May. 4, 2006 - How to Plan a Saltwater Aquarium System

How to Plan a Saltwater Aquarium System

From Stan & Debbie Hauter

When wanting to start a saltwater aquarium, first of all keep in mind that there is no one right way to do it. However, although your options are open and you can choose to set up a system anyway you like, it is recommended to take the time to research and learn all you can about saltwater aquarium keeping, prior to jumping in.

This is a wise decision because it will help you to be better prepared to start and care for your aquarium and the marinelife you decide to keep in it, BEFORE you go out and buy anything. It also helps you avoid a no-clue or shot-in-the-dark approach, which can be quite frustrating for a beginning saltwater hobbyist.

Here's What To Do:

1 ) Decide on what type of system you want.

• FO (Fish-Only) System: This is an aquarium that contains fish, and no live corals or rocks. Instead decorative items such as non-living rocks, shells, and dried, artificial or synthetic corals are placed in the aquarium with fish. Very often some "compatible" tank cleaning crustaceans or janitors such as algae and detritus eating true crabs, hermit crabs, and snails are included.

Tip: If you decide to start out with a fish-only system, it is not a bad idea to design and make filtration and equipment choices with the thought in mind that you may want to make the transition into the realm of reefkeeping in the future.
• FOWLR (Fish-Only With Live Rock) System: This type of aquarium usually consists of a combination of fish with some crustacean and invertebrate tank janitors that are compatible with one another as well as the life that grows on live rock, such as sessile invertebrates that may be present. No live corals are included.
• Reef Tank System: Incorporates the use of live rock, soft and/or stony corals, sessile invertebrates, some reef compatible janitorial type motile invertebrates and crustaceans, and usually only a few reef compatible fish, or even no fish at all. 

• 2 ) In our opinion one can never have too many saltwater aquarium keeping books for your reference library, but to begin with you should buy a few good starter books that are based around the type of system you going to be setting up. You should also purchase some specific or overall fish, invertebrate, and coral care/profile books.

• 3) Go over our equipment and components checklist of items for getting started, and from it make a list of everything you will need for the particular type of system you have decided to set up.

  4) This is the ideal time to plan out what livestock you want to have in your aquarium by making a species community list. Why? Because the decision you make when choosing some of the items you'll need for your system, such as the substrate material, factor into what will be best for the kinds of animals you are going to keep.

  5) Now do research on all the items on your list, make your selections, and put together a shopping list of all the items you need to buy.

  6 ) When you have everything ready, just follow our guideline of 10 Easy Aquarium Set Up Steps to get your new aquarium set up and running.

May. 3, 2006 - Biological, Mechanical & Chemical Filtration Choices

Biological, Mechanical & Chemical Filtration Choices

For a basic fish-only tank, keep it simple. Use non-living sand or gravel media for the bottom of the tank, which will eventually become the living biological media base, or start out with live sand or another form of live substrate to reduce the cycling time. Then, combine this with a nice arrangement of non-living rocks, dried or synthetic corals, decorative shells, and a few select fish. It is important to be sure and supply ample cover for all of your fish so they are comfortable, and don't have to compete for territory because of a housing shortage.

That being said, what choices for filtration are there? There are three basic forms of filtration; biological (B) (view poll results), mechanical (M), and chemical (C).

When it comes to choosing a filtration system, there are no "set rules" on how one can use a particular filter type, or that you can't mix them in combinations. Research and explore all the possibilities and choose one that suits your fancy. Every aquarist has their favorite. Only you can decide for yourself which one(s) you want to use.

Canister Filters (M, C, B)

Wet-Dry Trickle Filters (M, C, B)

Using Live Sand / Live Sand & Jaubert/Plenums (B, NNR)

Protein Skimmers (M)

Undergravel Filters (M, B)

Mangrove Plants (NNR - Natural Nitrate Reduction method)

For more insight on the many ways filtration systems are utilized, browse our Tank Photo Resources. These are links to personal saltwater Web sites where aquarists' provide all kinds of detailed information about their aquariums, including their filtration set ups.

