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Setting it up and Maintaining.

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What to Consider when setting up a Saltwater Aquarium

LOW COST REEF AQUARIUM - YOU CAN CREATE AT HOME

ALGAE CONTROL CENTRAL

REEF JANITORS ALGAE CONTROL CENTRAL

Saltwater Aquarium Guide

BEGINNING SALTWATER AQUARIA

Corals in the Reef tank. What They Are and How They Live

Page with updates on ........

Coral Reef Aquarium

Coral

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Anenomes

(ANEMONE)

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Invertebrates

Setting up the

Saltwater Aquarium

Hardy Fish

Saltwater Aquarium Fish

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Live Rock for Reef Tanks

Coral and Sponges

The Sponges

Coral

The Seahorse

The Seahorse

The Shrimp

The Shrimp

The Saltwater Crab

Saltwater Crab

The Starfish

The Starfish

The Blenney

The Bristle Worms..Reef Pest

Combtooth Gobies, the Family Gobiidae

Saltwater Aquarium Fish

Breeding the Seahorse

The Featherduster

The Sea Anemone

The Bristle Worms..Reef Pest

The Octopus

Possible Clownfish/Anemone combinations

    @Submit!-FREE Promotion

SAVE  THE  SEAHORSE

We have found a company which very successfully breeds seahorses to help prevent the taking of seahorses from the wild. The company (Ocean Riders) only sends the seahorse after it is trained to eat frozen and freeze dried food. They have a web site that is tremendously helpful in exactly how to set up the tank (explicitly mapping out the most ideal tank conditions). The website is WWW.oceanrider.com.

Buy only Tank born and raised!

Click HERE to learn more about The SeaHorse

Member, KIMBERLI ABOYADE


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SALTWATER

FISH

ORDER YOUR SALTWATER FISH HERE!

Order coral and

other invertebrate!

The novice saltwater hobbyist is advised to weigh the risks of the mixed collection against the obvious benefits and to make plans accordingly. Freshwater dips and quarantine tanks can reduce the chances of newly acquired specimens introducing disease to an established aquarium. Low fish population density (few fish in a large tank as in the currently popular "reef" type aquariums) may reduce epidemic outbreaks and allow fish to deal with parasites in their natural manner.

Saltwater Aquarium Fish

Saltwater Aquarium Fish

Compatibility

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Setting up an Aquarium?

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What to consider when setting up a salt water aquarium

The Financial Considerations - How much does it cost?

Some Special Considerations Concerning Invertebrates

The Biological Considerations

Suggested Reading

The Ethical Considerations Symbiosis

Coral reefs represent one of nature's most diverse and spectacular ecosystems; no wonder so many people want to keep a small part of this amazing ecosystem in their homes. The myriad of brightly colored organisms that inhabit today's tropical oceans are the result of millions of years of evolution. Flourishing in the stable conditions of this environment are organisms that are extremely well adapted to a narrow range of conditions. This unfortunately makes it more complicated and expensive to successfully maintain these organisms in captivity.

The purpose of this page is to introduce prospective marine aquarists to some of the time commitment, ethical considerations, and financial responsibilities associated with the maintenance of a marine aquarium.

BEGINNING SALTWATER AQUARIA

So, you are wondering if a saltwater aquarium is for you. Most people believe that marine aquarium keeping is infinitely more difficult than freshwater. Not so. The simple truth is that saltwater fish and invertebrates are not necessarily more difficult to keep, they just have different requirements than freshwater fish and are a bit less forgiving when it comes to mistakes. If you have not read the beginners section, please do it now. The key to fully understanding this section is to understand the basics presented there.

Corals in the Reef tank. What They Are and How They Live.

by J. Charles Delbeek M.Sc.

One of the main components of most reef aquariums today are live corals. Unfortunately, for the average hobbyist, the availability of these animals is not matched by the information available concerning their biology and care. Too often hobbyists know more about who manufactures their aquarium equipment than about the basic biology or the proper identification of the animals they are striving to keep. Without this information it makes it difficult to provide the optimum conditions that will allow them to grow and reproduce.

Invertebrates

Photo Gallery

Invertebrates

REEF CORAL for the beginner

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Coral and Sponges

Coral

Coral

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Anenomes

This and related pages are under development and will be extended as time and photos permit. All species mentioned have been seen and photographed during diving.

SEA ANEMONE

Phylum: Cnidaria (Coelenterata)

Class: Anthozoa

RANGE AND HABITAT: Anemones are found in coastal areas all over the world, especially in warmer waters. They are found both in shallow and deeper water. They attach themselves to shells, rocks, timber, or whatever submerged substrate they can find, by their pedal discs. Some burrow.

Sea Anemones

Although Sea Anemones look like flowers, they are predatory animals. These invertebrates have no skeleton at all. They live attached to firm objects in the seas, usually the sea floor, rock, or coral, but they can slide around very slowly. Sea anemones are very long lived. Hermit crabs sometimes attach sea anemones to their shells for camouflage.

