Hydrometer
This is an essential piece of equipment. A hydrometer tells us how salty a body of water is. This is very important as all marine life requires a certain level of salt to survive. Salinity is usually measured when we have our own salt water. A hydrometer is designed to measure salinity at approximately 24c, so make sure that your salt water is up to temperature before you measure its salinity.
Ultra Violet Steriliser
UVs help to kill disease pathogens and parasites. The addition of a UV can help prevent outbreaks of marine whitespot. They should be put in line with an external filter or sump. UV bulbs must be changed regularly for maximum efficiency. In reef tanks the use of UVs is debatable as some believe a UV kills off too much matter which could be used as coral food.
Filtration
Marine reef aquariums require the best water quality at all times. Most methods of filtration use a combination of filtration and protein skimming to achieve that. Fish only marine systems will benefit from the use of an external filter using biological, mechanical and chemical filters. In reef aquariums, the majority, are actually filtered by live rock with powerheads creating flow and there is the addition of a protein skimmer. When lots of live rock is used, it is best to remove biological filtration and replace it with chemical filtration such as a carbon and/or phosphates removers.
Powerheads and Water Flow
Marine life is dependant on water flow, which brings nutrients and help to wash away (remove) waste. Where possible it is best to try and recreate nature in your aquarium by the use of pumps and powerheads..
It is recommended that the total volume of your aquarium be turned over between 10 and 20 times an hour. This will be sufficient for most corals, fish and invertebrates.
You can factor in all flow rates from external filters and skimmers.
An example-
40g / 180l aquarium should have a turnover of
400gph / 1800 lph
Strategic placing of powerheads should blow across and through the reef structure. Be cautious of placing corals and inverts directly in the flow if they don’t like it!
Lighting
During daytime, naturally coral reefs receive exposure to full sunlight and this is much brighter than anything we provide for freshwater aquariums.
Corals rely on sunlight to provide them with energy, which feeds their algae component called zooxanthellae.
Generally most marine tanks use a combination of daylight and actinic (blue) tubes. Depending on the corals you choose to keep you may need to provide extra lighting either by increasing the number of T8 tubes you run, switching to T5 which provide greater intensity of light or ultimately metal halide lighting, usually suspended over open topped tanks. For small aquariums, two light tubes should be sufficient. In deeper, larger aquariums, this should be increased to four T5 tubes. For the best effect in reef aquariums, metal halides twinned with blue actinic tubes can’t be beaten!
Chillers
When we combine high wattage lights, pumps and filters, excessive heat production is the result and all too often in reef aquariums this is a major problem. Heat stress on corals will often lead to losses. Temperatures over 27C / 80F stress and at worst kill marine life. Options available to reduce heat are fans and/or chillers. Fans fitted to the top of the tank, blow cool air across the surface thus cooling the tank. Chillers act like a fridge. Water is pumped through the chiller unit via a pump or external filter. Water passing through is chilled to a set temperature.
Fans are usually a cheaper alternative to chillers though not as efficient.
Water Testing
If you already keep fish, you will be aware of the importance of water testing.
Generally we test for PH, Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate. In marine aquariums it is beneficial to also test Salinity, Phosphate, Calcium, General and Carbonate Hardness and Magnesium. Test results will aid you in the requirements for additional supplements which is vital in reef keeping.
RO Water
RO water is water which has been purified by a process called reverse osmosis. The resulting water is very pure and free from chlorine, nitrate and phosphate. It is perfect for making up your salt water with and is ideal for corals. It is also to be used for topping up evaporation losses. RO Units are available to buy and connect to your water supply or for convenience we sell it in the shop from our own RO Unit.
Maintenance
The brightly lit marine aquariums make algae growth fast, so regular cleaning of the front glass is vital – often a daily job done by hand or by magnet. Evaporation must be dealt with regularly, as with increased evaporation comes increased salinity, so regular checks on salinity must be done.
Renewal of chemical filter media (carbon and phosphate remover) at recommended times by manufacturer to provide optimum results.
Maintain your equipment – keep skimmers efficient by cleaning and emptying the collection cup, cleaning impellers and air intakes. Less air bubbles means less performance.
Water changes are usually performed once a fortnight, removing approx. 10-20% of the aquarium water. Use good quality salt and ideally RO water, test water regularly and aim for zero readings on ammonia and nitrite. Keep nitrate under 40ppm for fish only systems and less than 10ppm for reef systems.
Regular water changes reduce nitrate levels and will provide a less stressful environment for your fish, with less nuisance algae. Feeding requirements are usually dependant on the species of fish you keep. Complete feeds like marine flake and marine frozen foods are readily accepted. Herbivorous fish, like Tangs require foods like Spinach and Nori seaweed to graze on. Please research the food your fish need prior to purchase.
Finally… although it may seem a difficult task, keeping a marine aquarium is not an impossible feat. Many people keep and maintain beautiful tanks with ease. The important facts and helpful tips have been laid out in this help sheet to start you off on what hopefully will be an absorbing and fascinating hobby.
Get the right advice, buy the right equipment, read as many books and articles on the subject and research your proposed inhabitants.
The staff at Emperor are always pleased to assist you in all aspects of fish keeping. |
