Fixed UP by Alpy

Original sad looking 3 foot attempt at a planted tank 

 Fixed up by the man Alp Tas

So i had a really sad looking planted tank i keep to house spare fish....Alp being the iron chef of aquariums he is decided he would fix up the tank with the limited plant material available i.e. 3 left over plants and a bunch of driftwood + about ten pieces of black slate. this man is a genius. The before picture isn't the original sad layout it was actually worse but you get the idea when you see the new version.... the bag in the corner is just some carbon. To make it look more authentic he scraped off the paint on the back of the tank and, it also gave it the illusion of a bigger aquarium. 

Planted Nano tank - picture tutorial done by Alp Tas

 Bare 30 liter tank

 Small Layer of Aqua Soil

 Chosen Plants

 Removed from bag followed by removal of all wool/cardboard surrounding hair grass rots

                                      

 Alp thinking about the layout

 Close-up shot of rocky layout

 Addition of some Cryptocoryne's

 Paper toweling to keep plants from drying out

Tank Set-up without water

Done with the addition of water, a small UP-Aqua CO2 system and a ORCA hang on filter Looks pretty good for a planted tank. Planned in habitants I have been told will be crystal red shrimp, otoclinclus, rasboras and possibly glass cats. Will post further updates

Goniopora

Many aquarist's  I know have tried to keep Goniopora species without success - However, it seems there may be some light at the end of the tunnel. From my research including speaking to coral exporters, reading articles and through my own experience a key to keeping these types of corals alive has to do with feeding. From what I have read these particular corals come from areas which are high in nutrients therefore, the demise of these corals in captivity may be linked to low nutrient levels. Apparently different species of gonioporas may require different types of food - therefore, it is best to try feeding a variety of different types of food i.e frozen foods, or micro diets which you can normally find at your local fish store.. If you have good quality water i.e. low nitrates, KH 8 - 12 and good calcium levels you might want to try feeding your coral 3 - 4 times per week.





This a really cool article:

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2005/10/aafeature2

for another spin:

http://www.reefs.org/library/article/r_toonen20.html

more randoms + progress

Truly Unusual - a crochet coral reef

doing some random googling and came across this website - it is a crocheted coral reef - kinda like corals obviously with an arty interpretation.. Being that I like all thing coral/fish/aquatic I rate it but, unfortunately I don't think my reef tank would mesh well with any of those pieces ....

http://sydneyreef.blogspot.com/

new pics - a customers tank

so this tank is running without a protein skimmer what so ever and has loads of coralline algae (which has recently been removed from the back wall. A chiller and a over the top trickle filter - i would say without the fancy equipment this tank is doing great. Loads of corrallimorphs which help suck up the wastes like nitrate - and no measurable phosphate at all.

random pictures

Ehiem Quick Vac PRO - Automatic gravel cleaner

So my previous post I didn't rate the Ehiem Quick Vac Pro very highly however thanks to a great suggestion from one of my fishy friends I do believe that it can be modified. OK so as I said the middle piece where the waste collects doesn't seem to be able to trap fine bits of waste or mulm. So the suggestion was to place some filter wool into the collection bag and bingo you can go ahead and use this for small tanks no problem. Actually this would be a great problem if you for instance had a small fish bowl and didn't want to get your hands dirty by removing all the gravel etc etc. You might need to replace the filter wool every couple of cleans but at least you clean the gravel without having to totally remove everything in the bowl.

So there is hope after all... I will post pictures soon

Dan

Ehiem Quick Vac PRO - Automatic gravel cleaner

So i got suckered into purchasing a Ehiem Quick Vac PRO - to be 100% honest  I have been curious to trial it out especially since I was experimenting on how to speed up cleaning/filtering detritus off a glass tank bottom which didn't contain any gravel. I have to say for picking up the small pieces it does seem to work rather well however, keep in mind if you have a large amount of detritus it will get clogged rather easily.

It works by sucking up water through the siphon part at the bottom then pushes it up into the clear bag portion (between the handle and siphon - which I think is semi porous) which traps the detritus and lets the water back in the tank. Don't shake it to hard or the detritus will follow the water back into the tank especially the smaller particles.

So the first unit i opened up was faulty .... so I sent that one back and got another - this seemed to have way more suction however, nothing major i.e. it isn't even strong enough to lift one tiny piece of gravel off the aquarium floor however, lighter bits of detritus gets sucked up easily enough. Operation is rather simple and assembly is as easy as pie. To turn the unit on/off there is one button on top of the handle - you don't need to hold it - it just stays on and then press again to turn it off. It doesn't function well if you take it out of the water whilst still on and then plonk it back in the water as it seems to get air locked therefore you need to turn it off and on again to get it going.

I used it on a area that had a small build up of detritus and, it seemed to function well and, to clean it I just took the bag out and rinsed under tap water. However, in the tank with large amounts of detritus I just found it useless as it kept getting full really quick and I spent more time going back to the sink to to clean it.