Habitat and Distribution: There are over 1000 species of anemones found in coastal waters worldwide, in shallow waters (including coral reefs), and in deep oceans.

MUSHROOM ANEMONE PROPAGATION PAGE

This page will teach you to propagate Mushroom anemones

Choosing Your Next Anemone

Many hobbyist's first attempt at keeping marine fish involves the keeping of clownfish. Most are colorful, they have an interesting swimming motion, they are inexpensive and they are relatively hardy. Soon after the purchase of their clownfish many of those same people decide that their clownfish need an anemone. This is where many aquarist meet with their first failure. They find that even given good water conditions and good lighting their anemone still dies six to eight months later for no apparent reason. If the anemone does live, they may find they have a healthy clownfish and a beautiful anemone and neither one will have anything to do with the other. In this article I hope to give you some information that will help you to avoid these problems.

THE SEA-HORSE

Seahorse

Click HERE to learn more about The SeaHorse

Seahorses are vertebrate fish. They belong to the family Syngnathidae (syn - together or with [Greek] and gnathos - jaw [Greek]) which includes seadragons, pipefishes and pipehorses. Seahorses make up the genus Hippocampus (hippo - horse [Greek] and campos - sea animal [Greek]). They live in warm or temperate salt water off the coasts of Australia and the United States. They make their homes in reefs and seaweed. They are typically found at depths between .5 - 30 meters. In the reefs and seaweed, they have good protection from predators as well as a plenty of twigs to anchor themselves to.

There are around 40 different species of seahorses

   

THE

SEA DRAGON


Hardy Fish for Aquaria

So What Fish Are Good for Saltwater Tanks?

Well, thankfully there are many. All these fish do good in a well-maintained tank, but remember to always quarantine your fish first. The q-tank need not be large (15 gal maybe), no gravel, just a sponge filter, but needs to be permanently setup. This is the key to a saltwater aquarium. Quarentining is for 2 weeks at least, up to 4, and it helps get the fish to eat, lets it rest before fighting for space in the tank, and lets you control disease outbreaks. Remember--when adding fish to the tank that will compete for food and space (like any two tangs together) always turn off the lights and gently rearrange the rocks to put them all on equal level with each other. That said, here you are:

Before You Buy fish, be sure you learn all about the particular fish you are thinking of keeping. They may be similar in character, but many have very specific care requirements to be aware of.

What are its specific dietary preferences? What are its particular characteristic traits, environmental requirements, and compatibility with other fishes or marine life? Is it a species that will do well in captivity? How big does it get? Do you know what to look for when buying a fish?

Knowing the answers to these questions are of the utmost importance to their survival!

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THE MOST IMPORTANT

THING YOU

MUST UNDERSTAND

In the natural environment, large bodies of water provide the cleansing action necessary to disperse the waste substances produced by fish. In the closed confines of an aquarium, fish depend on the aquarist to provide an efficient system to purify water. Biological filtration is a natural means of removing toxic ammonia based wastes from the aquarium. The establishment of a well balanced nitrogen cycle is paramount for the health and success of any aquarium.

The establishment of a well balanced nitrogen cycle is paramount for the health and success of any aquarium.

Read our page on the nitrogen cycle, it is the most important thing you can read and understand about caring for all saltwater fish.

The Nitrogen Cycle

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We  recommend

Coralife Marine Salt Mix

Coralife Scientific Grade Marine Salt sets the standard for synthetic sea salt mixes in the aquarium industry. It's made from pure, raw materials with broad spectrum biological activity.

Dissolve the mixture completely before adding it to the aquarium. Make sure the temperature is the same as the aquarium water.  

Recommended Reef Tank Parameters

-Calcium...................380 to 450 mg/L

-Magnesium.........1000 to 1320 mg/L

-Alkalinity........................8 to 11 dKH

-Ammonia..........................< .2 mg/L

-Nitrites..............................< .2 mg/L

-Nitrates.............................< 10 mg/L

-Phosphates........................<.03 mg/L

-Specific Gravity.............1.022 - 1.024

-Water Temp..........................78f to 80f

-Water Flow > 5 times tank volume per hour

Live Rock

Winner,   Florida State Fair

Aquaculture Reef Tank.

Member of the Month

Dale is also a  professional diver and has his own Quality Live Rock business.

Dale offers a 10% discount to all club members when they use their passwords.

After visiting several of the live rock collectors who were harvesting Florida live rock , we were most impressed with Dale Barger's rock because of the heavy growth of sponges and other invertebrates.

garf.org/news

Recommended by Garf.org

Gulfview Marine

Live Rock ,

We have four classes

of Live Rock...

Gorgonians & Sponges,

Gargonians and

Sponges based on

availability...

Gulf Sand ,

Taken next to natural

reefs...

Inverts, Crabs & Snails,

etc..

