Saltwater Aquarium Advice

Saltwater aquariums are almost always stocked with tropical marine life (you can also have cold water marine set ups, but these are relatively uncommon), which by definition is marine fish and invertebrates that come from tropical regions of the world where water temperatures are a constant, balmy 77-80°F (25-27°C).  This marine life can only tolerate small and gradual changes in water temperature.

This universal characteristic of our favourite marine pets makes temperature (heating and cooling) a vitally important aspect in any marine aquarium. The importance of heating is often under-estimated by new marine aquarists, which can lead to heating disasters, the easiest way to wipe out your entire tank results from heater malfunctions, such as a heater being “stuck on” or not heating at all. A heater being stuck on and causing all the inhabitants to perish is the source of many a sad email to me.

The best thing you can do to prevent heating disasters is to buy a quality heater. Cheap, poorly made heaters can and do often get stuck on or fail to heat; they can also be a fire risk in your home. You need to look at vital saltwater aquarium equipment heater as a life support system for your marine life; choosing the cheap and cheerful option can often cost so much more in the long run.

A good heater is fully submersible as opposed to hang on. This is because if the water level drops the hang on model can overheat and burn out. Another important feature of a quality heater is being made of shatterproof material and is also corrosion resistant. New titanium heaters are an excellent investment in my opinion, these heaters are accurate, conduct heat brilliantly and mostly have a built in temperature sensor which shuts off the unit if it comes into contact with the air which would otherwise cause the heater to overheat and break.

A temperature controller unit is advisable to use with heating and cooling units, this does all the leg work for you and keeps fluctuations to a minimum, which is very good news for marine life. I also advise a thermometer with an audible alarm as an extra measure.

Another good practise is to go for 2 smaller heaters as opposed to one big one; this will make it harder for one to overheat the tank before you realise and if one stops heating the tank temperature wont drop severely.

Remember to handle all heaters with care and set-up as per manufacturers instructions, turn units off when exposing to air or performing maintenance and keep them clean, especially so you can see the indicator light is on. Always plug them into a GFI.

If you live in a hot climate, prefer your home a little warmer or have an intense lighting set-up (such as VHO fluorescent lights for a reef aquarium) chances are you will need an aquarium chiller, which will keep your marine aquarium water below a particular temperature. This is especially important when you keep corals because the lighting requirements they have cause a lot of heat generation from the bulbs, often times this can cause a water temperature increase of around 7°F! These lighting set ups can often mean you wont need your heater turned on, however it is advisable to have one as a back up. Once again as the correct temperature is so important it is my advice to purchase a quality chilling unit.

When both a chiller and a heater are hooked up to a temperature controller this is ideal to keep the temperature in your saltwater aquarium constant no matter what else maybe happening and you marine life will love you for it.

For more vital saltwater aquarium information and to see what my best selling ebook can offer you go to www.Saltwater-Aquarium-Advice.com

Today I thought I would write a post on one of the most common problems that saltwater hobbiests face; that annoying green stuff growing on surfaces that can eventually take over the tank if left unchecked. As we all know algae can be the bane of marine aquarists lives, making even the brightest most colourful saltwater aquarium look dirty and unclean.

There are many different types of algae and many reasons why it is invading your tank. Algae is a plant and therefore thrives especially in tanks where there is not a lot of competition for nutrients (such as high phosphates and nitrates) such as a fish only set-up.

Algae removal is a very hot topic with marine aquarists, I am asked all the time on www.Saltwater-Aquarium-Advice.com the best way to battle this nuisance organism. So ive decided to put together some hints and tips to help you to rid your marine aquarium of algae forever!

1. Light levels:One good way to combat algae is to reduce the amount of light (the photoperiod) in your aquarium (unless you keep corals or other organisms that need light for healthy growth), for example if your aquarium can do without light for an hour or two you would be surprised by how much this can reduce algal growth.

2. Reduce Phosphate levels: High levels of Phosphates are often the main cause of an algal invasion, commonly their levels will be undetectable when tested for because the algae uses the phosphates straight away at such a fast rate. To combat high phosphate levels conduct partial water changes more regularly, you can also purchase a phosphate removal chemical such as Phosban. An important note here is to put phosphate remover into top up/water change water before it gets to the algae in the rest of the aquarium. Keeping a handle on water chemistry levels (regular testing people!) will help prevent algae outbreaks.

3. Purchase other marine plants: As I mentioned earlier, algae often colonises aquariums because of the high levels of nutrients and low levels of competition. Therefore another good strategy is to get some marine plants in to help mop up excess nutrients and make it harder for the algae to establish, they also look awesome in marine aquariums too!

4. Use RO or distilled water: If you are having algae problems another thing I would suggest is to use only reverse osmosis or distilled waters as these have been treated in such a way that removes phosphates, nitrates and other algal growth promoting ions from the water. In my experience this would be the first place to start if you are having algae problems.

5. Reduce feeding levels: Just by feeding carefully and making sure everything in the tank is eating properly you will be able to cut back on feedings, because uneaten food decays and becomes nutrients for algal growth.

