Saltwater Aquarium Advice

We all know keeping your marine aquarium clean can sometimes be a chore, but it is a small price to pay for having a pristine display tank that wows everyone that walks in the room. But, there is an easier way; enlisting the help of a few particular species of invertebrates ,plants and fish to do the job for you! A lot of people contact me via www.Saltwater-Aquarium-Advice.com asking about marine tank janitors, heres’ what I tell them:

Marine tank janitors are a selection of beneficial marine organisms basically feed on algae, detritus and any uneaten food left in the aquarium, additionally marine plants mop up nitrates and phosphate (biological waste products of excretion). This assortment of helpful invertebrates, fish and plant life are literally the janitors or clean up crew of a marine aquarium. If you own a reef tank having these guys around is a no brainer as long as they get along with your corals and invertebrates, if you have a fish only set up just do a bit of research first and make sure none of your fish species will feast on your clean up crew (always research fish, coral and invertebrate species compatibility before adding in new tank inhabitants).

So your clean up crew will generally be made up of  a combination of crabs, snails, shrimp, sea cucumbers, Starfish, marine plants and sand sifting Gobies and Blennies. A number of these species are more sutiable for newbies such as Cleaner shrimp, crabs, Gobies and starfish.

If you have a sandy substrate, sand sifting species such as the Gobies (for example; 2 spot Goby, Sleeper Goby, Watchman Goby) and sea cucumbers such as the black or Tiger tail will do an excellent job of plowing through the sand looking for detritus. This is very beneficial to keep your tank looking clean and the nitrate/nitrite levels down and  efficiently aerates the sand.

Species which will keep the rocks and glass free of algae and detritus are herbivorous Blennies and Tangs (including my personal favourite the blue regal Tang, as these species eat a vegetarian diet they are perfect for reef aquariums), hermit crabs such as dwarf and electric species and snails such as the hugely popular Astrea and Turbo snail. Snails and hermit crabs are quite small so will not rearrange the aquarium or require much care, however Tangs can grow quite large and need additional feeding so make sure you have enough space.

Hermit crabs such as the blue legged and red legged species are perfect for algae control because they are small so do not cause too much of a disturbance in the tank and can fit into tiny gaps for better algae predation. In terms of true crabs, the Emerald Green Crab is the best selection for a reef aquarium because they are so reef safe and so got at controlling algae.

It is my hope that you will now be armed with some background information to help you select a clean up crew for your own marine aquarium. These guys can really be a savvy marine aquarists’ best friends!

For more information on maintaining marine aquariums and keeping optimally happy, healthy marine life; check out my best selling publication “Ultimate Secrets To Saltwater Aquarium Fish and Invertebrates”

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.

Maintaining top water quality is crucial for your marine aquarium and especially the health and wellbeing of its inhabitants! In the first place you need to ensure you have a good quality water source.  This means not straight from the tap, because of the chemicals present in tap water. Purified, filtered or distilled water can save a lot of problems later on and is really worth the investment. You can add you own salt to this, or purchase pre-prepared saltwater which is obviously the easier but more expensive option. I personally recommend you purchase quality distilled or reverse osmosis water, or some form of pre-purified sea water if you can afford it. Failing that, another option is to use a water purification filter, but you need to make sure it is a quality product. Using good quality water is a wise investment that will definitely help prevent water problems.

A lot of people ask me through www.Saltwater-Aquarium-Advice.com if they can use seawater, straight from the ocean. The simple answer is yes you can, but I wouldn’t myself as this water may contain parasites and pollutants that may harm your marine life.

The second key to good water quality is regular partial water changes. Water changes are useful to reduce the overall cycling time, instantly dilute and remove contaminants that might harm your marine life, remedy ammonia spikes, and help to clear cloudy water.

Changing the water is very important, because toxic biological waste builds up in your tank all the time which changes your water quality.  If there are enough nitrates and phosphates in your tank your marine life can actually die. The only really effective way to prevent this waste build up and replace vital trace elements is to physically change the water. The most common technique is to replace 20-30% of the aquarium water every month.

I recommend you replace around 15% every fortnight; just because if you replace 30% at once pH shock can harm your marine life.   Marine fish are really sensitive to changes in salinity and temperature, so changing smaller amounts twice a month  will help reduce the shock instead of 1 major water change.

When you change the water a good idea is to use a powerhead to rinse  all the debris from rocks, corals and substrate, then vacuum this out from the bottom of the tank using a gravel cleaner. This needs to be done as you siphon the water out into a bucket and discard it. The idea here is to stir up the detritus and suck it all out!

