Articles

Ten Ways you can save money on your aquarium

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:25:35 +0000

Ten Ways you can save money on your aquarium

We have to admit that up-keeping a marine aquarium is not cheaper than keeping a simple freshwater tank with a few guppies or goldfish, since marine fish, corals and invertebrates is more demanding and usually cost more than freshwater fishes. But with some simple tips, you might find yourself saving a plenty from initial setup to buying equipments, livestock to ongoing expenses.

1) Get to know your fish before you Buy

Before buying a fish that caught your eye , make some effort to check or ask the LFS on the livestock you are buying. Since some critters just don't get together in the same tank. Don't spend money buying on fish or coral which is not compatible to be kept together. You may find yourself ended up spending more money on your corals being eaten up by your angel fish or fish that get bullied and die ect.. Do check on the compatibility before your next purchase, and you might be surprise to see how many money you save on your live stocks.

2) Selection of healthy livestock

You may find a LFS which offer a very good price for a fish you like, but the fish doesn't look healthy and most likely it's not. You may find yourself ended up paying a cheap price for a fish, but getting a dead fish or worst of all causing your whole tank inflected by a diseases outbreak.

Don't try saving on that plenty, but do consider spending slightly more money on a healthier livestock which will save you money on a dead fish.

3) Buying coral base on your experience level

Don't buy coral which you have no experience taking care of and not knowing of it's requirement. Those coral that may seem so colorful and beautiful in the LFS ,and may lead you to spend a small fortune getting it. But buying that coral which is beyond your level of experience and knowledge of keeping it may only ended up with a dead shell.

If you are staring out new on this hobby, try keeping easy coral instead until you gain the experience and confidence to move on keeping more challenging corals example hard corals. Do your research before you buy, and stock slowly and this will save you a lot of money.

4) Selection of equipments

Always try to buy the best quality equipment which you can afford. The cheap stuff is usually cheap for a reason either due to it workmanship , material or construction. When you are starting out on this hobby or even if you have been reefing for awhile, the cost of every equipment can be jaw dropping to you. The temptation to save a few bucks and buy a cheaper piece of equipment is always there, but you might find yourself paying more money to get it replace over a short period of time or livestock dieing due to equipment failure.

5) Do It Yourself (D.I.Y)

This might be the most cost saving method in reefing by doing it yourself (DIY ). Be it building your own tank, lighting or equipments you might be surprise to discover how much money you can save on it.

6) Coral Frags

Buying or trading of coral frags with fellow reefer can be cheaper than buying a whole colony of corals at time. This would help to save you some bucks as well to exchange your coral frags with others or buying one.

7) Water changes

Instead of doing costly water change regularly to reduce nitrate or phosphate , do some research or upgrade on your system how you can bring and maintain these down "Naturally " or "Chemically" using Bio pallet or setting up a refugium ect. This will cut down on the need for regular water change weekly to twice monthly or even monthly. Just imagine the amount of salt mix you can save on that.

8) Converting into other lighting source

For long term saving, do look around for other alternative source of lighting like LED lighting . The initial outlay of the cost maybe higher than "conventional lighting" but the payback and saving can be huge over time on the power consumption and bulb replacement.

9) Reef supplement

Buy supplement only your tank need to save you money. Also do remember to take some time to study the label of the supplement before your next purchase, and you might discover that although some of the supplement might be costlier, but the required dosage as compare to another brand maybe much smaller .Do some research and review or ask around in the forum for advice.

10) Using commercial supplement.

There are some of the alternate commercial supplements, which can be use on our aquarium. This could save you sustainable amount of money monthly. However, do remember to do more research on how to use it, and always start with a small dosage as a precaution. As with any commercial supplement, there is always a certain risk since it is not meant for aquarium usage.

Fish compatibility issue

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:27:20 +0000

http://a4.sphotos.ak...259095285_n.jpg

Marine Fish Compatibility

You might have got yourself a new tank being setup, and finish the tank cycling. Now you think that your new tank is ready to populate with some fishes. But before go to the store and buy whichever fish which you like, these are some of the pointer that you need to take note of.

Populating your aquarium with fish is not exactly a straightforward matter, like simply dump all the fish into the tank , hoping that the bunch will get along. But often than not, you will see fish nipping at one another or sulking in a corner of the tank which may end up dieing without food after few days.

Fish vary in their need for companionship and some have special needs, whereas some do well with company of similar or same species of it;s own; or other can be downright anti-social with other species or it's own. It is thus very important to select the right mix of fish to keep in your aquarium.

Sociable Fish

The good news is that many types of marine fish tend to be gregarious. Not only they can live in peace with other species, and some in fact need to be kept in group of their own species in order to thrive and to give them a feeling of security.

There is also an aesthetic reason for keeping a group of similar species of fish on it's own, since a shoal of anthias of the same type often look much better than one or a few mixed with other fishes. If you like you can even consider setting up an aquarium consisting only of one kind of fish, and you might be surprised to be ended up with a very attractive display.

However, if you intent to keep a single specimen of any such species, the fish could run into difficulties, especially if it lives in an over crowded tank. Among other problems, such as diseases infection, the fish may not show its full coloration due to stress, or it may just keeping hiding in a corner all day long from bully. Worse, it could also develop a habit of nipping at other fish, though that could be a sign of boredom as much as a symptom of aggressiveness, Some species also require a certain "comfortable space" for it to swim and move around in order to be happy.

The Anti social ones

On the other hand, some of the species of fish tend to be the anti-social liners. These species can be very territorial, even with members of their own species. They may fight continuously among themselves if the tank is not large enough for each to have adequate space of its own. These skirmishes may become more frequent during breeding time as well when other fish swim pass it's egg.

Feeding habit can also cause problems in an aquarium. Bear in mind that carnivores may attach other fish, so if you have one in the tank, the other fish must be at least of the same size of larger, lest the little ones will ended up as food.

Compatible species of fish

Here are some Tips / consideration to be taken before introducing your fish;

- Shoaling fishes i.e; Anthias should be kept in groups and are compatible with other various species of reef fish.

- Different angel fish species should be kept singly unless it is paired by nature or precaution taken to introduce them together.