6. Conduct more regular water changes:just by doing simple water changes regularly the levels of nutrients for algae in the water column will be greatly reduced, always remember to try and flush any detritus that has settled onto rocks etc out with a powerhead or turkey baster and suck it out of the tank, this strategy also greatly protects corals and other sessile invertebrates from disease caused by decaying matter on coral tissue. A really good quality skimmer will also greatly help to remove organic matter from your tank.

7. Helper invertebrates: Another great strategy is to purchase some invertebrates that feed off algae for your aquarium. Turbo snails, Emerald crabs, blue legged Hermit crabs and Sea Hares are all good choices. And its really fun to watch them smash all that horrible algae! I would suggest purchasing a number of some of the above, so you have an effective little algae battling team!

8. Algae eating fish:A fish or two of an algae eating species can also greatly reduce the incidence of algae in your aquarium. Tangs are the most popular algae eating fish, but here are some others: Angelfish, Batfish, Blennies, Butterflyfish, Clownfish, Damselfish….. the list goes on. The important thing to remember here is to select species that are compatible with the rest of your tank, also be wary of some algae eating species that may also snack on corals.

9. Manual algae removal: Dont be afraid to get your (clean) hands wet and rip out as much algae as you can, this can be quite effective especially with Hair algae. Ensure that you remove all strands or it will just grow back quickly.

10. Research your problem algae:As a scientist you may have noticed that I play the “research” card pretty often! This is because conducting your own research is invaluble to increase your knowledge and make you more successful as a marine aquarist. There are always people that have experienced what you are going through, so find out what they did. In this particular instance you should (through research) identify what your problem algae is and what effective ways there are to deal with it.

I hope this post is helpful to you in terms of battling problem algae in your marine aquarium.

The protein skimmer is a very important piece of equipment for your marine aquarium, next to biological filtration protein skimming is probably the most crucial process to ensure a happy, healthy saltwater aquarium.

So what does a protein skimmer do? Basically, at any one time your aquarium water is full of dissolved organic matter (DOM) mostly in the form of protein, this comes from uneaten food and waste products from marine life. Unchecked this DOM puts stress on the biological system and will eventually cause a massive reduction in water quality potentially putting your marine life in danger.

So protein skimming is very important for maintaining high water quality, protein skimmers increase the levels of dissolved oxygen in the water, improve water clarity (especially beneficial for coral growth), tend to keep the pH more stable and reduce the chances of algal blooms by removing potential food sources. Most importantly they reduce the need for water changes and keep marine life happier because of the high water quality they provide.  But this said they can be expensive and arent an absolute necessity if you conduct very regular partial water changes. But as far as im concerned they are very beneficial for any marine aquarium and provide huge benefits for water quality, after you have seen how much gunk is removed from your water by these things its not hard to get a measure on the benefit they provide your tank.

Protein skimmers work by taking in water and passing it through a stream of bubbles, the DOM in the water is attracted to the air/water interface and stick to the bubbles, the bubbles then carry it into a cup which is regularly emptied.

My advice would be to not skimp on a protein skimmer and buy a good quality product that is capable of handling around twice the volume of water you have in your aquarium. A lot of new aquarists try to save money and buy inferior products only to find that they are not doing the job correctly and have to be replaced costing more than if you had just brought a good one, in my experience this is the most common error made when purchasing equipment for your marine aquarium - consider yourself warned! Most well stocked systems will generate about a cup of DOM a day, do you really want this skimmate potentially screwing up your water quality Just to save a bit of money that you will only have to pay later? The piece of mind and awesome, stable water quality these things provide make them good investments especially for beginners, your marine life will thank you for it.

There are many different types of protein skimmers, and as I have said before they can be quite expensive. If you have an aquarium with a sump, you should go for a stand alone device, if you have no sump the hang on type will be most beneficial. All protein skimmers work the same way in that they draw in water through a “venturi” type device, pass it through a stream of tiny bubbles and are electric, But as I have said previously in all my posts ensure you do your research and buy a good quality product that suit your aquarium.

For more information on protein skimming and marine biology tips to ensure a healthy, thriving marine aquarium environment check out my publication “Ultimate Secrets To Saltwater Aquarium Fish and Invertebrates”

The Nitrogen cycle is one of the most crucial biological pathways that takes place in your saltwater aquarium. Back in the 70’s when this hobby first started to emerge, the nitrogen cycle was not very well understood, which resulted in fish, corals and invertebrates having a very short life in captivity. Once people came to terms with understanding the microbiological processes happening in their marine eco-system marine aquarium keeping became much more mainstream as marine life survival rates became much higher.

The nitrogen cycle is initiated by biological waste products of your marine life (i.e. excretion) and decaying organic matter.

1. The nitrogen waste is excreted in the form of ammonia (a toxic chemical that is used to bleach toilets!), which lowers the pH making the water more acidic if enough of it is around. Ammonia is toxic to marine life, in oceans which are huge the buffering capacity of the water is so great ammonia cannot get a chance to build up, but in an aquarium this is much more of a problem.