OK so I rate this device a 6/10 - the concept is great however, the suction power isn't..... and the bags can't handle much detritus.... seems to trap larger particles well  but, no so good with the smaller ones.... Also tried it on a gravel based tank and to be honest the traditional gravity feed gravel vacuum works 100 times better. 4 hours battery time - so make sure you use rechargeable ones :)
So save your money for when they bring out a automatic gravel vac with some real vacuum power.

Aquarium toilet

David Saxby wicked reef aquarium

Nudislugs of the sea

Spanish Dancer in mid swim

So a good friend put me onto this web page which has some pretty amazing pics of some really nice sea slugs a.k.a. Nudibranchs. Probably not something many people keep in the aquarium because, some can tend to eat your soft corals and be toxic to your fish if harmed + aren't really that easy to keep either and when they die will pollute your tank water with toxins. Been diving in Sydney many times and even when there a no fish or corals/sponges to look at these guys can keep you entertained for a long time. In Sydney they seem to populate certain underwater areas endemically - by this I mean you can swim around for 20 metres and only see a ones species than another 20 metres down that species is non-existent and you find another type. I do believe they have short life spans which probably has something to with this.

I do remember a while back when Spanish Dancers where available in Sydney however, I haven't seen one in ages.... Anyways go and check out this link:

http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/news-stunning-multicoloured-splendour-sea-slugs-nudibranchs

Brown Jelly Disease - or is it?

As any reef aquarist is aware there isn't a huge amount of information available on different types coral diseases... I did a bit of research on the web and after a bit of digging found a few sites with some useful information. I needed to find some information because parts of my torch coral had started to retract their polyps whilst parts were still very healthy looking. I inspected the coral last night and it seemed fine and dandy. I awoke this morning and noticed the following:

* Please note there are a lot of sites on the web which call this brown jelly disease.... i believe that this would be a common name given to this disease process.. the actual cause may be due to some opportunistic protozoans attacking the tissue which may be compromised for some reason

ohh and the brown jelly actually looked more red but that could be due to the actinics ... and it smelled putrid once removed from the tank....

Basically the following 3.....maybe 4 things need to be considered as a cause of this coral deterioration...

1. A black out happened 4 days ago which somehow killed one of my internal pumps - roughly 1500 lph pump .... therefore the flow rate in the tank slowed right down

2. I have started using a reef supplement 3 days ago - Liquid Reef - I doubt this is the cause unless I have overdosed causing some adverse effect

3. The frogspawn which sits directly next to the torch may have stung the torch coral.... possible.... also the fact that the tank had diminished water flow may have caused the effect to be more pronounced so to speak.

4. There are by the looks of things a few crabs living within the skeletal structure of the LPS - I have read that they can burrow into the skeleton for protection.... causing damage..

So i have added a spare 1500 - 2000 lph pump into the tank and will slowly eliminate the possibilities - water change done 2 weeks ago all equipment functioning great... crabs have been there for a long while so I doubt it will be the cause... more than likely competing corals....

Dan

Aquarium Designs and various things

So I was doing some research for a client and came across the following really interesting aquariums:

http://www.octopusstudios.com/index.htm

I feel in Australia we don't have a massive range of new products available especially when it comes to types of tank designs. You can get these tanks in Australia for a pretty big fee probably over $10,000 with delivery but, it is all inclusive. I can say that the equipment used in the set-up is top quality eheim etc and there seems to be a load of information on how to look after the aquarium.

Its designed for freshwater set-ups for fish which don't grow very large and yes it can be used for saltwater tanks however, they recommend only experienced aquarists try doing that. I can't image that it would be an easy task setting up a FOWLER or reef tank in one of these tanks but, it probably would look spectacular...

Ohh and this guy designs some awesome fish bowls however, sadly I don't think they are available to purchase - check it out - http://www.rogerarquer.com/work/fishbowls/

Also, I found the following article - so they insert bits of DNA into unhatched fish eggs modifying the fishes current DNA code causing them to glow - I do believe bio-luminescence is already found in some fish species - not sure how popular they would be? But in some ways i guess they are cool or at least the science behind it all is.

http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/content.php?sid=2962
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnhwY7dlbJM&feature=player_embedded

Peace

Dan

Is there anything that Paul can't do - that octopus is amazing lol

So since this is a blog about fish/aquariums etc and octopus are ocean dwellers I though I should make a mention to Paul the psychic octopus - amazingly he has predicted the correct winner for 8 games in a row in the 2010 world cup - a perfect record. Not sure how much they are paying this guy but, i bet he will be popular for all sporting event to come. If only I could get my hands on one !

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/breaking-news/paul-the-psychic-octopus-does-it-again-correctly-predicts-world-cup-winner-spain/story-e6frea73-1225890564185

or become a face friend on facebook

http://www.facebook.com/PsychicOctopusPaul

or just be marvelled by wiki

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_the_Octopus


Now according to Wikipedia this isn't Paul's first time predicting a major soccer event in 2008 Paul predicted 4 out of 6 soccer matches in the Euro cup!

