Salty Aquarium

Compatibility Chart

noreply@blogger.com (The Aquarist) — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 07:34:00 -0500

Here's a handy compatibility chart for a bunch of the various marine species you might want to have!

It's not a totally complete chart, but is a good place to start....

Marine Fish & Invertebrates Compatibility Chart

Blank= OK, N= No, S=Sometimes, C=Caution
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30	31	32
1. Anemone fish									S									N	N				N
2. Angels							N		S																							C
3. Batfish							N		S		C					N	N
4. Blennies								N	S									N	N				N						N
5. Box/Trunks									S																							N
6. Butterflies									S		C																					N
7. Cardinals		N	N						S	N					N				N				N	S	N	N	N	N	N
8. Catfish				N								N		N			N													N
9. Croakers	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S
10. Damsels							N		S									N	N				N	S		N			N
11. Dottybacks			C			C			S			C	C	C	N			N	C				C	S						C	C
12. Dragonets								N	S		C				N			N	N			N	N	S	N	N		N	N		N
13. Filefish									S		C		C					N	N				N	S	N	N		N	N			N
14. Gobies								N	S		C				N			N	N				N	S			N
15. Grunts							N		S		N	N		N			N							S						N		N
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30	31	32
16. Hawkfish			N						S										N				N	S		N
17. Jawfish			N					N	S						N			N	N				N	S	N	N		N
18. Lionfish	N			N					S	N	N	N	N	N			N							S						N
19. Moray Eels	N			N			N		S	N	C	N	N	N		N	N							S						N
20. Porcupinefish									S												N			S								N
21. Puffers									S											N				S								N
22. Rabbitfish									S			N												S						N		C
23. Sea Bass/Groupers	N			N			N		S	N	C	N	N	N		N	N							S								C
24. Seahorses/Pipes	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S
25. Snappers							N		S			N	N				N							S								N
26. Squirrelfish							N		S	N		N	N	N		N	N							S						C		C
27. Surgeon/Tangs							N		S															S
28. Sweetlips							N		S			N	N				N							S								N
29. Triggers				N			N		S	N		N	N											S								N
30. Wormfish								N	S		C				N			N	N			N		S		C
31. Wrasses									S		C	N												S								C
32. Inverts		C			N	N							N			N				N	N	C	C		N	C		N	N		C
Correct Reef Husbandry	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30	31	32

(Sorry, if you can't see the whole things and it's cut off... I'll try to fix that)

This isn't everything that you need to know about mixing all the various species of marine animals together, it is also highly suggested that for each marine species you are interested in that you research specifically and in detail about the various types of creatures you want to keep together!

Again this is just a starting point.... Complete your research by looking into each of the various species you are interested in.

- Jay

A Cycled vs Mature Aquarium

noreply@blogger.com (The Aquarist) — Thu, 12 Jan 2006 07:04:00 -0500

Finally!

The long-awaited post about a cycled aquarium vs a mature aquarium!

To distinguish between the two we must go all the way to the beginning, the very first thing you do when you have your tank set up... At first you start out with nothing but the equipment. You have your tank, your filter, a light and hood/fixture, maybe a heater or chiller, your saltwater is all mixed up and you've filled your tank with it and some decorations perhaps. But it's not an aquarium yet, there's absolutely nothing in your tank that's alive yet!

The very moment that you put a living organism into your aquarium you begin the cycling process. But what is the cycling process?

Simply the cycling process occurs when a living organism produces Ammonia as a waste product, which could be from excretion or death and decomposition in the aquarium. The cycling process is the process in which bacteria forms to break the Ammonia (bad and harmful to aquaria) down to Nitrate (or even to Nitrogen gas - which then leaves the aquarium).