- Some fish should be introduce into the tank together to prevent aggression .

- If you intent to introduce similar species of fish from the same family, always introduce the smaller one before the larger fish.

- Get to know the aggressive level of your fish before buying. You can do some search on the internet or ask around in the forum .

- Get to know the diet of your fish before buying. Some of the LFS will tell you that the fish eat everything, but do ask around and do your homework yourself.

- A tank scaping with ample hiding space will have higher chance of success of keeping similar species of the family in the tank comparing to one which has not.

Why does my fish keep dying ?

Sat, 18 Feb 2012 14:25:35 +0000

http://a1.sphotos.ak...712770851_n.jpg

Why does my new fish keeping dying ?

This could be a familiar encounter for new aquarist in the hobby, when many of their newly bought fish and coral die within days or week after their purchase. And very soon after , they might find themselves giving up the hobby feeling it is too difficult to setup a marine tank, and ended up giving up the hobby.

However , up keeping a successful marine tank is not as difficult as it seem if most hobbyist know the main causes of their fish death.

Top reason why Fish die

Overlook the Water quality is often the main and number one reason your fish don't survive long. If you look at some of the factors that determine the health of your fish most of them lead back to water quality.
For example, here is a list of the top reasons why fish become unhealthy:

� Over Feeding of your fish
� Over Crowding of your tank
� Lack of Tank Cycling especially for new tank
� Lack or not enough Water Changes
� Incompatible Tank Mates which lead to stress.
� Fish die from diseases infection

All of the factors in the list above, except incompatible tank mates, affect the quality of your aquarium water, but can be easily fixed with proper knowledge.

Over Feeding Your Fish

Do not to over feed your fish, and feed your fish more than they can consume in just a couple of minutes. Your fish may appear to be hungry every hour or every minutes, but in fact fish can also live on a small but balance diet. Overfeeding or overeat of your fish may cause some side effect on the fish as well as deteriorates the overall quality of your water.

Over Crowing of your tank

This is seem to be an easily preventable aquarium fiasco. Fish need a comfortable space to swim around in the tank, just like in the wild. Just imagine keeping a 10" shark in a 24" tank, which it has problem swimming around and having too many fishes in the tank that the fish get bullied ect are just one of the reason for the fish death.

Also, by keeping more fish in your tank , the more waste they produce and the quicker your aquarium water will deteriorates as well.

Lack of proper Cycling especially for new tank

This is the basic for setting up a successful marine tank, and before keeping a fish we must fist "rear the water" which also mean tank cycling or Nitrogen Cycle.

This step basically consists of building up a beneficial bacteria in the tank, so that they can break down your fish's waste products and uneaten food into less harmful substances.

Lack or not enough Water Changes

Apart from cycling your new tank, regular partial water changes is important as well as this will fix or prevent most of the problems in your aquarium.

It is recommend to do a small partial water change ( 20% - 30% ) weekly, rather than a large water change over one month to minimize the fluctuation of the water parameter in the system. Even by doing daily partial water changes , people have even managed to keep aquarium fish alive without any filtration. This is just to illustrate how beneficial water changes are to a tank. New water should be treated with anti-chlorine or leave to "Aged " before the water change and we recommend using a RO/DI filter to remove any impurity in the water . It is best to leave your new salt mix over night with some sort of aeration / water movement prior to the water change.

Incompatible Tank Mates which lead to stress.

Not all fish can be kept together in the same tank. For example you cannot keep a preparatory fish with a small fish which will get eaten up or stressed to death. Be a reasonable fish keeper by doing more research on the fish you are buying , or ask the shop owner on it's diet and compatibility with other tank mates in your tank before buying.

Fish dying from diseases infection

This is often seem as one of the common problem for newly bought fish from LFS. Since most of the marine fish is wild collect from the ocean, and during the transportation and storage of the new fish in shop. There is high chance that fish may get infected with diseases.
Do watch for any tell tale sign of infection during your next purchase and quarantine all your newly bought fish ideally for two week or at least 7 day before introducing it to your tank. This will prevent the diseases being introduce to your existing fishes, and allow any treatment to be done prior to adding to your tank.

By adhering to the following above suggestion, this will make your reefing experience happier, less stressful and more time enjoying your hobby and fishes.

FAQ For setting up a new marine tank

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:42:19 +0000

Frequent Asked question for Newbie ( FAQ )

http://gettanked.fil...ef-aquarium.jpg

I have heard alot of people saying that it is expensive to setup a marine tank is that true ?

Setting up a marine aquarium do require more equipment and knowledge in maintaining the water condition, however with the advancement of the technology and very affordable products from china. It is no longer a hobby which some can only dream of having.

Is it difficult to set up a Marine tank ?

Unlike setting up a simple freshwater tank, most of the live stocks and corals is harvested from the sea, so to upkeep a successful marine tank, it require more knowledge in the upkeeping as well as the basic filteration system. However, with the advancement of the aquarium equipments available for this hobby throughout these years, it is no longer a very expensive and difficult in setting a successful marine tank.

Can I convert my freshwater setup to a marine tanks setup ?

It can be done provided your existing system can provide the necessary filtration system i.e; biological filtration for the bacteria break down, thickness of the glass ( since seawater is heavier than freshwater , it has to be able to withstanding the weight ) ect..

What is the tank size I need for a marine tank setup ?

There is no fix rules on this, however with a larger tank you would be able to stock more fishes, corals and easier in maintaining the water parameter . Try to get the appropriate tank size which is within your budget.

What equipment do I need for a marine tank setup ?

Basic equipment includes ;

Protein skimmer (Most important piece of equipment for a marine tank setup)
Return pump
Wave maker ( optional )
Fluidized reactor ( optional )
Chiller or Fan
Suitable lighting
Biological filtration media � Live rocks ect..

Do i use salt mix or natural sea water (NSW) for my setup ?

Both has it's pro and cons, salt mix can give you a better water parameter especially if you intent to keep corals. Whereas for natural sea water it is cheaper , more easier to use and it reduce the overall tank cycling time .

Can I use natural sea water collected from the beach for my fish tank ?

