Product Review - Koralia Water Pumps

Seems like everybody these days is catching on to the new Wave in water circulation technology, Koralia Pumps. Made by Hydor, a trusted name in reef aquarium equipment, these little pumps have quite a few advantages over standard powerheads.

Everyone knows that proper water flow, is vital to a saltwater reef aquarium. Corals are fragile creatures that need just the right conditions to thrive in a fish tank setting. Technology like this makes it possible to successfully keep many types of coral alive, that were considered difficult or impossible just a few years ago.

So what makes this little pump so special?

A New water circulation option.

The use of a powerhead is the easiest way to improve water movement in an aquarium. However, conventional powerheads are rigid and direct water in a limited fashion. The submersible Hydor Koralia propeller pump offers expanded water circulation options.

• This dynamic circulation pump directs vital water movement to areas of your aquarium never possible with conventional powerheads. The secret is its special magnetic base and articulating ball joint system. This allows a full, 360-degree range of movement to revitalize hard-to-access “dead spots” in your aquarium.
• Its patented propeller design generates water flow that is both powerful and delicate, making the Koralia a great choice for any aquarium, especially reef aquariums. In addition, they are put out a large wave as opposed to a small stream, like most other powerheads.
• Best of all, these units boast extremely low energy consumption, for virtually no heat transfer. Imagine, 400 gph at just 3.5 watts for the Nano model. Even more incredible is the new Magnum 8 which uses a mere 19 watts but is caplable of producing an amazing 3,250 gph.

See the entire line of Koralia Pumps at Drs. Foster & Smith

The Maine Reef Review

We have been using Koralias on our Maine Reef display Tank for over a year now, and I have to say, I am very pleased with the dependability and performance. Here are a few features that I believe make it worth the money.

• Easy access for cleaning and maintenance. With these powerheads you can easily see if the pump is clogged or that the impellor is running. No more guessing if your powerhead is working.
• Low power consumption makes the hobby more affordable, and sustainable.
• Rugged magnet mount. No need to worry about failed suction cups here. Stick it wherever you want and point it wherever you want.
• Large gentle wave flow. My coral loves it!
• Will run on a wavemaker. I have found that many powerheads just don’t like to start and stop.

All in all, I think this is a great, reliable product, and would highly recommend them for both novice and experienced aquariests alike.

How to Set up a Sump with Overflow Box for a Saltwater Aquarium.

Today we’re going to talk about the benefits of using a sump, as well as how to set one up on your saltwater aquarium. First of all what is a sump and how does it benefit my tank? A sump can simply be defined as a storage area for processing (filtering, heating, cooling, skimming) and recycling tank water. Here are some advantages to using a sump on a saltwater tank:

• Increased water volume. By increasing the water volume, you will have a more stable fish tank capable of holding more livestock. As an example, a 55 gallon tank without a sump might contain 35-40 gallons of saltwater after you subtract for sand and live rock. By adding a small sump below the tank, you can easily gain another 10-15 gallons of capacity without increasing tank size. This is more beneficial for smaller, nano type tanks.
• The sump allows you to place all your equipment; heater, protein skimmer, mechanical filtration, refugium, etc., out of site under the tank stand.
• Water level in tank always stays the same. Hopefully we all add fresh makeup water to the tank regularly, but without a sump, the water level in a tank will drop as evaporation occurs. This can be unsightly and problematic to have to add water to the tank directly on a regular basis. In a sump system the water level in the tank stays the same, but drops in the sump as water evaporates.
• Easy access! The sump creates an easy place to add makeup water and other chemicals to the tank, without having to move lighting or glass tops.
• Larger space for equipment. This allows for a larger skimmer and return pump as well as room for extra live rock etc.
• Extra filtration. A sump allows for a much greater level of filtration and flow in the aquarium, which means a healthier tank that can sustain a higher livestock load.
• Can serve many other purposes such as biofiltration, refugium, temporary livestock storage, etc.

So this all sounds great right? But how do we build it and how much will it cost? Here are some vedios to help you understand how it works and some cost effective ways of building a do it yourself sump.

Most of these videos use aquariums for sumps, which is what we recommend for ease of use, but you can also use a rubbermaid tote. Many times you can pick up used aquariums really cheap at yard sales or check with a local fish store. Here is a link to try for used aquariums. Try to find the largest aquarium/sump that you can find which will fit comfortably in the space you have available. A clear glass aquarium will allow for easier management later on since you can clearly see what’s going on in the entire tank, where a tote will only be visible from the top side. This is especially important for a small aquarium where space under the stand is limited. Keep in mind that you will have to get equipment in and out of the sump regularly for routine maintenance. Easy access also makes water changes and other maintenance tasks much more bearable.

Overflow Box

So now we have our sump container, but how does the water get to it from the tank?  Some newer tanks are sold “reef ready” which means they are drilled for an overflow and return line, however older/non drilled tanks often need to utilize an overflow box. Here is a video to help you understand how an overflow box works. In our next post we’ll talk about how to size the overflow box and return pump. More to come…. Check back soon!

Any aquarist needs to basically understand the nitrogen cycle. There is no requirement to become a scientist, just know what is going on. Then the dangers of stressing the aquarium will be better realized (as an example overfeeding, perhaps the main problem with fledgling aquarists?).