Two types of bacteria are needed to break down the Ammonia into Nitrate (a less harmful substance, but is still harmful in higher amounts - which is why we do water changes), the first type of bacteria breaks down the ammonia into Nitrite (which is not as harmful as ammonia, but even in small amounts adversely affects aquaria). A second type of bacteria develops and breaks down the Nitrite into Nitrate (which isn't as harmful until at higher quantities. These two types of bacteria are aerobic, meaning that they need oxygen to do their job in breaking down the Ammonia to Nitrate. This is why a filter is needed and perhaps an extra airpump or powerheads in the aquarium. The movement of the water - particularly at the surface - is what gets more oxygen into the aquarium for the bacteria to do it's job and protect your fish. (This is why power outages can be so damaging to your fish!)

There is the possibility for a third form of bacteria to form in your aquarium that breaks down the Nitrate to Nitrogen gas, which then floats to the surface and leaves the aquarium. However, maintaining a population of this form of bacteria is very complicated and involves delicacy. Even if you are able to get this form of bacteria to stay in your aquarium and you don't maintain high levels of Nitrates you will still have to do water changes anyways! You can't ever really get away from doing water changes, no matter how balanced your aquarium may come to be.

Imagine being in a 20' X 20' room with five other people. Then imagine that that room, it's atmosphere and all are closed off to the outside world. You still always have enough oxygen food and water. But you never get any new air or atmosphere. Now imagine being in that room with those people for a month straight. So for a month you don't get any new air/atmosphere. After even a week can you imagine what the air and atmosphere in the room would be like? Imagine it at a month?

This is what it is like for the fish in the aquarium but instead of air as their 'atmosphere' it's water. They would like to have a full gill of clean water as we would like a full lung of fresh water, so keep this in mind whenever you think about your fish! And do some water changes - maybe more frequently.

That's what cycling an aquarium is in a nutshell, and why water changes are so important. Next, I will describe what makes an aquarium 'mature'.

Jay Kahn

Fish Aquarium: Saltwater Aquarium

noreply@blogger.com (The Aquarist) — Thu, 5 Jan 2006 03:08:00 -0500

Fish Aquarium: Saltwater Aquarium:

"Saltwater aquariums are for fish that can only live in salt water obviously. Some of the fish are grouped for example triggers and groupers. Each play their part in the salt water aquarium set up."

This is an obvious post that I found that has, what might seem to be, obvious information that's really unspecific and not extremely helpful.

Why am I posting it here?

I'm not extremely too sure, but maybe you might find it interesting, or funny, or something!

Regards,

Jay

PS... The holidays have kept me busier than I hoped and I still promise to post about cycling and maturing a tank - like I promised in my last post! But I just came accross this and thought it was interesting.... Til then!

Mandarine Goby

noreply@blogger.com (The Aquarist) — Thu, 10 Nov 2005 06:21:00 -0500

gerona: My Saltwater Marine Aquarium 1:

"1 mandarin goby {US $25}"

Let me post another comment that I thought would be good for most people who are interested in keeping Mandarine Gobies!..

I saw that Air Milkay had this on his list of fish he had, and this comment is for people with newer tanks... or may not know much about the Mandarines

First off, Mandarines are very, VERY delicate fish. They are extremely difficult to keep happy in a tank without the right environment.

One of the most difficult things that makes them so hard to keep is their diet. They won't eat the fish food that you would buy! - if they do it's only a small amount but will never eat it as a staple! They will only eat the little inverts that are found living on 'live' rock and the such.

Because they only eat the little critters that live on the 'live' rock, Mandarines need to be in a tank with at least 60 lbs of 'live' rock each for an ample supply of food!!

Once you get enough 'live' rock it may take a little bit of time a month or a few for the live rock to be adequately cured and enough of a population of the little inverts to develop before getting a Mandarine Goby would be something you could consider - but not until that point... just work towards creating the right conditions first!

Because of these facts about the Mandarine's diet requirements and the fact that they are quite delicate animals, they don't make good fish to get within the first couple months of starting your saltwater aquarium, at least.

