Aquarists OnlineAquarists OnlineMust Have Information And Resources For Saltwater Aquarists Articles
Sometimes Corals Need Help
2011-10-08 18:43:00 Out on the wild reefs corals are obviously left to their own devices. A constant battle is fought for dominance and space with individual struggles sometimes lasting for years. Some corals are much more aggressive than others but all seem to find their place. Read more on Sometimes Corals Need Help… Related Posts First Introduction - Fish Or Invertebrate The majority of aquarists decide that the first introduction to their aquariums should be a fish yet does it need to be this way. I... Trimming A Branching Soft Coral If the marine environment is of high quality then the occupants should do well. This includes the growth of corals which of course is good.... Propagation In The Aquarium Reef aquariums are common in the hobby nowadays. With the increased knowledge of their environmental needs and the ability, with the assistance of technology, to... Aggression On The Reef This conjures up thoughts of sharks cruising menacingly over the reef looking for lunch, ... More About: General , Care
The Mandarin Fish
2011-09-04 14:08:00 There are some spectacularly coloured marine fish and the mandarin fish must surely rank very highly among these. It?s a dragonet and the proper name is Synchiropus splendidus. There is another fish that competes for glory called the psychedelic fish properly called Synchiropus picturatus, the markings are generally circular. If I were to be the judge, the mandarin would take the crown. Read more on The Mandarin Fish … Related Posts 5 Cardinal Sins Of A Marine Aquarist I thought I?d jot down what I consider to be the five major sins of a marine aquarist, be that for a reef tank or... Coral Propagation And Fish Breeding The home aquarist is often faced with a coral that is increasing in size and threatening to overshadow corals lower down the reef. To ensure... Catching A Fish - It Requires Patience The aquarist could own a fish only or reef aquarium, whichever it is there is one action that is very low in popularity - catching... The So-Called Old Tank Syndrom... More About: General , Livestock
I?ve Put A New Fish In The Aquarium, What Should I Look For?
2011-07-30 20:00:00 Buying a new fish for the aquarium is without doubt exciting. We don?t keep aquariums just to look at a glass box! Even in a reef system fish make the scenery look more realistic and add movement. Read more on I’ve Put A New Fish In The Aquarium , What Should I Look For?… Related Posts How To Change A Fish Only Aquarium Into A Reef Aquarium caniThe aquarist running a fish only aquarium has gained a great deal of valuable knowledge about husbandry. He/she has also been able to keep fish... The Copperband Butterfly There are quite a few fish that could be said to fly the flag for the marine hobby. One of them is a member of... An Aquaristic Nightmare I intend looking at two fish problems. These two problems are probably the most feared by marine aquarists. Those who keep a [tag-self]fish only aquarium[/tag-self]... Old Tank Syndrome - What Does That Mean? For once this is not a mistake of a beginner aquarist. This time it is the aquarist who has been ?at it? for... More About: General , Livestock
Navigating This Website
2011-07-20 11:20:00 I have received two messages concerning difficulty in navigating aquaristsonline.com because of its size. (I apologise to the sender(s) – the messages were approved but they disappeared!) The first and best way is to use the categories listed on the right of the page. Once the category desired has been reached then scroll through the texts. Read more on Navigating This Website … Related Posts The Website - A Bit Of A Disaster! I was having a look at one or two older articles and texts recently when I noticed that the ?read more? facility brought me back... We Have Made Changes To The Forum And The Gallery For a while now the forum and the gallery have been running as two separate applications on the web server. This, for obvious reasons made... Construction and Problems - Acrylic Aquariums I have only ever used glass aquariums, those boxes glued together with silicone. They are immensely strong and long lasting though there can be problems.... A Good Reference... More About: General
A Battle Won ? Or Are They Just Regrouping?