All the aquarist needs to do is provide the correct environment for the nitrogen cycle to function. This can be done in several ways that will not be gone into here….except to point out that the nitrogen cycle can reach its full function with some filtration methods and only partially reach it with others. As an example, full function can be reached with ‘live’ rock and partial function can be reached with a canister filter.

So, how does it work? The following is very simplified.

As part of normal aquarium life, livestock put waste into the seawater. In addition there is breakdown of other items such as algae which has died and similar. On top of that the livestock need food which is provided in the main by the aquarist. All of these will produce ammonia which is toxic. Left unchecked, ammonia will kill our livestock.

Provided a proper environment has been provided, nature comes to the rescue. A colony of bacteria (Nitrosomas) develop and they transform the ammonia into nitrite. The toxic ammonia has been dealt with but it has been converted to another toxin which is nearly as detrimental to livestock. Again, another colony of bacteria (Nitrobacter) transform the nitrite into nitrate. Now we are getting somewhere, nitrate is nowhere near as toxic as nitrite. Depending what they are, generally livestock can stand fairly high but varying concentrations of nitrate.

It is at this point that the nitrogen cycle has gone as far as it can in the example given above, the canister filter. All the bacteria have required is a suitable environment with a good supply of oxygen. The bacteria mentioned above operate in an oxygen rich environment.

If an aquarist with our example, a canister filter, wants to continue and deal with the nitrate, then another filter needs to be set up for this.

The aquarist who has used the other example, ‘live’ rock, need just let nature continue.

It is in fact best to keep nitrate at low levels, particularly with corals but not exclusively so. The natural nitrate reduction process is known as denitrification. Bacteria once again form a colony, but the environment they need is one very low in oxygen. This is called an anaerobic environment. As oxygen is mainly absent, the bacteria utilise the nitrate. In the process the nitrate is transformed into nitrogen gas. The nitrogen gas is released from the aquarium at the water surface.

There are other ways to remove nitrates (for example algae) but if the full natural cycle can be achieved then this is the best.

As can be seen, our example the canister filter is unable to deal with nitrate as the environment is totally oxygen rich. To deal with nitrate, a further special nitrate filter will need to be employed. Or, if nitrates are not too high, water changes may be sufficient.

‘Live’ rock (in sufficient quantity, good condition, and with acceptable water circulation) can deal with ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. The bacteria live on and within the rock.

There are filtration methods other than the two examples given. (’Live’ rock is however considered to be the best, and can be supplemented by a DSB (deep sand bed)). Whatever the filtration method employed, it must be pointed out that there are limits that any filter can deal with. So don’t overfeed. Don’t overstock (resist the “one more fish” temptation unless you are sure your stocking level will take it). Also be willing to carry out water quality tests. If the aquarium is new, allow time for the bacteria colonies to build, or for the ‘live’ rock to settle and ‘adjust’.

Next time you sit and view your seawater aquarium, think of the bacteria, nature’s engines, working for you.

Visit the ‘Salt Water Aquarium’ website if you are interested in learning more about the saltwater aquarium hobby.

This brings me on to an important point. The action of feeding is, unfortunately, one that can bring trouble, particularly with newcomers to the hobby. Overfeeding! It is easily done, and must be avoided. Overfeeding can upset the water parameters. Nitrate (NO3) and phosphate (PO4) are mainly introduced through food. So pollution through overfeeding should be avoided. If the aquarium is fitted with a DSB (deep sand bed), or a denitrator, or has algae growing, the problem can be minimised. However, whatever the equipment, overfeeding is bad. It goes without saying that the fish also need enough food.

Fish in the wild for the most part feed little and continuously during the day. This can be seen in the aquarium, the fish moving about t5he rocks looking for food or hanging in the current watching for a morsel to float along. So it would seem sensible to feed a little often during the day. This is correct, it is the best way and is often recommended.

Unfortunately, the lifestyle of the vast majority of aquarists makes this impossible. The need to go to work, for example. It doesn’t matter, the fish can still be fed successfully and they will remain healthy. Feeding fish twice a day is fine, provided it is done properly. This means the fish can be fed before work, and later on the return from work. In an older aquarium, fish will often find edible items, but not enough to sustain them. Fish often have particular dietary additions that should be provided so that they are healthy. Surgeon fish, as an example, need algae. There may be some in the aquarium but is this enough? Dried algae can be obtained in sheets, and some put in each day using a suitable anchor such as an algae clip. Know what your fish would eat naturally, and how (from a rock surface or the water column)? It is important that they receive a good and varied diet so that they are not emaciated in appearance. Fish should be well filled between the ’shoulders’ and generally be rounded (remember that some fish are naturally more thin. If in any doubt have a look at a picture in a reference book or on the internet).

What to feed? There are many types of fish food available to the marine aquarist. Flake is one of these and it is probable that flake is the main food of the majority of aquarium fish. There are various types of frozen fish food available, two of the main ones used being brine shrimp and mysis shrimp. In addition, there are freeze dried foods and others. In this case let’s look at frozen brine and mysis shrimp, also flake.

