Truth About Saltwater Aquarium
Posted: Tuesday, January 26, 2010
by Peter Dranitsin
Petes Original Art Inc.
What is the difference between freshwater and saltwater fish? I can say the answer is obvious salt! But it is more than that.
Saltwater creatures are more sensitive to changes in their surroundings. Changes to temperature, pH, nitrates, and salinity often cause stress. Saltwater fishes are also accustomed to lower fish densities meaning the bigger the tank for a fish the better. Saltwater invertebrates also need enough (400-450 ppm) of calcium to be able to keep manufacturing their exoskeleton.
The answer depends on your wallet, and your capacity to take care of them. If you are a beginner, it is best to opt for cheaper, resilient fishes and invertebrates. This will save you the cost and anxiety of losing a pet.
The best fish to buy for novices are damsels, saltwater-acclimated mollies, clownfish, blennies, tangs, and the lionfish.
Fishes to avoid are all angelfish, all butterfly fish, pipefish, seahorses, long-nosed filefish, blue ribbon eels, stonefish, Moorish idols, and mandarin fish.
The easiest invertebrates to keep are shrimps, sea urchins and starfishes. Unless you have enough knowledge and experience, anemones should be avoided.
Invertebrates to be avoided (and the reasons) are sea squirts (they can release poisonous toxins), flame scallops (they are filter-feeders and are therefore nearly impossible to feed), Tridacna clams (needs strong lighting), nudibranchs (difficult/impossible to feed), corals (need very strong lighting), and octopi (very short life spans).
What is cycling?
Approximately every four to six weeks, your tank will undergo changes such as your fish being stressed, weak or gasping for air. This may denotes a need for cycling the tank.
Cycling a tank means putting the nitrogen cycle on steroids , with bacteria given the chance to gobble up all ammonia and nitrite which are poisonous to the fish. This is usually done by taking the fish out of the tank and putting ammonia- and nitrite-decomposing bacteria into the tank until ammonia levels decline.
Once ammonia and nitrite levels are zeroed, the fishes may be returned to the aquarium.
What filters do I need for a saltwater aquarium?
There are typically three types of filters you will need: the mechanical, chemical and biological filters.
The mechanical filters capture suspended debris in the water such as fecal matter and uneaten food. Reverse osmosis (RO) filters which is also used in purifying drinking water is an example of mechanical filters.
Biological filters decompose your fish's metabolic waste ammonia and its subsequent nitrite. This is commonly accomplished by two heterotrophic bacteria, Nitrosomonas which eats ammonia and turns it to nitrite and Nitrobacter which, in turn, eats nitrite and leaves a rather harmless nitrate. Undergravel and wet/dry filters act as both mechanical and biological filters.
Chemical filters use chemical reactions to capture certain pollutants from your tank water. Examples of these are activated carbon filters and resin media.
Activated carbon removes undesirable colors, odors, medications, as well as essential trace elements from the water. When using activated carbon, you should treat your fish in a separate quarantine tank or temporarily remove the filter.
Resin media binds with heavy metals, ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, phosphates and silicates to remove them from your water. It is also less aggressive than activated carbon in removing trace elements essential for your marine animals' growth.
Mechanical filters need to be cleaned or replaced when saturated. Chemical filter media, on the other hand, needs to be replaced regularly.
Gary Lock is a lifelong Saltwater Aquariums lover. For more great saltwater aquariums information, visit http://www.saltwateraquariumeasy.com.
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