Some people/invertebrates are just blessed

So fish can talk??? really ?? (but not in english.... damn)

Just reading the local news bulletin and found the following which does seem like old news really ... I mean many people have probably heard of talking cat fish which grunt when you take them out of the water - looks like gurnards do it too :)

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/wacky/fish-grunt-chirp-and-talk-to-each-other/story-e6frev20-1225889260920

Feeding your fish

SO i though it might be interesting to breakdown the different constituents of commonly sold fish food (be it frozen, flake, liquid etc - they all fit in somehow).... you know at the back of the container/packet it usually breaks down the elements; ever wondered their importance?


Protein


They are very important elements which are the building blocks of life and perform a huge number of biological functions. They are made up of many different amino acids in different combinations to create different proteins. Most fish food contains types of fish or meat in crude form to provide the proteins to your fishes diet i.e. beef heart etc. When using frozen food it is important to consider that the actual freezing process causes the internal cell walls of the frozen product (i.e. brine shrimp, plankton or blood worms) to break releasing all the good nutrients; this a good reason to not feed your fish a frozen food only diet.
Feeding your fish only frozen foods (such as blood worms etc) can lead to your fish to developing deficiencies.


Vitamins


Vitamins are organic compounds essential to animals in small quantities for growth and healthy living. These essential nutrients are also often lost from fish food due to the process of sterilisation, freeze drying or freezing. Some vitamins are able to be synthesized by the animal itself where as others need to be provided as part of the diet. Vitamins can be both water and fat soluble therefore, it is important to feed your fish good quality food to ensure it is formulated well and, contains these essential vitamins which they need to get via their diet. It doesn't hurt to feed your fish a variety of foods just to make sure you cover all their essential dietary requirements.


Fats/Lipids


Lipids provide many very important biological functions in animals including fish. They are used as structural components of animal cell membranes, they provide fuel for internal processes, and of course insulation. Many fish foods contain amounts of fat or lipids as they are essential nutrients to fish however, can also do harm if fish are fed this particular element in abundance. There are both saturated and unsaturated types of fats and foods such as beef heart contain high amounts of saturated fats. In most instances the quality flake/pellet food available at your local fish store will contain the right amounts of saturated and unsaturated fats. These foods also contain types of preservatives to stop the food from going off and things such as fats from breaking down. Probably best to use a spoon instead of your fingers to feed your fish because, the water in your aquarium (and even you tap) contains many different types of bacteria and fungi which start the process of spoiling your fish food....


So to sum up best to feed your fish a varied diet frozen, freeze dried and pellet/flake food. Where possible do not overfeed them with frozen or live foods as its not healthy for them and, try and keep the food container free of wet fingers :)

Carbonate hardness/pH.... what is it?

The carbonic acid-bicarbonate (ion) buffer system

pH and carbonate hardness in aquariums - and in general when it comes to water chemistry -  can be seen as linked due to their overlapping relationship. Often when reading blogs, books, magazines, or talking to other hobbyists, people interchange terms like carbonate hardness and pH. The relationship is not that simple especially if chemistry isn't your favourite subjects (like most of us) but, I will have a go at explaining anyway.

What is pH ? It is the concentration of Hydrogen (H+) ions in a solution. The scale is logarithmic ( i.e. when you get a pH reading of 8 or 10 - you actually have a much lower concentration of free H+ ions then if you have a pH of 3.... sounds backwards.... that's science). The pH of tap water is around 7 which is considered neutral.

What is a Buffer ? In aquariums and other solutions they are substances which act as regulators for H+ ions i.e. they accept them or release them depending on their availability in the solution and also the concentration of the buffer. This causes them to buffer the pH at a certain value hence the name.

What are acids? they are substances which release hydrogen (H+) ions

What are Bases? they are substances which take up hydrogen (H+) ions

So how are they all linked? Consider a saltwater aquarium with a pH of 8.3 (High pH = basic). Carbonic acid is formed in a reversible reactions via the following reaction:

CO2 + H2O  <-->  H2CO3 (carbonic acid)  <-->  H + HCO3 (hydrogen and bicarbonate ions)

When the aquarium experiences an increase in hydrogen atoms (H+) the bicarbonate (or base) combines with the H+ to form carbonic acid H2CO3 (acid). The carbonic acid is relatively unstable and eventually turns into H2O and CO2. If there is a increase in hydroxide (-OH) ions in the aquarium the carbonic acid actually releases bicarbonate and water e.g.

OH (Hydroxide) + H2CO3 (carbonic acid)  <--> H2O (water) + HCO3 (bicarbonate ion)

So basically these two reactions keeps your pH stable.

So your aquarium - hopefully a buffered one - maintains a stable pH by using buffers which release or take up hydrogen (H+) and hydroxide (-OH) ions via carbonic acid or bicarbonate. When you measure the kH with your aquarium test kit your a detecting the available bicarbonate molecules. From my experience kH tends to be more important in saltwater aquariums because, the animals which live in these ecosystems require a higher pH and are very sensitive to changes in pH. Many of the commonly available freshwater species (from fish stores) can survive in water from the tap providing it has be been de-chlorinated i.e. they are happy with the neutral pH.