Natural un filter sea water collected from the beach may contain a lot of harmful toxic / diseases which is harmful to your fish and corals so it is advisable not to risk the valuable fishes / corals in your tank unless you are confidence of the source.

How long do I need to cycle my new setup marine tank ?

It would usually take about 4 � 6 week to complete the cycling of your new tank, however it depend on various factor as well.

What test kit do I need for a marine tank ?

Test kit is necessary for a marine tank especially if you intent to keep corals. You can start of with basic important test kit for Ammonia, and PH test kit for a fish only system ( FOWLR) together with more comprehensive test kit ; Calcium, Magnesium, KH, Nitrate, and Phosphate test kit if you intent to keep corals.

What is the ideal water parameter for a Marine tank ?

Fish only system ( FOWLR)

Salinity sg � 1.018 ~ 1.025 ( Some fish can go lower than this )
Ammonia < 0.1ppm
Phosphate < 0.03 ppm ( Fishes can tolerate higher level of Phosphate as well, but this together with high level of Nitrate will cause problem such as algae bloom. )
Nitrite < 0.2 ppm
Nitrate < 10 ppm ( fishes can tolerate higher nitrate level , but it will affect the fish coloration and health over the long run )
Alkalinity KH � 7 to 11 dKH
Temperature < 30 degree Celsius

Coral Reef system

Salinity � 1.025
Ammonia < 0.1ppm
Phosphate < 0.03 ppm
Nitrite < 0.2 ppm
Nitrate < 10 ppm
Alkalinity � 7 to 11 dKH
Calcium - 380 to 450 ppm
Magnesium � 1200 to 1400 ppm
Temperature � 25 � 28 degree Celsius

What types of supplement do I need for my marine tank ?

There are many various types of supplement in the market, however not all is necessary for your tank depending on your needs. Basic supplement for a fish only setup include, trace element, supplement for increasing your fish immune system and buffer solution in case your PH drop too much.

For a reef system, you will need the basic 3 part solution which is the mg, ca and KH which is important for coral health and growth , together with various coral foods , iodine to maintain it's overall health.
However, do not dose anything that you are unable to test, and always start with a smaller dose to observe any changes / effect before increasing the dosage of any supplement.

What are you guys talking about in the forum ?

We may use some of the reefing terms which look unfamiliar to you. To know more, do check out our Aquarium Glossary and the Acronym & Abbrev .

How often do i need to change water ?

Depending on the Bio-load of your tank, the water change frequency will vary. For a small bio load tank, monthly or every two month , whereas for a heavier bio load tank, weekly or twice weekly is advisable.

Is it true that captive fish and corals are easier to keep than wild caught one ?

Yes, it is very true that captive live stocks is easier to keep since it is culturing in a captive environment and adapt better in a home tank. Further more, by supporting captive propagation of marine ornamental, we are reducing part of the reliance on harvest wild stocks.

How to prevent disease outbreak in your marine ...

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 04:45:18 +0000

http://www.waterlife...e-chart-web.png

** Photo extracted from waterlife.co.uk

How to prevent disease outbreak in your marine fish tank

Throughout the years of setting up a marine tank, many of the emergencies of a diseases outbreak that we face in our tanks can be actually be prevented. For many who didn't know, diseases in a main tank can almost be 100% preventable by simply setting up a Quarantine tank and quarantine all your newly bought fish before introducing it into your main display tank. Most of the time we run into problems because we tried to take a shorter route or simply pour in the fish which look healthy. However, it is the responsibility of a fish keeper and not the fish for such diseases outbreak.

Parasites are something that are common in our tanks and there are mainly two forms; internal and external. The two most common external parasites found in the hobby are Ich and Flukes. Internal parasites are very common in wild caught fish, especially marine fishes since they are mostly wild caught. Prevention of all of these in the main tank is not as difficult as what people might think. All that is required is a quarantine tank.

Quarantine tanks do not need to be a full scale large tanks as they are only temporary place to house the fish for short period of time. Usually a ten gallon tank would suffice for almost all types of small marine fishes . All newly bought fish should be introduced to the quarantine tank and observed for six weeks before releasing into the display tank. During that time, water changes should be done every couple of days unless you are medicating the tank. Treatment of parasite in the smaller quarantine tank is much more cost effective and much less stressful on the other fish.

Also, if you never expose the others to the potential for these parasites then they are also better off. In the quarantine tank you may apply your preferred method of treatment for parasites without having to tear your tank apart in catching out the sick fish.

Do not introduce any newly purchase fish into your main tank, as this could cause all the other fishes in your tank get caught with the disease and slowly dieing one by one. The safer approach is to buy only from reliable sources, or from other reefer which has been kept for some time.

Whenever something goes wrong in our tank, it always point down to the fish owner / keeper. What are the action we took as a responsible fish keeper ? Have we done proper water changes? Have you properly maintained your filter? Are you vacuuming the tank gravel? The one thing that every fish keeper should do every day (besides feed the fish) is observe all the fish for changes in their eating habits or any signs of diseases on their body, this would the quickest and easiest prevention anyone can perform.

SRC Tank of the Quarter Winner !!

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 02:48:39 +0000

Singapore Reef Club (SRC) is proud to featured the First Tank of the Quarter ( TOTQ ) winner . Jeremy aka (Eniram) beautiful SPS dominated mixed reef tank has been chosen to be showcase for this quarter.

Front View
http://i1178.photobu...greefclub/1.jpg

Side View
http://i1178.photobu...greefclub/2.jpg

Brief History of my Setup

Let me thank both the Singapore Reef Club staff and to everyone spending time reading this article. Really honored to be nominated TOTQ, but I believe there are more reefers out there who have just an impressive tank.

Reefing all began in 2001 when I chanced upon my uncles tank which was Fish Only With Live Rocks (FOWLR). It was ran with a canister filter, wooden air stone skimmer and only 2 tubes of T8 lights, NO chiller somehow that got me hooked on reefing, but the main catalyst that pushed me into reefing was when I was enlisted into the Navy where many exercises were held on the island P.Senang.

I was amazed by the corals and fishes that were within touching distance, sun corals growing on the jetty pillars, green turtles swimming past at night under the flood lights and the really rare chance to spot a school of dolphins off the coast of Singapore.