2. Bacteria then converts the ammonia into nitrite which is less toxic than ammonia.

3. Other beneficial bacteria then convert the nitrite (NO2) into nitrate (NO3). Nitrate is again less toxic than nitrite and readily absorbed by plants which use it for growth, this build up of nitrates is a common cause for excessive algal growth. Then to complete the cycle the plants decay or are eaten by fish and the whole cycle begins again.

Now you can see how the nitrogen cycle plays a crucial role in the marine aquarium and is the cause of one of the major disasters that can befall a new aquarium; when it is not cycled correctly and the marine life dies because of the water toxicity. This is a very common cause of upset emails to me at www.Saltwater-Aquarium-Advice.com

So how do we correctly cycle a marine aquarium? To start with you should be familiar with all the cycling terms: break in cycle, start up cycle, nitrification, biological cycle; its all talking about the same biological process; converting toxic waste into more harmless plant food by beneficial bacteria.

The most important time to do this is when you are first setting up your aquarium, it usually takes around 2 weeks or longer depending on how fast the bacteria colonise your aquarium at each stage of the cycle during this process you will need to test your water using a test kit for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate and log your readings. Whatever chemical has the highest concentration will tell you at what phase the aquarium is in. I do not recommend you put any fish in until the cycling is complete, as they will get stressed and can die. The best way to initiate the cycle is with live rock (be sure to check out my live rock post), which will contain the beneficial bacteria and decaying organic matter to provide the ammonium source and kick off the cycle. In the first few days ammonium levels will rise rapidly as the bacteria multiply and begin to convert it, this is the most stressful phase for marine life.  Once the bacterial colony has established the ammonium level will peak and begin to decline to zero as the bacteria convert it to nitrite. Now nitrite levels will rise which again is stressful to fish, the second stage bacterial colonies will multiply and begin to start converting nitrite to nitrate, nitrite can take a good week or so to reach its peak, then it will start to drop and nitrate becomes detectable. Now the 1st and 2nd stage bacteria have reached the correct density to keep up with the ammonia released into the water, now the tank is fully cycled and you can begin to slowly stock up your marine aquarium (once tests confirm zero ammonia and nitrite levels). And finally to avoid excess nitrates are why we conduct a twice monthly 20% water change as part of a regular maintenance routine.

For more crucial saltwater aquarium tips and tricks check out my ebook “Ultimate Secrets To Saltwater Aquarium Fish and Invertebrates”

As we all know corals can be challenging to keep at times, often things go wrong and you have no idea why. Because they are sedentary organisms they often do not display obvious symptoms, which can make diagnosing what’s wrong difficult.

Very little is still known today about coral diseases but stress is the number one killer of corals in marine aquariums. Corals need to be handled carefully at all times and there can often be many stressors in the tank that can eventually lead to illness or death; for example physical stress like predation, pathogens, environmental stress (sub standard water parameters are often the leading culprit) and nutritional deficiency are all common.

A common problem with corals is bleaching/fading; this is when there is a mass expulsion of zooanthellae (symbiotic algal cells contained in coral tissues that provide food for the corals) because of stress. This phenomenon is also occurring in the oceans of the world today because of temperature stress caused by global warming. In your marine tank there is a whole lot of potential causes of this stress-related illness. The first place to start would be to check all the potential causes of stress one by one untill the cause can be established. As stress is the number one killer of corals (and disease symptoms are often actually caused by stress as opposed to disease causing organisms) all ailments should be worked through (not just bleaching!) in this fashion before you ring the vet or medicate.  So you will need to check these things:

1. Temperature stress (usually the most common cause).

2. Physical stress; this can be damage caused by collection/handling and also predation by fishes/invertebrates.

3. Chemical stress; all water parameters need to be checked here, also think about what has been added to the water recently. The most common water parameters that cause bleaching in corals are alkalinity (pH), nitrates and phosphates.

4. Lighting stress; perhaps the bulbs are too new or old, if they have just been replaced try moving them up a few inches, if they are old they may need to be replaced due to losing intensity with age.

5. Water movement: poor water movement will deprive a coral of its non- photosynthetic food source (plankton) and also cause detritus that settles on the coral to stay put, this will start to decay and possibly become a source of infection and algal growth (a powerhead or turkey baster can remove this). Corals need high water movement to truly thrive.

6. Parasites and predation: this could be snails, fish, coral spiders and everything else that enjoys a coral snack. Often many invertebrate parasites are active at night, so get your hands on a red light to check for them.

The good news is that corals can recover over time if stress is kept to a minimum and the are well fed.

When it comes to disease and parasites, there are a number of effective treatments such as freshwater dips and antibiotics. You much ensure that all treatments are conducted in a quaratene tank, to avoid harming the other inhabitants and water quality of your display tank.

For more information about coral and invertebrate ailments, disease, symptoms and treatments see “Ultimate Secrets To Saltwater Aquarium Fish and Invertebrates”