If you don't want to learn a tough lesson that will literally cost you $25 or whatever the price of a Mandarine Goby is in your area, you shouldn't get one until you have the environment and conditions they need - as described briefly above!

(Note: There are other factors to consider in getting a Mandarine Goby, but I have just explained some of the biggest issues that should deter you from making the wrong decision and what you really need to successfully keep a Mandarine - there are still some other details you need to check first: such as compatibility, water quality, tank size, etc... but this is not an ultimately inclusive list)

A Mandarine Goby should really only be introduced when your tank has matured!

And there is a huge difference between being cycled and matured... but that's a different post for a different time!...

So the next post will be about cycling and maturing your tank... which might even take a few posts to describe each and the difference!

Talk to you soon...

- Jay

Let Me Help You Out

noreply@blogger.com (The Aquarist) — Thu, 10 Nov 2005 05:54:00 -0500

gerona: My Saltwater Marine Aquarium 1:

"55 gallonns {48 inches long by 14 inches wide and 24 inches deep} saltwater marine aquarium in the early stages of becoming a reef aquarium."

I just left a helpful comment on this blog for the owner, Air Milkay. Check it out if you are just starting your saltwater tank and are plannin on keeping damsels, I left a nice word of warning - that anyone who wants to keep these fish should know.

Just look in the comments section and look for my name Jay Kahn, and you will see what I wrote... which was actually quite a lot... (Which is why I don't want to repost it here!)

Also, if anyone wants some help with any sort of trouble that they are having with their tanks/aquariums or saltwater life I am more than willing to help... just post a comment with some information and I will try to help you out whenever I can... I will even post about it if I think it is a common problem that many people might have.

.... I am always eager to make more posts on my blog to help others out!!

So let me help you!!

- Jay

One Fish, Phoney Fish, Robo-Fish

noreply@blogger.com (The Aquarist) — Mon, 10 Oct 2005 19:50:00 -0500

CBBC Newsround | Sci/Tech | 'Robofish' swims into UK aquarium:

"Real Fish Companions

The three robots will live in the tank with real fish and will be on display in the London Aquarium.

In July 2003 a shark model called Roboshark 2 was put into a tank with fish at the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth."

Really cool... a robo-fish!!! The one that will never die on you... just charge it up again!

Fascinating!

Jay

Another Excellent Blog Out There!

noreply@blogger.com (The Aquarist) — Tue, 4 Oct 2005 14:45:00 -0500

I found this other great blog you might wanna bookmark and follow too:

Think Reef - Reef Aquarium Info:

"This site is dedicated to my passion for coral reef aquariums"

Why should I copy what has already been done so well?... So, I'll just re-direct you to another great blog out there that has a bunch of great resources.

I'm not going to repost what's already there, but a lot of what's there is some of the best stuff I've read in a blog about the saltwater/marine aquarium hobby...

But this is one blog for you to check out that is great!

Jay

AquaResearch - The Research That's Fun

noreply@blogger.com (The Aquarist) — Wed, 14 Sep 2005 20:52:00 -0500

Your First Marine Tank - Fish:

"Saltwater tanks require a lot of know-how to establish and maintain. You might want to decide what type of marine tank you will enjoy before you get started.

There is a mystique to the marine tank - the fish are generally more colorful and exotic. Reef tanks and invertebrate tanks are certainly so - their environments seem very alien to land dwellers like ourselves.

Salt tanks have a reputation of being expensive to set-up, complicated to run, and more apt to fail. For sure, marine tanks are not the best choice for beginners. Newbie marine enthusiasts would do well to read every saltwater aquarium book they can lay hands on, and study, study, study. Consider carefully whether you will be able to maintain the expense and interest level to keep a nice, healthy tank going."

Grade AA quality advice!

There is nothing better than to get started out on the best foot as possible. And there is no better way to do that than by doing your research and really understanding everything about keeping a saltwater aquarium.

