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Reef Central - A Great Place To Visit
2007-11-10 03:31:00 Research, planning and patience as we say over and over again is the basis for a successful saltwater aquarium. Planning and patience are down to you as the aquarist to control as is research to a certain degree. You have to be prepared to do the research and other people have to be prepared to either provide or other the information you require. We class ourselves and this site as what we believe to be a valuable place to perform your research. Of course we are not the only website on the internet where you can obtain the information you require. Community forums are another great resource to visit one of which is Reef Central . Reef Central is a very popular forum and has many members and thousands of posts on their site. There is a lot of information on the Reef Central site which any aquarist of any level will find useful plus there are lots of very experienced aquarists who are both willing and capable to give you the answer you are looking for. So no matter what level aqu... More About: Great , Place , Visit
Should You Simulate Cloud Cover On The Home Aquarium
2007-11-09 03:59:00 Something I have thought about for quite some time now is clouds – and should we be simulating them in our home aquariums. The fish, corals etc which we keep in our [tag-tec]saltwater aquariums[/tag-tec] come from the wild unless that are either captive raised or coral frags. In nature the coral reef, dependant upon the location of the coral reef is exposed to a tremendous amount of sunlight. On some days the skies are blue and the sun beats down on them all day long. However….. Not every day is like that. On some days there is partial cloud cover whilst on other days the entire sky is covered in cloud. We all know that the sun is tremendously powerful and lot of this power still gets through the cloud and down to the life which calls the ocean its home. The clouds effectively reduce the suns intensity which the corals will receive. In the aquarium though the normal fashion is to install lighting over the aquarium and leave it on (with actinics to provide dusk and dawn simu... More About: Aquarium , Home , Cover , Cloud
Is There Such A Thing As A Maintenance Free Aquarium?
2007-11-07 23:03:00 A maintenance free aquarium - no work at all! Just view and enjoy the coral colours and the various reef fish. Many or perhaps all aquarists would tend to call that aquatic heaven - maybe. Is it possible though? Is there a way that the aquarist can design a marine system where, once all is settled and mature, there is nothing else to do? The first thing is to compare the aquarium to the wild reef. Yes, there are the same kind of inhabitants in the aquarium as on the wild reef, just fewer of them. Also, there are far fewer species of livestock on the captive reef. So, there's the first point - the wild reef has far greater diversity of life. The different species have their own niche on the wild reef, each having a food source. There are some overlaps of course but generally it is all very well organised. Nature has everything under control. The first problem that the aquarist is likely to face is in making sure that all potential difficulties are dealt with, from dealing with dif... More About: Aquarium , Free , Maintenance , Thing , Tena
What Is The Berlin Method
2007-11-02 00:50:00 Whilst doing your research (which if you have not gathered by now is very important!) you will have probably heard of a term called the ‘[tag-tec]Berlin Method [/tag-tec]’ but do you actually know what it is and what it means? Basically the Berlin Method is the method which the majority of aquarists now follow when setting up their own saltwater aquarium. So what is it? Well basically it is an aquarium which is setup as follows: Biological filtration provided by live rock. A powerful protein skimmer. Powerful lighting. Calcium addition either via a calcium reactor, kalkwasser or via additives. There are, of course numerous other methods utilised and various techniques employed to provide the best foundation for the aquarium. From this foundation you can then continue and build a thriving [tag-ice]home aquarium[/tag-ice]. The Berlin method is also named numerous other names one of which is the natural method. Over the years since the inception of this method further asp...