In the aquarium hobby it is quite common for people to add tap water directly into their freshwater or saltwater aquariums. This  tap water contains a neutral pH with very little buffering capacity i.e.  one of the reasons why it is dangerous to add it to saltwater aquariums.

Hope this info was helpful and not too confusing.....

Algae - A Problem Solver Guide (Julian Sprung)

Search Amazon.com for algae a problem solver guideAlgae - A Problem Solver Guide (Julian Sprung)

What can i say but, what a great book.

So many people are discouraged by the nuisance algae which grows in aquariums and, often the most frustrating thing about algae is how to control it. Often when starting in the aquarium hobby the easiest thing to do to control algae is perform periodic cleaning of aquarium glass. Why would you want to spend all that money on a new aquarium only to have to devote your time every few days (sometimes more) cleaning algae of the aquarium glass/plants/ rocks etc etc. Well the great thing about this book is that Julian explains in great detail the biology of algae, their food sources (primary carbon sources) and, ways to control them. On top of the biology, food and control of algae this book also devotes a whole chapter to pictures and descriptions of commonly encountered algae. Now this book can be used for beginners but, if your a experienced aquarist and, want a detailed read to sink your teeth into then this is for you.  Please note most of discussion on algae seems to be focused on algae which is encountered in saltwater aquariums. However, i do believe this logic can be applied to freshwater aquariums and, help you succeed in controlling problem algae in any type of aquarium.

The book starts off by explaining the biology of algae i.e. what are they, reproduction, structure, phenotypic appearance and then he goes into a detailed description about all the different elements and water chemistry which commonly act as algal food sources, how these elements effect algae and, may even stop them. Followed by the commonly assumed causes of algal growth i.e. lighting, over feeding , filtration etc etc.

Chapter two delves into ways to control algae starting from the biological i.e. snails, invertebrates, macro algae, fish, to biological filtration (corals, plants etc) to commonly available over the counter methods. Really has a tremendous amount of information to go on if your keen to get algae under control.

Chapter three goes into detail about the different types of algae, how to identify them (description and, pictures) and ways to control them.

And, finally there is a glossary and an index.

I would give this book a overall rating of 8/10 - it would be a ten but, being a aquarium fanatic it just left me wanting more information - but, i guess half the fun with this hobby is finding these things out for yourself.

If your keen on learning more about your aquarium and, how to control nuisance algae definitely buy this book.

Features (as described on the back of the front cover):

- Identifies algae that become "problematic" in aquariums
- Explains the physical, chemical and biological requirements of algae
- Over 180 photographs taken including under the microscope to show important identifying features
- Extensive recommendations for ways to control algae growth
- How to eliminate red slime algae once and for all
- How to stop green hair algae from ruining your aquarium
- How to stop a dinoflagellate bloom
- How to control diatoms
- New herbivores for controlling Bryopsis and other hair algae
- New herbivores that eat Valonia

ENJOY

Cloudy white water - bacterial bloom explained

A common situation that my customers face with new aquariums (and, of course in established aquariums) is bacterial blooms - the cause of cloudy white water in an aquarium.
In new and established aquariums this is the result of waste products being broken down by bacteria  and, a spike in ammonium following.

There can be many causes for this.... in a new aquarium it can be a result of excess nutrients in the water. This results in certain types bacteria multiplying in huge numbers to breakdown the waste causing a milky white effect in the water. The bacteria will eventually die off as a result of starvation when their nutrients in the water decrease i.e. there is less food for them to eat. An ammonium spike usually follows the appearance of this cloudy white water followed by the next group of bacteria that grow and breakdown the ammonium. Once the full cycle is complete i.e. ammonium --> nitrite --> nitrate you will notice that on your water test kit no longer registers ammonium or nitrite and, but registers nitrate in your water.

In cycled aquariums bacteria blooms can be caused by overfeeding or washing the aquarium filter with fresh tap water which contains chlorine - killing the colonies of established bacteria in your filter resulting in a reset of the bacterial cycle therefore, a bacterial bloom.

If this were to happen the best thing to do is to make sure your air stone is on full ball and your water surface agitation is at its maximum. Fish will usually survive this event in a freshwater tank.... but, probably not a saltwater tank. Its best to try to avoid resetting your aquarium cycle as this causes stress to your fish and often results in diseases such as white spot.

When first starting in the aquarium hobby (about 10 years ago) I went through the stress of bacterial blooms and associated ammonia spikes a number of times. At one stage I owned a 3 foot saltwater tank with a canister filter and about 10 kg's of live rock, a pyjama cod and a lion fish (although i had no idea about their ferocious eating habits - which I was unequipped for). As many new marine hobbyists do I fed them way too much and, as a result caused a bacterial bloom and a huge ammonium spike! Needless to say this killed both my fish ... due to my impatience..... the tank was only 1 month old and deciding to add these two hungry beasts into my aquarium was not a wise choice. The bacterial colonies in the tank and filter were not established yet.... well not enough to handle the these fish and their waste.