The research process that you go through in the beginning can actually be the most fun part of the entire process. You are learning new and interesting things, and aren't limited by your tank - just your imagination, the possibilities are endless. Plus, you don't have all the difficulties and chores that come along with actually having a marine aquarium set up!

Before you get into it, get to know it. Like I've said before "know it like nothing else."

Jay Kahn

Sad Farewell To The Fish

noreply@blogger.com (The Aquarist) — Tue, 13 Sep 2005 20:58:00 -0500

Katrina's culture shock - Culture - The Washington Times, America's Newspaper:

"Some institutions, especially aquariums and gardens, could suffer further from a lack of power or diesel fuel for generators to maintain life-support systems.

Most of the saltwater and freshwater fish were lost at the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas at the foot of Canal Street in New Orleans, while sea otters, penguins, raptors and a white alligator were saved, officials said."

Another post about the devastation of Hurricane Katrina on the Audobon Aquarium. This one states that most of the fish that were there had been lost. This has got to be a big loss for them, though they were able to save many of their other creatures that they had.

Jay

Don't Forget The Fish

noreply@blogger.com (The Aquarist) — Tue, 13 Sep 2005 20:52:00 -0500

Lexington Herald-Leader | 09/08/2005 | DISPATCHES FROM ANIMAL RESCUERS:

"A team from the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas near New Orleans was preparing to rescue the remaining animals. Later this week, they will send sea otters, sea dragons, penguins, a 120-gallon tank of freshwater fish and a few saltwater fish to other aquariums. Macaws, raptors and an electric eel will be going to the New Orleans Audubon Zoo, which is in good shape."

In the devastation of Hurricane Katrina many are working feverishly to clean out the city of New Orleans and rescuing people.

However, the beloved pets of many people are being rescued. Also, the Audobon Aquarium is rescuing its animals including the freshwater and saltwater marine fish from its tanks. This is one big job.

Jay

Great Comment - Thanks

noreply@blogger.com (The Aquarist) — Sat, 10 Sep 2005 18:52:00 -0500

Comment:

"You have a knack for writing. I read about 20 blogs a day, and skim about 30 more, so I mean it! We can all use improvement, but you certainly are better than most I've read.

Dave, King of All Keywords"

Thanks a lot Dave for the great comment.

I'm just doing what I love to do best, which might be part of the key to doing so well... I really hope that people are benefitting from my posts!

Keep leaving the good comments, I really appreciate them and like to know how I am helping you out!

Also, if there's anything you want to know leave a comment and I will try to address the topic!

Jay Kahn

Know It Like Nothing Else

noreply@blogger.com (The Aquarist) — Sat, 10 Sep 2005 18:33:00 -0500

Thoughts of the Air Writer:

"My dad is trying to find out everything he can about marine aquariums. And when I say everything, I mean everything. He's actually reading books on the subject! I think he knows enough to start a public aquarium!"

When it comes to saltwater aquariums and fishkeeping, or any other name of the hobby that you prefer, you can never learn or know too much!

A truly successful person in the hobby of marine aquariums will have done tons of research and know it like nothing else so to speak. They will know what they really want of it and want their aquarium to be like. They will have planned out their entrance as perfect as they can, and are fully aware that they WILL get disapointed, but they are prepared to keep working through whatever comes their way or whatever set backs they have.

So the question to ask yourself is:' Are you preparing yourself to be successful?

Do what this bloggers dad is doing.... and educate yourself... Know it like nothing else!!!

Jay Kahn

Dolphins Stay At Best Western To Wait For Katrina To Pass By

noreply@blogger.com (The Aquarist) — Wed, 31 Aug 2005 16:33:00 -0500

CBS News | Dolphins Weather Storm In Pool | August 31, 2005%uFFFD15:30:57:

"Three dolphins from a Gulfport, Miss. aquarium rode out Hurricane Katrina in a local hotel swimming pool."