Advertise On Aquarists Online
2007-11-01 02:54:00 Advertise on Aquarists Online Would your business or club like to be a sponsor to Aquarists Online? We have a unique niche audience that could benefit from any Aquarium related industry. Contact us to enquire about Sponsorships Advertising Locations Available Left Hand Sidebar (125*125) On Every Article On Individual Articles In The RSS Feed In The Forum (Receive Your Own Category Where You Can Promote Your Products To The Forum Members) In The Gallery In The Monthly Newsletter Google Page Rank RSS Readers Newsletter Subscribers Alexa Rank Thousands Upon Thousands Of Page Views Per Month (Contact Us For Up To Date Details) Advertise Per Month Or Per Year (Discount Given When You Choose To Advertise For A Year!) Become a Premium Sponsor ProBlogger and have it seen by hundreds of thousands of web entrepreneurs and influencers. ProBlogger is viewed by hundreds of thousands of readers every month and is one of the few blogs around that is almost exclusively read by bloggers. As ... More About: Advertise , Vert
Choose The Best Protein Skimmer You Can Comfortably Afford
2007-10-29 00:33:00 Obtaining equipment for the fish only or reef aquarium is an important step on the journey towards success. Research again is the key, rather than purchasing an item that ‘should do.’ A major item of equipment for the marine system is a protein skimmer. This device removes [tag-tec]dissolved organic matter[/tag-tec] completely from the aquarium seawater. Why is this so good? The organics are removed before they are acted upon by the natural processes in the aquarium when they are eventually turned, up to a point, into nitrate. So, the more efficient the skimmer the less pollution. The aquarist searching for a skimmer should be looking for one that is rated at around twice the net capacity of the total system. So, if the net capacity is 100 gallons, the skimmer needs to be rated for around 200 gallons. This needs to be done because manufacturers tend to be somewhat optimistic in what they believe their skimmers can handle. In addition, after years of aquarists using the devices... More About: Protein , Choose , Skimmer , Comfort
Aquarium Additives, Water Volume And Displacement
2007-10-27 14:29:00 I was doing my maintenance last night and was putting in a few additives. I was adding these in line with manufacturer’s instructions (adding so many ml for every so many gallons of water). I know how much water volume I have in my aquarium and sump but I am not 100% sure how much I have after displacement. I believe that displacement is quite often an area which is forgotten about when aquarists work out the water volume of their [tag-tec]aquarium[/tag-tec] and the post my father wrote yesterday got me thinking. It probably is not that big a deal, however the majority of additives base their instructions upon the water volume of the aquarium and I am sure that there are probably loads of other areas which rely upon water volume. Something to think about is that when you install anything into the aquarium it is going to displace the water – be this live rock, sand, power heads, pumps, heaters etc etc. When you look at all the extras which go into the aquarium itself how much ... More About: Aquarium , Water , Volume , Additives
What Is Displacement
2007-10-26 18:08:00 Unless I'm mistaken, it was a Greek called Archimedes who was having a bath one day. He filled the bath full, as the story goes, and climbed in. Of course, the bathwater overflowed. Archimedes puzzled a moment then, realizing what had happened, shouted 'Eureka!' and ran out naked. He had discovered displacement. One thing we do not want to do with our aquarium seawater is make it overflow (unless into a designed [tag-tec]aquarium overflow[/tag-tec] system that is), never mind running about naked because of it. I doubt the neighbours would be very impressed!. The time a mistake with this is most likely to occur is when the aquarium is ready for the first seawater fill. The aquarist is understandably excited, as he/she has spent a while waiting for this moment. If the mistake is made, the seawater is filled up to or close to the final level. What should happen is that the initial seawater fill is restricted to 1/3 or 1/2 of capacity. Then, when the sand and/or rocks are placed in...
Lighting And The Kelvin Scale
2007-10-23 19:16:00 The provision of light to a reef tank is a very important aspect and is only second to that of water quality. However providing lighting is not just about purchasing a [tag-tec]metal halide[/tag-tec], fluorescent tubes etc and placing them above the aquarium. We need to think about colour. The light which we see is made up of various different colours which ranges from ultra violet, through the blues, green and yellow through to infra red. In the saltwater aquarium hobby we assign what is called a colour temperature and this is rated in Kelvin. The more towards the blue end of the colour spectrum we go the higher the Kelvin rating will be and on the opposite side the more towards the red end of the spectrum we go the lower the Kelvin rating will be. So how is the Kelvin scale important to a [tag-ice]reef tank[/tag-ice]? As said light is not just light but is a mixture of colours which when mixed with intensity (wattage) will supply the corals with the required energy they req... More About: Lighting , Scale
Planning Is Necessary Before You Take The Plunge
2007-10-19 16:03:00 Guest post by Eric V. Van Der Hope - ReefKeepingBasics.com You cannot underestimate the value of planning when it comes to starting a Saltwater Fish/ Reef Environment as a hobby . . . There is simply nothing more important than that! It's so easy to get excited about this wonderful hobby after seeing all the beautiful fish and corals at your LFS (Local Fish Store). So it's no surprise that many people, without any thought of taking one step at-a-time, purchase what they see. There are fish enthusiasts that found their way into this hobby exactly this way . . . However, many of them discovered that they could have spent less Money, less Time and less Effort if they simply planned ahead. After the initial purchase is made, it's taken home and set up. After a bit of time has passed and more thought has been put into it, it's discovered that there is inadequate lighting for the system. The filtration system would not be large enough to sustain the specific marine environment pre... More About: Planning
What Is New Tank Syndrome
2007-10-19 00:33:00 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 years but the danger is still present. ‘[tag-tec]New Tank Syndrome [/tag-tec]’ (NTS) is a catastrophic failure of a newly set up marine aquarium system. This failure is caused by the aquarist, assuming that the system set up is adequate and correct. If the system is inadequate in some way then it is possible that it will fail, but this is not NTS. It is simply poor research and implementation. The aquarist has researched the requirements of the system he/she desires, and it has been set up correctly. The seawater mix has been correctly done, and it is at the correct temperature. All equipment has been checked and it is functioning correctly. The aquarium cannot be stocked, and the aquarist knows this. The system is raw, unready for livestock. It needs to be biologically prepared. So the aquarist ‘matures’ the aquarium. This ...
