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Planning Is
Necessary Before You Take The Plunge
by Eric V. Van Der Hope
Copyright © 2004 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 preferred. Because of inaccurate advice from
a LFS employee, some expensive fish were purchased, resulting in their dying
almost immediately after being introduced into the tank (so obviously the proper time
for the tank to be
cycled was not thought through).
Because of Poor Planning, this new fish hobbyist was doomed from the
start!
There is a definite plan of action that has to be implemented before
starting in this
hobby.
First and foremost - how much money can you afford to put into this
hobby? This one
decision alone could be the deciding factor to start or not . . .
Anyone involved in this hobby must be well informed of what's involved.
Not one opinion
should be investigated from a good source but a couple. Getting the same
advice from
reliable sources could be a start of a good decision - Do not be afraid
to ask questions
as the more you learn the more you can put to good use.
Once enough thought is put into the size of the tank wished for, decide
where it should
go. The location of the tank is very important as some may not fully
realize . . .
The tank should be close to a water source. It also should not be placed
in the middle of
a room if on a second floor or above (depending on size of tank,
saltwater is more dense
than plain water and with all the base rock, live rock, sand, etc that's
placed in the tank -
it's very, very heavy). Proper support is needed to withstand this.
Placing a tank along a
wall would be a recommended if there is not proper support underneath
the center of a
room or apartment.
Since there will be a need for energy to power filters, pumps, heaters,
lights, etc, a proper power source is needed nearby. Also - the tank should not be in
direct sunlight.
Starting and then maintaining a stable saltwater fish/reef environment
takes a good
amount of time, dedication and more importantly it will take patience.
You cannot haphazardly throw stuff together thinking everything will be
o.k Without the
proper steps, without the proper investigation and research, without the
proper patience,
will prevent the enjoyment of getting the rewards of a beautiful and
colorful marine environment.
Once a decision is made on the setup that is desired - purchase the
necessary components. Through investigation, research, and much thought - you should
have a good idea
of where to 'shop'. In most cases you may already know that you can
probably get a
better deal for a particular component from a different dealer. That
fine . . . This is important - do not buy your supplies without first finding out from the
dealer if he will agree to
discounting the purchase. In most cases, the LFS will agree to a
substantial discount
due in part to acquire you as a customer. So if you are going to buy a
whole setup, there
should be a considerable mark-down . . . The dealer is benefiting from
your purchase no
matter what - so barter and get the price down! Also, look for 'starter'
packages that have
already been marked down. Never buy the 'sticker' price!
Now that everything has been purchased, assembling everything is next.
The next few
mini-steps are essential to guarantee a successful start. Make sure tank
is level on the
stand. Install all your filters and pumps after rinsing components.
Prepare the water with
the salt-mix you purchased. A good rule of thumb in mixing water/salt
would be approx.
1.5 pounds of salt-mix to 5 gallons of freshwater. Your specific gravity
should be around
1.022 to 1.025 (Don't try measuring the water until everything is
completely dissolved).
Start turning your pumps and filters on to help circulate the saltwater
you've mixed once
the proper level has been reached in the aquarium (Do not fill water to
the top level of tank since the sand, base rock, live rock or other aquascaping still has not be put into the
tank).
Add your substrate - sand, base rock, live rock, etc. The tank water
will be cloudy, this
is normal. Give it time to settle down. The guidelines to the amount of
rock you chose
to put into the tank can be generally said as being 1 to 2 pounds of
live rock per gallon
of aquarium capacity. However, much base rock should be used to build a
good foundation for the live rock to sit on. Probably, the tank should be filled
about a third of the way
with enough space between for circulation of water currents.
Now 'seed' your tank. You've actually done this by putting live rock
into the tank. However, to speed this process up, you can use other alternatives such as
live sand, other
sources of bacterial growth such as filter media from established tanks
or anything else
that has beneficial microbes in it (The goal is to obtain this from
healthy, long-established
aquariums). Then you may start using your lights to help promote growth.
In order to
feed this bacteria - you need a source of food or other sources of
ammonia . . .
You can use a couple of hardy damsels to provide a more lively scenario
to your tank
instead of looking into an 'empty' tank. The damsels are hardy fish and
should be the
only fish you use to get the tank 'seeded' and to begin your tank
'cycle'. These fish will
help produce the needed ammonia from their waste products. There are
other ways to
'seed' the tank such as introducing a raw shrimp or other scrap of raw
fish. All of these
will add to the 'cycle' of the tank by producing larger amounts of
ammonia into the
system.
It's very important to wait for the 'cycle' of the tank to complete
before anything else is added to your tank in the form of fish or corals. Unnecessary death to
your fish pets
could be eliminated if you take time to wait for the complete nitrogen
cycle. This could
take as fast as 3 weeks or up to 8 weeks to get established properly.
Once you have established your tank, slowly stock your tank and never
add too much at
one time. Every time you introduce a new tank-mate - you've begun
another cycle where
more ammonia, nitrites and nitrates are produced which have effect on
all fish and corals
at different levels.