2011-07-02 18:56:00 Many marine aquarists (or is it most?) run into a problem or two along the way. This could be with equipment though this is generally reliable nowadays. Often the problem is environmental and could be an unwanted invasion. Read more on A Battle Won – Or Are They Just Regrouping?… Related Posts Can Natural Aquarium Lighting Work? The wild coral reefs sit under the sun and do well. Everything is correct - spectrum, intensity, photoperiod and the dawn/dusk sequence. Could the aquarist... Marine Aquariums Are Great, But Need A Bit Of Weeding We all know that a successful marine aquarium doesn?t get that way all on its own. Nature has a very large part to play, and... The Powder Blue Surgeon This surgeonfish is commonly called the powder blue though the proper name is Acanthurus leucosternon. The fish is very attractive but should not be found... Mud Bed Aquarium Filtration Mud bed filtration is similar to that of other sand based aquarium filtration systems, howev... More About: General , Problems
There Is A Bad Reading But The System Should Be Mature
2011-06-01 16:46:00 Relating to marine aquariums what is meant by ?mature?? It means that the aquarium system is ready to support life. In fact there are two levels of maturity: the first is the initial level which is achieved after the system has been set up and the biological filter (some call it life support) has been activated. The second is when the system is truly mature, this is when the livestock is present in entirety and the biological filter has fully settled down to the task it faces, this could take many months. The first level could take many days to weeks. Read more on There Is A Bad Reading But The System Should Be Mature… Related Posts What Is New Tank Syndrome This syndrome isn?t ?new? as the name might suggest. It has been around for many years. However, its incident rate has much reduced over recent... The aquarium filter - how does it work then Since yesterdays post we have had a few people contact us saying that it is all well and good talking about [tag-tec]aquarium ... More About: General , Care , Water Quality
The One That Went Missing
2011-05-02 19:38:00 We moved address and I had to close my reef aquarium. It was a sad but necessary action. At the new address, once all the seemingly never ending jobs after a house move has occurred had been done, my thoughts turned to another reef aquarium. This one, the current one, is a little smaller because of space. Read more on The One That Went Missing … Related Posts Nitrate And How To Reduce It All salt water aquarists will know about nitrate, or at least I hope so. Nitrate (NO3) is a product of the nitrogen cycle, and follows... First Introduction - Fish Or Invertebrate The majority of aquarists decide that the first introduction to their aquariums should be a fish yet does it need to be this way. I... Is This Hobby Shrinking, Increasing, Confusing or Complex? Nothing like getting value for money - four questions in one. Fair enough. The answers are: No. Yes. Yes. Yes. That was easy, off for... Pointers To Success The visit to the LFS when the decision is more or less made... More About: General
Is Keeping An Aquarium Cruel?
2011-04-02 07:16:00 Some would state straightaway that it is and others that it isn?t. Guessing the identity of who belongs to which answer doesn?t take a great deal of thought. The two obvious groups are those who are adamant about ?leave nature as it is? and guess who, marine aquarists. Of course there are many others with an opinion on the subject. Read more on Is Keeping An Aquarium Cruel ?… Related Posts Life Span Of Tropical Marine Fish We look after our fish very well, don?t we. Whether it is a fish only aquarium or reef aquarium, a lot of thought goes into... Potential Problems With A Fish Only Aquarium The fish only system is probably not as popular as a captive reef but there are plenty of aquarists who maintain one. There are advantages... Fish Disease - I Think I've Seen It - What Do I Do? This is not a text on the treatment of fish disease, but hopefully a suggestion about how treatment could be more accurate and successful. The... Stocking The Saltwater Aquarium Part 2 I... More About: General , Care
Keep It Clean
2011-03-11 18:07:00 Sometimes a marine aquarium is broken down as the aquarist no longer wishes to keep one and is to sell it. This is quite sad really but of course there?s more than one reason why this should happen. Sometimes though an aquarium needs to be broken down when the aquarist is still fully interested and doesn?t really wish to carry out such a drastic action. Read more on Keep It Clean … Related Posts Building Or Buying A Glass Aquarium - Quality The quality of a glass aquarium is very important - it?s where all the seawater will be contained and where all the livestock will live.... A Bare Bottom Aquarium Fish only aquariums and reef aquariums are able to maintain high quality seawater nowadays, and this is made easier with the range of efficient equipment... How To Move An Aquarium Whatever the reason the need arose to move an aquarium, and the sump if there is one, it is an action aquarists would mostly prefer... Aquarium Filter Media - Is There Such A Thing As The Best... More About: General , Care
Hacked
