Live rock is used to create stunning reef aquariums as well as to create a natural environment for saltwater fish only aquariums. As its name suggests live rock is rock with living organisms (animals, plants, algae, bacteria, etc.) attached to and growing on and in it.
In the past live rock was mainly collected from the ocean. Now we have new choice created by FHI Farms called Real Reef live rock. This manmade rock looks realistic and is available in a variety of shapes and sizes. It is made from calcium carbonate rock which gives the ability to buffer the water.
Once the rock is made it is placed in grow out tanks to bring it to life. In these tanks the good bacteria grows on the surface of the rock as well as coralline algae. Coralline algae give the rock a nice purple color. The picture shows a 150 gallon aquarium just set with “Real Reef” rock.
Read More Here…
Read More...
The original guide was great for the beginner setting up a saltwater aquarium, but I had tons of requests for information on what to do once the aquarium was set up and filled with fish. So I took their advice and now the guide is a whopping 291 pages!
It is now stuffed with even more information, tips, advice and pictures! The guide still has color pictures and advice to take you step by step to setting up a saltwater aquarium. Now it is even better with lots of advice and techniques for established aquariums. Just check out some of the new chapters from my revised Expert’s Guide To Saltwater Aquariums:
Fish Compatibility - One of the Biggest challenges saltwater customers face is knowing which fish live together. No more! This updated guide gives lists of compatible fish for a range of aquarium sizes.
Artificial Decoration or Live Rock – a new section comparing the two most popular ways to set up a saltwater aquarium – artificial decorations verses live rock
Using Purified Water - Explains the benefits and disadvantages of the different types of water Read More Here…
Read More...
With all the available books on keeping saltwater fish and reef aquariums, I want to share with you a couple of my favorites that can help you choose the right fish for your aquarium.
Scott W. Michael has written a number of books entirely on saltwater fish. In his collection there are two great, inexpensive reference books. Hobbyists would be wise to keep a copy of one or both on hand. A PocketExpert Guide to Marine Fishes: 500+ Essential-To-Know Aquarium Species and A PocketExpert Guide to Reef Aquarium Fishes: 500+ Essential-to-Know 
Species are quick reference guides on particular species of fish. Their compact size allows them to be carried to fish stores where you can look up fish you are thinking about purchasing. You will quickly discover if a fish is right for your aquarium. Both books have more than 500 color photos. Scott includes scientific and common names, maximum length, range, minimum aquarium size, foods & feeding, aquarium suitability index, reef aquarium Read More Here…
Read More...
Saltwater fish keeping is a great hobby and entertaining. Starting out with the correct equipment and information is essential to ensure your success.
- Choose Your Aquarium – Start with an aquarium of at least 29 gallons. The larger the aquarium the more stable the environment.
- Placing The Aquarium – Choose a location that is out of direct sunlight and away from heating or cooling ducts as well as doorways leading to the outside. Make certain you have an electrical outlet near the aquarium. Finally, choose a room where you spend a lot of time and where you can sit down and enjoy your aquarium.
- Leveling Your Aquarium – Use a beam level to level your aquarium. Use shims under the stand at floor level. Once shims are placed under the stand and the tank reads level you are ready to begin filling your aquarium.
- Preparing The Aquarium – Using a soft cloth or damp paper towel, wipe down the inside of the aquarium to remove dirt and dust. NEVER use soap or household cleaning agents in or on your aquarium. Read More Here…
Read More...
Posted in
Saltwater
I started my retail aquarium store in 1983 and have helped many customers over the years to keep freshwater, saltwater and reef aquariums healthy and thriving. Since I travel a lot I have heard the horror stories and even received phone calls from all over with people needing advice for their aquariums. I felt obligated to share my knowledge and knew the Internet was the obvious choice. 
Of course I knew nothing about how to market information products on the web, but I had studied a marketing guru named Dan Kennedy for many years.
I attended Dan Kennedy’s Super Conference after hearing that one of his speakers was extremely successful Internet marketing Expert. His name is Armand Morin and his presentation blew me away. I immediately bought his course (Internet Marketing Explained). It is a recorded series with a written transcript explaining in easy-to-understand terms all about marketing on the Internet. Here is a sample from the 24 different topics that are covered.