Once the tank is established, then there are steps necessary to take to
'Maintain' a balanced home for your fish pets which includes regular water changes, the
adding of nutrients and trace elements, the constant cleaning of skimmer, regular
cleaning of algae
and so forth. Much of what you do here, if taken care of regularly, will
make the viewing
of this beautiful marine environment most enjoyable and also guarantee a
high success
rate of keeping a high quality tank.
In summary, the following is strongly encouraged to help guarantee a
successful and
fulfilling start to this marine hobby.
It's important to know that these are just guidelines and not 'written
in stone'. There are
variations to these steps - but if put into practice, these steps will
be an excellent stepping stool towards success.
1. Do your homework - Learn, investigate and implement (Invest in some
good saltwater fish/reef keeping reference books to get yourself educated with a
proper
foundation).
2. Affordability - How much are you willing to spend on this hobby? You
need to project some figures so that you can realistically know if this is a good
or bad idea to
start in the first place. There is the initial cost of the tank setup
and then there will
be costs on a regular basis to maintain your tank.
3. Develop a Plan of Action.
4. Decide on the type of setup you wish to take care of (Fish only, Fish
and Invertebrate, Reef only, Reef/Fish combination). The cost of the system will
vary depending on the system that is chosen. For example, the extreme lighting
needed for
reef setups would be unnecessary for a Fish Only system (buying proper
lights for
a reef tank is necessary for the growth and survival of corals and tends
to be more
expensive). Filtration as well as other factors will set the standards
for how extensive your setup will be and how much planning ahead you will need to
think of.
5. Placement/location of the tank (Once a tank is full - you should NOT
think of moving
it! The tank, as well as tank stand, will experience unnecessary stress
and could
easily crack, break or loose it's structural integrity.
- Tank should be near power source, water supply and out of direct
sunlight.
- It's also very important that if the tank is on a 2nd story or higher
floor, proper support should be investigated. Do not put a fish tank directly in the
middle of the room.
It's recommended that since there is more support along the walls of a
room - this
is the safest place for the tank to be placed unless proper support is
below.
6. Once you decide on your system - you know what is needed to meet the
requirements of your tank. Purchase the necessary equipment taking
considerable measures to make sure you get the best discounted price on all components.
7. Assemble tank, stand, components and other accessories.
8. Mix freshwater/salt-mix together. Turn on pumps and filters to aide
in the circulation
and dissolving of salt-mix as well as the introduction of oxygen into
the water.
9. Add substrate - the sand, base rock, live rock, etc. to the tank
(This is assuming
that it's 'cured' live rock).
10. Begin the 'seeding' of your tank (Assuming that the previous step
did not include live
sand or live rock, you must now introduce something into the tank that
will begin
'cycling' your tank such as filter media from an established tank. This
will introduce
the beneficial microbes that will help in the 'cycle' of your tank.
11. Add a source for the microbes to begin their 'job'. Add a few hardy
damsels, or a raw
shrimp or other scrap of raw fish to introduce more ammonia into the
tank.
12. Completion of a cycle can take up to 3 to 8 weeks to finish. Only
then should you
think of introducing more fish or corals into your tank. Remember, that
each time
you introduce a new tank-mate - you've essentially started another
nitrogen cycle.
High level of ammonia and Nitrites can be deadly for less hardy fish and
corals.
13. After the tank is properly set up and is running smoothly, it's a
necessity to test the
water regularly until you have cycled your tank. Even after the tank has
been cycled,
regular testing must be implemented. In order to do this properly you
must have the
proper test kits (Make sure the test kits are not out of date!).
Maintaining proper levels of Ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrates, pH, the
Calcium levels and Phosphate levels cannot be underestimated.
14. Once a decision is made on the type of system to maintain, careful
choosing of the
inhabitants of your future tank is most important. Not all fish,
Invertebrate and coral
live in harmony!Investigate what lives well together and what does not.
Then, proper
steps can be implemented when introducing to a system even on what order
the fish
or corals are introduced into the tank. Success of the tank also comes
down to the
compatibility of the inhabitants.
15. Setting up a tank is a large part of this hobby. However, it's the
maintaining of this environment at acceptable levels that will require
regular work and patience. Maintenance does vary between systems, however this one principle does not
differ in
that all systems need a tune- up so-to-speak. In other words, a regular
schedule of
maintaining the tank system should be and is the #1 Priority.
16. Now that the tank is up and running - the easiest part of this hobby
comes to fruition;
Enjoying the splendor and beauty of a tranquil mini-ocean.
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Eric V. Van Der Hope is the Publisher and Author of
the book "Reef Keeping Basics - Successful Reef
Management" as well as the editor of the popular
and informative newsletter "Reef Keeping Basics -
the eZine/Blog" - A Newsletter For The Serious
Reef Keeping & Saltwater Fish Hobbyist. Would You
Like to Discover Exactly How to Build A Perfect
Aquatic Life Environment For Your Marine Fish Pets -
Without Having to Do It the Hard Way!? Then simply visit his
website and learn how you can:
http://www.reefkeepingbasics.com/
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