fish and invertebrates. What now? Well, now it’s time to learn how to perform solid aquarium maintenance and see what your weekly ritual is going to consist of. The scariest thing for beginners isn’t always …
Are Water Changes REALLY Necessary?
We are asked this all the time: “Is it absolutely necessary to perform regular water changes?” Let us waste no time in answering that question: Yes! Yes, water changes are certainly necessary. While some tanks need them more often than others, there’s no denying that regular water exchange improves water quality. And it accomplishes this …
Corals in a Box of Water: Creating a Natural Reef Tank
We’ve come a long, long way in advancing natural marine aquarium keeping. Those of us who started out in the 80’s with barren “aquascapes” dead coral skeletons and crushed coral bottoms might look back with amazement at how so much has changed so fast. Just recall how many developments have taken place over the last …
Corals in a Box of Water: Creating a Natural Reef Tank Read More »
Dosing Iodine in the Reef Aquarium
Reef aquarium hobbyists already have enough on their plates trying to keep levels of minerals such as calcium and magnesium levels up while keeping levels of nutrients like nitrate and phosphate down. That, and obsessing over all those other parameters… And now, all the sudden, everyone is saying we should be “chasing numbers” for iodine …
Should I Use a UV Sterilizer?
The two most hated things for a saltwater aquarium keeper are fish diseases and “bad” algae. Some hobbyists make an attempt to go all out against these threats by using an ultraviolet sterilizer. At least in some cases, a properly sized and properly installed sterilizer unit can indeed help to reduce the incidence of disease …
A Look at the Detritus Cycle
One of the biggest challenges of keeping a successful reef aquarium, especially over the long term, is maintaining the purity of the main tank’s inner sanctum. We go through great lengths—expense, too—in order to achieve this. Think gravel vacuuming detritus, wringing filthy sponges over your kitchen sink, and so on… Is it necessary? The answer …
Chaeto for Major Tank Cleaning
Whether from a lack of experience, or an abundance of neglect, some aquarists allow their reef tanks to reach a state of utter nastiness. Perhaps you’ve been there yourself… Where you once had a gorgeous, natural looking, sparkly clean system, there are now patches of filamentous and film algae, piles of detritus, clouds of suspended …