Saltwater Aquarium Advice

Seeing as my marine aquarium passion is based on the marine life itself, I thought it was time I started to do some posts on popular marine pets!

The Clownfish has got to be the most popular marine aquarium inhabitant worldwide, mostly thanks to the Disney movie “Finding Nemo”.  Other than this they are cute and pretty easy to care for and require little space. The Clownfish is a type of Damselfish, they are very colorful with coloring that ranges from yellow,maroon and even black to shades of orange. The most common coloration found is a bright orange intermingled with white stripes or patches (such as Nemo!).

Clownfish and anemonefish are from the subfamily Amphiprioninae in the family Pomacentridae. There are about twenty eight species in total, one in the genus Premnas while the remaining are in the genus Amphiprion. They are native to the Indian and Pacific oceans.

The one thing that characterises all species is the symbiotic relationship they have with their host anemones. It is currently thought than when these fish are embryos lying on the reef surface, they become “addicted” to the scent of a particular anemone then when they hatch they go to settle in that anemone and spend their entire lives defending it from other fish and are always close to it, retreating inside the deadly (to other fish!) tentacles when danger lurks.

It is thought that the Clownfish are resistant to the Anemones stinging cells because of the mucus their bodies secrete, another theory is resistance to the potent poison has come from many years of co-evolution with the Anemone’s. The Clownfish chase off would-be anemone-munchers, feed off undigested food particles and dead tentacles which otherwise could rot and damage the invertebrate and fertilise the anemone with their droppings. In return the anemone provides life-long shelter and protection. The Clownfish generally forms a partnership with the anemone species Heteractis magnifica, Stichodactyla gigantean and S. mertensii.

Another little known Clownfish fact is that they are all born as males and can change sex if required in their social group. The social group consists of 1 breeding pair and immature or non sexually active males. If something happens to the breeding female the dominant male will change sex and replace her!

The hardy Clownfish require little space in the aquarium environment, if their host anemone is present they may rarely venture more than a few inches from it for their entire lives (which can be for a number of years). If their preferred host species is not available Clownfish will commonly settle in soft corals or large polyped stony corals, the problem with this is that the coral may sometimes die and the Clownfishs’ skin may become irritated by the coral as the clownfish is constantly swimming around its host.

The Clownfish is one of the first marine fish to be successfully captive bred, which is awesome as it takes pressure of the reef environment to constantly supply Clownfish to home aquarists. You should always seek out captive bred Clownfish for this reason, additionally captive bred fish are a lot less stressed out, are used to humans and aquarium food and are more resistant to disease. Clownfish are social creatures and are best kept in pairs although a few species (like the Maroon Clownfish for example) can be aggressive to each other. They should be kept in aquariums 40 litres or more.

Basically Clownfish are hardy, fun and interesting fish to keep and will require minimal effort from their owners. If you can get a host anemone for them as they will be most happy, although these anemones can be hard to care for. Clownfish are peaceful but can be territorial (especially with their hosts) I advise you not to mix species as this can lead to a lot of fights.

To learn more expert tips about keeping thriving marine aquariums full of happy healthy marine life check out my best selling ebook “Ultimate Secrets To Saltwater Aquarium Fish and Invertebrates”

Biotoping your marine aquarium is a craze that is quickly gaining in popularity these days. The word biotope translates from Greek and means “life place”. Basically creating a biotope aquarium means imitating a naturally occurring habitat in the ocean along with the key species that inhabit that region. The aim is to try and associate fish, invertebrates and even plants and substrate native to the same region. Because they have evolved in parallel they should have similar environmental requirements. The most common biotope aquariums are corals reefs with a few must have fish species from different regions around the world.

An example would be to aquascape and stock a tank based on what species you would find in the Great Barrier reef, the Caribbean, Hawaiian, Pacific islands. As well as this geographic biotoping you can also biotope reefs based on different reef regions and zones such as the outer reef, reef crest, lagoon, Mangrove root system, Seagrass beds just to name a few.