Flake Food. The flake that is bought should be marked that it is for marine fish. Use flakes from different manufacturers at different feedings if desired. The flakes are rich and contain the needs of the fish. Using some small tweezers, take out an amount of flake that the aquarist thinks will be sufficient for the number of fish. Put this into an eggcup, and add some RO (reverse osmosis) water to soak the flake. Using the tweezers, take out a small pinch of flake, it will be soggy and cling to the tweezers. Put the end of the tweezers into the seawater so the flake breaks free. Note how much has gone in. The fish will consume the flake with great gusto, chasing after it as it swirls in the water currents. When gone, they’ll be looking for more. Get another pinch with the tweezers, not too much. The fish will again attack the food. But some or possibly all may be losing interest. If some are losing interest, reduce the pinch size and put some more in. Is it quickly eaten? Or do the fish swim up and then ignore it? Feed less and less. Don’t hurry, give the fish plenty of time to chase the flakes down. Stop when overall the fish are not particularly interested, or better, a little before. The idea is to put flake in that the fish will eat quickly, and before it goes into rocks etc. Once the fish have been fed in this way on several occasions the aquarist will be aware of the amount of flake that will be required. If there is any flake in the eggcup at the end of the feeding exercise, throw it away, do not be tempted to put it into the aquarium. If during the feeding there isn’t enough, get some more and pre-soak it. Remember that the response of the fish to food will vary, so do not dump the overall amount into the aquarium at one go, even though the general amount that will be needed is known. Feed small amounts as described. It will then be reasonably certain that the food has mainly gone where it is intended, into the fish. Towards the end of a tin of flake, the flake is often very fragmented or even powdery. If this is the case, discard it and start with a new tin. The fish may ignore or miss a lot of very small particles, but it will still pollute.

Frozen Food (eg brine or mysis shrimp). Again, fish will chase these foods and consume them rapidly. These foods are not as nutritious as flake, but are definitely worth using nevertheless. Mysis is the more nutritious of the two. When buying them, obtain the variety marked ‘enriched’ which improves the situation. They are good for varying the diet and may also provide roughage. Frozen foods usually come in blister packs. Break open a blister and cut the contents when frozen into four. Replace into the freezer. When required, take out one of the quarters and defrost it in RO water. Do not defrost in a microwave. When the food is totally defrosted, drain off the water. Some aquarists rinse the food as well. Then place the food into the aquarium. The fish will be after it and it should disappear rapidly. If the fish still swim about looking for more, take another quarter, defrost it etc as before. Put it into the aquarium. Do the fish chase it and eat it all? Are they losing interest? Are any still apparently hungry? Put more in if required, but reduce even the quarter amount if only one or two seem interested. The aquarist will know how much frozen food the fish are likely to consume, but, as with flake, do not put it all in at once, feed it in small amounts.

There are many varieties of frozen food and it is recommended to try several in order to give the fish variety. Whatever the food, the principal of feeding remains the same as described.

Do not be afraid of underfeeding. If the fish do not eat enough, they will eat more at the next feeding.

Provide one feed of flake each day, either am or pm. The other feed can be a frozen food. As mentioned, to provide even more variety, different frozen foods can be fed each day, and flake can be from different manufacturers. Not all foods tried will be successful, so obviously stop with that type.

Many fish will mix in and obtain a sufficient share of food. However, be aware of the more timid ones that may not venture out too far from their cave. In that case, place food close to them (after the other fish have been fed) making sure the food supplied is not too large for their mouth. Flake and some frozen foods will not be suitable as the currents will move it away.

Do not be concerned if a day is missed because of other commitments, the fish will be hungrier when the food arrives. Do not attempt to compensate by feeding more food generally, feed as described.

As time passes the aquarist will find feeding as described very straightforward, and the feeding experience will be very pleasurable without endangering the overall aquarium habitat.

Visit the ‘Salt Water Aquarium’ website if you are interested in learning more about the saltwater aquarium hobby.

The purpose of acclimating is simple - the water that the animal is packaged in may have a different temperature, pH and salinity than that of your aquarium. Aquatic life (especially corals and invertebrates) are very sensitive to minor changes in water parameters therefore acclimatisation is a definite requirement for success.

There are two ways which are recommended to acclimatise your new purchase to your aquarium. Neither of these should be rushed and both should be performed with the aquarium lights off. The lights should also remain off for a further 6 to 12 hours after the animal has been introduced to the quarantine tank, or the main display tank, whichever you are using.

The Drip Method

The drip method of acclimatisation is normally used for more sensitive inhabitants, however more and more fish keepers are using this method for all livestock.

Before you commence with this method ensure that the lights on your aquarium are turned off. Also ensure that the lights in the room where you will be unpacking the fish are also turned down to a minimum. Bright lights will cause excessive stress to the fish.

Float the bag whilst it is still sealed in the aquarium for a minimum of 15 minutes. Do not open the bag at this stage. This allows the water in the bag to slowly adjust to the temperature of your aquarium.

Remove the bag from the aquarium and very carefully empty the contents of the bag into a marine safe receptacle (do not use too big a receptacle). Ensure that the animal is fully submerged. If the animal is an invertebrate do not allow it to come into contact with the air - they must remain submerged at all times.

You will need to use some airline so that you can set up a drip line from your main aquarium to the receptacle.

In your aquarium secure the airline tubing so that it cannot fall out. On the other end (the end which is in the receptacle) add an airline control valve (this will allow you to regulate the flow of water).

