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Things you need to consider when keeping a salt water aquarium
2007-06-06 22:43:00
A lot of people, when considering the possibility of starting the very own salt water aquarium are initially put off because they either believe or have been told that keeping a marine aquarium is hard. There are also others that believe that this hobby is very expensive. The truth is that having your very own slice of the ocean is not hard - as long as potential aquarists research as much as possibly they can both prior to starting and whilst running their aquarium then a fantastic home salt water aquarium is within reach of everyone who is interested.
More About: Aquarium , Water , Things , Salt , Thing

Nature Survives
2007-06-05 22:30:00
Many years ago I ran an aquarium that was built like a picture into the wall. The aquarium was not very large. Attached to it was another aquarium which acted as the sump. The sump could not be seen. The aquarium was my first salt water reef tank. It was full of rock and soft corals, and lit by fluorescent tubes. After a while the aquarium was full of life, from tiny shrimps to growing corals. The many colours of the algae made it even better. I was relatively new at marine reef and fish keeping so the total lack of problem algae may have been a stroke of luck, though I did a great deal of research before I started. The only fish in the aquarium was a flame angelfish (Centropyge loriculus). This aquarium was my first foray into the fascinating world of reefs. I remember it so well!
More About: Nature , Vive , Natur

So Why Do You?
2007-06-05 16:30:00
So why do you keep a salt water aquarium? Or a fish only aquarium for that matter? This came up because a television man had occasion to come through my hall and saw my aquarium. His first comment was "that's beautiful" which to any aquarist is music. A few things were explained to him about corals, the fish, and how much maintenance was needed. He was only given a bare boned outline of the aquarium etc, not a long winded boring lecture. He looked at me and asked "So why do you keep an aquarium then?" My reply was that I enjoyed it and found it relaxing. He nodded and off he went.

You ask - we listen
2007-06-04 14:53:00
Since the launch of this site (or rather the migration from the old one!) we have had quite a few comments from visitors to this site asking for detailed information to be posted on this site in relation to practically everything to do with salt water aquariums, salt water life and natural reefs. Well guess what we are going to take on this challenge.
More About: Listen

You ask - we listen
2007-06-04 14:53:00
Since the launch of this site (or rather the migration from the old one!) we have had quite a few comments from visitors to this site asking for detailed information to be posted on this site in relation to practically everything to do with salt water aquariums, salt water life and natural reefs. Well guess what we are going to take on this challenge.
More About: Listen

Recent News
2007-06-03 22:04:00
Sandals/Beaches on rescue mission for coral reefs - Jamaica Observer 3 Jun 2007 at 3:03am Sandals/Beaches on rescue mission for coral reefs Jamaica Observer, Jamaica - 13 hours ago SANDALS and Beaches Resorts in the St Ann/St Mary region have launched a monthly drive to rid coral reefs in the area of garbage and debris, …...
More About: News , Recent

Thinking about a nano reef tank
2007-06-03 21:44:00
I was sat in my home office today doing some work and I thought to myself 'you know what, a nano reef tank would look really nice in here' I can't have been enjoying the work I was doing as I started to plan out in my mind exactly what I would need, what I could keep in it etc. I think that this could be a great little project for me and my son to do together. We don't see a great deal of each other so it could be a source of some really valuable father and son time.
More About: Tank , Reef , Nano , Thinking

How to setup a quarantine tank.
2007-06-01 23:28:00
Ok, yesterday I posted about why a quarantine tank is so important and why every aquarists should at least consider using one. Since then I have had loads of emails asking me how to set one up - so here goes. You can use a tank which can be either glass or acrylic - it does not matter which, neither does it need to be large. Think about it how many fish are you actually going to be keeping in it - one, possibly two. Of course if you keep large fish then you need to take this into consideration when planning your quarantine tank.
More About: Tank , Setup , Anti