The coolest way to get into biotoping is to go snorkelling or diving somewhere and just fall in love with the beauty of what you saw there and want to go home and replicate it in your own house. With the general health of the worlds oceans and reefs going backward alarmingly quickly biotoping is becoming of increasing importance. Pretty soon some of these natural environments may be wiped out, and future generations would only be able to catch a glimpse of what existed by visiting biotope aquariums. Biotope set ups can even allow us to learn more about the natural interactions of species that have evolved together as opposed to regular marine aquariums where species from different geographical origins are just thrown together and expected to live in perfect harmony.

If you are considering setting up a biotope aquarium careful research and planning is the order of the day. Choose what geographical region you want to concentrate on, there may even be a tiny ecosystem in this area you want to replicate. You will need to identify all the key species that dominate your area and choose a few must have specimens you want to concentrate on. The idea here is to come up with either 1 or 2 must have fish or corals, then set everything else up around these, making sure the accompanying organisms are native to the same biotope and are compatible with your key species. If you do this correctly you will not only have a stunning true-to-nature aquarium but may see the result of millions of years of harmonious evolution in the interactions of your new pets.

For more information on creating the perfect saltwater aquarium set up and having simply thriving marine pets check out what my best selling ebook  “Ultimate Secrets To Saltwater Aquarium Fish and Invertebrates” has to offer.

As an avid marine aquarist, I have watched over the years as reef aquariums grow massively in popularity.  These days nano reefs and pico reefs are very popular as people are drawn toward smaller size (and perceived lower cost) of these tiny reef set ups. Typically nano reefs are less than 30 gallons (140L) in volume and pico reefs are super tiny at 5 gallons or less.

A reef aquarium is defined as a marine aquarium with the focus on corals and invertebrates rather than fish.  The key component of a reef aquarium is live rock used to “landscape” the tank and also as a primary mean of biological filtration.  As reef aquariums focus on the corals and other marine invertebrates the aim here is to truly make them look as if a slab of the native reef has been removed from the ocean and is now growing in your own home! Its also really fun to set up biotope reefs, for example I have done a Pacific island reef set up and seen another Caribbean one done.

One thing about reef aquariums versus fish-only or fish and live rock (FOWLR) is that water quality and vigorous water movement become much more of a must have here because of the corals requirements to thrive. Additionally, marine creature selection becomes a lot more important in reef set ups because of compatibility issues with fish, corals and other marine invertebrates making the situation a lot more difficult to balance. If you dont know what you are doing you can easily make expensive mistakes here, check out my best selling ebook “Ultimate Secrets to Saltwater Aquarium Fish and Invertebrates” for easy steps to selecting marine species correctly the first time and everything else you could possibly want to knowing about owning a thriving reef aquarium.

Lighting is a major component of a good reef aquarium set up, this is so important because of the corals ability to photosynthesize to produce their food, Therefore the conditions of the tropical sun in real reef habitats will need to be effectively mimicked.  The most common lighting choices for reefers are: metal halide, T5, compact fluorescent or VHO (very high output) bulbs. Most reefers aim for 5-8 watts of light ouput per gallon of water. The key to a thriving reef environment is to choose your lighting to complement the requirements of the corals you want, then place the corals in the aquarium in their preferred proximity to the lights in the water column and in the appropriate water turbulence region. This may sound easier said than done but a little research and careful planning on you part will make the difference between a spectacular reef and a failure.

Never underestimate the water movement conditions your corals require. Water movement is vital to corals because it brings them their food (when the lights are off the coral polyps begin snatching plankton from the water, no coral relies solely on photosynthesis and some are entirely carnivorous), enables corals to respirate (brings O2 and takes away CO2), keeps them cool (important under hot lights), assists them in shedding protective tissue and finally rinses detritus and debris from the coral that would otherwise rot and potentially cause infection. Water movement can be easily regulated with the clever use of powerheads.