2011-03-11 17:46:00 Aquaristsonline.com has been recently hacked. This caused some problems with access between areas on the site. Peter (my computer genius) has fixed the major problem and the site is nearly fully operating again. The problem was also reported to Google who have passed the site as useable. Read more on Hacked … Related Posts The Sulphur Denitrator There are many ways that aquarists can maintain high quality seawater. Yes, we?re back to that again, but no apologies as it would be great... Nitrate And How To Reduce It All salt water aquarists will know about nitrate, or at least I hope so. Nitrate (NO3) is a product of the nitrogen cycle, and follows... My Toadstool Coral, Is It Rotting? The toadstool coral or mushroom leather coral, (Sarcophyton sp), are hardy and very decorative. They can grow to quite a size but this varies and... Testing Synthetic Seawater Against Natural Seawater A couple of recent comments from users of natural seawater (NSW) started some questions... More About: General
The Future
2011-02-19 17:55:00 Wow, now that?s a big title, so it had better be reduced straightaway! What ?future?? It?s got to be marine aquariums of course, but excluding the gloom concerning the wild reefs. Read more on The Future … Related Posts Goldfish And Marine Aquariums I?ve been involved with aquariums for 40 years or more and no, I?m not going to try advising the secret of keeping goldfish in salt... Let?s Go Clubbing! Receiving an invite like that normally means getting into something really comfortable and going to town to study the nightlife, usually through a glass of... How Do You Know Which Aquarium Lighting You Will Need? The marine aquarium has two main types, the fish only (FO) and the reef. These systems have a good few things in common, one that... Loads Of Micro Bubbles In My Sump I have a sump on my saltwater aquarium which is fed by four overflows from the main display aquarium. This sump contains a deep sand... Locating A Marine Aquarium A marine aquarium, be it fis... More About: The Future
Seawater Parameter Guidelines
2011-01-25 19:14:00 Over and over the importance of seawater is emphasized More About: General , Care , Guidelines , Water Quality
Trimming A Branching Soft Coral
2011-01-07 13:05:00 If the marine environment is of high quality then the occupants should do well. This includes the growth of corals which of course is good. However, this in itself can demand attention from the aquarist. Read more on Trimming A Branching Soft Coral … Related Posts It?s All Done. That?s It Then It can take quite a time setting up a marine aquarium system. There?s the initial thought of ?What do I want to keep, a captive... The Sun Coral Aquarists, new or experienced, usually enjoy wandering around marine hobby shops just gawping or watching for that special fish or coral. Perhaps a reef aquarium... Consider Before Buying Marine aquariums are great. They make a terrific hobby and it really can feel that there is a ?slice of the ocean? in the home.... How To Move An Aquarium Whatever the reason the need arose to move an aquarium, and the sump if there is one, it is an action aquarists would mostly prefer... Tube Anemones Tube anemones (Cerianthus sp) are fairly common... More About: General , Corals
The Festive Season Is Here Again
2010-12-23 11:43:00 Looking back it doesn't seem that long ago More About: General , Season
Seawater Flow, It Matters
2010-12-01 14:03:00 Corals have definite preferences for seawater flow. Some, such as many hard corals, prefer high flow and others, including many soft corals, prefer a lower flow. The general guideline for seawater flow with a soft coral display is 10 times the net seawater gallonage per hour, and for SPS corals 20 times or more. Read more on Seawater Flow, It Matters… Related Posts Why Not Set Up Your Own Coral Propagation Unit A lot of visitors to Aquarists Online may not yet be in a position to even consider what they would like to do in the... Aquarium Cover Glasses Cover glasses of course are those sheets of glass that rest on the strengthening straps at the top of the aquarium. Sometimes they are fitted... Buying A Coral Buying livestock, be it a fish, shrimp, coral or whatever is exciting. This is after all what the hobby is all about, keeping aquarium livestock.... Aquarium Additives and Soft Corals Keeping a seawater aquarium nowadays is a generally straightforward affair. P... More About: General
Instead Of A Quarantine Tank I?ll Use A UV Sterilizer
2010-11-13 18:48:00 This to a newcomer seems like a good idea, applying some extra protection equipment to the display aquarium and avoiding the need for a separate tank with the consequent need for extra heating, power heads and the like. Closer examination seems to be in order. Read more on Instead Of A Quarantine Tank I’ll Use A UV Sterilizer… Related Posts How to 'plumb' in your aquarium If you have an [tag-tec]aquarium[/tag-tec] where it is all self contained ie. all the equipment is installed in the main display aquarium then you wont... Salt water aquarium packages When potential aquarists start looking into the possibility of starting their own salt water aquarium there is one thing which is often quite daunting -... Nitrate - The Ongoing Problem I answer numbers of questions concerning various aspects of marine aquarium keeping. Looking at the subjects of all these questions it seems one of the... Aquarium DIY - Have Fun And Save Some Money Personally I like DIY. I hav...
