Saltwater Aquarium Advice

All marine creatures have evolved in the sea, which is a very stable environment with massive water buffering capacity (which means stable temperature, pH, specific gravity, oxygen, nitrate and other chemicals) because of its large size. This is unlike freshwater fish whose environment can often be affected dramatically by events like landslides, snowmelt, drought and flooding causing massive changes in water conditions. This lack of chemical and physical change in seawater means marine fish and invertebrates do not possess the physiological ability to adapt to different water conditions that freshwater species possess.

For us as marine aquarists this means to ensure our marine pets survive and thrive we need to provide optimal water quality at all times. This is especially true for reef aquariums where corals have a much more specific set of requirements than marine fish do.

In my experience poor water quality is the number one reason things go wrong with marine life in peoples saltwater aquariums. It is the leading cause of death resulting from stress and shock of chemical and physical fluctuations in the water.

So the key here is good quality, stable saltwater which is actually easy to achieve.

The first main consideration in top quality water is a really good purified water source. As I have mentioned before water from the tap should never be used as it contains high levels of phosphate, nitrate and heavy metals among other chemicals you do not want in your aquarium. The best way to obtain purified water is to purchase a reverse osmosis water filter for tap water; this investment will soon pay itself back to you. Alternatively you can purchase prefiltered/distilled water or preprepared saltwater.

Next up would be a high quality salt mix if you are using filtered freshwater, this should closely replicate the chemical composition of natural seawater (NSW) and will add in all the vital minerals and trace elements your marine life need for health.

Now that we have the nuts and bolts of a good quality saltwater source figured out the next major parameter required for high quality saltwater aquarium water are a high level of oxygenation and strong water movement.

Oxygenation can come from a good protein skimmer, but also airstones and water pumps and powerheads; any thing that moves water around rapidly or puts bubbles into it. All marine life breath oxygen as do we people so this is important especially as saltwater absorbs 250 times less oxygen than freshwater so we want a high water turnover at the surface of the tank where oxygen can be absorbed.

Strong, multidirectional water movement as I have mentioned before is especially important for corals and other sessile invertebrates; to bring them their plankton food and nutrients, clean them of detritus and oxygenate them. You can never really have too much water movement in a marine aquarium; it stirs up detritus and prevents anoxic zones forming where organic debris could start decaying anaerobically releasing deadly toxins into the water. A series of powerheads pointed at each other will do the job; you can even put them on timers to emulate ebb and flow. You can also get advanced programmable propeller pumps to simulate different reef water movements and waves.

The ideal water temperature for a saltwater aquarium is 77-80°F (25-27°C) this will be achieved using 2 heaters depending on your aquarium size. If you live in a warm house/climate or have metal halide lights you may need to purchase a water chiller too especially if you have a reef aquarium. A chiller is particularly useful if your temperatures are fluctuating more than 4 degrees (F) at a time that will stress out your marine life.

To accurately keep the temperature in the range 77-80°F (25-27°C) you will need an accurate thermometer. Even better is a temperature controller unit hooked up to your heater that will keep temperature fluctuations to a minimum and lead to less stressed marine life.

Good quality marine aquarium water will have an ideal pH (alkalinity) of 8.3. To keep the pH at this level you will need to test it regularly using a pH test kit. In a fish only set up the pH can range from 7.6 to 8.4 without causing harm to the fish. In a reef tank the invertebrates are more sensitive requiring a pH range of 8.0 to 8.4.

In a saltwater aquarium set up the pH is normally likely to go down overall (become more acidic) mostly from organic acids produced by biological waste. Usually the waters buffering system can retard this pH drop to a degree but it does begin to wear out after a while and the buffering chemicals such as calcium, carbonate, and bicarbonate need replenishing. This is where the term “alkalinity” comes in; it is the waters buffering ability to stay alkaline in the presence of these acids.

The best way to stabilise pH is with regular partial water changes, which replenishes the aquariums buffering capacity, and also adds back vital trace elements that get used up by marine life.

If the pH is too low you can add a pH reduction product. If its too high you can add a pH increaser product or baking soda, you just have to be careful as the basic baking soda can burn marine life before it gets diluted.