Authority Summit Vegas 2007
2007-10-12 10:51:00 Find out how to generate the kind of traffic limited only by the number of people searching for your information on the web! More About: Authority , Summit , Vegas , Vega
Set up your very own reef tank
2007-10-11 10:50:00 Learn how to create your very own slice of the ocean and start a saltwater reef aquarium. More About: Tank , Reef
Learn how to care for your aquarium
2007-10-11 10:50:00 Caring for your livestock and performing maintenance on the aquarium system is essential. More About: Aquarium , Care , Learn
Aquarists Online Community Forum
2007-09-30 22:30:00 Got a question, want to meet with other aquarists online - come to the Aquarists Online Community forum and join in. More About: Forum , Unit
Water Circulation - Go Wide And Soft
2007-09-30 03:14:00 With water circulation it is better when keeping sessile marine animals to attempt to produce water movement which is both strong andpowerful yet not hard enough to damage the animals themselves. Traditional powerheads for example can move a tremendous amount of water around the aquarium, however this is water movement which is not very wide, instead they are rather pinpoint. There are numerous powerheads and other devices which move water around the aquarium in a wider format. Good examples of these are the Tunze stream, Marea pumps and other devices. There are even modifications you can perform on traditional powerheads to transform the direct output into a wider stream of water. If you do use traditional powerheads then it is wise never to place a coral etc in the direct flow from the powerhead. Doing so can knock the coral from its rock or even worse damage the coral. The devices which produce a wider current are normally different to that of traditional powerheads in the fa... More About: Wide , Water , Soft
Get The Free Authority Black Book And Get Traffic
2007-09-28 22:30:00 A $197 value, totally free guide to Web 2.0 traffic generation by Jack Humphrey More About: Traffic , Free , Book , Black , Authority
Aquarium Lighting For The Reef Tank - There’s No Right Or Wrong
2007-09-13 14:15:00 When it comes to aquarium lighting for a reef tank there is one thing which must be noted: ‘There is no right or wrong lighting, there is no lighting which is better than others’ The most important consideration is choosing the lighting which is the most appropriate for the animals in your care. More About: Aquarium , Lighting , Tank , Reef , Wrong
Drilling Glass In The Aquarium
2007-08-28 22:18:00 This post is aimed more for the do it yourself orientated people or for people who are rather brave and want to give it a go. So why would you need to drill your aquarium in the first place. If you run a sump or another type of external aquarium then you need to get the water to them. It is much easier to get water to flow through a hole in the glass than attempting to get the water to go up and over it. More About: Aquarium , Glass , Drilling , Drill
Have One Of A Kind - Consider A Custom Aquarium
2007-08-27 21:08:00 We all know that we can pop off down to the local shop and purchase an aquarium and if they have one in stock you can take it home with you that very same day. If one is not in stock then it can be ordered for delivery. This is all well and good - there are some great sizes and shapes to be purchased. But what if you have an irregular sized alcove or perhaps you are considering having an in wall aquarium. More About: Aquarium , Custom , Cons , Consider
Which To Choose - A Small Or Large Aquarium
2007-08-22 22:28:00 Most aquarists are dictated to by circumstance. There is a really big aquarium, at a really good price, but one rather definite problem, and that is there’s nowhere to put it. So a smaller aquarium is chosen, but not by choice. However, even in the described circumstances, a smaller aquarium could be the one of choice. Most aquarists dream big, visualizing that final aquarium that will bring the ultimate reef. In most cases, it never materializes. Some are lucky of course. There are some beautiful big reefs about. More About: Aquarium , Small , Choose , Large
Some Great Blogs To Check Out
2007-08-19 12:00:00 Even though the saltwater aquarium hobby is so huge it amazes me how few blogs there actually are. Whether this is due to the amount of forums available on the internet I am not sure but I honestly thought there would be more. Below is a list of sites which I actively read and enjoy. More About: Blogs , Great , Check , Some
Selecting Your Aquarium Live Rock