With the tubing in your aquarium submerged and the other end in the bucket start the siphon by gently sucking on the airline tube. This will start the siphon and water will start to pass from your main aquarium to the bucket. As soon as water begins to flow adjust the valve so that you are getting between 2 to 5 drops per second.

Now wait until the water in the receptacle doubles the initial amount, pause the siphon using the control valve, discard half of the water from the receptacle and start the siphon again using the control valve.

Wait until the water doubles again and then stop or break the siphon. You are now ready to introduce your animal to the aquarium.

If the animal is a fish then capture the fish using a proper aquatic net and release into the aquarium.

If the animal is a coral then you can simply lift it out of the receptacle and place it into the aquarium.

If the animal is an invertebrate then you will need to capture it under water and keep it under water until it is introduced into the aquarium. Try to retain as little as possible of the receptacle water when doing the transfer.

Discard the water from the receptacle - never introduce the water into your aquarium (apart from that necessary for invertebrates).

Leave the aquarium lights off for at least 6 - 12 hours after the introduction.

The Floating Bag Method

Before you commence ensure that the lights on your aquarium are turned off. Also ensure that the lights in the room where you will be unpacking the animal are turned down to a minimum. Bright lights will cause excessive stress to the animal.

Float the bag whilst it is still sealed in the aquarium for a minimum of 15 minutes. Do not open the bag at this stage. This allows the water in the bag to slowly adjust to the temperature of your aquarium.

Once a minimum of 15 minutes has passed open the bag as near to the top as possible and either attach this to the side of the aquarium, or create an air pocket in the top of the bag so that the bag will float.

Once the bag is open add half an egg cup of your aquarium water to the bag and wait 5 to 10 minutes.

After 5 to 10 minutes again add half an egg cup of your aquarium water to the bag and wait another 5 to 10 minutes.

Continue with this process until the bag is full.

Once the bag is full remove the bag from the water and discard at least half of the water from the bag.

Re-float the bag in the water and repeat the steps of adding half an egg cup of your aquarium water to the bag again until the bag is full (Remember to wait 5 to 10 minutes between each water addition)

Once the bag is full capture the fish using a proper aquatic net and release into the aquarium. Corals can be removed from the bag and placed in the aquarium. When some corals are touched they could produce a great deal of slime - this is nothing to worry about and is perfectly normal. However do not introduce any of the water into the aquarium. Invertebrates need to be released into the aquarium under the water. You should never allow them to be out of the water in air. To release invertebrates lower the bag into the aquarium and tease the animal out of the bag. Some of the water will escape into the aquarium, however attempt to keep this to a minimum.

Discard the water in the shipping bag - never introduce the water from the shipping bag into your aquarium.

Leave the aquarium lights off for at least 6 - 12 hours after the introduction to allow your new purchases to become acclimitised to their new home.

So there you go - 2 ways to properly introduce your fish, corals etc into your aquarium. It’s not hard, it just takes patience. Remember that it is very important to be patient. The acclimatisation period should take as long as needed.

Give you fish, corals and inverts the best possible chance of survival from the outset but acclimatising them correctly.

Visit the ‘Salt Water Aquarium’ website if you are interested in learning more about the saltwater aquarium hobby.

If the potential aquarist knows a friend who already has a healthy marine aquarium, then there is a source of advice available already. The friend will already have been through all the research and considerations. Often, however, the potential aquarist will want to find out for him/herself. That is very good, as the aquarium system will be understood thoroughly. Then there may not be a known marine aquarist available, so what is the first move? Dashing to the local shop and buying an aquarium and a few bits of equipment that the shop says is needed is totally incorrect.

The first move is to follow a planning scaffold. This scaffold will be the foundation for all the decisions that need to be made in building the system. There are quite a few decisions along the way and things can get a little confusing, even to someone who is experienced in the freshwater aquarium field. The scaffold will help.

The scaffold has to prepare the budding marine aquarist so that indicative costing on basic equipment provision can be made. Often marine aquarists have equipment laying about. This could have been caused by upgrading because the original equipment was not adequate and needed to be replaced. Money expended that perhaps need not have been.

So, the scaffold then. The following is a list of headings and basic notes. It does not attempt and is not intended to open a comprehensive path from zero to a fantastic fish only or reef tank. What it does do is give a lead to follow on the way towards a successful aquarium. No doubt extra considerations will arise on the way, and that’s as it should be, it means the planning is working. Each stage of planning needs individual consideration, and there will often be more than one decision to make. On the way, research using books and/or the internet is useful or necessary.

Where is it practical to site the aquarium?
Try to choose a location away from direct sunlight, to assist with proper lighting control. There should not be heavy and/or noisy household traffic passing (reasonable traffic is acceptable). There needs to be a reliable power supply available, ie. power outlets. Generally easy access to the aquarium is required. If floors are suspended, consider floor strength - aquariums full of seawater are heavy!

What size aquarium?
The aquarium should not stand on ordinary furniture, but on a properly designed stand. The aquarium may need a hood. These need to be taken into account. Then the available space for the aquarium can be considered.

What type of system?
The system can be fish only or reef. This decision affects other later decisions. Most will opt for a reef.

