More Saltwater Marine Aquarium Decorating Tips

If you have a marine aquarium, then its going to need decorating.

In marine aquarium decorating you can really allow your thoughts to reign free. Their are many decorations around – from backgrounds, ceramic, resin or plastic ornaments, real or false corals and shells and even plants the skys the limit when it comes to inventing a marine world for your fish..

Marine aquarium decorations are fun to buy because unlike the other inhabitants of your tank they don’t require any special care. You won’t need to feed them, provide special habitats and they can’t get sick or die so they are hassle free! A tank without any décor is dull but that’s not all.

An aquarium without any saltwater aquarium decorations is not very exciting and it can also beunhealthy for your fish. Using tank décor makes it possible to break up the physical environment of the tank and is important both for the biological and psycho-social well-being of the fish in your tank. This is because using tank decorations gives hiding places, areas for food to grow on and microbe activity that keeps your marine tank healthy.

Add to this the fact that marine aquarium decorations are nice to look at and fun to work with and you’ll begin to see that décor is essential in any marine tank. The best way to choose your marine tank decorations is to visit a store that allows you to see saltwater aquarium décors in an working tank, not just on a rack or a table.

Some examples of marine aquarium decorations you might like to try in your saltwater tank are:

Belching clams and treasure chests – These are bubbly and air actuated action ornaments. Spacemen, submarines, clams, and treasure chests are always very popular. Even a frog on a log and airstones, are fun saltwater aquarium decorations. The display should be well lit and there should be plenty of bubbles for the best effect.

So what other options are there for marine aquarium decorations? What about unusual and interesting backgrounds? You can purchase a variety of backdrops like marinescapes, paint-on materials, foils, mirrors and cork stock. You can even buy an in-tank diorama! Display the background effectively and choose a tank décor that suits its theme.

Rocks are another good choice for saltwater aquarium decorations. You can choose from volcanic, sandstones and metamorphic rock or even plastic. Some rocks don’t have any impact on water quality while others improve the water quality. If you aren’t sure of a certain rock, play it safe and leave it out. Try pieces of tufa, igneous, silicious/petrified woods), and brackish and African Great Lakes systems calcareous “base” rock. You can usually buy rocks by the pound or the ‘piece’. Some rock types are artificial while others are natural.

Driftwood is a great idea for saltwater aquarium decorations. It might be self-sinking or weighted and wither chemically or physically inert or live. Don’t try to cure your own woods. It’s just too time consuming and expensive, it’s cheap enough to buy anyway.

Corals and shells can also be used as saltwater aquarium decorations. Always try to use those from a natural marine source.

Marbles are traditional saltwater aquarium decorations. They can be used underwater – whole circular to flat, marbles and crushed glass are popular in marine tanks. However marbles don’t make for a good biological substrate. They do provide vibrant color to any tank, though.

Faux natural saltwater aquarium decorations are another way of pepping up your tank. You can choose from fake rocks, logs, shells, coral, ships and more. Fake they might be but some are attractive when arranged properly; so don’t overlook these decorations.

Plastic plants are another option you might want to make use of for your saltwater aquarium decorations. You can obtain some good likenesses of marine plants like sagittaria-turtle grass for example so don’t overlook them and use them to supplement your real plants while they are growing.

Your choice of saltwater aquarium decorations is up to you but there are some general guidelines to bear in mind when making a choice.

Always make sure that your marine aquarium decorations don’t have any sharp edges on which your fish might cut themselves. Never use any substances (rocks, shells etc) that might give off toxic chemicals into the water. Choose shapes and designs that make suitable hiding places for shy animals and good substrates for the growth of marine plants.

Also make sure that your saltwater aquarium decorations are squeeky clean when you put them into your tank. Never use decorations from a tank where the fish or plants are ill or unhealthy in any way. Make sure that there are no spaces within the decorations where fish might get trapped and die.

The best saltwater aquarium decorations don’t have to be particularly fancy. If you like spacemen and frogs go ahead and decorate your tank with them – it’s your tank after all. If you prefer a more elegant style choose natural, rather than faux ornaments and study other natural systems and try to copy some of these environments in your tank.

You can easily glean this kind of information from books on marine biology or by doing some research on the World Wide Web. The more you learn the more accurate will be the marine world you create and this will make your fish and other invertebrates happy and healthy. The most important thing to remember is to have fun with your marine aquarium decorations.

But don’t forget the health of your marine ecosystem. Try to find the proper balance between the aesthetic value of your tank and the well-being of your fish. The only way to make sure that your stock stay healthy is to study, study, study the fish, invertebrates, plants and make sure you give them what they need to survive, a good cheap online book on everything you need to know on marine and saltwater aquariums.

Good luck in whatever you choose, and enjoy your saltwater aquarium decorations.

Tips For Choosing An Aquarium

There is a wide range of sizes and shapes of aquariums as well as a choice of glass or acrylic aquariums, so how do you choose the best aquarium for your home and for the fish you intend to keep? We have put together a guide to help you to choose the perfect aquarium.