May. 2, 2006 - Seven Cardinal Sins of Saltwater Aquaria Keeping.

Common Mistakes Made by Saltwater Aquarists

1. Moving Too Fast - "Patience" is a requirement with just about anything that you do with a saltwater aquarium. Far too many people report problems after they have put a tank together, because they are just moving too fast! Far too often we have read aquarists comments like, "I need test kits? What for and what kind"? And, this is after they have had a tank for some time. A high percentage of people do not take the time to read and study up on the hobby BEFORE getting started. One of the other top mistakes of moving too fast is "overloading" a tank with too much livestock and/or live rock all at once, especially when a tank has not fully cycled, or doing so within days of cycle completion. Even in well a established tank, adding too many critters too fast can cause a puzzling problem called new tank syndrome. Slow down!! Saltwater aquaria keeping is NOT a timed event, so take it easy and work on your patience skills!

2. Misdiagnosing Diseases & Over Medicating - When it comes to diagnosing diseases, saltwater ich is the biggest problem. It is easy to confuse Oodinium (Amyloodinium ocellatum - a.k.a. Marine Velvet or Coral Fish Disease) with White Spot Disease (Cryptocaryon irritans). They are similar, but two quite different types of saltwater ich, and each responds to different types of treatment. Using the wrong medication to treat these diseases can be fatal. It is important to learn how to properly diagnose and treat these parasites, as well as other diseases. The Fish Disease Trouble Shooter can help you make the right diagnosis. As far as using medications, way too often one or more remedies are just thrown at a problem without knowing what it is. We feel that medications should only be used when necessary, and whenever possible, only in a Quarantine Tank using a remedy that "targets" the problem you actually have.

3. Inadequate Filtration - Having sufficient biological filtration is the one of the keys to success in keeping a saltwater aquarium. There are a number of filtration methods to choose from, but not making the right filter selection for the bio-load planned for your tank can lead to a wide variety of problems. It is always better to have too much biological filtration, rather than too little.

4. Livestock Incompatibility - We receive email messages with statements such as "my wrasse ate my hermit crab", or "my tangs just won't get along" all too frequently. Purchasing livestock without researching whether or not they will peacefully reside with other tank mates can lead to dead or injured critters, as well as stress related diseases. Use common sense; learn about the compatibility of critters before putting them together!

5. Purchasing Livestock Without Knowing What They Are and How To Care For Them - It is amazing how many people select new additions for their tank without even knowing what they are and how to feed them. If an LFS sales person can't tell you about an animal in their store, especially its dietary requirements, as well as demonstrate that it is eating before you buy it, then run, don't walk to the nearest exit. Don't buy on impulse. Take the time to learn about an animal you want to buy, BEFORE doing so! The Fish Care by Species Index was designed to make this job a lot easier.

6. Purchasing Fish in Poor Health - One of the easiest things to do when selecting a critter is to determine whether or not it is healthy. In a simple phrase: most sick fish don't eat. Once again, always have your LFS sales person show you that a fish is eating before purchasing it. On your part, learn how to recognize the symptoms or outward signs of common illnesses so you know what to look for when inspecting livestock to buy.

7. Lack of Performing Routine Tank Maintenance Tasks - Well maintained tanks seldom experience high nitrate levels, bacterial outbreaks, or other common tank problems. Therefore, to avoid the common pitfalls that may stem from this area, we strongly advise following a regular maintenance routine.

May. 11, 2009 - FrankenHex update

Ok, I added some saltwater on Friday (5/8)
Added a Profile 1000 air pump to my skimmer and tested.

I took some pics on Saturday after the sand and everything settled down. Added a few pieces of live rock from my main tank and a couple from my sump. I will add more rock soon.

Skimmer Test
This is actually the first time that I tested the skimmer. Pics are from 2about 4 hours after first turning it on.

May. 4, 2009 - Nano-Hex Project

Ok, I went and did it. I started a Nano-Hex reef project.