2003 I chanced upon SRC and the reefing poison slowly but surely kicked in. From there did a lot of research and got a lot of inspirations from our local and overseas reefing community. I remember heading down to Reborn, Harlequin, and another LFS around the area (had a seahorse logo, can't remember its name), Reef Aquarist along Koon Seng road and E-aquarist at Siglap. All these were my favorite haunts.

Due to financial constrains (straight out of NS) I got myself a 1.5ft tank with an IOS (Internal Overflow system), Weipro skimmer, some really cheap fluorescent lights that had blue and white infused into 1 bulb and a PC fan , but Keeping a reef with these equipments were a challenge, constant temperature and salinity fluctuations, PO4 and NO3 were going hay wire, red slime taking over my tank and countless unnecessary live stock and corals dying in my hands.

Furthermore it was making a mess in my parents place and work load took a toll on me and the tank. So I stopped reefing but was still hibernating on SRC, keeping in touch with the local reefing scenes.
2008 got my own place, by divine King Neptune's power of the trident, visited my wife's good friend and what did you know her husband aka Wilson had a 2.5ft cure reef tank!

The 7 year itch kicked in and the rest is history plus Aquarama 2009 happened to be round the corner, competition tanks were on sale, I told myself it's now or never or regret like a frogfish missed its dinner. This 3 footer lasted a year and by 2011 I got myself a new tank that is till today.

Tank details and specification

My current tank is built of a 12 mm thick glass, 48"x36"x20" 3 sides low iron glass. Sump Tank 36"x36"x12" the total volume of the system is about 200 US gallons. Decided to go bare bottom, this way I can maximize my wave makers without the sand storm.

Water circulation is provided by a Reef Octopus water blaster 5000 and a Ehiem 1262 that is linked to my chiller and out into Main tank.

Maintenance, Feeding & Supplements

To maintain calcium and alkalinity levels I added via a Bubble Magus dosing pump, which is used for supplementing all 3 main elements such as Ca, KH and Mg. Basically, I check the Ca and kH levels every second week and adjust them if it is necessary.
All water changes and top-off are done using DI water. I typically perform about 10% water changes every week. 20% every month, if not for the necessity of frequently trimming corals, the system would need little maintenance, which usually means emptying the skimmer cup, cleaning the tank's viewing panels, water changing, preparing Ca and kH solutions and replacing carbon. From time to time I check the most important parameters with Salifert testkit (Ca, Mg, kH) . Moreover, on a daily basis I monitor the salinity and feed my fishes, I don't feed my corals other then my super sun. I believe when I feed my fishes and the detritus that are floating around it feeds my corals.

Tank Equipments & system parameter

Calcium - ca ; 450~500

Alkaline - KH ; 8.5~10

Magnesium � mg ; 1450

http://www.sgreefclu...00096_thumb.jpg

http://www.sgreefclu...00211_thumb.jpg

Tank system profile

Skimmer ; Running a Reef Octopus 3000 INT with bubble blaster 3000 pump

Mechanical filtration ; Cheap filter wool (changed bi-weekly with water change)

UV ;36W Coralife UV

Dosing pump ; Bubble magus dosing pump of Ca, KH, Mg

Chemical filtration ; PURA Phos-Lock Filter Media and PURA Carbon

Main return pump ;Reef Octopus water blaster 5000

Wave maker ;2xEco-tech MP40Ws,2xTunze 6055, 2xTunze 6045

Lightings;
2 x 2 tubes of 54W DD lighting fixtures
1 x 2 tubes 54W Giesemann razor

Lighting period;
4 ATI Blue Plus from 1100-2230hrs
2 ATI Aquablue special + 1 PAR38 14K 40deg from 1600-2000hrs

Chiller; TECO TR15

Refugium

http://www.sgreefclu...99599_thumb.jpg

A simple DIY mini cheato box above sump, reason for making this box is so as to prevent unwanted broken off cheato drifting in Main Tank and clogging up return pumps.

Addictive used

Daily dose of Tropic Marine Lugols solution

More of this can be found on the forum here ; http://www.sgreefclu...quarter-winner/

Tips for Feeding Your Fish

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 15:49:45 +0000

Tips for Feeding Your Fish

Setting up a marine tank and maintaining it with a health school of fish may seem easy at time. However the unique nutritional requirements of captive seawater fishes was often overlooked by many hobbyists. Since most of the fishes was wild caught in the sea, each fish have individual food requirement in order to prevent the fish from malnutrition.

Many People tried using foods meant for freshwater aquarium to feed their marine tank, or flake foods of terrestrial origin and frozen brine shrimp of questionable quality to save some money without knowing that this is doing more harm to the fish itself.

Fortunately, all this is changing thanks to the knowledge share on various resources on the internet. Marine fishes need a diet primarily of marine origin, and we often recognize that a poor diet can equate to general ill health of your fish. Some commonly observed problems with poorly fed marine fish include lateral line and fin erosion, weight loss, color infidelity, listlessness and disease outbreaks.

The modern day marine fishkeeper now has access to many great foods on their local fish store. A good and easy example of a nutrition food for your marine fish is the fresh and frozen seafood; Shrimp, clams, squid and marine fish flesh, which are commonly found on our dinner table. These food together with simple preparation of fine chopped are great foods for the marine fish to fulfill the balance of nutrients of a marine fish needs.

Feeding frequency

The amount and frequency of feeding for any particular aquarium will vary between each reefer to suit the fishes being kept. Mainly, we can break down the various types of reef fishes into three general feeding groups: the herbivores, the carnivores, and the omnivores. (Additionally, zooplanktivores are open-water carnivores.)

During feeding, we typically introduce the food at the surface of the water and the fish feed on it when it start to sinks into the water, or as it is blown about the tank by wave maker. This type of feeding situation is simulate the natural condition encountered by zooplankton feeders in the wild when they pick moving food moving along of the water column.

The basic rules is to feed the amount of food which the fishes can consume within two minute, as overfeed will foul the water. It is better to feed lesser with more frequency .

How to Start Up Marine Tank? - A Step by Step G...