So, even though reef tanks sound complex believe me when I say they are extremely rewarding. A little careful research, planning and preparation on your part can result in a stunning reef that will be your pride and joy for years to come.

I have been getting a lot of www.Saltwater-Aquarium-Advice.com emails lately asking me which corals I recommend for reef tank beginners. Now, coral selection can be a mine field, especially for newbies so I thought I would dedicate an entire post (or 2) to this subject.

A lot of people new to the hobby go to the local fish shop and choose a new coral solely based on its pretty colours, then take it home and try to figure out how to care for it. This is exactly what you should NOT do, those of you who have read more than a couple of my posts would know by now I am  a big advocate of doing your research first (maybe this is because of my scientific training?, anyway its a good habit to get into). The reason for researching is so you can make educated, informed decisions and not waste money, time and emotion when things go wrong. There are a whole lot of different corals out there and many of them require very different conditions in order to thrive, some are very complecated to care for and others are much easier:

1. Mushroom corals (Actinodiscus spp.): Generally speaking soft corals such as mushroom corals (named because they resemble mushrooms) are good beginner species because they have less demand for light, calcium and optimal water quality. For this reason they dont require expensive lighting set ups (fluoro’s are fine for mushrooms) and are good species to cut your teeth on. generally Mushrooms prefer low to medium lighting and low to medium water flow for maximum polyp expansion (however different varieties have different optimal conditions, you can test this by changing the position of the coral in regard to light and water movement; they will open up fully in their ideal placement. I recommend putting them in different conditions for 1 or 2 weeks and taking photos at the end to evaluate which position is best for your variety), they are pretty safe with most fish and motile invertebrates. The only cautions would be to avoid bristle worms and not to place them too close to other coral species, and that once in a favourable environment they spread fast by budding and form colonies. They look good growing in groups and come in a wide variety of colours, patterns and textures. Mushrooms corals are considered hardy and can do well in a variety of water conditions, however they dont take well to rapid water quality shifts especially in temperature, pH or salinity. When they are highly stressed they will shrivel up (often you can think that they are dead, but after the water quality is corrected they spontaneously expand again, back to normal).

Optimal water parameters for Mushroom corals:

pH: 8.2 to 8.4
s.g.: 1.023 to 1.025
Temp.: 77 to 79 degrees F.
Calcium: Not important, but if you have stony corals the level should be around 450 ppm
Nitrates: below 10 ppm (total nitrate)
Phosphates: below 0.04 ppm
Silicates: below 0.5 ppm
Dissolved oxygen: 7 or higher
Avoid mechanical filtration
Use a really complete additive
Add iodine to your tank daily. As per manufacturers recommendations
The current: inside the aquarium should be moderate to high but not directed at the Mushrooms.

2. Leather Coral (Sacrophyton spp.): Leather corals are very popular and hardy corals. once again Leathers are a soft coral, and resemble a large, fluted, tenticled leaf on a stalk, which develops folds with age. these corals dont often have very bright colours, but the shapes are amazing. There are many different types of leathers (toadstool coral, cabbage coral, finger leathers) and they can grow quite big (usually 10 to 15 inches) quickly and will require trimming. These corals are again not really fussy when it comes to water quality. In terms of lighting, moderate light is fine. They will often thrive with high intensity fluorescent bulbs, and can be gradually acclimated to metal halide bulbs (dont expose them to high intensity lighting all at once because they can be burned easily), these corals will change their colouration with different light intensity. These corals can also be easily propagated by taking a 3 inch cutting and attaching it to a cleaned rock and placing it in an area of high current until It establishes. Leathers shouldnot be placed near any Zoanthids or macro algae. One of the only downsides to leathers is that some can be very toxic (chemical defense that inhibits others growth) to other corals so activated carbon and/or protein skimming can be important.  Often these corals deflate themselves and retract their polyps and shed a mucus layer (should be manually removed for water quality), this is thought to be a cleaning mechanism and is totally normal, the coral will reinflate up to a few weeks later, so dont panic.