Sump or no sump?
A sump is a small aquarium that is attached to the main one. It supplies extra water capacity to the system, and allows heaters, sand beds and protein skimmers to be kept away from the display aquarium. The sump can be beside or underneath the display aquarium. A sump on any type system is highly recommended. (If a sump is to be used, the main aquarium will need to be drilled to allow plumbing to take water from the aquarium to the sump. It is then pumped back again.) Note: if a DSB (deep sand bed) or plenum (a raised DSB) is to be employed, the sand bed area should be at least 2/3rds of the base area of the main aquarium. The sand bed should be at least 4? deep. Consider the cost for the fine sand for the DSB. A DSB in the sump is highly recommended. Leave enough room for a partitioned area for the seawater return pump.

Lighting?
Is the system to be fish only or a reef? If fish only, then two marine fluorescents are sufficient. If reef then:

Hard corals.
Best lighting is halide, supplemented by actinic fluorescent tubes. T5 fluorescent tubes can be used (marine white and actinic equally mixed) but they do not penetrate the seawater as deeply.

Soft corals.
It is sufficient to use T5 fluorescent lighting (actinic and white mixed). Halide lighting can be used, however, and will not be detrimental (ensure corals exposed are light demanding varieties).

Net seawater capacity of aquarium and sump (if used)? This is easily calculated once the aquarium size and sump have been decided. This gallonage will be excessive as, when rocks and sand are added, it will decrease. Therefore, reduce the amount by 10%. This will still not be correct, but does give a reasonable allowance for displacement.

Seawater circulation?
The seawater in the display aquarium will need to be circulated for the health of the inhabitants whatever they are, but particularly in a reef system. It is recommended that a minimum of two powerheads are used to achieve this. The turnover of seawater in a reef needs to be around ten to twenty times the net capacity of the display aquarium (exclude the sump) per hour, depending on coral occupants.. In fish only systems, it can be less.

Protein skimmer?
A protein skimmer is essential for most systems(*), in particular where there is inexperience. The device is very useful as it helps significantly towards high water quality. The protein skimmer should be sized for around twice the net seawater capacity of the aquarium plus sump (if used). Now that the use of a sump (or not) has been decided, consider whether to use a hang-on or stand alone skimmer.
(* some mud based system designs do not require a skimmer.)

Heating?
The net gallonage of the system is known, so the heating need can be considered. (Note: it is best to purchase two heaters as this is a good safety feature for the aquarium inhabitants. Each heater should be one half of the total heating requirement.) In warm areas where temperatures are always above 80 deg F, the use of a seawater cooler (chiller) will replace heaters.

Return pump?
This only applies if using a sump. Seawater, once it has flowed to the sump, needs to be returned to the main aquarium. A pump is required for this. As a guide, the flow through the sump should be two or three times the net capacity of the system per hour. When considering the pump, remember to factor in the lift, that is the height from the pump level to the highest point that the returning seawater reaches before it enters the main aquarium.

‘Live’ rock.
This is used for filtration purposes (it is excellent for this) and for the construction of the reef. It can also be used in a fish only system. Allow 1½ lbs for each gallon that is in the entire system. There are other filtration methods, but ‘live’ rock coupled with a DSB in a sump is highly recommended.

Reverse osmosis (R/O) unit?
The R/O unit is a tap water filtration device that removes nearly all (around 95 to 98%) unwanted contaminants. Therefore the seawater mix is at its best from the start. It is highly recommended that R/O water is always used, including the first fill of the aquarium. R/O units come in different gallons per day outputs. Remember that usually the aquarium is filled completely only once. The normal routine water change amount is 10% of the net system gallonage weekly.

Dry salt mix?
There are several makes on the market. If keeping a reef system, obtain one that is ‘designed’ for reefs, as additional attention has been given to calcium content etc. Fish only systems can use ’standard’ mixes or as described above.

Make a list.
As each item is gone through, find out and write down the likely cost. If it is electrical, also write down the wattage (W).

The evidence. When all items are priced, add them up. This represents a general guideline to the cost of setting up. If electrical, add up the wattage. Divide the total wattage by 1000, this will give kilowatts. The cost of electricity per kilowatt will be known. Multiply the number of kilowatts, including any fraction, by the cost per kilowatt, this is the approximate electrical running cost of the system per day. To get weekly, multiply by seven. Monthly, multiply by four. Etc. (Note: lights can be considered as being on 50% of the day. Heaters/coolers will not be on all the time, but it is difficult to determine a guideline percentage.)

OK. The list is there and it indicates the guideline aquarium equipment cost and electrical running cost of the system. These will not be completely accurate but near enough to either dissuade the desire to have an aquarium or to go ahead. There are other costs, of course. For example, no account has been taken of the fish and/or corals that are to inhabit the aquarium. Then additional equipment, often considered later, might be obtained, such as a calcium reactor, a de-nitrator, or a canister filter etc. Maybe coarse coral sand up to 1? deep, will be used as a decoration in the display aquarium.

Nevertheless, the scaffold will have achieved its purpose, which is to generally guide the new aquarist down a path that cuts its way through what can be a confusing beginning.

Visit the ‘Salt Water Aquarium’ website if you are interested in learning more about the saltwater aquarium hobby.

When we look closely at the water which we keep our animals in there are loads and loads of elements all of which we are attempting to keep stable. By moving water around within the small confinements of the aquarium we are able to ensure that all of these elements are evenly distributed within the water. If no water movement was applied then it is feasible that areas of water within the aquarium could become more loaded in elements than other areas of the aquarium.