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 15:29:00 +0000

How to Start Up Marine Tank? - A Step by Step Guide to Setup a Successful and Colorful Marine Tank

http://3.bp.blogspot...uarium+lamp.jpg

Like what we do in life, if we fail to plan, we plan to fail. Out of all the potential problems that can occur in our aquariums, many can be avoided if we have plan ahead. Keeping a successful Marine tank require the same philosophy as well and knowledge is the key in the success in this hobby.

Always take your time when designing and building a new aquarium system.Before committing or buying your fish tank, firstly decide what kind of system do you want to keep? This would enable you to plan you tank setup with the equipments you need and your budget ect..

Using only high quality well-built equipment, starting with the aquarium itself. Buying your tank from a reputable tank builders who craft their aquariums with the proper glass/acrylic thickness suitable for your tank system will make alot of different with years to come.

Making sure all your slip PVC joints are glued correctly; use Teflon tape on all threaded connections. A small leak can become a big problem if it is not attended to ect. Check the volume of your sump to ensure it will hold excess water in case the power fails and your return pumps shut off as you do not want a flooded living room.

There are basically a few system in this hobby;

1) Fish Only tank are the simplest and easier to start a marine tank, but it can be upgraded to a more complex system if you decided to keep more dedicated species.

2) Reef Tank - Require more dedicated care and planing in the equipment and tank design setup in order to tackle the Ammonia, N02, P04 and N03 in the system.

There are basically two main types of reef tank

1) Delicate SPS tank - Tank filled with delicate SPS hard corals which required higher maintenance and water parameter.

2) Mix reef - Keeping a mix of both LPS and SPS corals. This can be a challenge since some of the requirement for the LPS and SPS corals is very different in order to do well.

Do as much research as possible on this setting up a marine aquarium tank to determine what you want to keep and the basic need to sustain it. You can find many information on this hobby in Books, internet or here in SRC. Preparing a checklist will help you to determine the equipment you need and the budget you need for your first aquarium setup.

The checklist should consist of some of the basic key reefing equipments as follows;

-Tank size

-Thickness of glass?

-Sump Tank

-Types of aquarium glass?

-Types of Aquarium stand? ( Wood / stainless steel )

-Placement of tank in the house ( Do consider factors such as; ease of access for tank maintaining, nature sun light, viewing angle, temperature, power point ect..

-Types of lighting

-Types of Skimmer ( In-sump / Out-sump )

- Chiller

-Live rock

-Sea water or Salt Mix?

-Aquarium substrate ( Live Sand / fine sand / bare bottom / Deep sand bed or crushed coral chips )?

-Filter media

-Aquarium background

- Pumps

-Power head - Wave maker

Protein skimmer ( The most important equipment in the hobby which you cannot miss )

Test kits

- Algae scrubber

- Fish net

- Clean buckets for changing of water.

-Aquarium thermometer

-Quarantine Tank?

-Saltwater Hydrometer or even better a refractometer to check water salinity?

- Piping and valves.

- Fluidized reactor

- Calcium reactor

- De-nitrator

- Chemical filtration media ( Active carbon, P04 remover media, N03 remover media ect.. )

- Ozone 03

- Optional but definitely recommend getting a Reverse Osmosis or RO/Deionization filter for the make-up water.

- Power Strip

-Power consumption of equipment?

Knowlede and patient is the key to success in this hobby, do more research on the fish and corals which you will be buy. You can look for more information on our discussion forum .

Happy reefing /smile.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' />

Electricity saving tips for your Aquarium tank

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 15:28:20 +0000

http://www.jfiveelec...electricity.jpg

Electricity saving tips for your Aquarium tank

With the increase in electricity bills , it is smart to take some time to think about how we can save some electricity bill while maintaining our beautiful aquarium. You can start of with carefully selecting of what equipments we use in our fish tanks, the monthly power costs of our system can be reduced significantly if the correct and good piece of equipment is being used.

Lighting
- Do not use more lighting or longer duration of lighting than what your system needs.
- Use a timer for setting up your daily lighting schedule.
- Choosing the types of lighting carefully. Do you really need a T5 HO or metal hadlies for your fish only system ect ?
- Consider using LED instead of other lighting since Leds draw much lesser power consumption than any other lighting.

Pumps
- Look at the power consumption when selecting your pumps. Take into consider the effectiveness of the pump vs the power consumption. Some pump produce the same output but uses three times the electricity.
- Select the correct pump for your tank size. Using a correct size pump with suitable flow rate will reduce the need for using a large pump for a small tank which consume more electricity.
- By using high flow power heads instead of a closed loop with a large pump, your power bill can be cut drastically.

Equipments

- Check the power consumption of your skimmer, as similar to return pump, some protein skimmer can vary widely in the amount of power consumption to get the same job done.
- Use an external skimmer instead of a in sump skimmer. The power head inside the in sump skimmer give out extra heat into the water .
- Do not use necessary equipment for your tank if it is not needed .

Chiller

Get a properly sized chiller for your tank. Chiller sized too large for a system may cause it to kick in and off too often drawing more electricity and shorten the lifespan of the chiller.

Tank

- Opening up your tank top to allow more cooling of your tank will reduce the number of time your chiller kicks in.
- Running a fan instead of a chiller to cool the water.
Keep an eye on your equipments, especially when a pieces of electrical equipments is malfunctioning, it can use draw more power than it usually does. Get a wattage meter to check out what equipments is using too much power.

Get a wattage meter to check on the power consumption. Not only it is great to see where power get wasted in your tank, but around the house too. You might be surprise to see that some of your household equipments is drawing more electricity than your tank.

Tips For Planning a Successful Marine Aquarium

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 14:50:23 +0000

http://glassbox-desi...exander-FTS.JPG
** Photo extracted from glass box design

Tips For Planning a Successful Marine Aquarium

Setting up a marine reef aquarium tank is an oceanic microcosm in your home. It needs to be ecologically balanced in order to retain it's natural beauty. If it is maintain correctly, it will be a stunning pcs of decoration in your living room, or office. However having a overcroward tank, incompatible fish and a variety of other factors can ruin the stability of your tank overall eco-system. In this article, we hope to be able offer some guidance on correctly stocking your reef aquarium.