Why don't more aquarists use a quarantine tank?
2007-05-31 23:47:00
To this day it still amazes me how few aquarists actually use a quarantine tank within their home aquarium setup. Instead of using a quarantine system they are more than happy to risk all the animals when introducing a new member into the aquarium. I appreciate that there is only a small slight when purchasing new fish, corals etc however the risk is there and it is not something which should be taken lightly. All responsible aquarists should follow some basic guidelines which it comes to purchasing new animals. Actually it probably goes back a bit further than that - the word I should have used is 'researching'.
More About: Tank , Anti , Aqua

I needed a bigger tank.
2007-05-29 18:52:00
Aquarists with a salt water aquarium usually (ignoring fish only systems) fill them with fascinating life forms of the reef. This can be soft corals, hard corals and a host of other potential inhabitants. In the setting up stage great efforts are made to ensure that water quality and lighting are adequate, and the overall habitat is suitable for the inhabitants. The aquarium should then thrive, with the permission of nature and perhaps a little bit of luck.
More About: Tank

Lights Out!
2007-05-28 00:15:00
Running a salt water aquarium is educational, very satisfying, and mostly relaxing. Mostly relaxing is correct, there are those occasions when the word ‘relax’ doesn’t apply. For example, when a pump fails and the shops are shut, when a fish is lost etc. There is also another occasion that aquarists dread, and that is a power supply failure.
More About: Lights

Fun or Frustration
2007-05-26 16:27:00
During your life looking after a salt water aquarium have you ever done something that you didn’t regret, but which tended to test your patience and perhaps even question your own sanity? I have. Salt water coral fish are for the most part very beautiful. The fish we keep tend to become favourites, or we see one in a magazine, on-line, or observe one in a shop which we fall in love with.
More About: Frustration , Trat , Stra , Rust , Stration

New Site…
2007-05-26 08:51:00
As you will have seen the new site is active! We have moved from a subdomain from the Salt Water Aquarium site to a brand new domain. With a bit of luck this will be easier to remember.
More About: Site , New Site

We’re home!
2007-05-22 22:57:00
Well I have to say that we all had an absolutely fantastic time - lazing on the beach, swimming in the pool, spending quality fun time with the family and lot’s more. Our aquariums were all fine when we returned, the skimmers need emptying and a good clean as well as the glass which needed a scrub to remove the build up of algae. No losses to speak of and I am sure that the corals are larger now than when we went!
More About: Home

Vacation Time!!!
2007-05-22 22:56:00
It’s that time of year again. Time for a break, a bit of rest and relaxation and some quality time with the family. Normally I go with my family but this year my parents are coming as well.
More About: Vacation

How to mix saltwater
2007-05-22 22:55:00
New seawater is going to be mixed many times in the future. Why not take a little extra trouble in the initial mix and save a lot of time later?
More About: Salt , Twater

Natural Aquarium Lighting
2007-05-22 22:54:00
The great majority of aquarists light their aquariums with halide bulbs or fluorescent tubes or a combination of both. Huge strides have been made in the manufacture of suitable lighting for aquarists. There is a wide choice of Kelvin (K) rating in both fluorescent and halide, and a choice of power (W) at least in halides, though there are T8’s, T5’s and power compacts in fluorescents. Science produces as near as possible the light needed by reef life.
More About: Aquarium , Natural , Lighting , Aqua , Natur

Midnight Fountain!
2007-05-22 22:53:00
The end of a very pleasant day out, my wife and I arriving home fairly tired and ready for food...
More About: Fountain , Midnight

Aquarium care
2007-05-22 22:34:00
Making the decision to start a salt water aquarium is a big decision and is certainly not a decision which should be taken lightly. There are so many occasions that I see or hear about salt water aquarium’s being started because they have seen the colourful fish and corals in a pet shop or seen something on television and thought to themselves:
More About: Aquarium , Care , Aqua

Using a UV sterilizer in a reef tank
2007-05-22 22:33:00
What is the sterilizer? It is a container, usually in a near tube shape, in which an ultraviolet (UV) fluorescent lamp is contained. The lamp emits light at around 254 nm. The lamp is constructed of quartz glass to prevent the UV being absorbed as it would be if ordinary glass were used. The lamp is in a container of its own to shield it from the water, and then there is an outer container. The space between the containers is very small allowing full penetration of UV light. The water is passed between the outer and inner containers by a pump or power head.
More About: Tank , Reef , Teri