As if this experience wasn't enough I tried again i.e. got rid of these dead fish let the tank cycle again and, then added a few corals (not such a bad idea). However, I made the unwise choice of adding liquid coral food and more than likely overdosed the system. Next morning I woke to find that the aquarium had turned cloudy white again! and, that all the live rock had died off.... the tank had a putrid smell. Besides overfeeding.... in hindsight the canister filter probably wasn't the best choice for this aquarium.

When first starting in the hobby most people do not realise how much work is involved with setting up an freshwater or saltwater aquarium.

So more often than not bacterial blooms will resolve themselves however, 25% water changes don't hurt and, holding off of feeding your fish is probably a good idea also.

Dan

Nitrogen cycle explained

Nitrogen Cycle

The nitrogen cycle is a term used to explain the cycle that breaks down fish waste and other
types of waste into Nitrate, a process which occurs in your aquarium (fresh or saltwater).
When fish waste enters into the aquarium (i.e. Nitrogenous waste) it is quickly converted into
ammonium, a very toxic substance for fish. Bacteria which live in an aquarium have the job of
breaking this ammonium down into nitrite; another substance toxic to fish. The breakdown of
ammonium to nitrite requires oxygen and, the presence of Aerobic bacteria (i.e. bacteria which
require oxygen to survive). The final step in the cycle also requires oxygen and aerobic bacteria
to breakdown nitrite into nitrate, which is the least toxic of the substances in the cycle; this is a
substance which typically builds up in an aquarium which requires a water change to remove.
Fish can tolerate higher levels of nitrate however; this can also get too concentrated in an
aquarium and also cause fish to stress. High nitrate levels can compromise the immune/defence
systems of fish, and cause problems like white spot.

Usually ammonium or nitrite is present in an aquarium when it is first set up. Reason being, that
each step in the process requires different types of bacteria however, it takes a while for these
bacteria to colonize and grow in your filter and aquarium gravel/decor etc. Once these bacteria
have colonized the aquarium they will breakdown the ammonium and nitrite to nitrate very
efficiently so long as the fish are not overfed or overpopulated in the aquarium. It normally takes
about 2 -3 weeks for the cycle to establish in a freshwater aquarium (longer in a saltwater
aquarium). If ammonium or nitrite is detected in an aquarium after it has been established, it can
mean that the fish are being overfed, which in turn is causing the fish to create more waste than
the aquarium can handle. The following levels would be considered toxic to fish and other
animals in an aquarium:

Nitrogenous Compounds Concentration limit for an aquarium:

Ammonium 0.4 ppm
Nitrite 0.1 ppm
Nitrate 100 ppm
ppm = (parts per million)

*** When the concentration of nitrate reaches 50 ppm it is best to perform a 25% water change.
So what happens with the Nitrate?

Well, nitrate is actually broken down by anaerobic bacteria (bacteria which survive in an
environment containing NO oxygen). Due to the fact that most aquariums do not contain many
areas for the anaerobic bacteria to live, nitrate isn’t actually broken down very fast and tends to
build up in an aquarium, so water change is a must. Filters, when working correctly are quite
saturated with oxygen from the aquarium water therefore; do not typically contain these bacteria
either. In the wild, it’s a different story – there are many places for these types of bacteria to live
therefore the water quality will always be much better than what most aquarists can simulate in
an aquarium.

Filter

This is where the breakdown of the majority of waste happens. The explanation above details the
process that actually takes place inside the filter and, to a lesser extent in the actual aquarium, on
rocks, in gravel and on decor or plants. For this reason it is vital to never wash filter media with
tap water which contains chlorine, this will kill the bacteria in the filter. It is always best to wash
filter media with aquarium water, or only change the filter wool and leave the rest of the filter

Here fishy fishy

Just a couple of pictures of the 4X2X2 salt-water fish tank. The coralline algae are starting to grow all over the rocks and, even though the tank is bare in terms of corals I think this tank looks awesome.




So basically all water changes are done using pre-bought ocean water which has a constant salinity of 1.022/1.023. Interestingly enough water is only changed once a month however, this tank has been going for about 2/3 years so it has established quite a good bacterial colony in the filter media.



Mod's done to the filter include - removal of all plastic bio-balls (waste collectors and nitrate factories...in my opinion). Addition of matrix filtration - repaired protein skimmer which works a charm. The filter itself has quite a deep layer of course coral sand - probably a good nitrate reductor.



Tropic Marin trace elements added once weekly and fish fed 3-4 times week with spectrum, brine shrimp and algae wafers.

Here is some pictures:
 

Julian Sprungs - Invertebrates reference guide

This was the first marine reference guide I purchased and, contains some very interesting reading material. When you first start dabbling in reef tanks you have all sorts of questions like what’s that mushroom looking thing or what’s that snail creature?