Carbonate hardness (dKH) is the measure of alkalinity or buffering capacity of saltwater, which is essentially the pH stabiliser. Ideally you will have 9-12dKH this will provide good buffering against pH fluctuations. This can best tested for with carbonate hardness test kits.

Calcium Reactors are high tech pieces of equipment that offer a fantastic solution to the problems of pH fluctuations, carbonate hardness and calcium dosing (especially important for reef aquariums) in one unit. Aquarium water, CO2 gas and calcium carbonate are combined in a reaction chamber to produce injections of calcium bicarbonate that provides the calcium vital for invertebrates’ growth, adequately buffer aquarium water and corrects pH. Calcium reactors are strongly recommended for reef aquariums.

Specific gravity is a weight ratio of one litre of a substance (saltwater in this case) compared to one litre of water and is temperature dependant. It is essentially a way to measure the salt content in your aquarium and to make sure it is as close as possible to seawater. This is an important parameter of good quality aquarium water.

Hydrometers are used to measure specific gravity that ideally will be 1.023. Conductivity however is a more accurate measure. The conductivity of your aquarium water should be 50.1 ms/cm @ 25°C this can be measured using conductivity probe.

Specific gravity will change with the event of evaporation, which leaves behind salt and increases specific gravity and salinity that will harm marine life; this is why we need to measure it regularly. If its too low add more salt mix, too high add more purified water.

Its important to note that marine life from the Red Sea which has a higher salt content than the rest of the worlds oceans need their specific gravity at 1.024-1.025 to be optimally healthy.

Ammonia/Ammonium, Nitrite and Nitrate are all Nitrogenous compounds form the breakdown of biological waste and organic matter. All should be scrubbed up by biological filtration and be kept to an absolute minimum. Test kits are readily available for each compound. Ammonia and Nitrite are particularly toxic to marine life and should only be present during biological cycling in a new aquarium, ideally you will have a zero reading for these.

Nitrate is the end product of nitrification and again we want as little of this as possible Fish only aquariums should have less than 50ppm (~20mg/litre). Reef and FOWLR (fish only with live rock) aquariums should have less than 20ppm (~3mg/litre).

All the major water quality and water chemistry components have now been covered for fish only aquariums if you have a FOWLR aquarium with a few corals and other invertebrates or a reef aquarium you must also consider the following parameters:

Phosphate levels must be kept to a minimum, even though phosphate is a major nutrient for corals. Ideal phosphate levels should be less than 0.05ppm (or 0.01 mg/litre). Phosphate can be introduced to the aquarium in many forms (unfiltered water, overfeeding, non-phosphate free salt mixes or medias) and excess leads to algae blooms that are particularly undesirable in reef aquariums where it grows on the corals and can suffocate them. So you should test new aquarium products for phosphate by putting them in water for an hour then testing that water. Phosphate test kits are cheap and easy to use. Phosphate removal media is a very good way to get rid of excess phosphate from your system. Regular water changes should help you keep on top of phosphate levels.

Calcium is a very important compound in reef aquariums as hard corals, molluscs, soft corals and crustaceans use a lot of this compound to build their skeletons. Calcium is used up from the water fast in an established aquarium; as much as 15mg/litre per day! Calcium levels are ideally 420mg/litre, which is the same as NSW. Test kits can be used to give a handle on this vital element calcium can be dosed into your aquarium using a calcium reactor and not simply by adding coral sand to your aquarium as many people incorrectly think. Depletion of calcium also reduces the buffering capacity of marine aquarium water too.

Other important elements for thriving invertebrates in reef aquariums are Iodine and Iron, which are both beneficial for fish too commercial additives and test kits are easily available. The ideal levels for each are 0.5 mg/litre for iodine and 0.05 mg/litre for Iron. Both are used up from the water by marine life so will need to be tested for regularly.

Stony reef building corals also need Strontium, ideally at 8 mg/litre for building up their skeletons. Strontium is quickly depleted from the water so will need to be added regularly.

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”

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.