A good example of the above statement is that of the oxygen content and the effect this has upon the pH of the aquarium. If there is not enough water movement in the aquarium then the water is not able to take in any more oxygen and the CO2 levels in the aquarium will increase. Due to this increase the pH levels will actually decrease.

Another area which requires good water movement is that of chemical additives. The addition of chemical additives (by chemical additives I mean additives from a bottle, calcium reactor, kalk stirrer etc) into an aquarium which has little or no water movement will not allow the additives to mix in with the surrounding water. Whilst eventually the additives will mix in for a while there will be an area, or more where the water is not correct.

Above we have covered in general what is commonly termed as chemical in-balance. Whilst this is good enough on it’s own to ensure that you have good water movement it does not detail probably what is one of the main reasons as to why good water circulation is required - the movement of waste products.

You have placed animals into a confined environment and these animals produce waste, just like all animals do.

Without the correct amount of water circulation there will be areas in the aquarium where uneaten food, detritus etc will all build up. This waste then breaks down naturally and elevates various conditions within the aquarium which the filtration method of choice has to deal with.

Normally this is in areas like behind the rockwork, under the rockwork, between the rockwork or any other area of the aquarium which does not have enough water movement applied.

If you have opted to use live rock as your filtration medium then this build up of waste is also detrimental to the filtration capabilities of the rock itself. All of the tiny holes, nooks and crevices become jammed full of waste and the filtration is reduced.

Of course you can introduce a large amount of hermit crabs, snails, urchins etc to assist in the removal of this waste but isn’t it easier to stop it happening in the first place.

It is imperative that all rock structures be created open and enough water movement is applied over, through and around the rock work to prevent the above from occurring.

When we look at why we need good water movement there are times when this topic can become a bit technical and I apologise if this post has become that. There is one area which we need to look at to find out why it is required.

The ocean and the coral reef itself.

The ocean and the reef face has a huge amount of water movement, more and better than we can create in the aquarium (at the moment). There are devices which assist in the creation of almost natural water movement however at present I am of the opinion that there is simply nothing that can emulate the power of nature.

On the reef there are various areas of differing water movement. There is the reef face which is battered day in day out by water movement of tremendous force. There is the reef flat which whilst still strong water movement is nowhere like the reef face and there are the lagoons which are lower in water movement but still very strong. Of course there are many more areas of the reef which have differences in water movement, in fact every square foot of the reef is subjected to various and differing water patterns.

Whilst we can not emulate the power of the ocean we must try our best to copy it and implement a solution which is acceptable to the animals which we keep.

We must ensure that the animals receive the correct amount, frequency and strength of water movement as they would if they were in the wild. This is the same for many other things but the provision of two aspects are the most important - the correct lighting and the correct water circulation.

The next time you go to the ocean watch the sea. Even better if you go diving as you will be able to feel it. You will notice that the water circulation provided in the ocean is strong, varying and random. You will probably notice something else as well, the water movement is never forceful. By this I mean that whilst at times it may have the power to knock you off your feet it does not have the power to strip the skin from your legs.

All of the water movement is strong enough to move the water around, it is random so that not all of the waste goes the same way and it is a wide movement. Wide movement is probably a funny term to describe it but again this goes back to not being forceful. If you have hose pipe and turn in on then water will probably come out at a general speed, however if you stick your finger in the water jet will become narrower and therefore more forceful. This type of water movement could cause some damage albeit probably not from a hose pipe!

The implementation of good water movement however is sometimes hard to accomplish as each aquarium is different. There are various sizes and shapes of aquarium, all the aquascapes are different, the corals grow in different formations etc.

Visit the ‘Salt Water Aquarium’ website if you are interested in learning more about the saltwater aquarium hobby.

Joe Johnson… Handyman, Property Manager, Professional Reefer!

On a cold night in late October, my wife and I were driving around, on a dark, unmarked, dirt road, looking for the home of Joe Johnson, when I spotted the unmistakable blue glow of reef lights, glaring from a second story window. Yes we had arrived!

Joe politely escorted us into his living room, which by the way, looks more like a professional aquarium than someone’s home, where we both gazed in amazement at his three beautiful tanks.

40 gal. SPS Tank

Joe has been reef keeping for just over a year now, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at his tanks.

He attributes most of his success to the T5 lighting he uses on his two 40 gallon breeder aquariums. He has experimented with various bulb configurations, but now uses a mix of 420 & 460 atinics, as well as 10K and 18K bulbs. He recommends the T5’s for their strong light output and small size, which allows for a greater mix of bulb colors.

Joe’s favorite and 1st tank, is the 40 gallon breeder tank pictured at right. This beautiful tank features a mix of SPS and LPS corals. The custom built, closed circulation loop, delivers 1100 GPH, and that doesn’t even include the 4 Koralia power heads. He likes the high circulation, but admits it was difficult at first to not overwhelm the large polyp stonyies. Skimming is performed with a hang on Aqua C Remora. The tank is lit with 6- 36″ T5’s.

SPS Corals

When asked what advice he would give to new hobbyists, Joe says, “Be sure not to skimp on live rock. Quality live rock is very important to insure the tank is well established from the start.” He also mentions buying quality hardware. “Cheap equipment is just that, CHEAP, and will lead to problems down the road” He recommends people buy the best equipment they can afford, even if it means starting with a smaller tank.