The great thing about this book is it helps you understand those weird and wonderful things we all discover in our marine aquariums like Foraminiferans (Forams) which often come attached to live rock or the sponges that many people tend to not to notice but, form a part of any reef ecosystem. The book also covers things like corallimorphs, clams, anemones, starfish, zooanthids, nudibranchs, different types of snails and obvious things like crabs plus, many of those interesting creatures you discover at night.

As you know this book was written from a US perspective but, does a great job at covering a broad spectrum of invertebrates which you would find (i am assuming) all over the world including the land down-under.

Now this book isn't going to give you all the information you need to know about how to maintain this wonderful inverts. However, it will give you the important tid bits that will help you along the way. For instance Julian indicates the following for all the inverts:

- “Scientific name

- Common name

- Hardiness in captivity

- Regions (where it is found in the wild)

- Desirable/undesirable features

- Similar organisms

- Feeding requirements

- Special considerations”


And, of course loads of great pictures.

The book contents/index goes as follows (a few sections have been omitted):


“Chapter One – Foraminiferans”

“Chapter Two – Sponges”

“Chapter Three – Cnidaria”

“Chapter Four – Flatworms”

“Chapter Five – Mollusks”

“Chapter Six – Worms”

“Chapter Seven – Arthropods”

“Chapter Eight – Echinoderms”

“Chapter Nine – Tunicates”



I would recommend purchasing this book and, the other Julian Sprung book “Corals - a quick reference guide” if you’re serious on going on the reef aquarium journey.

Reference: Oceanographic Series – Invertebrates: A Quick Reference Guide

Copyright 2001 Reference Guide

First Printed June 2001

Published by Ricordea Publishing, Miami, Florida, USA\

Author: Julian Sprung

Book Design by Daniel N. Ramirez

Aquarium Worksheet - Parameters instructions etc.....

If your looking for help on how to get your aquarium up and running be that a saltwater fish only tank, reef tank or freshwater tank I have developed a worksheet which you can use to guide you throught the process. Basically it will cover all water parameters and calculations you need - outline below:


Example:

Reef Tank

Water parameters
Lighting
Feeding requirements
Measuring and maintaining trace elements and other water chemistry
When to do water changes

*** Aquariums look beautiful when you can.... to the best of your ability and funding ......replicate the lifestyle that suits your particular fish you wish to purchase. Many people go out an buy an aquarium and, have no idea of the set-up and maintenance requirements that these aquariums require. What I would like to offer (IN THE NEAR FUTURE) is a worksheet which you can use to keep your aquarium looking pristine. Soon from my fishebiz.com.au website you will be able to download a pdf. document (for a small fee) which will give you all the information you need to maintain your aquarium.

Why would you bother?

Well you might spend countless hours visiting aquarium stores having no real idea what your after - I have done that - by no idea I mean you may not have had the knowledge of what requirements your fish need.

You might get loads of free advice which often doesn't give you the whole picture.

More often than not the best solution for most problems encountered in an aquarium
(i.e. whitespot/algae) is prevention. Personally I have been dabbling in aquariums since I was a child and, have made all the mistakes that most people do. What I would like to do is offer you a step by step guide on how to maintain that beautiful looking reef aquarium or freshwater tank. I will shortly upload a pdf. document which details the water requirement you need to maintain to keep your tank looking great.

You could alternatively buy a detailed book and, read through all the information but, until you put this into practice no matter how much reading you do your still bound to make mistakes. My worksheets will basically cut out all the fat and leave you with the information you will require and, you can use this to keep your tank maintenance up to date.

Obviously it's up to you what type of aquarium you would like to set-up but, if you follow some basic rules your aquarium and your fish will look pristine.

Silentj

Corals; A Quick Reference Guide - Julian Sprung

Julian Sprung is well know in the aquarium industry as being an expert when it comes to reef aquaria and, this is where i started my adventure into saltwater reef aquariums.


So for those of you that are starting up in reef aquariums or even thinking about getting a bit of background knowledge about corals I do recommend the following book.

Providing you have an idea of what the water requirements for any reef aquarium is this book is a great start for getting an understanding of reef aquaria.

The book is split into two main sections i.e. hard corals and soft corals and then broken down further.

It has an easy to understand layout i.e. Julian describes the lighting requirements, flow requirements, aggressiveness and hardiness of the coral in mention. A picture accompanies the description of the coral also, common names and morphological structure for identification is provided. You will find a information on most of your commonly found corals in Australia and particularly the ones you would purchase in your local fish store (LFS). I personally refer to the information all the time but, that said there is no substitute for personal experience. They retail in fish stores from the $100.00 mark so grab yourself a bargain if you’re serious about reef keeping and purchase through the Amazon link above.

So to sum up this book provides a good grounding knowledge into different types of corals and, what they're individual requirements are.... this book is basic enough for a beginner to understand and, great for the advanced aquarist.