1) Planing - Choose the type of aquairum setup - This should be the first thing which come into your mind when you setup a marine tank. If you are setting up a reef tank, the selection of the livestocks / corals and fish must be comparable. You do not want your newly introduce fish eating up your expensive corals. If you are setting up a FOWLR tank which consist of only fish, you might want to do some research on the fishes which you are going to buy. Some of the fishes required special diet and requirement in order to keep it alive in a captive environment.

2) Fish Selection - It is very important to come out with a stock list ( Wish list ) for your tank setup, and try to stick to it and find out as much information on it as possible. You can also check out our fish data base on our forum Singapore Reef Club. The types of fish you are intent to keep will determine the comparability and success of your setup. Also the kinds of fish you are interested in keeping now and in future will also determine the size of your tank and the amount and types of support equipment you would required for keeping a successful marine tank.

3) Research for more resources- Even after your salt water fish tank is setup and running but this should not stop you from learning. There is ever evolving information when it comes to saltwater fish keeping. Some of the best information can be found in hobby magazines, on our Internet forum and through sharing information with fellow reefers,So How many fishes can I keep in my tank?

Having a perfect balance stocking in a tank is often debated, but as a rule of thumb by calculating how many fish and corals you think your tank should theoretically be able to accommodate is important. It is also important to differentiate between smaller and larger species, as larger species occupy more space for swimming, where smaller fish doesn't require so. Larger species fish also have greater appetites and generate more waste ect. For this reason the rules of thumb between small bodied and large bodied fish differ.

A general guideline is as follows;

- For small to medium fish, the rule is 2" of fish for every 10 gallons ( 40 litres ).

- For medium to large bodied fish, the rule is 1" of fish for every 5 gallons ( 20 litres ).

Do remember to include factors such as price, availability, hardiness in your decision making process during your next purchase. It would also be worth your while to pay a visit to a your local fish store where you can have the opportunity of looking at your chosen corals and fish in a real life aquarium setup.

How to cure your live rock when setting up your...

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 14:33:50 +0000

http://www.getahuget...FIji_Totoka.jpg

How to cure your live rock when setting up your marine tank ?

Setting up a marine tank cannot be completed with having live rocks in your tank. Live rock to put it simply, it is rocks which are normally found on the coral reefs sea . These live rocks were colonized with naturally occurring marine life - invertebrates, corals, sponges, and millions of beneficial nitrifying bacteria which play an important part in the biological filtration of your tank.

So so may ask why do we need to cureour live rocks ? When we place a piece of uncured live rock in our aquarium for the first time, there will inevitably be some die-off. This die-off will cause organic materials to build up in your tank and can lead to an ammonia spike which in turn can wipe out your tank. The best way to avoid having this ammonia spike impact your tank is to cure your live rock before putting it into your aquarium.

So How do can we cure our live rock to make it suitable to use on our tank ?

While you may cure your live rock in many different ways, the following method has been shown to be very effective. Curing of live rocks typically takes about one to three weeks.

Place the live rock in a new 30-gallon plastic garbage can.
Cover the rock completely with freshly mixed saltmix or seawater.
Create constant water movement with a powerhead or air stone.
Keep the area dimly lit to prevent algae blooms.
Perform at least 50% water changes twice a week.
Scrub the rock between water changes to remove dead material if any.
Consider adding bottom drains to the container to speed draining and water changes.
Do some water testing to check the quality of the water especially ammonia. When ammonia tests are negative, the rock is deem to complete the cycle and safe for use in your aquarium.

In addition, if you do not maintain proper aeration and temperature during the curing process, then high levels of beneficial nitrifying bacteria will die, reducing the initial effectiveness of the rock as a biological filter. Live rock is not difficult to cure properly and the benefits of high quality live rock are well worth the effort. Be sure to follow the simple steps above, and you can be confident that you are adding clean, healthy live rock to your aquarium.

Hawaiian Volcano Shrimp-Opae Ula

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 06:50:56 +0000

Came across this Sunday Times article today in its Life section. Below is the scanned copy.
http://farm6.static....6013d0e85_b.jpg
http://farm6.static....4a400195d_b.jpg
However, below articles shows that shops that sells these in sealed self contained ecosystem is not sustainable in the long term. The shrimps suffer from being malnourished.
http://www.petshrimp...anredshrimp.php
http://www.fukubonsai.com/M-L2d.html

East Changi oil spill: biodiversity impact stud...

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 06:50:40 +0000

Sea stars at oil-slicked Tanah Merah were found to be less healthy than those at Pulau Hantu.

http://farm5.static...._d2bf98b4c5.jpg

Grace Chua's article in the Straits Times today shares the results of some studies on the biodiversity impact of last year's oil spill at Tanah Merah.

Tanah Merah was hit by the Changi East oil spill on 25 May 2010, nearly a year ago. Most of the crude on the shore was NOT removed and remains on the shore to this day.

http://farm6.static...._37e005f4b4.jpg

Several students have been studying this shore for the impact on marine life there. Thanks to Grace Chua, we learn more about their findings.

Janette Goh Kai Ying studied the Common sea stars (Archaster typicus) at Tanah Merah and compared them with those at Pulau Hantu. Those at Tanah Merah took up to two minutes to right themselves, while those from Pulau Hantu, which was not affected by the spill, took 30 to 50 seconds. There were fewer juvenile sea stars in Tanah Merah than on Pulau Hantu's shores, suggesting the oil spill had somehow affected the creatures' reproduction as it took place in the middle of the April-to-June mating season, or that younger sea stars were somehow more susceptible to the oil.

Wong Hiu Fung's study found fewer young dog whelks, a kind of sea snail, in Tanah Merah than on Pulau Hantu.

Effect of dispersants?

In another study, Jeremy Tan lab-tested mixtures of oil and dispersants on green mussels from a local farm. He found that green mussels, which feed by sweeping food in with their gill filaments, could not feed when exposed to commercial dispersants, and suggested the chemicals somehow damaged the mussels' gills.