They actually were in the pool, and stayed there to protect them from hurricane Katrina. Transferred hours before the storm hit. They are doing well. And the guests at the hotel certainly have enjoyed them.

Jay Kahn

Breeding Clownfish

noreply@blogger.com (The Aquarist) — Sat, 13 Aug 2005 20:35:00 -0500

By William Berg

Thanks to Disney's Motion Picture 'Finding Nemo', almost everybody is familiar with clownfish.

Clownfish, or Anemonefishes, from the family Pomacentridae, are one of the easiest tropical marine aquarium fish to breed. Clownfish regularly lay eggs in aquariums. They have quite large eggs and larvae, and since the larvae easily eat cultured live foods, raising them is somewhat simpler than it is with many other marine species.

You need to get a pair if you want to breed clownfish, and that's quite interesting - believe it or not, clownfish are all born as males! When they are adults, the largest and the most dominant fish of the group will undergo a sex change and become a female. The second largest usually becomes the breeding male, while all the other fish remain juveniles and gender-neutral. If the breeding female disappears, the breeding male will change to a female, and so on. Buying an established pair may be a reasonable way to go, but it is often better to have a group of juveniles growing up together. If you choose to buy a pair you should look for a pair that goes around together. Sometimes you can be lucky enough to get a pair already spawning. Anyhow, establishing an adult pair can be a little tricky; and you need to keep your eyes on them to make sure that the female doesn't kill the male.

The next thing is to set up the tank. The tank should be large enough, approximately 200 liters for the breeding pair. It is better to keep a pair alone in an aquarium when trying to spawn clownfish.

The aquarium should be furnished with a nice anemone, a few live rocks and other rocky substances with a vertical surface, a layer of coral sand on the bottom, bright lighting, good filtration, and a protein skimmer. Your clownfish should be stress free, which means no aggressive tank mates and good water quality. As for feeding, clownfish need a mixed diet of fresh raw seafood and vegetables. A good diet includes prawns, mussels, and squid. It is best to feed small bits at regular intervals.

Spanning can begin 1 to 12 months after the fish have settled into their new home. When the fish are ready to spawn, they become very aggressive. The male clownfish will dance up and down in front of the female (also known as "clownfish waggle"). They will also start to clean their selected rock by robustly biting it. The spawning itself usually occurs in the afternoon or early evening. Once the spawning is complete (within several hours) the male takes on responsibility for attending the eggs, whereas the female acts as protector of the eggs and supervisor of her male.

Spawning is likely to occur again at intervals of 12 to 18 days. The eggs should be left in the care of the parents and not removed, unless the parents are known to be egg eaters. At first the eggs are a bright orange colour, but after several days this diminishes and the eyes appear. Hatching usually takes from 6 to 15 days, depending on temperature.

The most critical stage of the fry is the first 10 days of their larvae span. If you can get your fry to survive this period the rest of their raising should be easier.

About The Author Article by William Berg writer for Aquatic Community with more then 20 years of aquarium experience. Find more of Williams articles about Piranhas or maybe something completely different like a Clown loach Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Shark By Test Tube (Might It Spawn More)

noreply@blogger.com (The Aquarist) — Sat, 6 Aug 2005 08:21:00 -0500

Australia seeks to breed test-tube sharks:

"The endangered gray nurse shark is its own worst enemy -- its young eat each other in the womb -- so Australian scientists have a radical rescue plan to artificially inseminate and breed the ocean predator in test-tubes."

This is a rather fascinating article - Read more about it if you want to know...

Might this just be the beginning of something bigger? Might other rarer species find their way into our aquariums by similar means?

Jay

Can You Beat This

noreply@blogger.com (The Aquarist) — Sun, 31 Jul 2005 22:21:00 -0500

Paul's Saltwater Aquarium: Like a kid in a candy store...

Check out this guys amazing saltwater setup with a homemade cabinet and lighting an' all.

It's really amazing... worth the look!