Nice Lights!

2nd 40 Gallon Breeder. Zoo’s Galore!

40 Gallon Breeder

Joe has done an amazing job documenting the design and production of this wonderful tank. The entire project can be seen, start to finish, at: Salt Water Addicts of Maine. Another of his great recommendations is to take pictures of your tank once a week so that you can see your progress and to show growth. Here are some shots showing the progression.

This tank features a “coast to coast” overflow, 1000+gph w/6 port return manifold, 20 gallon custom sump, 3 Koralia nano power heads, Aqua C Urchin, & 5- 36″ T5’s.

Coast to Coast Overflow

Dry rock in place, coral frags added.

See how nicely the corals have developed after just a few months.

Joe likes the 40 Breeder tank because of the large footprint. “It allows for more surface area and a more aesthetically pleasing tank.”

Aquacultured Corals

Zooanthid coral

12 months old.

I like to give away frags of all my corals.” Joe says, “This insures against system crashes, and protects the species, by guaranteeing local availability should a crash occur. It also lets others share the beauty of rare corals.”

Joe is very adamant about the use of only aquacultured coral. “Aquacultured corals are great. The weaker corals, that can’t survive the aquarium environment, are weeded out in the process, so your guaranteed only those strong enough to thrive and grow in a tank.” He is constantly fragging his corals, because they grow quickly, and may harm other corals if allowed to touch. As far as coral placement, he recommends the following procedures: “When placing a new coral, move them around a few times until you find a place they are happy and color up, then be sure to glue down every piece. Accidental problems, like a coral being knocked into another coral are one of the biggest causes of coral deaths.”

"Duncan" LPS

Bio Diversity

Joe believes in a very diverse tank. The more diverse the better. He regularly mixes substrates, rock, and water from other saltwater reef tanks into his own systems to bring in new life to his systems. “Nature is very bio diverse, therefore your tank should be as well.”

Feeding

The massive growth and vibrant health of his corals probably has a lot to do with his feeding routine. Joe grow his own rotifers, which he feeds regularly to his coral along with a varied frozen diet. Copepods are also encouraged to grow in large clumps of vividly colored macro algae placed in all his tanks.

Growing coral food at home.

Live Stock

Joe seems to like a challenge when growing fish and coral. Recently his most recent success is Dendronephthia, a rare and extremely hard to keep coral. “The Dendronephthia is actually growing… I’m kind of surprised (pleasantly). Moving them under overhangs, but still with good current seemed to help. The larger of the two frags is encrusting the rock already”. He has also experimented with many other creatures as can be seen in the pictures below.

Hawkfish

angler fish

Maine tidepool tank

clownfish

Once all the research, planning and waiting is complete and the aquarium is full of water and has finally finished cycling you will finally be ready to introduce your first fish.

It is important to ensure that you make the right choice though as there are some fish which are suitable to be added at this stage and there are fish which are not.

Do you know what you are looking for in the selection of your first fish?

Firstly and foremost the fish you choose must be relatively hardy. The reason for this is that the saltwater aquarium is new and the water will not be completely stable. Another reason is that as aquarists we all make mistakes at one time or another and with having a hardy fish they are more forgiving to these mistakes.

You will probably have an idea as to the type of fish you would like to keep in your aquarium therefore it is imperative that this fish you choose now will be compatible with future tank mates. If you added an aggressive fish for example at the start then whenever you decided to add a new fish there would be fighting in the aquarium. Not what you want at this stage really is it.

Which fish are good fish to start with?

Below is a list of what I believe to be good starter fish for a saltwater aquarium. They are all relatively hardy, peaceful and none of them have special feeding requirements.

• Clownfish
• Orchid Dottyback
• Royal Gramma
• Blenny
• Chromis
• Firefish

Lets have a look at each of these in a little more detail :

Clown Fish

Clownfish

The clownfish to me is a fantastic little fish. The way it swims, the way it lives in corals etc and especially the colours - a great addition to any aquarium. They are also one of the most popular starter fish. They are quite hardy and are very well suited to captive life in an aquarium.

You can keep these singularly or you can keep them in pairs. When kept in pairs the most dominant fish sometimes will turn into a female and the two may even end up breeding.

There is a mis-belief that clown fish must be kept with an anemone. This simply is not the case. Clownfish will be more than happy in an aquarium without one. Anemones are quite hard to keep and at this stage of the aquariums life the aquarium is not yet ready for one, possibly neither are you.

There are various species of clownfish, however the best ones to start with are :

• Common clown (Amphiprion ocellaris)
• Black and white clown (Amphiprion ocellaris)
• Percula clown (Amphiprion percula)

Clownfish can be purchased tank bred and if this is an available option it is recommended that you follow this option.

Orchid Dottyback

The orchid dottyback (Fridmani pseudochromis) is a relatively peaceful fish which grows to around 3-4 inches in length. The good thing about the orchid dottyback is that they can be purchased tank bred.

One thing to be noted is that you should not mix this fish with other fish of the same shape (ie the royal gramma below) or with other dottybacks.

Once the fish has become accustomed to life in your aquarium it will become quite bold and swim happily around the aquarium.