Other studies

The article reports: "In another study last year, Prof Chou Loke Ming worked with the National Parks Board (NParks) and National Environment Agency (NEA) to assess the immediate impact of the spill on seashore habitats. They found that the short-term impact of the spill and clean-up on the overall ecosystem was not severe."

Future studies?

The article reports: "Besides the NUS projects, NParks and NEA are also hiring a consultant to monitor the affected sites over the long term. An NParks spokesman said the composition of biodiversity in the areas will be surveyed to study if there are any longer-term effects of the oil spill. The result of this second survey will also provide valuable updated baseline data on the biodiversity of these sites, she said."

Full article: Seashore life still reeling from oil spill Fewer creatures found on affected beaches one year after incident: Study, by Grace Chua Straits Times 30 Apr 11

Singapore oil spill as a case study

Recently, an article quoted the Singapore oil spill as an example of how double-hulled tankers provide false security. Living Oceans Society, which opposes plans for crude oil tankers to ply British Columbia said "Although double-hulled tankers have the potential to reduce spill volume in minor groundings or low energy collisions, they are susceptible to a range of construction, maintenance and operation issues that make them more prone to leaks and failures including accelerated corrosion in their cargo tanks and high operating stress levels."

Double-hulled tankers not the answer: Living Oceans Society
Ken Manning - North Island Gazette BC Local News 28 Apr 11;

Opponents and proponents of crude oil tankers plying B.C.s northern coastline continue to thrust and parry.

The latest set of arguments against a plan by Enbridge Inc. to increase the frequency of visits and increase the size of tankers operating in coastal waters is offered by Katie Terhune on behalf of Living Oceans Society, LOS.

Terhune's report says numerous safety concerns associated with double-hull tankers, including corrosion and stress levels, make the vessels unsuitable to be painted as a panacea for oil spill prevention.

The report, Tanker Technology: Limitations of Double Hulls, concludes that Enbridge's pledge to use double-hulled tankers to service its controversial Northern Gateway Pipeline project will not ensure the B.C. Coast is protected from catastrophic oil spills.

"Double hulls are one of the key safety measures of Enbridge's Marine Plan for its pipeline project, but it's an empty assurance that provides a false sense of security," said Terhune. "In fact, double-hull tankers may actually increase the risk of oil spills.

"Although double-hulled tankers have the potential to reduce spill volume in minor groundings or low energy collisions, they are susceptible to a range of construction, maintenance and operation issues that make them more prone to leaks and failures including accelerated corrosion in their cargo tanks and high operating stress levels," says Terhune in an Apr. 7 press release. "Most importantly, double-hull tanker designs do not address human error, which is responsible for up to 80 percent of total oil spills worldwide. No safety measure can ever fully eliminate the risk of an oil spill. Tankers are run by people and people make mistakes. No technology can change that fact."

The increase in size of the crude carriers proposed by Enbridge to service its Northern Gateway project compared to those currently plying the route to Kitimat increases the risk exponentially.

The LOS sponsored report says, "If the Northern Gateway project is allowed to proceed, its twin-pipelines running between Alberta's Tar Sands and Kitimat, B.C. would be serviced by 220 supertankers per year, each carrying up to two million barrels of crude oil through some of the most dangerous waters in the world. The few coastal tankers currently importing condensate to Kitimat are approximately 200 meters in length whereas the supertankers proposed by Enbridge are 350 meters long and can carry four times more cargo. When loaded they can take three kilometres and 15 minutes to come to a complete stop."

The report says a disabled tanker could drift on the B.C. Coast before help arrives.

Terhune said, "... the tankers will not be accompanied by escort tugs or BC Coast Pilots in the open waters of Hecate Straight, Dixon Entrance or Queen Charlotte Sound where wind speeds can reach 200 km/hr and waves higher than 25 metres can develop in less than eight hours. There will be no dedicated rescue tug on standby in the open waters if a tanker loses power or has a steering failure. Instead, Enbridge will send tugs from its Kitimat Marine Terminal with an estimated response time of 10-18 hours during which time a disabled tanker may drift ashore and ground."

The Enbridge website says super-tugs will accompany the tankers and first response units will be stationed in high risk areas and at sea. Enbridge was asked to comment on the findings in Terhune's report, but a reply was not received in time for this article.

Terhune's report cautions readers not to become complacent.

"Despite improvements in oil tanker regulation and technology, and a general decline in oil spills in recent years, accidents continue to occur. They are an inevitable part of shipping. In 2010 alone there were two major spills from double-hulled tankers: the Eagle Otome, with a coast pilot onboard, at Port Arthur, Texas and the Bunga Kelana 3 in the Strait of Singapore. Combined, the two tankers spilled 4.6 million liters of oil into the ocean.

"Double-hulled or not, accidents happen. It would only take one spill to disrupt coastal communities, cultures and the environment for generations to come," says Terhune in conclusion.

** Extracted from wildsingaporenews.blogspot.com

Did tsunami cause this? Fish mysteriously gathe...

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 06:50:19 +0000

At first glance, it looks like an oil slick. But look closer and you'll see that it's a massive school of fish! This strange gathering of fish was spotted off the coast of Acapulco in Mexico.
http://i1178.photobu...pg?t=1304348793

"This was spotted off the coast of Acapulco in Mexico."

There is speculation that this strange behavior might be caused by the change in ocean currents after the tsunami in Japan."

** Extracted from Stomp.com.sg

Million Dollar Shark

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 06:50:01 +0000

Million Dollar Shark

Below articles from reef tools..
A study conducted y the Australian Institute of Marine Science, concluded that sharks are worth far more alive then when sold for finning. Now, given, shark finning is just awful, and we are not suggesting that THIS be the reason to stop it. You don't need any other reason, just don't do it.

Anyways, sharks all over the world, are in serious declined, mostly in part to shark fin soup demand in Asia. It is estimated, that commercial fishermen kill up to 73,000,000 sharks a year�73,000,000!!! This is mostly done to supply the fin trade. Scientists estimate that upwards of 30% of all shark species are threatened, or near threatened with extinction.