Reef aquarium pests
2007-05-22 22:32:00
As with most hobbies there are some things that are definitely undesirable. Keeping a saltwater reef aquarium or saltwater fish only aquarium is a most fulfilling hobby, but irritating problems can occur. For example, outbreaks of filamentous green algae, brown/black/red smear algae, glass anemones and bubble algae (sailor’s eyeball algae) are four of the major culprits. These problems can develop into major headaches if proper action during setting-up and the following care and maintenance are not taken.
More About: Aquarium , Reef , Aqua , Pests

DIY aquarium backgrounds
2007-05-22 22:31:00
One of the questions which I am asked quite a lot is how do I hide all the plumbing and/or wires around the back of the tank so that they are not visible from the front. And I agree it does not look natural. You set your aquarium up and all the rock is aquascaped perfectly yet all you can see through the back of the tank is the wall, wires, pipework etc.
More About: Aquarium , Background , Backgrounds , Round , Aqua

Welcome to Aquarists Online!
2007-05-21 22:05:00
Thank you for taking the time to visit Aqua rists Online . If you are interested in the salt water aquarium hobby, thinking of starting, have just started or have been keeping a salt water aquarium for a while then you will want to be a regular reader here at Aquarists Online! Aquarists Online is edited by a father and son team and was created for salt water aquarists worldwide as a dedicated community area for both reader enjoyment and reader participation.
More About: Line

We?re home!
2007-05-21 21:46:00
Well I have to say that we all had an absolutely fantastic time - lazing on the beach, swimming in the pool, spending quality fun time with the family and lot’s more. Our aquariums were all fine when we returned, the skimmers need emptying and a good clean as well as the glass which needed a ...
More About: Home

Vacation Time!!!
2007-05-11 12:22:00
It?s that time of year again. Time for a break, a bit of rest and relaxation and some quality time with the family. Normally I go with my family but this year my parents are coming as well. That does leave me with a slight dilemma though as when I am away my father normally looks after ...
More About: Vacation

How to mix saltwater
2007-05-07 21:27:00
New seawater is going to be mixed many times in the future. Why not take a little extra trouble in the initial mix and save a lot of time later?   When purchasing the sea salt, obtain salt that is specifically designed for use with R/O water, as this is to be used ...
More About: Salt , Twater

Natural Aquarium Lighting
2007-05-02 21:33:00
The great majority of aquarists light their aquariums with halide bulbs or fluorescent tubes or a combination of both. Huge strides have been made in the manufacture of suitable lighting for aquarists. There is a wide choice of Kelvin (K) rating in both fluorescent and halide, and a choice of power (W) at least in halides, ...
More About: Aquarium , Natural , Lighting , Light , Aqua

Midnight Fountain!
2007-05-02 10:20:00
The end of a very pleasant day out, my wife and I arriving home fairly tired and ready for food. Then to the lounge. A couple of drinks and a relaxing evening in front of the TV. About 10 pm ready for bed so off we went. As is normal we didn’t sleep immediately but read ...
More About: Fountain , Midnight

Aquarium care
2007-04-30 13:53:00
And why aquarium care is so important?.. Making the decision to start a salt water aquarium is a big decision and is certainly not a decision which should be taken lightly. There are so many occasions that I see or hear about salt water aquarium?s being started because they have seen the colourful fish and corals in ...
More About: Aquarium , Care , Aqua

Using a UV sterilizer in a reef tank
2007-04-24 21:14:00
Actually, a UV sterilizer can be used in either a salt water reef aquarium or a salt water fish only aquarium. What is the sterilizer? It is a container, usually in a near tube shape, in which an ultraviolet (UV) fluorescent lamp is contained. The lamp emits light at around 254 nm. The lamp is constructed ...
More About: Tank , Reef , Sing , Teri