Marine Aquariums
Posted by: long-time-dead on 08 February 2004
Anybody got experience ?
I am just ready to order my first tank and have decided to go straight to marine.
I have done some research and have a decent local dealer but would like to share experiences etc. with anyone who has a marine set-up of their own.
I am just ready to order my first tank and have decided to go straight to marine.
I have done some research and have a decent local dealer but would like to share experiences etc. with anyone who has a marine set-up of their own.
Posted on: 08 February 2004 by ejl
l-t-d,
I've kept marine reef aquaria for several years. You can email me if you have specific questions (use the "jaguar1" address in my profile). Here are a few general suggestions:
i. Read intenet discussion boards regularly at the beginning. These give a lot of information that you won't get out of a book. www.reefcentral.com and www.reefs.org are good (both are for reefkeepers, but they include lots of information for fish only tanks.) Also consider internet suppliers for equipment and livestock, which can be significantly cheaper and better quality.
Knowledege in this hobby is crucial, and makes the difference between a successful tank and a frustrating mess.
- Use the Berlin method or one of its variants for your tank. This involves using a proper sand substrate, liverock, and a protein skimmer instead of mechanical filtration. The advantages are:
- works better (better bio filtration, lower nitrate levels),
- looks better (natural rock in tank)
- no filter media to buy
- adds valuable biodiversity to tank
- allows tank to be upgraded to a reef later if you want to.
- Buy good equipment at the beginning (pumps, lights, protein skimmer). Be advised that what your pet shop thinks is good may well be overpriced and not very good (this was my early experience).
- Avoid all additives but sea salt (this includes all so-called medicines like copper, which kills invertebrate life, permanently binds to your substrate and rocks, and damages biofiltration). Fish parasites can usually be treated naturally with treatments like garlic. The additive industry is the speaker cable industry of the aquarium world; they are unnecessary at best and often harmful, as well as expensive.*
- Buy tank-raised and aquacultured livestock whenever possible. This has two advantages:
i. they tend to be healthier
ii. you don't damage the environment with your purchase.
There has been debate about whether wild-caught fish and coral damages the environment. I'm not sure who's right, but I play it safe and haven't bought anything wild-caught for years. In the states there is a massive network of hobbyists who sell or trade fish and coral through the mail (overnight express works very well if done properly). I'd bet there is something similar in the U.K.
- Keep your tank lightly stocked. (= happier fish, fewer diseases, looks better in the long run)
Cheers,
Eric
*If you start a reef you must also regularly add calcuim and carbonates for the corals, but you can worry about this later.
I've kept marine reef aquaria for several years. You can email me if you have specific questions (use the "jaguar1" address in my profile). Here are a few general suggestions:
i. Read intenet discussion boards regularly at the beginning. These give a lot of information that you won't get out of a book. www.reefcentral.com and www.reefs.org are good (both are for reefkeepers, but they include lots of information for fish only tanks.) Also consider internet suppliers for equipment and livestock, which can be significantly cheaper and better quality.
Knowledege in this hobby is crucial, and makes the difference between a successful tank and a frustrating mess.
- Use the Berlin method or one of its variants for your tank. This involves using a proper sand substrate, liverock, and a protein skimmer instead of mechanical filtration. The advantages are:
- works better (better bio filtration, lower nitrate levels),
- looks better (natural rock in tank)
- no filter media to buy
- adds valuable biodiversity to tank
- allows tank to be upgraded to a reef later if you want to.
- Buy good equipment at the beginning (pumps, lights, protein skimmer). Be advised that what your pet shop thinks is good may well be overpriced and not very good (this was my early experience).
- Avoid all additives but sea salt (this includes all so-called medicines like copper, which kills invertebrate life, permanently binds to your substrate and rocks, and damages biofiltration). Fish parasites can usually be treated naturally with treatments like garlic. The additive industry is the speaker cable industry of the aquarium world; they are unnecessary at best and often harmful, as well as expensive.*
- Buy tank-raised and aquacultured livestock whenever possible. This has two advantages:
i. they tend to be healthier
ii. you don't damage the environment with your purchase.
There has been debate about whether wild-caught fish and coral damages the environment. I'm not sure who's right, but I play it safe and haven't bought anything wild-caught for years. In the states there is a massive network of hobbyists who sell or trade fish and coral through the mail (overnight express works very well if done properly). I'd bet there is something similar in the U.K.
- Keep your tank lightly stocked. (= happier fish, fewer diseases, looks better in the long run)
Cheers,
Eric
*If you start a reef you must also regularly add calcuim and carbonates for the corals, but you can worry about this later.
Posted on: 08 February 2004 by long-time-dead
Hi Eric
Brilliant - all advice taken to heart and I will learn hard and tread with care.
I don't want a fish-only set-up but want live-rock, coral and all the shrimp, snails and anenome etc. that "should" be there. I fully appreciate that I should really try to create an environment that should try to maintain itself and I should not rely on chemicals or "snake-oil" to get it right.
I don't mind spending money on it, but I certainly don't want to waste any. On that basis, my stocking plans will base around a reasonable amount of community fish with a few specials to provide the eye-candy. I know that over-stocking leads to death on disease so best avoided.
My tank will be 6ft x 18 inches x 15 inches so it should be big enough.
Off to have a read at the sites you recommend !!
No doubt, pictures may well be posted in the future (? Eric) - I hope mine won't be of a tank full of dead fish !!!
Brilliant - all advice taken to heart and I will learn hard and tread with care.
I don't want a fish-only set-up but want live-rock, coral and all the shrimp, snails and anenome etc. that "should" be there. I fully appreciate that I should really try to create an environment that should try to maintain itself and I should not rely on chemicals or "snake-oil" to get it right.
I don't mind spending money on it, but I certainly don't want to waste any. On that basis, my stocking plans will base around a reasonable amount of community fish with a few specials to provide the eye-candy. I know that over-stocking leads to death on disease so best avoided.
My tank will be 6ft x 18 inches x 15 inches so it should be big enough.
Off to have a read at the sites you recommend !!
No doubt, pictures may well be posted in the future (? Eric) - I hope mine won't be of a tank full of dead fish !!!