3. Button polyps (Zooanthus spp.): These corals are also known as colony polyp corals, Sea Mats or Zoo’s. They grow in colony formation with individuals linked by the base, the polyp or “cup” looks like an anemonie. They range in colours from browns to bright oranges and pinks (often there can be 2 or more colours in a colony). Button polyps can spread quickly by budding and can easily and aggresively grow over other corals if they are placed too close. They prefer bright light (causes brighter colours) but are very tolerant of low light (especially when they are fed well with non photosyntetic food) and prefer low to moderate current. Button poylps are hardy and do well in most conditions, they are easy to maintain (require iodine and trace mineral supplements for good growth). As they are happy to be almost entirely photosynthetic their food requirements are minimal, but they do enjoy the occasional feed of brine shrimp which will make them grow faster. Button polyps are very easily propogated by cutting an individual off the colony. A number of these species contain a neurotoxin which is harmful to humans, so wash your hand well after handling.

For more information on coral care and to claim your free ebook on coral propagation, check out my publication “Ultimate Secrets To Saltwater Aquarium Fish and Invertebrates”

Hi guys, todays post is a pretty important topic, how you can avoid making a few of the most common mistakes with your marine aquarium.

This mistake-making epidemic we see in the hobby today basically stems from people falling in love with the idea of having an awesome marine aquarium and rushing in head-first without doing their due dilligence first. This is the main reason I decided to write “Ultimate Secrets To Saltwater Aquarium Fish and Invertebrates” to educate people because the pain that comes from watching your beloved marine pets dying is immense and most times it really is preventable.

So lets get started;

1. Buying marine life without knowing enough about the specimen:

This is probably one of the most preventable mistakes you can make. So many people contact me upset about their newest pet dying then you find out its because they had no idea how to care for and feed it, and sometimes they dont even know what it is. Dont be pulled in by the pretty colours or the nice shapes of marine life at the pet shop, any purchase you make should be fully researched FIRST! And dont just rely on the person at the pet shop, do your own research and ensure you know what the exact requirements are for keeping your new pet in optimal health. You also need to ensure (as ive said time and time again!) it will be compatible with your marine aquarium set up and the current marine pets you have.

2. Not taking enough time:

In todays society everything is moving so fast, the opposite is true with your saltwater aquarium. You need patience people, if you move too fast things go wrong and this can be both expensive and heart-breaking. You really need to take the time to study up on marine aquarium keeping first, before you begin and take things slowly and carefully. Every step must be carefully planned out and executed. Too many people have contacted me with their problems which are a direct result of doing things too fast.

3. Marine life compatibility:

A very common cause of trouble; you really need to research the behaviour of your new pet and check it will be suitable with what you already have. For example predatory fish and timid little herbivorous school fish often do not mix! The ocean eco-system is ruled by a complex series of marine life interactions, therefore you cant predict what will happen, you MUST do your research before you buy.

4. Marine aquarium overload:

This is when you put too much marine life or live rock/sand into your aquarium at once (remember common mistake number 1?) the system cannot handle it and the delicate balance is thrown out and new tank syndrome often results. This problem can be much worse when the new tank is not fully cycled. The solution? Slow down, move slowly and gradually add more stock so the system can cope much more efficiently.

5. Lack of tank maintenance:

To ensure your aquarium remains a pristine environment for your marine life you MUST conduct maintenance at regular intervals. if you do this you should seldom have water quality, high nitrate, excessive algae or contamination issues. You need to be strict with yourself on this, it is a key area for preventing problems with your marine aquarium. A little work now will save a lot of problems in the future.