Nitrate reductor update

In my previously I put a post a nitrate reductor -

I was having a bit of trouble getting the flow rate just right.... I T-pieced the flow from a 1500 lph pump I used to cycle the water through the chiller. Now the flow rate was just right when the internal canister re-circulation pump wasn't on however, once I connected the re-circulation it would stem the flow... I tried everything i.e. re-arranging the hosing checking for air in the reactor (maybe there was an air lock) to no avail. As always Occam's razor i.e. the simplest solution is always the way to solve the problem. I know you can buy a special computer (with redox readings) to adjust the flow rate which would have been an expensive solution but, I know that you can run this reactor without this extra add-on.

So I went out and bought a 250 lph pump and, next I just needed to adapt the hosing from the pump to fit the tiny 3mm tubing which fits the Nitrate reactor. So basically the 250 lph pump fit a 5mm airline hose to which I attached a airline splitter (the one you use to split the air flow for a air pump to a number of different air stones) - perfect solution ! Anyway now the flow rate is perfect and, the drip counter is reading a drop per second or 1 litre per hour.

The main problem was that there was NO information available on the internet or from other sources of information on how to set these things up so basically it was trial and error.... please sees photo's below:

 

Aqua Medic Nitrate Reductor 400 - product review

So those of you thinking about making the ultimate reef aquarium would of without a doubt thought of the buying one of the many gadgets available to make your reef keeping that much simpler. A pretty common problem which is faced by all budding aquarists is how to tackle Nitrates in your aquarium. The most obvious answer being water changes and, NOT overstocking your aquarium - but, what if you want to go the next step ?? Nitrate Reductor anyone?

And, much the same as you I have let the impulsive part of my brain take over and decided to purchase a Nitrate Reductor. Now you probably know their are many different brands available as well as a whole host of home made contraptions but, in the interest of saving time and possible heartache i.e. from failed attempts and fiddling around I went and purchased a ready made - good quality - small nitrate reductor for my 300L reef tank.

Those of you who don't know what a nitrate reductor is will be happy to know that it is a unit designed to help reduce the harmful by-product nitrate. It is caused by a bacterial cycle which occurs in the aquarium and breaks down ammonium to nitrite to nitrate which either dissolves into a gas (leaving the tank) or builds up in your aquarium and becomes toxic to your fish and other aquatic animals. This cycle is natural/healthy and, is caused by different bacteria using different fuels for growth, i.e. phosphate, nitrate, nitrite and ammonium... not in that order .... Also, different groups of bacteria detoxify different toxins produced by the Nitrate cycle and, over time these colonies of bacteria develop and grow to large numbers allowing for better water conditions in your aquarium.

However the load of natural bacteria your aquarium filter contains isn't enough to cope with the amount of waste build up your fish or water changes produces..... therefore, nifty gadgets like a nitrate reductor come in handy.

The product I purchased was the Aqua Medic Nitrate Reductor 400 suited for freshwater and saltwater aquariums up to 400L. Now this is a german made product and most Australian fish people regard Aqua Medic products as Top Notch ... I mean have you seen some of those German Reef Tanks!

So going with the general concensus and, deciding to stick with what the experts recommend I bought myself an Aqua Medic unit.

Pretty simple looking unit and, quite easy to set-up but, as everything else you need to either adapt it to one of your current pumps i.e. in terms of water flow or use a seperate one.... I opted for the using the 2000L p/h pump I have going to my chiller.

The unit itself comes with two different coloured Bio-balls in the main filter unit white and black and, one of these (I think the white ones) actually dissolves slowly and feeds the anaerobic bacteria which detoxyify the nitrates from the water. There is space to add a Redox probe and two connectors i.e. one for inlet hose and one for the return plus a cap which can be unscrewed to feed the anaerobic bacteria during the start up process.



The fiddly bit is trying to get the flow rate just right since the inlet and oulet hoses are soooo small in diameter that if you turn the inlet hose too far and cut off the water flow it stuffs up the overall return flow and it takes while to rectify... a little frustrating... but once you get this sorted it needs no more work. The actual unit itself is quite sturdy in construction and the plastic material they use doesn't seem to fragile i.e. the clips on the side. It takes a bit of fiddling to redirect the flow from the main pump or whatever pump you decide to use into the reductor becuase obviously we all use different hose fittings in our aquariums therefore, need to adapt the t-piece provided to suit your set-up.



So the good things:



- sturdy and good quality make

- easy to understand connections

- simple operation

- looks asthetically pleasing (not that that is a must in most aquariums)

- overall good quality product



The not so good things



- Not a very good set-up guide i.e. no diagrams provided in the information booklet and, there isn't a huge amount of information on the internet but, the website does provide slightly more information than the pack insert...

- fiddly set-up but, I believe this a more a inherent flaw in a nitrate reductors than any particular model or brand

SCWD - Switching current water director A.K.A wavemaker or squid

I have recently upgraded the saltwater tank by installing a SCWD. Previously the internal artificial current was only due to return pump of 2000 lph with a single outlet and, a extra 2000 lph internal pump which can be seen in previous tank photo's. I have added the Wavemaker onto the return pump hosing (2000lph which isn't very strong so in future will upgrade the return pump to something a bit stronger probably 3000 - 4000 lph).