Royal Gramma

Royal Gramma

Royal grammas (Gramma Loreto) are a peaceful fish with the exception of their own kind and are very colourful fish with the colours changing from purple to yellow along the fish’s body.

There are other fish which can easily be confused with the Royal Gramma as they look very similar so ensure that it actually is a Royal Gramma prior to purchasing it.

Blenny

There are a couple of blennies which in my opinion make good additions to the aquarium as starter fish and there are the Midas Blenny (Ecsenius midas) and the Bicolour Blenny (Ecsenius bicolor).

These are both fantastic to watch. They both like to either rest on a ledge or find a hole and simply watch the world go by.

Blue Chromis

Chromis

Chromis (Chromis viridis) are great to add to an aquarium. They are relatively hardy and if you have a larger aquarium then you can add a small group. They normally come in two colours (blue and green).

One of the good things about chromis is that they do not grow to be that large. They normally do not grow larger than 2 inches in length.

Firefish

The normal firefish (Nemateleotris magnifica) and then purple firefish (Nemateleotris decora) are great starter fish to add to the aquarium. Both of these are very colourful fish which grow to a maximum size of about 4 inches.

The firefish has a large dorsal fin which it uses to lock itself into a hole in the rocks which is normally down at the bottom. This hole is where the fish retires to when the lights go out but it also uses it when it becomes startled. These fish are prone to jumping when startled therefore you need to take care to prevent this.

Unless you can locate an established pair I would recommend that these are kept singularly.

Visit the ‘Salt Water Aquarium’ website if you are interested in learning more about the saltwater aquarium hobby.

Converting A Freshwater Aquarium To A Saltwater Aquarium

This is not an attempt to lay down railway lines for a converting aquarist to religiously follow, but hopefully a thought provoker that indicates some of what lies ahead.

Quite a number of freshwater aquarists are tempted to keep marines because they see a stunning aquarium somewhere, or they realize that keeping marines is not as difficult as they first thought, or they feel they have accumulated enough experience to make the change. Not all freshwater aquarists are the same of course. There are some really beautiful decorated freshwater aquariums about, and keeping one of these is as difficult as a reef aquarium.

Once the decision to change has been made, then the aquarist gets down to brass tacks. What next? What do I need? What can I use from the freshwater system?

The first owned item is, of course, the aquarium. The second the heater(s). The third, the canister filter.

The aquarium should be emptied and stripped. Once empty, it should be thoroughly rinsed in clean fresh water (tap water will do). Then it should be generally dried with clean cloths. There isn’t a need to use a sterilising agent as the aquarium is going to remain empty, dry and penetrated by air for a period, until the marine system is ready for assembly and use. If a sump has been in use this should receive the same treatment. If a sump has not been in use, then consideration should be given to having one. If it is decided to have one, have the aquarium drilled to receive the overflow plumbing.

The equipment needs to be obtained. A protein skimmer should be rated at around twice the net capacity of the aquarium system. The heaters are already available - if there is any doubt, or they have been in use for a long time, obtain new ones (two are best, rated at one half each of the required wattage). Circulation creation needs to be considered, by purchasing power heads, or an internal wave-maker, or both. A canister filter is already available, but it should be noted that this will be used for chemical and solids filtration only (bio-filtration is by other means).

Aquarium lighting needs some careful consideration. What does the aquarist intend to keep? It is likely that a fluorescent system is already owned, and this could be used on the marine system. However, the fluorescent tubes will need to be changed as the light spectrum will be incorrect. Actinic tubes combined with daylight types are required. Again, if the aquarist has a quite deep aquarium, and/or hard corals are to be kept, consideration should be given to metal halide lighting of the correct wattage and Kelvin rating.

It has already been stated that filtration will be other than a canister filter (it can be by canister filter(s) but these are not the modern recommended way). The filtration of choice is live rock. Live rock can be obtained as ’base’ which is cheaper, and ’premium’ or surface which costs more. The amount of rock is generally1½ lbs for each gallon in the system. The rock can deal with ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate (provided it is not abused, it has limits). Further enhancing filtration can be placed in the aquarium, such as a deep sand bed (DSB). This DSB can also be placed in the sump. A Plenum (a raised DSB) is another alternative, particularly in the sump. Algae (Caulerpa) filtration can also be put to use in the sump.

If a DSB is to be put in the sump, then decorative sand in a fairly thin layer can be placed in the aquarium.

If there is to be a high calcium demand (hard corals) consideration can be given to a calcium reactor. In the larger aquarium additives can prove expensive and impractical.

An automatic top-up system could be put to use, again a good addition to the larger system. A small aquarium can use these devices but they are more of a luxury.

Now what of the seawater. The first need is sufficient dry sea salt. The second, at least after the initial mix, is a saltwater safe container for routine water changes.

Actually considering fish and/or corals hasn’t been undertaken yet, apart from the lighting requirement for corals.

So the freshwater aquarist has some equipment. He/she also has the experience of keeping an aquarium, and has no doubt done research on it. On the change to saltwater it is evident that a lot more research is required, not because the saltwater hobby is particularly difficult, but because it is particularly different.

One thing the freshwater aquarist probably has is patience. This patience will prove to be of immense value.

Visit the ‘Salt Water Aquarium’ website if you are interested in learning more about the saltwater aquarium hobby.