A study initiated by the PEW environment group, demonstrated that profits from dive tourism, far outweigh the revenue generated from finning. This study, whose main focus is the Pacific Island of Palau, investigated the overall "worth" (terrible word, we know) of a live shark, vs one that is finned. Matt Rand, of the Pew Environment Group said "What we see in Palau, and other vacation destinations, is that sharks can be a significant economic driver. As a tourist attraction, reef sharks bring approximately $2,000,000 to the economy of Palau, over their lifetime." Of the 80,000 tourists who visit Palau, over 50% are divers, many of which come specifically to dive with sharks. The calculations used in this study showed that as a result, a single reef shark, that frequents Palau's reef, has an annual value to the tourist industry of $179,000, vs. only $108 when sold for consumption. So again, as disgusting and cruel a practice as finning it's also economically idiotic!

Palau declared it's reefs to be a shark sanctuary, several other nations and states, including the republic of the Maldives, Honduras, Guam, CNMI, Marshall Islands and Hawaii, have followed suit.

In conclusion, this study shows that in additional to it being a despicable practice, and one that could have dramatic ecological repercussions, we even have an economic reason to unite against it's continuation.

New test kit from D-D - Setting new standard fo...

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 14:05:28 +0000

http://i1178.photobu...icture022-1.jpg
The newly launch high sensitivity test kit from D-D bought in by Reef Depot is setting the new standard for test kits. With it's tastefully design air tight storage box , The full range of test kit include testing kits for Iodine, Nitrate, Phosphate, along with a multi test kit that will handle Calcium, Alkalinity and Magnesium together.

http://i1178.photobu.../Picture026.jpg

Upon opening up the box, the individual testing solution is nicely packed and labelled clearly with a simple full color graphic illustration of the steps involved for the testing. For those who couldn't understand the graphic, a simple but details instruction is found in the test kits as well.

http://i1178.photobu.../Picture023.jpg

http://i1178.photobu.../Picture024.jpg

The result of the test is obtain by comparing the number of dips comparing with the color chart and the accuracy of this test is further improved by the use of comparison of a 'standard' starting color till the End color . There is even a color reference for those who overdose and to repeat the test again .

Best part of all the individual refill pack for each solution will be available for sales shortly.

Plasma lighting for Aquarium

Thu, 19 May 2011 16:37:04 +0000

Is plasma lighting starting the new era of Aquarium lighting to replace the ever popular LED lighting ?

Do check out below video of the plasma lighting technology being tested over a reef aquarium. These small tic-tax sized lamps tout up to 140 lumens per watt, which make it arguably the most efficent aquarium lighting source comparable to natural sunlight.

Chris Clough, maker of Aqua Illumination 'AI' LED lights, has begun testing this technology using what looks to be a Luxim plasma lamp very similar to their Luxim STA-40 Series.

http://i1178.photobu...a-lifi31_02.png

The STA-40 Series uses a stunning 249w but it pushes out 22,000 or 19,200 lumens (88 l/w or 77 l/w) of power. While the controllable function allow the lioght to be dimmable from 20-100%. The long bulb life of 30,000 hours and above make it comparable to LED in the market. Below graph show output and intensity of the light.

http://i1178.photobu...ted_spectra.png

However, this is still very new technology and alot of test is still being carried out by AI . In the meantime check out this architecture plasma spotlight that Luxim is already making. Do keep a watch out for this new revolution new energy efficient lighting solutions coming soon .

Sprung�s Stunner LPS from ORA

Tue, 17 May 2011 15:59:28 +0000

ORA latest Echinopora lamellosa coral - Sprung's Stunner is an extremely fast growing LPS with a purple base and bright green polyps. This new species came to a surprise when Julian Sprung brought a frag when when he was breaking down an outdoor aquarium.

This coral looks nearly identical to the Hollywood Stunner Echinopora in the market, but nobody seem to be able to identify it . This has left ORA starting a "Naming the coral" campaign on their Facebook page and the name Sprung's Stunner was born.

http://i1178.photobu...pg?t=1305647676

This coral is classified as an extremely hardy and fast growing coral that is tolerant of low-light conditions. However like most LPS, care must be taken when choosing the placement location in your tank as when the lights go out the sweeper tentacles come out and may sting other corals.

Most expensive aquarium in the world

Tue, 17 May 2011 15:46:53 +0000

Below articles from bettabits.com & PracticalFishkeeping Issue 4 April 2011

Is this the most expensive aquarium in the world?

http://www.sgreefclu...34949_thumb.jpg

http://www.sgreefclu...35301_thumb.jpg

Personally I think this probably is the most expensive aquarium in the world, with solid 24ct gold, mammoth tusk and T-rex bones, add this to aqua-vista's already hefty price tag with set it and forget it features and automation and you have yourself the most expensive aquarium in the world for its size.

The AquaVista Dinosaur Gold edition aquarium features 68kg of solid 24ct gold, two side veneers made from mammoth tusk, with a piece of T-Rex bone diagonally shaved into the tusk. It's the only aquarium with a 65 million year history.

AquaVista UK had asked Stuart Hughes to design them something unique � and they certainly got it! While Stuart Hughes apparently knew exactly what they wanted to do immediately, the project took four months to complete.

This panoramic wall aquarium features a dual filtration system, heater, air pump, lighting, CO2 generator, and automatic feeder that is controlled by an easy to use programmable 24ct gold touch-screen control to simplify all functions.

AquaVista will install the aquarium for you, and they say from there it's less than 15 minutes a month maintenance. /tongue.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':P' />

New photo of the first Mauritius Flasher Wrasse...

Tue, 17 May 2011 15:46:33 +0000

On May 2, Advanced Aquarist reported about the first ever Mauritius Flasher Wrasse to land in the United States. This recent photo shows the maleParacheilinus piscilineatus with much stronger coloration after recovering from the long trek from the Indian Ocean to the United States. The wrasse is now adjusting to life in Jim's huge reef aquarium in Nebraska (alongside Cirrhilabrus earlei wrasses).

Jim Gryczanowski is a kindred spirit of mine: an avid wrasse fan. It was therefore no surprise to learn Jim was the lucky aquarist who acquired the first ever Mauritius Flasher Wrasse (Paracheilinus piscilineatus) to land in the United States. Here is an updated photo of his wrasse, taken by none other than Sanjay Joshi.