Again, you really need to make sure that the water you add to your tank to replace your discarded water is good quality and has the same temperature, pH and salinity as what’s already in your tank.  And also make sure you prepare it in clean containers.

For more info on this topic and many others check out my best selling ebook: “Ultimate Secrets To Saltwater Aquarium Fish and Invertebrates”

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”

Good saltwater aquarium maintenance is the key to a happy thriving aquarium once you have set it up properly and stocked it well.

Ensuring a good regular maintenance schedule will help to ensure that your marine aquarium is always looking at its best, it also will help to ensure your equipment lasts as long as possible and your marine life is optimally healthy. So I strongly advise people to be disciplined about this and do the following maintenance regularly, the time you will spend doing this will pay itself back in terms of minimal replacement equipment and the costs and heartbreak of replacing marine life.

1. Partial water changes:

This is very important as toxic biological waste builds up in your tank all the time changing the water quality, if there is enough nitrates and phosphates present your marine life will die. The only way to prevent this waste build up and replace vital trace elements is to physically change the water. The most common technique is to replace 20-30% of the aquarium water every month, now i personally recommend you replace 15% every fortnight; this is because if you replace 30% at once pH shock can harm your marine life, also fish are very sensitive to changes in salinity and temperature, so this will help reduce the shock of 1 major change. The water you are replacing must always be the same temperature, pH and salinity etc.

When changing the water a good idea is to use a powerhead to “rinse” all debris from rocks, corals and other items, then vacuum this out (as well as food debris) from the bottom of the tank using a gravel cleaner. This should be done as you siphon the water out into a bucket and discard it. The idea here is to stir up the detritus and suck it all out!

Ensure you replace the water with good quality water (i.e. dechlorinated, well mixed and the same temperature, salinity, specific gravity and pH as the rest of the tank) that you have prepared beforehand in clean containers.

Dont forget to unplug your heater before you conduct a water change as a dry heating unit can get very hot and may shatter when exposed to cold water.

2. Cleaning filters and equipment:

When you are conducting your water change a good idea is to clean out the filters and protein skimmers, getting rid of any debris and gunk you find, this will also let you get a handle on when any pads need to be replaced.  Also check the filter media such as activated carbon and top up or replace as necessary. You should do this monthly. Clean any pumps and powerheads too, this ensures optimal flow in your marine aquarium. These devices are very important in maintaining water quality and therefore keep your marine life alive, ensuring everything is in good working order is very important.

Cleaning the tank and equipment safely requires that you dont use any chemical that could kill you marine life (easier to do than you might think), buy a special aquarium cleaning product or make up a solution of a small amount of vinegar and water. This will keep you tank looking pristine.

3. Visual inspection of you marine aquarium:

This is the most simple but most important part of your maintenance routine, it should be done daily at feeding time and is your opportunity to observe your marine inhabitants to ensure they are eating properly, are disease symptom and damage free. It also gives you a chance to do a role call to ensure all your pets are present. If you spot anything wrong the key is to act fast to ensure the problem doesnt  get worse or disease spread to others.

4. Algae control:

Algae should be minimised and not completely eliminated as it does play a beneficial role in the marine aquarium ecosystem by filtering out nutrients (phosphate, nitrate) from the water and providing additional oxygen (although marine plants can do this). However algae can often get out of hand and start taking over your saltwater tank. Algae control should be part of your maintenance routine. Excessive amounts of nutrients and excess light (especially sunlight) causes algal breakouts. Manual removal of algae from tank walls and rocks can be very effective.  For more info on how to control algae see my “How To Win The battle Against Algae” post.

5. Water Quality Testing:

Ideally this should be done thoroughly every 2 weeks, things like temperature and pH should be checked weekly (temperature is very quick and can be checked daily using a good thermometer). pH test kits are quite cheap and regular testing will prevent problems. Other things you should test for are ammonia (should be 0 ppm), nitrates and nitrites (should be very low and consistant), oxygen and salinity.

If you adhere to a good, well documented maintenance schedule it will not only keep your saltwater aquarium looking its best but ensure optimal health of your marine life and help to prevent any costly problems and fatalities. I also recommend you keep a maintenance checklist and write down any observations.

For more information and expert advice on marine aquarium maintenance and many other vital subjects check out my ebook “Ultimate Secrets To Saltwater Fish and Invertebrates“ on www.Saltwater-Aquarium-Advice.com