Damselfish
2010-10-20 13:41:00 The first time I was attracted to marine fish I was looking at damselfish, though I didn’t know it. The bright colours and full-of-life actions were a magnet to my eye. It was after that, and after speaking with the shop proprietor, research and consideration, that I moved into the marine aquarium world. It was a long time ago! Read more on Damselfish… Related Posts What Is The Best Salinity To Keep A Saltwater Aquarium At? The salinity of the marine aquarium is one of the major parameters that must be routinely checked. Salinity can change because of evaporation, and it... Stocking The Saltwater Aquarium - Part 1 In Part 1 a fish only aquarium will be covered. In Part 2 the reef aquarium will be looked at. It is assumed that the... The Powder Blue Surgeon This surgeonfish is commonly called the powder blue though the proper name is Acanthurus leucosternon. The fish is very attractive but should not be found... Shaping To Circumstance? The beauty and diversity... More About: Fish , General
Are Corals Best Kept On Their Own?
2010-10-06 05:06:00 There are three types of marine aquarium and these are fish only, fish and corals (mixed reef) and corals only More About: Corals , Livestock
Are Corals Best Kept On Their Own?
2010-10-06 05:06:00 There are three types of marine aquarium and these are fish only, fish and corals (mixed reef) and corals only More About: General , Corals
Seawater Changing ? Always The Same?
2010-09-13 13:46:00 As has been repeated so many times before, seawater quality is the number one requirement for a successful marine aquarium. Having said that, is there any variation on the change regime? Read more on Seawater Changing – Always The Same?… Related Posts Aquarium Additives and Hard Corals The reef aquarium with hard corals ([tag-tec]SPS[/tag-tec]) is the desire of many an aquarist. The sight of pictures on the internet and in books only... Seawater Mixing Time - How Long? When the aquarium is new so is the seawater, but as soon as live organisms are present it begins to deteriorate. This is because of... 5 Cardinal Sins Of A Marine Aquarist I thought I?d jot down what I consider to be the five major sins of a marine aquarist, be that for a reef tank or... Supplementation It is more likely that the reef aquarist will be involved in supplementation, though this is not exclusively so. In order to achieve a successful... Testing Synthetic Seawater Against Natural... More About: General
Changes
2010-09-11 20:27:00 This website has been quite quiet for a while and there’s good reasons for this. First of all there was a sad loss of a much loved family member. Then Peter’s workload, which had been steadily increasing for quite some time, really needed attention. It became quite obvious that some time management was urgently called for. Read more on Changes… Related Posts Starting A Marine Aquarium - The Very First Considerations Seeing pictures of a healthy marine fish only or reef aquarium in books or on the internet, or even better, in reality at a public... The Aquarium Sump Can Be Used For So Many Things Marine systems of whatever type, reef aquarium or fish only aquarium, can function successfully on their own without a sump, provided they are properly supported... Can You Add A Deep Sand Bed To An Existing Setup? Every week I like to pop into my local fish shop, even if it is not to purchase something just to have a look about... Thanks For The Praise And We ... More About: General
Beautiful Encrusting Algae But There?s A Small Downside
