Saltwater Aquarium
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More Great Information on Saltwater Aquarium:
An Introduction To The Saltwater Aquarium - Part 2 by Allen Jesson
Why do people want to keep saltwater aquariums in the first place? Well, the answer to these questions will naturally differ from aquarist to aquarist. Some aquarists are intrigued by the challenged. They started out with easy freshwater species, advanced to breeding freshwater species that hardly anyone can even keep alive in aquariums, and now they are looking for yet another challenge to face.
Most aquarists are however keeping saltwater aquariums simply because they are fascinated by marine life forms. By keeping a saltwater aquarium, you will be able to select from a much wider range of species than before. Some of the most colourful fish species in the world are for instance marine species that must be kept in saltwater. Marine Angelfish, Damselfish and Clownfish are three examples of popular saltwater species that you will find in many marine aquariums.
In addition to fish, you can for instance keep corals, anemones, marine crustaceans and weird and wonderful animals like jellyfish and octopuses. There are three main types of saltwater aquariums: FO, FWLR and Reef aquariums. The abbreviation FO stands for Fish Only while FWLR means Fish With Live Rock. Some aquarists will also keep more rare species in their aquariums, such as jellyfish, squids and octopus. The Reef Aquarium is generally considered to be the most complicated of the three main forms of aquarium. In a reef aquarium, the fish is not the centre of attention.
Focus is instead placed on various forms of delicate corals. Corals have very particular requirements and will for instance need supreme water quality, intricate current patterns and extremely strong lights. When you arrange your saltwater aquarium, it is very important to you only select equipment and decorations suitable for saltwater use. As mentioned earlier in this article, the chemistry in a saltwater aquarium differs from that found in a Freshwater Aquarium.
An item that would be safe to use in a freshwater aquarium can therefore be unsuitable for a marine aquarium. You must also keep in mind that marine species tend to be extremely sensitive to pollution and changes in water chemistry. A piece of Aquarium Decoration that excretes a tiny amount of a dangerous compound can be enough to kill many marine life forms.
Most saltwater aquarists rely on a combination of biological, chemical and mechanical filtration to keep the water quality up in the aquarium. By using quite a Large Aquarium, you will also make it easier to maintain a stable environment with low levels of soluble waste.
A saltwater aquarium smaller than 55 gallons (200 litres) is considered quite difficult to keep. You can decrease the biolode by never over-feeding your aquarium inhabitants. Any uneaten food must naturally be removed from the water as soon as possible, and the same thing is true for dead organisms.
It is also common for saltwater aquarists to introduce scavenging organisms to the aquarium since these animals will consume scraps of food before it starts to decay and pollute the water.
Allen Jesson writes for several sites including http://www.seapets.co.uk, the UK's leading retailer of aquariums and fish tanks and http://www.saltwaterfreshwateraquarium.com, an excellent information resource for any owner of a salt water or fresh water aquarium.
Article Source: http://www.earticlesonline.com/Article/An-Introduction-To-The-Saltwater-Aquarium---Part-2/66803
Some questions about starting a saltwater aquarium?
I had a freshwater aquarium for years now. I recently bought a new 60gallon tank. I am thinking of going for a saltwater aquarium.
First, do you need a special filter or an addition for saltwater? The One I have says it is for fresh or saltwater aquariums, so I am assuming it is fine.
When you first start do you just add the special salt and maintain proper levels by adding salt?
What is the best/recommended protein skimmers?
Last question... Is live rock completely necessary? Is is expensive?
Thanks so mush for your help!
There are no "special filters" for saltwater. Any filter will work for saltwater or freshwater just fine because the mechanics behind the filtration process are identical. Cycling still applies as well.
You add the salts when doing water changes...don't just dump salt into the tank. However, top-off water needs to be fresh. This is because the water evaporates, but the salt doesn't--it stays in solution. As such, it becomes more concentrated, and thus the water becomes more salty, over time.
Which protein skimmers are the best really depends on who you ask. People can agree that some skimmers are terrible (Seaclone, for example), but which ones are good vary. Steven Pro once wrote a great review online, giving his impressions of skimmers. It's biased, sure, but he's isn't exactly a nobody in the hobby. You might it helpful to review it here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_1/cav1i1/protein_skimmer_impressions.htm
I won't say live rock is necessary...I will say that you're a fool to go without. It can be expensive, yes, but it's easily the one of the most justifiable expenses you can make. With cured live rock, you will not require any other filter (except the protein skimmer)...not only does it filter the water, but it dentrifies wastes entirely to boot. Its abundant advantages outweigh the costs several times over.
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There's a bit more to know, of course, and I'm not sure how much research you done. I highly recommend picking up a copy of Bob Fenner's "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist." If you follow the advice in the pages, you'll be steered in the right direction.