Jay

Protecting For Profits

noreply@blogger.com (The Aquarist) — Sun, 31 Jul 2005 03:56:00 -0500

In Fiji locals grow "live rock" for aquarium trade with university help:

"Instead of breaking off pieces of live coral reef substrate - called 'live rock' - for sale to the saltwater aquarium industry, villagers planted a crop of synthetic rock that becomes naturally covered by desirable species. Villagers recently harvested it."

KUDOS!! Protecting their reefs and gaining such valuable economic benefits for the locals. More methods like this ought to be implemented throughout the world and many other areas of the aquarium trade industry.

Jay

How They Do It

noreply@blogger.com (The Aquarist) — Sun, 31 Jul 2005 03:50:00 -0500

A pinch of salt may aid coral growth:

"By exposing embryonic coral cells to concentrated salt water, researchers at St. Louis' World Aquarium have been able to accelerate the growth of this notoriously sluggish species.

'With this rate of growth, we think coral-reef growth can be dramatically altered across the planet,' said Leonard Sonnenschein, president of the World Aquarium."

How all so very fascinating.

This is probably what was being referred to in an earlier post I made. Sounds like they are just able to propogate certain corals faster, not necessarily grow out older specimans faster (but who knows... maybe they'll find out).

Jay

The Real Value Of A Setup

noreply@blogger.com (The Aquarist) — Thu, 28 Jul 2005 13:35:00 -0500

Saltwater Aquariums. All Aquariums! >> Blog Archive >> Setup a Saltwater Aquarium:

"The real biggest factor in purchasing Setup a Saltwater Aquarium is the total cost. That is what determines real value. Total cost is not just price of the Setup a Saltwater Aquarium product, but what you'll actually get for the price. Most people think the most important determining factor in a sale is the price. But recent studies show that consumers ranked price no higher than 9th and, on average, 13th in its level of importance.

So before you snap at the lowest priced Setup a Saltwater Aquarium around, have a think about what the real value is to you."

This is fantastic advice!

Had to just pass it on to you,

Jay

A Funeral for Nemo

noreply@blogger.com (The Aquarist) — Thu, 28 Jul 2005 13:31:00 -0500

Funeral for a fish 07/28/05:

"It was just a simple funeral for a fish, something I'd done several times before...

But Sunday night, when one of our new clownfish was wedged upside down under one of the rocks in our saltwater aquarium, it was tough. We'd only had the little fellow - a Nemo clone - for a few weeks. (And that's certainly not the way I expected to 'find Nemo.')

I scooped him up and did the duty: put him in a plastic cup, carried him to the bathroom and pushed the handle. A second later, he was swirling away forever.

This time, though, I'm pretty sure the pipe doesn't empty into the ocean."

It is really tought when your first clownfish, or a clownfish you've had for only a short time unexpectedly goes on you. Especially at a substantial cost that they typically go for, and the attachment you get to them - whether it be because of the movie "Finding Nemo" or anything else.

There is a small token in there for parents to keep in mind when getting fish with small children. All drains do NOT lead to the ocean, like the movie "Finding Nemo" popularized with young kids. They can't set their fish free or send it back to the ocean by flushing it down the toilet or otherwise. Please make sure your child understands this, or you might see your fish disapearing.

Jay

An Overgrown Coral Reef?

noreply@blogger.com (The Aquarist) — Sat, 23 Jul 2005 23:47:00 -0500

Scientists speed coral growth:

"The key to saving coral, a crucial oceanic species, just might have sprung from the muddy banks of the Mississippi.

By exposing embryonic coral cells to concentrated salt water, researchers at St. Louis' World Aquarium have been able to accelerate the growth of this notoriously sluggish species."

The coral reefs are struggling for survival all around the world. We should do our part to help restore them and help build them again.

This could be wonderful discovery to do just that.

But could this also cause the coral reefs to "overgrow"?
Could the coral reefs become a nausience by growing too big?
Could some species that accept this method kill off other species that are less receptive to this method?