2010-06-02 22:16:00 Marine aquarists try very hard to create a beautiful aquarium – whether the system is fish only or reef that is the target. These attempts are generally successful and often the picture is enhanced by Mother Nature. Mother Nature obviously provides the ?eye targets?, the colourful fish and corals. In the aquarium are usually rocks – whether fish only or reef this could be to provide homes and also be decorative. Both, particularly reef, could be ?living rock? for biological filtration. This rock is normally interesting in shape and over time provides a base for algae growth. Read more on Beautiful Encrusting Algae But There?s A Small Downside… Related Posts Catching A Fish - It Requires Patience The aquarist could own a fish only or reef aquarium, whichever it is there is one action that is very low in popularity - catching... Can Natural Aquarium Lighting Work? The wild coral reefs sit under the sun and do well. Everything is correct - spectrum, int... More About: General , Care
Aggression On The Reef
2010-03-23 13:23:00 This conjures up thoughts of sharks cruising menacingly over the reef looking for lunch, or perhaps just smaller fish arguing over a morsel. This all happens but in this case its corals. Read more on Aggression On The Reef … Related Posts Nano Tanks Are Smaller But Do They Need Less Work? A nano marine aquarium is one which at the smallest end is around 10 gallons capacity and at the largest around 30. They can be... Would You Have Changed Anything? When a marine aquarium is first set up the aquarist obviously believes everything is being done effectively - the equipment is thought to be adequate... Do You Have To Have Metal Halide Lighting For Hard Corals? Many reef aquarists see hard corals as the height of achievement and the closest thing to a real coral reef in captivity. This isn?t quite... Things Change Pretty obvious really! The weather is an example. But no, we?re concerned with marine aquariums of course. In a fish only aquarium the changes are... Coralli... More About: General
Soon Be Back I Hope!
2010-01-25 22:43:00 Unfortunately, in addition to the problems outlined earlier a further problem arose. Sadly, our other grandmother fell over and broke a hip. She was admitted to hospital, had an operation and was discharged. She was unable to return home and is now in a care home where she appears to be settling in well. Read more on Soon Be Back I Hope !… Related Posts Aquarium Lighting - What Are Your Options? Water quality (in which I include water movement) is top of the list in importance when it comes to keeping a saltwater aquarium. Closely following... Nitrate - The Ongoing Problem I answer numbers of questions concerning various aspects of marine aquarium keeping. Looking at the subjects of all these questions it seems one of the... Do You Have To Use Reverse Osmosis Water? Reverse osmosis (R/O) water seems to pop up very regularly in questions and discussions. Some aquarists consider the R/O filter to be another piece of... Coralline Algae Is Not Supposed To Be White Corall... More About: General
The Long Loud Silence
2009-11-13 00:14:00 I thought I?d add my short piece to Peter?s words. Since going on holiday for two weeks (in Arizona) all sorts have happened. As Peter has indicated, one of the two much loved grandmas has seriously deteriorated and now has to have 24 hour care. The time and work involved in making the necessary arrangements is quite amazing, though certainly not resented – grandma has given so much to my generation and particularly to my son Peter?s, and also to my grandchildren. Read more on The Long Loud Silence… Related Posts Starting A Marine Aquarium - The Very First Considerations Seeing pictures of a healthy marine fish only or reef aquarium in books or on the internet, or even better, in reality at a public... Remember The Lighting What is the most important part of a marine system? Lighting? Well no, it isn?t, seawater quality is the number one with both fish only... Planarians Planarians are otherwise known as flatworms. They can be fairly colourful and a few in the a... More About: General
We?re Still Here ? But Very Busy At The Moment!