Dang it, I could'nt just stick to one aquarium. After selling my 30 gal bow front, my 40 gal and my 110gal, I got the itch to start another tank. Don't have too much space in my new place for a big tank, so I will go little.

This tank is a total Frankenstein project. Parts are coming from all different parts I had just lying around

So I am calling it FrankenHex

Tank: Hex is about a 10-12gal acrylic, TruVu. I've had this little thing for like 8 years, just floating around and finally decided to do something with it.

Filtration:  AquaClear 70 hang on the back filter fitted with a surface skimmer and retro fitted it with a modded/Frankenstein Visi-Jet skimmer. It will be air driven, so there will be a limewood airstone in it and I got to fit the skimmer with an air pump. I have not tested it yet, but I am sure that I will have to put a control valve on the air.  Cross my fingers and hope it works the way I want it to. I did some research on nano skimmers but decided to try making one from parts I already had.

Lighting: 1 65w 50/50 PC. Light housing is a little bigger than the tank, but I dont mind.

Additional motion: Koralia nano. Not sure if I would need this, so I kind of have to see what kind of movement the Aqua Clear does. "Better to have it and not need it, then to need it and not have it"

Substrate:  Approx 3" aragonite sand. I will seed it with some sand from my 55 gal reef or better yet, someone local cause my 55 is battling flat worms. I might not even use any rocks from the 55 either till I get rid of all the flat worms. I did rock sharing with my other tanks and got flat worms in all of them :-(

But am also shopping for some nice pieces live rock from other San Diego club members locally.

Occupants: I am honestly not even sure what kind of fish I will be putting in here.

Of course a few snails and couple of hermits, the usual clean up crew.

Some FrankenHex pics

No water in it yet, so you can totally see the scratches in the acrylic

Filter and Skimmer

Franken-Skimmer

I added some PVC under the base rock to lift it up a tad

Sorry for crappy pics.
I will post more pics once I get it up and running

Apr. 20, 2009 - My newest edition (pics taken at his/her old home)

Aug. 18, 2008 - Harlequin star

I thought this guy was dead, but I just found him!

Glad I found you buddy

Jul. 16, 2008 - Saltwater Tank Basics

Saltwater Tank Basics

1. Buy a tank- a no brainer right? If you are new to his hobby though, the shallower and the bigger the tank the easier. 

• Why shallower? The deeper the tank the more light you will need to penetrate to the bottom. The more light, the more heat, (and expense in your electric bill), which will mean you will need to get a chiller. Chillers themselves are expensive and consume lots of electricity. Save yourself the headache and start with a standard "long" tank.

• Why Bigger? If something goes wrong in the tank, the water conditions will change. In a larger tank these conditions will be dilluted over more gallons rather than less, and the impact to the tank's inhabitants will not be as severe.

2. Add a filter - Protein skimmers are popular, there are also good hang on the back filters.  We use exclusively Emperor hang on the back filters and find they do an excellent job for us. However, protein skimmers are far more popular in the hobby, and there a lot of perks to using them. Getting a filter system with a sump is the best way to go.

3. Add Sand - Many people will tell you that you should get live sand. We say save your money and get dry or "base" sand.  Base sand will save you a ton of money that you can use for corals and fish later on. By adding some live sand "seed", (which is a handful of live sand), and spreading it around your tank, the micro-organisms in the live sand will spread throughout your base sand and make it live. Whether you go with livesand or dry sand it should be rinsed to get some of the cloudiness out. With dry sand just throw it in a bucket add water, mix it up and the pour off the top of the water. Rinse and repeat until the cloudiness goes down. If you get livesand you will have to use saltwater for this.

4. Add Rock - Many people will also tell you to buy liverock. Again we disagree. There are tons of liverock in this hobby that are plagued with pests from bristle worms, byropsis, and aiptasia. The best way to handle these pests is to never let them in your tank in the first place. You can do this by buying dry base rock, and then placing it on top of your newly seeded sand. It won't need to be cured, and can be added directly to your tank. Make sure you get an aquarium safe type of rock, such as aragonite. Again you will save a ton of money.

