Posts Tagged ‘saltwater’
Saltwater aquariums offer fish lovers a unique opportunity to enjoy some of the most interesting and exotic species in the world, right in their own home or business. Saltwater, or marine aquariums present a few challenges not faced by keepers of freshwater tanks, but the difficulty has been exaggerated.
The requirements are different than those for a freshwater aquarium, with perhaps a smaller margin for error, but they can be mastered with information and practical skills in setting up the tank and caring for it. If you’ve wanted to wade into the briny waters of a marine aquarium, there’s no good reason that you should hesitate to give it a try.
The main issue to keep in mind when beginning a saltwater aquarium is that marine fish are more sensitive to changes in their environment, so consistent monitoring and precision adjustments are the key to maintaining a healthy tank and happy fish. PH, nitrate, and temperature concerns are carry-overs from the world of freshwater aquariums. Add to those the specific gravity level of the water, a factor closely related to salinity (saltiness), and you’ve got the major criteria that must be understood and mastered.
So what is the perfect environment based on these parameter? Starting with the crucial pH level, salt water fish and marine invertebrates require pH levels between 8.0 and 8.4, so shooting for 8.2 is perfect. Levels below 8.0 can cause problems pretty quickly, while numbers above 8.4 are less damaging, but need to be brought back into balance. When it comes to nitrates, less is better. Invertebrates thrive at levels below 5ppm, but will tolerate up to 20ppm, the upper level for saltwater fish. The temperature for most marine tanks should remain as steady as possible, with acceptable range from 75F to 80F (24C – 27C). Finally, the specific gravity of the tank should be between 1.02 and 1.03. Since saltwater varies by location, fish are somewhat adaptable and will adjust if the levels are kept in this range.
Now that you have the baseline environmental factors in mind, here are some additional tips for keeping your saltwater aquarium healthy for the long-haul.
First, choose quality components for your tank. For example, saving a few dollars on a cheap filtering system won’t seem like a value if it fails and you have to replace expensive fish.
Secondly, monitor daily with the appropriate test kits on hand. Be overly cautious in the first 4-6 weeks until your tank has gone through the standard cycling process. Once equilibrium is established you may find that less frequent testing is needed. But err on the side of caution until you have a good handle on your tank’s conditions.
Finally, develop a regular routine covering important practices like water changing on a monthly basis, scraping and cleaning off algae on a weekly basis, and feeding your saltwater aquarium’s inhabitants about twice a week. This will help maintain the kind of consistency necessary for the tank and your fish to thrive.
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Other Salt Water Aquarium Blogs
Website: www.madhatterreef.com Blog madhatterreef.blogspot.com Aquarium Cycling Info: www.madhatterreef.com Here is an update on the Quarantine Tank. Next week i’ll be working on a new project and ordering some live rock for daren and I. 317 subscribers to date. You Guys Rock!
A closeup of my new reef tank using a Sony Cybershot WX5 3D HD Camera. Rendered from “1080i AVCHD” to “1080p MP4″ using Sony Vegas Pro 10. Phoenix 14K DE 150 Watt MH’s, and 2 PC 96 Watt Coralife 420nm Actinic Bulbs. By NewYorkSteelo. www.newyorksteelo.com Facebook: www.facebook.com
Insane coral growth…check 100% LED lighting….check This tank in your house…could be! (follow this link to find out more: www.mrsaltwatertank.com/mytank) ***Comments and more videos can be found @ www.mrsaltwatertank.com ***
Educational video on How To Properly Setup A Saltwater Tank or Reef Aquarium Deep Sand Bed. By newyorksteelo. www.newyorksteelo.com Facebook: www.facebook.com DSB Article – www.ronshimek.com
www.bulkreefsupply.com In Today’s episode we are going to discuss aquarium wavemakers including Tunze, Hydor Koralia and EcoTech Marine Vortech pumps. We will install the Voretcs including the battery back up system. These low profile aquarium pumps are really slick and I love the redundancy the battery backup adds to our system.
My 90 Gallon Saltwater Aquarium. – Filmed in HQ Timeline; 0:18 – Yellow Tang 0:28 – Blue Hippo Tang 0:38 – Clown Fish 0:46 – Midas Blenny 1:13 – Kenya Tree 1:16 – Clove Polyps 1:23 – Giant Green Polyps 1:28 – Aiptasia 1:32 – Green Bubble Anemone 1:42 – Organ Pipes 1:50 – Sand Sifting Starfish 2:08 – Cleaner Shrimp 2:19 – Mandarin Dragonet Royalty Free Music Provided by incompetech.com Filmed and edited by; youtube.com/ArizonaPublic In association with; youtube.com/nahleesaythany November 29, 2011 Contanct me: Nahlee PO Box 63 Buckeye, Arizona 85326 nahleesaythany@yahoo.com
Educational detailed commentary closeup tour of my 90g Saltwater Tank Reef Aquarium Setup. By Newyorksteelo. www.newyorksteelo.com Facebook: www.facebook.com
Mixed reef saltwater aquarium. This video taken on October 26th, 2010. Have since added a few things, can be found under my other videos. Equipment… -125 gallon starphire tank, stand, and canopy by Miracles in Glass -AE Tech Refugium 30 Pro Sump -Reeflo Snapper return/skimmer pump -Precision Marine Bullet 1 Protein Skimmer -Nextreef MR1 Media Reactor with phosphate/carbon media -Marine Technical Concepts MINICAL Calcium Reactor with 5lb CO2 bottle -Coralife Turbo-Twist 6X UV Sterilizer -3 150 watt DE Radium 20k metal halide bulbs, 4 36″ actinic bulbs -Digital Aquatics Reefkeeper Elite with ATO system -2 Tunze 6101 powerheads Livestock… -1 Vlamingi Tang -1 Powder Blue Tang -1 Yellow Tang -1 Zebra Moray Eel -1 Coral Beauty -1 Longnose Hawkfish -1 Sergeant Major -1 Neon Dottyback -1 Lyretail Anthias -1 Cleaner Shrimp -1 Fire Shrimp -1 Staghorn Crab -1 Emerald Crab -1 Money Cowrie -1 Deresa Clam -2 Clownfish -2 Bangaii Cardinals -6 Green Chromis -Numerous snails and hermit crabs Various SPS, LPS, soft corals, mushrooms, etc… Enjoy!