2007-08-15 21:28:00 As we know live rock is an extremely effective filtration media to use within the saltwater aquarium. Not only does it provide filtration it also makes the aquarium look more natural. With so many different types of live rock available however which one should you choose and how much do you need. When setting up your aquarium you should have an idea as to what you want to keep and also what you hope it to look like. During the planning stage you should have looked into the following as well as numerous other aspects : More About: Aquarium , Rock , Live , Select , Sele
Soft Coral Fast Recovery
2007-08-12 12:07:00 My soft coral reef (I love the way soft corals sway in the current and the subdued pastel colours mix together) is growing very well. As Peter has taken on a rather sad aquarium that he has in the process of recovery (see 'An Aquarium System in Trouble - A Slow Recovery '), I decided to cut some corals and pass the cuttings on. Now cutting a coral is a worrying thing for most aquarists including me. There they are on the reef healthy and expanded. Then along comes John with a very sharp pair of scissors! First of all what to cut? Decided. Where to cut - what impact on the reef appearance? OK. What about the health of the coral, is the cutting method correct? OK. Hesitation, do I really want to do this? Yes, go ahead. Coral s cut, cuttings shrink to a hard small lump that looks as though it will never live again. The coral from where the cutting was taken closes and looks thoroughly miserable. More About: Soft , Fast , Oral
Coral Reefs In The News
2007-08-12 11:20:00 Indo-Pacific coral reefs are disappearing - Science Daily (press release) 9 Aug 2007 at 4:53pm Carib Journal Indo-Pacific coral reefs are disappearing Science Daily (press release) - Aug 9, 2007 full story Coral Reef Decline - Not Just Overfishing (August 31, 2005) — Scientists widely agree that coral reefs are in declining... More About: News , In the News , The News , Coral Reefs
Competition : Name Our Newsletter
2007-08-07 22:01:00 Every month we publish a newsletter to all of our subscribers. This newsletter covers various aspects from our personal aquariums, tips, advice, news and more. We are always on the lookout for information which we can provide. Of course we also provide information on this site which we hope is beneficial to you. The newsletter which we provide is a joint newsletter between Aquarists Online website and the Salt Water Aquarium website, however that is where we have a dilemma: What in the world do we call it? More About: Competition , Newsletter , Petit
Nano Systems - They’ve Been Categorized - But They Still Need Looking Aft
2007-08-07 21:54:00 We all know what is meant by a nano system, don’t we? It’s a very small marine system of, say, 10 gallons or less that is dedicated to a fish or two, and a piece or two of live rock.. That’s right, isn’t it? Well, no, it isn’t. It may be that I’m uneducated (and I’m not saying that possibility is unlikely!). A nano system is now placed into any of three categories. First of all, the nano is a system under 50 gallons. I’m not sure if this refers to the gross or net capacity of the aquarium. More About: Systems , Nano , Look , Been , Stem
Aquarists Online Salt Water Aquarium Forum
2007-08-04 22:32:00 Regular visitors and readers to Aquarists Online may not be aware that we have our very own salt water aquarium forum loaded onto the site for your use if you wish to use it. Various categories have been loaded into this system so that aquarists worldwide can log in, write a post and have an answer to your question. Of course this forum is not just about asking questions it is also about answering other people questions, meeting new people, making contact with other aquarists from all over the globe and generally speaking to other people who have the same interest as yourself. More About: Aquarium , Forum , Water , Salt
Salinity In The Marine Aquarium
More articles from this author:2007-08-04 21:09:00 We all know that the fish and corals we keep are salt water creatures. That’s why we buy those expensive packets or buckets of dry salt mix. Fish only or reef aquaria are normally kept at a specific gravity (SG) of 1022 to 1026. It has been said that it is advantageous to keep a fish only system at 1022, as it is claimed that certain pathogens do not do well at a lower SG. Fish can be treated for some infections by lowering the SG even more. Reef aquaria are normally kept at 1024 to 1026, this seems to be the usual. More About: Aquarium , Marine , Aqua , Mari 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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