    As a general rule 1.5 pound of rock should be added for each gallon of your tank, so if you have a 30 gallon tank you should have 45 pounds of rock. Good dry rock goes for less than $3 a pound usually, good liverock goes for at least twice this price. With shipped liverock you will also have to worry about curing the rock, and that comes with its own problems. Trust on this one, your budget will thank you.

    When you place the rock in your tank try to make sure you arrange it in a way that will be stable, and won't suffer from rockslides.  It also helps if it looks good.

5. Add Water - Get some aquarium salt, and add the right aomunt of water- mix in a bucket. It is usually easier, (and more accurate), to weigh the salt out rather than to fill a bunch of cups of it. Read the directions carefully on the bag, and try to get the specific gravity (salinity) at 78 degrees to be around 1.024. To measure the specific gravity you will need a hydrometer. We like the old fashioned floating kind, but there are better ones on the market as well. When you add the water, do so slowly so as not to disrupt too much sand.

6. Add Current - When the sand settles turn on the filter, and get the water current going. Check each area in the tank with your finger, (it is best if you have aquarium safe gloves on), to make sure their is water flow in every area. If need be get a powerhead or two to add current to all the places in your tank.

 7.  Wait through the cycle -  The nitrogen cycle that is. When organic material in your aquarium dissolves (Such as uneaten food, fish waste, etc...), it first turns into toxic ammonia. When it turns into ammonia a special kind of bacteria grows and devours it. If you are testing for ammonia during this time, (and you should be), you will see a steady ammonia increase and then a sudden drop off. The bacteria that consumes the ammonia will leave toxic nitrite as waste. Again, bacteria will form to consume the nitrite, and you will see a steady increase of nitrite, and then a sharp decline. Afterwards you will see a buildup of nitrate. Nitrate is consumed by anaerobic bacteria deep in your rock, and by mangroves and macro algae. The latter is far better per pound and by volume for removing nitrate. You can learn more about natural nitrate removal here. To start the cycle throw a piece of food quality shrimp into your aquarium and remove it as ammonia and nitrite drop to undetectable levels.

8. Water Change - Perform a 50% water change to help reduce the nitrates. When the nitrates are stable at under 10ppm, then you can add your first fish. Add fish slowly, the larger the fish the longer you will have to wait until you can add another one.

Jun. 24, 2008 - RIP Maroon clown

RIP Maroon Clown.

Found my Maroon Clown stuck behind my frag rack, not sure how he/she died. It will be missed...

Photo courtesy of http://www.reeftime.com

Apr. 28, 2008 - 55Reef Video

Apr. 28, 2008 - 29Gal Tank

Nov. 24, 2007 - New 55gal Pics

Here are some new pics of my 55gal

Nov. 13, 2007 - New Crocea Clams

Nov. 6, 2007 - More new corals

Ended up buying a Blue Maxima Clam from Chris also.



I also added some more hermits a few Chestnut Turbo snails and a Emerald Crab to my 55gal.

Nov. 2, 2007 - New Corals

Will be meeting Chris in Tierrasanta to buy his Green Pagoda and the Blue/Green Doughnut coral.

Blue/Green Doughnut



Green Pagoda (in foreground)

Bicolor Blenny

Oct. 30, 2007 - New Editions

10/20/2007

Added a new editon to my fish family, a Maroon Clown(Premnas biaculeatus). He will be living in my 30 gal reef along with my Mandarin Golby(Synchiropus splendidus)

10/30/2007

I will be upgrading my tanks to a 110gal!

This is awesome! I have always wanted something bigger than my 55gal

It needs some cleaning and the stand needs to be refinished, but I dig it already. I will try and add before,after and in between pics. It's ugly now, but with some "elbow grease" and sweat, it's going to be awesome.

Aug. 23, 2007 - Hammer

Aug. 23, 2007 - Pagoda

Aug. 23, 2007 - 55Gal3

Aug. 23, 2007 - MyFish2

Aug. 23, 2007 - MyFish1

Aug. 23, 2007 - 55Gal2

Aug. 23, 2007 - 30Gal3