Read More Here…
Read More...
High levels of nitrates and phosphates have frustrated many a saltwater hobbyist. Now refugiums are here to save the day! A refugium uses macro algae, mud and/or sand as natural filters for reducing nitrates, silicates, and phosphates. As you harvest (remove) macroalgae you are also removing excess nutrients from the aquarium. Reducing excess organic nutrients helps control unwanted algae growth in the display aquarium.
Since a refugium is generally separate from the main aquarium it provides protection for copepods and amphipods, giving your aquarium a constant, natural food source. This natural food can be netted from the refugium or will travel naturally to the display aquarium via the lines connecting the two. Predators such as fish, shrimp, and corals should never be placed in your refugium.
There Are Four Refugium Styles
Read More Here…
Read More...
About a month ago my outside service techs brought a dogface puffer back from one of our service clients whose front teeth had grown so long the poor fellow could no longer eat. Just two years ago my staff and I trimmed his teeth, but they grew back, and here he was again. We needed to perform this tooth trimming operation to keep him from dieing of starvation.
The dogface puffer is one of the species that commonly has a problem with overgrown teeth. In the wild puffer fish kill and eat crustaceans with hard shells – keeping their teeth worn down. They also grind their teeth on rocks and rubble as they attempt to remove algae. In the aquarium they may eat a nutritional diet but it usually consist of soft foods, and even if they eat the occasional crustacean, they just don’t find rocks and rubble to wear their teeth down.
Here’s the operation: We kept this puffer in a holding tank for a few days to calm him down. Read More Here…
Read More...
Moving big aquariums is exciting, fun and not as difficult as you might think – if you have the right equipment, that is. This picture shows a 540 gallon aquarium being set up in a home. The aquarium is 8 feet long by 3 feet wide and 3 feet high. Material lifts make it easy to large aquariums on a stand.
A material lift has a telescoping aluminum frame with steel forks and a hand crank. Large aquariums are usually shipped straped to a wooden pallet from the aquarium manufacturer. Just slide the forks inside the palate and start cranking. When the top of the pallet is even with the aquarium slide the aquarium off onto the stand. The aquarium in the picture took two 
lifts because of it weight.
Not long ago used one of these lifts to raise an eight foot long tank through a second story window. That was very scary especially if for the person on the bottom doing the cranking. These lifts can be rented from most equipment rental stores.
Read More...
If you want to pack in the nutrition and put some weight on your fish and LPS corals then you should be feeding Piscine Energetics Mysis! This freshwater shrimp is collected in the deep waters of Canada’s lakes and is instantly flash frozen to lock in vitamins and keep the actual mysis shrimp from breaking apart. Keeping the shrimp whole makes it easy for animals eating the shrimp to recognize it as a real food source.
Another advantage of being frozen on the lake is there are no fillers added, just solid mysis shrimp. Since mysis live in freshwater it eliminates parasites from being transferred to your saltwater fish. This food makes a great diet for most fish and even corals and finicky eaters will take this food because of its high levels of fatty acids. If you want your LPS coral to be plump place a piece of mysis in the coral’s tentacles and watch it grab the shrimp and pull it in.
Read More...
When using a wet dry filter or Berlin sump the inside of an aquarium cabinet gets covered in dirt and salt spray over time. Finished cabinets are usually easier to clean but unfinished have a rough texture making them difficult to clean. To make the job easier cover the inside of your cabinet with ABS plastic. ABS is available in a variety of colors including black, white and blue. White ABS gives a sleek appearance and hides salt creep.
ABS is easy to cut, Either cut it with a table saw or score and snap it. Cut the ABS so ti is the same size as the inside floor of your stand and drop it in place. The sides need to be attached to the stand to keep the ABS from falling. Use screws or glue. Once all the parts of your stand are covered use 100% silicone to seal the joints.
Now you, too, have a professional-looking sleek, easy to clean cabinet interior.
Read More...