Let me know what you think about it... leave a comment!

Think about it,

Jay Kahn

Size DOES Matter

noreply@blogger.com (The Aquarist) — Sat, 23 Jul 2005 23:41:00 -0500

Laugh for Mama: Fishbowl Vase:

"I decided right then that I WOULD have a fishbowl reef tank."

If your a beginner take note: THIS IS A REALLY BAD IDEA FOR YOU TO HAVE!! The larger the tank is the easier it is to maintain (with a modest stock of animalia). The smaller the fishtank gets the more difficult is gets to maintain and take care of and ensure a healthy environment for the inhabitants. This is because the water quality in a larger tank, because there's more water, doesn't change as quick as a smaller sized tank with less water.

Anyone who gets in the hobby should start with as big of a tank as they can with few fish/coral in it. And if, and only if, they want to be challenged a little more should set up smaller tanks to take care of and/or add to the population in the large tank.

Never, ever... EVER... get started in the saltwater aquarium hobby with a small tank. Even though a smaller tank would perhaps be cheaper, you will never get the satisfaction from it because it will seem like you are constantly having to do things with it.

With all best intentions,

Jay Kahn

Aquascaping Reality!

noreply@blogger.com (The Aquarist) — Sat, 23 Jul 2005 23:25:00 -0500

Natures Inspiration:

"As you know, there are no rules for aquascaping your reef aquarium, it is an art and only you can decide what will suit your taste best."

Perhaps there may be no rules for aquascaping, but it sure as heck can be pretty tough for some people... even to get it to work out the way they want.

It isn't as easy and clear cut as it may seem to be. Of course, everything you want to do probably won't work out right - you won't be able to find the right stones for the right effect, you can't find the best looking corals or other pieces and in some cases they may plainly just look bad in your tank.

Everyone ought to really think through their aquascaping, and not become too attached to their coneptualization - otherwise they will be massively disapointed when things don't work out as they had hoped. Set a realistic aquaxcaping goal, and plan on it not working out and do your best to work out the kinks you come accross.

The best of success,
Jay Kahn

Big Dreams: Be Successful

noreply@blogger.com (The Aquarist) — Wed, 13 Jul 2005 11:44:00 -0500

EVERYDAY IS A NEW DAY: Angsty Amateur Aquarists:

We started off with big dreams, as colorful and lively as the animated movie Finding Nemo, a miniscule version of the Underwater World at Sentosa. We got ourselves a couple of clown fish, blue tangs, damsels, goby, gramma, firefish together with a handful of soft and hard corals, sponges and live rocks with great hope to one day become invincible aquarists. The thing with maintaining a mini reef, you gotta have a manic obsessive streak in you to have the will to constantly check the balance of an artificial ecosystem.

For three years, my house became a marine biology lab, with sticky floors and home-made raw seasalt crystallizing on various surfaces...

For how many of us is this a reality? We all start out with great dreams, and then in our enthusiasm it becomes one big science project of trial and error trying to make that dream come true!

I like how it is put at one point in the post - he says "It was an expensive mistake, we had to correct all shortcomings with more expensive mistakes" - which is quite a reality for many aquarists.

Read one person's attempts at a saltwater setup, and become encouraged to be more knowledgeable about what you are getting yourself into when you get into the saltwater aquarium hobby. Don't let this happen to you, save yourself a lot of time, hassle, and money.

Sincerely,
Jay Kahn

The real truths about the great white shark

noreply@blogger.com (The Aquarist) — Wed, 13 Jul 2005 11:31:00 -0500

Great White Shark: The truth about great white sharks finally comes out!

Marine biologists and educators have urged people to shed the perception of the great white shark as a vengeful, man-eating machine in favor of an intelligent, misunderstood, ancient sea creature.

Do you really know the truth?
Or do you still hold those same old perceptions?

Read this article to truly know about the Great White Shark.

Jay Kahn