I have to say I am pretty happy with the device - I believe (could be wrong) the mechanism in the Wavemaker spins and blocks the outlet pipes not in any particular order... I have a feeling that as the water pressure increases/decreases - caused by the length of the tubing or the fluctuating of the pump - the device in the wavemaker spins (can be heard if you listen carefully) in different directions and, allows water through one outlet at a time or both at once.... I can say the particular one I have purchased is extremely quite and, as a result I do not have to have the extra internal pump running (Tank looks less cluttered too!)... has been working very well and i do recommend its use to any serious reef tanker. I have posted some pictures below of the set-up... please note according to the instructions this is slightly different set-up - probably best to follow manufactures instructions when setting up this unit.

Installation is pretty simple - I used a combination of 15mm and 19mm tubing. 15mm tubing was a bit tight however, this what was in the return pump and, this was attached to the bottom end of the Wavemaker. Then on the two splits I attached 19/22mm hosing with a plastic clamp purchased at my hardware store. The rest is pretty simple you just need to buy some 90 degree angle -pieces which fit your size hosing i.e. 19mm and, keep cutting your hosing until you get the return going back into the tank.... I have attached a simple diagram as it's a bit hard to describe :

Sydney's phosphate problem !

Not sure if anyone experience's the same problem but, if you get a bit of algae growing in your tank there is a good chance there is phosphate in your tap water in minute quantities.

I mean if you are in the habit of regularly changing your water yet you notice that you still tend to get a bit of algae then it might be worth testing your tap water for Phosphate.

Here is the scenario:

I have been setting up a planted tank for a 8 months now; spec's are:

150 Litres roughly
96 watts of Plant specific lighting - running 8 hours daily.
a canister filter running - bio balls, matrix, filter wool, purigen...
10 neon's, 5 rasboras, 2 angels, 2 octoclinclus (probably a bit overstocked .... I know)
Nitrate - almost 0ppm
Fully cycled
a whole host of plants + Japanese hair grass and long hair grass (going for that Japanese planted tank look but, a long way off )
Using Sea chem Excel to dose CO2

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Problem was this slimy blue green algae or flagellate looking goop - consistency was very slimy when you rubbed it between your fingers and, it had an affinity for the plants leaves and rocks.
This was terribly frustrating as I tried everything to get rid of it i.e. feeding less regularly, decreasing lighting, water changes, scraping the algae ....so pretty much everything short of taking everything out cleaning it with chlorine which someone suggested ... also dosed the crap out of the tank with Excel. Still to no avail.....

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Kept trying to figure out how this algae would have any nutrients to survive .... i mean I wasn't feeding the fish regularly, I did frequent water changes and no luck...

I decided I will get the full test kit out and re-check everything and, surely enough the phosphates were quite high! arrrggghh so I had to determine the source of the nuisance and, so I tested the tap water which I use to top up the tank and BINGO my tap water registers a reading of 0.5ppm phosphate ! so I guess this residual phosphate in the tap water has built up in the system leading to a excessively high reading of Phosphate (and the compounding fish waste of course) :<>

Blue Tang

Our friend the wonderful Blue tang.....

The blue tang made famous from the movie "Finding Nemo" (Pixar) is a great fish to have in a saltwater reef or fish only tank. They have a great personality and in a large tank are awesome to watch as they glide through the water. I currently have one in my 3 foot reef tank however, I do believe they go through growth spurts and, one day will need to be relocated to another home due to his/her size.

The blue tang (Paracanthurus hepatus - part of the surgeon fish family) is know by many different names such as Hippo tang, Pacific Blue tang, Regal tang, Blue surgeon etc etc. They are easily distinguished from other tangs by the bright blue/purply colour on their bodies with a distinctive black pattern which runs from their eye to their tail. The tail of the Blue tang is a magnificent yellow bordered with a black outline and, it also has a sometimes hard to see spike on its caudal fin which it uses to defend itself.

When placed in a tank with other Surgeon fishes (i.e. sailfin tang etc) they can become Territorial until it has settled in. My blue tang for instance was under a bit of stress when first introduced into my reef tank battling with my Sailfin Tang; after a while this rivalry subsided.

I do believe they can grow quite large and, have a massive appetite so best to place in a tank of at least 300 Litres so that it has sufficient room to grow and swim.

They are very easy to keep once your tank is cycled and, mine will pretty much eat anything although a sensible option would be to put mix their diet by providing them with Nori seaweed, brine shrimps, plankton mix and maybe some flake food... better for them as they will benefit from the varied diet.

I would recommend a Blue Tang to anyone as they are awesome fish to watch swim around and, come with a lot of personality which make your aquarium that much more exciting to watch.

And, of course optiomal water condiotns are the key.....

Peace

fishy tales - a break from the serious stuff