This is the best choice for aquarium water. Fresh water or saltwater..

1 a : Osmosis, is the movement of liquid from one solution through a special membrane into a more concentrated solution.

2 b : There are two primary types of drinking water systems available: Reverse Osmosis and Carbon Filtration. Reverse Osmosis, referred to as R.O., uses a combination of carbon filters and microporous membranes to flush dissolved impurities using an absorption process.

The water treatment system gives water that is virtually free of lead, aluminum, chlorine, sodium and other impurities.

We recommend the:   Stingray 2 Stage Reverse Osmosis 100 GPD

The Stingray 2 Stage Reverse Osmosis 100 Gallons Per Day, Filter Systems incorporates high flow and high rejection TFC membranes, a high activity 10" granular activated carbon filter (it works as both carbon and sediment filter). This is the best choice for aquarium water. Fresh water or saltwater..

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LOW COST AQUARIUM - YOU CAN CREATE AT HOME

Use this site to plan your low cost reef aquarium

There are many ways to build a reef aquarium - this one will work very well because it is so simple. This system has been built over 50 times in the last 2 years. All of the people who have followed this simple plan have been able to build a good and sometimes great reef aquarium.

INDEX OF OUR RESEARCH

ALGAE CONTROL CENTRAL

REEF JANITORS ALGAE CONTROL CENTRAL

Use this site to solve your reef aquarium algae problems, and help support our research!!!

Setting up the

Saltwater Aquarium

Saltwater Aquarium

Saltwater Aquarium Aquarium Guide

With the outstanding assortment of beautiful saltwater fish to choose from, it is no wonder that so many hobbyists dream of maintaining a marine aquarium. This guide is intended to answer many of the questions a novice marine aquarist may have, and to provide some basic guidelines for selecting and caring for saltwater fish and invertebrates. In addition, we hope that every saltwater hobbyist will read several good, current books on the subject. Please ask us for suggestions.

What's the difference between saltwater and freshwater? Whereas freshwater fish are found in rivers, streams, ponds and lakes, saltwater fish are collected from oceans and seas. As such, their natural environment is quite stable and they do not readily adapt to major changes in water chemistry or temperature. In addition, since nearly all saltwater fish and invertebrates are captured in the wild (many freshwater fish are either tank or pond raised), there are greater risks associated with handling and shipping. The risks, shipping and collecting costs, and supply-and-demand also make saltwater specimens more expensive than their freshwater counterparts.

What equipment is needed? Most modern aquarium equipment is designed to be functional in either salt or fresh water, but it is important to select quality, reliable supplies. It hardly pays to save six dollars on a heater or ten dollars on a filter system and risk the loss of twenty or thirty dollar fish. Contrary to some opinions, undergravel filters are not essential in saltwater aquariums. Many of our customers have had success using the sort of equipment that we include in our "PRO" setups; deluxe heaters, outside power filters and airstones. The only necessary additions to a good freshwater setup are special gravel (crushed coral), sea salt mix, and a hydrometer

Are saltwater fish hard to keep? Just as in freshwater, there are some species that are usually quite sturdy and some that challenge even the experts. The "Marine Care and Compatibility Table" portion of this guide is meant to help the hobbyist choose fish and invertebrates appropriate for his level of expertise. In addition, the individual specimen should be observed closely before purchase. Sometimes an individual or group of even the most hardy variety will have been subjected to just one too many changes, and will become weak or sickly or will refuse to eat. We will try to help in choosing healthy specimens as much as possible.

What size tank is needed? Almost any size aquarium can be used, but generally a larger tank will be easier to keep chemically balanced and has a lot more options when it comes to fish compatibility. On the other hand, assuming the household budget is a factor, it is better to set up a medium-sized tank with good equipment than to attempt a larger tank with inadequate equipment. Many of the most popular saltwater sizes are in the 30 to 55 gallon range.

Which fish get along? The Compatibility Table will help with selecting fish that are likely to get along. In addition, the three following rules will usually apply:

Saltwater Aquarium

Saltwater Aquarium

Gulfview Marine

garf.org/news

Recommended by Garf.org

Gulfview Marine

Live Rock ,

We have four classes

of Live Rock...

Gorgonians & Sponges,

Gargonians and

Sponges based on

availability...

Gulf Sand ,

Taken next to natural

reefs...

Inverts, Crabs & Snails,

etc..

Dale Barger, member of Andre's Aquarium Club is a professional diver and has won awards for his reef aquarium.

Winner,   Florida State Fair

Aquaculture Reef Tank.

The Member of the Month

Dale is a professional diver and has his own Live Rock business.

Gulf View harvests all of its premium rock from the Gulf of Mexico on its federal leased areas.. These conditions produce the best rock due to the marine plant life, sponges and algaes found.

Geothermal Aquaculture Research Foundation

     MY FIRST 55 GALLON REEF AQUARIUM,

Sally Jo Headlee

Click HERE


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