6. Using poor quality water:

A lot of people use tap water or other unpurified water to make up saltwater for the aquarium, this can often be a pretty bad idea as it can lead to water quality issues which can sometimes be pretty dramatic (like all you fish dying!). I recommend you purchase quality distilled or RO water, or some form of pre-purified sea water. Failing that another option is to use a water purification filter, however make sure it is a quality product. Using good quality water is a wise investment that will greatly help prevent water problems.

7. Unwittingly purchasing sick marine creatures:

The key to not making this mistake is to observe the fish for a while (see my other blog post about selecting marine life for more info), studying their behaviour and the fish themselves carefully. You should learn what common tell tales signs of disease and illness to look for. Another major indicator of sickness is when the fish get fed, if its not eating normally then do not buy it! Discovering whether a fish is healthy or not is very easy to do and will save you a lot of trouble.

8. Diagnosing disease incorrectly:

You need to learn to recognise the signs of common diseases and parasite infections accurately, then you will not go through the tedium of treating one disease while your marine life gets sicker from another. For example saltwater ich is commonly mistaken for white spot (and vica versa) these have similar symptoms but are caused by different disease organisms that require very different treatments.

9. Poor water circulation and filtration:

These two factors are a must for any healthy saltwater aquarium. If there is not enough biological filtration the water can easily build up to toxic levels that can kill marine life. A lack of adequate water circulation leads to a build up of algae, low dissolved oxygen and sessile marine life such as corals not getting enough food. The good news it that you cannot really have too much filtration or water circulation (within reason), however there are a wide range of choices in purchasing these two essential systems, especially filtration; where not getting the right filter set up for your waste levels can lead to problems. Circulation can be easily improved by adding additional powerheads or a surge device.

One of the major keys to success in owning that saltwater aquarium of your dreams is choosing the right fish, that are happy, healthy and will give you years of joy.

People contact me all the time through www.Saltwater-Aquarium-Advice.com asking what are the key elements to choosing healthy marine life? So I thought it was about time that I put up a post about this topic.

First of all people, you must realise its crucial to choose only happy, healthy marine life for your tank, because if you dont know how to do this the consequences could be massive. For example; expensive vet bills, the heart break of losing your precious pets, the chance of spreading infection to your current tank inhabitants, lost money and time…. the list goes on.

Well, im here to make sure that you dont have to go through this, so lets cut to the chase; how do you choose the right specimen for your saltwater aquarium?

1. Research what you want online, or through books. Find out their exact requirements (i.e. diet, habitat, hardiness etc) and decide whether this fits in with your current set up and existing pets. A new species must be compatible with everything you currently have.

2. Choose a reputable marine fish stockist, they must be professional, have a good reputation and most importantly have all their marine life collected from sustainable sources or farmed, for the sake of preserving our oceans ask them where they got their fish and if its not legitimate dont buy from them!

3. Go to the tank that contains your ideal candidate, and study it. Watch how they behave, swim and breath looking for anything abnormal. Study their skin, look for parasites, signs of disease (spots and discoluration) and physical damage. Your ideal fish should be alert, active and look healthy with vibrant colours.

4. Next; ask the store person to feed the fish (or if this has recently been done, come back at feeding time) you want to observe that the fish eats actively and is alert and compeditive with the other fish in getting food. They should also have a good appetite and eat heartily.

5. Another tip is to never purchase a fish that is brand new to the store, give it a few weeks of being in the captive environment to ensure it adjusts well, is not stressed and has not been damaged during collection. This amount of time will also reveal whether or not the fish has a disease.

6. Once you have researched, observed and chosen your fish ask the store owner if they offer a guarantee on the fish (always pays to ask). And most importantly of all people; when you get the fish home ensure you quarantine it, this will halt spread of disease from the new fish into the main tank and gradually acclimatize the fish to your specific conditions.

To find out more about all aspects of how to keep thriving marine life and saltwater aquarium set up go to www.Saltwater-Aquarium-Advice.comand see what my ebook has to offer.