2009-11-10 12:26:00 I thought that I would pop a post out to explain why we have not posted any articles recently. Myself and John are both very busy at the moment but for two very different reasons! I have found myself in a position where the company I work for has a very doubtful future and I am spending a lot of my time trying to keep my job. I am working long hours to try and impress etc so that I can hopefully be seen as as asset to the company. Unfortunately in the current climate there are not a lot of other positions in my field available and the ones which are available would involve me either working away from home or relocating the family – neither of which I am willing to do. I am working on other ventures at the moment as well to try and safeguard a future for myself and my family which is taking a lot of time when I am not performing my ‘day job’. When you mix in spending time with my family as well as doing the various jobs required around the home it does not leave a l... More About: General , Moment
A Large Aquarium Re-Start
2009-09-18 22:56:00 There are all sorts of aquarium sizes that are kept at home, though none as large as can be seen at a public aquarium as far as I know. Successful small aquariums from the very small 10 gallons to the larger 50 gallons, fish only or reef, are very beautiful to look at as a whole, but their main impact is in the detail particularly with a reef. Even in a very small aquarium, provided it is a well aged system, there are growths of different algae, sometimes different corals popping up, existing corals spreading, miniature life such as tiny worms waving around looking for food and tiny shrimps foraging about particularly at night. At night small snails could appear then hide away again when dawn arrives. There?s often more. Read more on A Large Aquarium Re-Start … Related Posts The Fun Begins - Aquascaping It can seem endless waiting for the aquarium to ?happen.? All the equipment to research and obtain never mind the mounting cost that always seems... Supplementation It is...
Marine Dragons
2009-09-14 22:20:00 We?ve all heard of dragons haven?t we? When we were children we read or had read to us stories about dragons, big and fearsome creatures that were real monsters of the mind. They could fly and usually could breathe fire. Now we?re adults it?s all fantasy of course, a part of children?s stories or sci-fi movies. As often as not the dragons are the bad guys. Read more on Marine Dragons… Related Posts Sea Urchins Anyone who has been barefoot in the sea and has stepped accidentally on a sharp spined sea urchin is likely to remember the experience. The... Is This A Courageous Aquarist? There are a few ?be careful with this? and ?avoid doing that? in the marine hobby. Some are born of experience, occasionally painful, and others... Artificial Coral Reefs - Good Or Bad? Speak to just about anyone at all and they will know what a coral reef is in general. What about an artificial coral reef though?... Food For Thought Food is required by all life for energy and general heal...
What Is An Invertebrate?
2009-09-12 00:35:00 To avoid becoming a squishy heap on the ground humans have a skeleton. Quite a good invention really, not having a skeleton would cause quite a few difficult problems. Humans aren?t alone with the possession of a skeleton of course; there are all sorts of life forms that have one too, how about the elephant or man?s best friend the dog as just two examples. Read more on What Is An Invertebrate?… Related Posts Aquarium Lighting - What Are Your Options? Water quality (in which I include water movement) is top of the list in importance when it comes to keeping a saltwater aquarium. Closely following... Let It Grow! A captive reef system is great to build, all the way from choosing the aquarium to actually building the reef. Different ways can be tried... Night Time Is Just As Important As Day Time Most (perhaps all?) life runs to a light and dark rhythm. Humans certainly do, we need our sleep. Life on the wild reef isn?t an... The Feather Duster Worm Reef aquariums cou...
Goldfish And Marine Aquariums
More articles from this author:2009-09-08 21:47:00 I?ve been involved with aquariums for 40 years or more and no, I?m not going to try advising the secret of keeping goldfish in salt water! What I?m going to do is remember, if I may. Read more on Goldfish And Marine Aquariums… Related Posts Starting A Marine Aquarium - The Very First Considerations Seeing pictures of a healthy marine fish only or reef aquarium in books or on the internet, or even better, in reality at a public... What Is A Natural Reef Aquarium? This seems to be a bit of a nonsense. How can there be a natural reef aquarium? An aquarium is a container with seawater and... Building The Reef The aquarium is in position and equipment is available. Now comes the most exciting part of all, building the reef and stocking. Reef construction first,... How To Change A Fish Only Aquarium Into A Reef Aquarium caniThe aquarist running a fish only aquarium has gained a great deal of valuable knowledge about husbandry. He/she has also been able to keep fish... C... More About: General 1, 2, 3 |
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