Where to Locate Your Aquarium

The first thing to decide before you make a purchase is the location for your new aquarium. You must take account of the final weight of the aquarium when filled with water if you intend to place it on a shelf or table. A twenty gallon tank, once filled, will weigh about two hundred pounds! Do you need a stand or a specially designed cabinet?

Aquarium Size

Aquariums for the home come in a huge range of sizes from tiny glass bowls to huge five hundred gallon tanks. You will want an aquarium that is the right size for your home and for your fish. The first thing to consider is the location you intend for the aquarium. Measure the area to ensure the aquarium you choose will fit.

One thing to consider is that a bigger aquarium requires less maintenance. Small aquariums are much harder to keep the water balance correct, are easy to overcrowd and rotting food or vegetation can have an immediate affect on the health of the fish. A good size for a beginner is between twenty and thirty gallons. Decide how many fish you wish to keep. Very roughly you can keep one inch of fish to every gallon of water, but remember this is a rough estimate and a lot will depend on the type of fish and how well maintained the aquarium is. Always understock a tank rather than overstock!

The best way to choose the size of the tank is to purchase the biggest tank within your budget that will fit comfortably in the location you have chosen.

Aquarium Shapes

Since the introduction of acrylic aquarium, different shapes have been added to the traditional rectangular shape including cylinder, hexagon and round aquariums. There are also aquariums designed to be wall mounted and coffe table aquariums. Despite all these innovative designs the rectangular aquarium is still the best as the the area of water surface compared to the water volume is large which is important for allowing the exchange of gases with the air. Other shapes, with a smaller surface area compared to water volume, will often need more frequent water changes and more maintenance.

Do You Need a Glass or Acrylic Aquariums?

Both materials for aquariums have their advantages and disadvantages. The traditional glass aquarium is heavy and can spring leaks at the seams. Leaks are easy to fix however and usually only occur in an older aquarium. They are usually cheaper than acrylic aquariums. They only come in rectangular or square shapes.

The newer acrylic aquariums are lighter than glass and come in all sorts of innovative shapes. They rarely spring leaks as there are no seams. They are more expensive than glass aquariums but generally last longer. They are easy to scratch however so never clean with any kind of abrasive chemical or other chemicals which can fog the glass. Acrylic aquariums used to yellow with age but the newer materials stay clear throughout their lifetime.

Advantages

Acrylic Aquariums : long lasting, leak free, innovative shapes

Glass Aquariums : Cheap

Disadvantages

Acrylic Aquariums : expensive, easily scratched

Glass Aquariums : Heavy, tend to spring leaks

Common Custom Aquarium Myths You Are Urged Against Believing

In today’s society, it seems as if myths are all around us. There are myths about how you can lose weight, how you can make money online, and so forth. What you may not necessarily know is that there are also myths associated with fish tanks. Yes; fish tanks. Many of these myths are centered on custom aquariums.

If you are interested in buying a custom aquarium, you are urged not to fall victim to the many custom aquarium myths. Should you mistakenly believe these myths, you may end up not purchasing a custom aquarium. You never really know, but that could result in you missing out on the one of the best purchases of your lifetime. The best way to not fall victim to the many custom aquarium myths is to know what they are. A few of the most common myths are outlined below.

MYTH: Custom aquariums are only for the rich and famous.

TRUTH: This myth actually couldn’t be farther from the truth. Custom aquariums are not just for the rich and famous. In fact, custom aquariums are ideal for just about anyone and for any purpose. There are a large number of “everyday,” individuals who have custom aquariums in their homes or in their businesses.

MYTH: Custom aquariums are only for business owners, not homeowners.

TRUTH: As with the above mentioned myth, it is important to remember that custom aquariums are actually for all individuals. Yes, custom fish tanks are commonly found inside public establishments, namely businesses, but they can also be found inside many homes. Essentially, if you want to purchase a custom aquarium, whether that aquarium is for your home or your office, you should be able to do so.

MYTH: Custom aquariums are expensive.

TRUTH: While it is possible to find quite a few custom aquariums that are expensive or ones that are finically out of your reach, you should still have a number of custom aquariums to choose from. Custom aquariums, like all other aquariums, are available for a wide range of different prices. With a little bit of research, you should be able to find a custom aquarium that is within your budget.

MYTH: Custom aquariums are a waste of money.

TRUTH: This is another myth that couldn’t be farther from the truth. When you actually think about it, custom aquariums are a wise purchase and they can even be considered an investment. Almost all custom aquariums, at least the best ones, are made from acrylic materials. These materials are known to be strong, durable, and dependable. In fact, that is why many fish tank suppliers and manufacturers actually offer warranties on their aquariums, including custom aquariums. With a warranty, you know that you are purchasing a quality custom aquarium; one that will not be a waste of your money.

MYTH: Custom aquariums are only aquariums that are large in size, like in-wall aquariums.

TRUTH: Custom aquariums come in all different sizes, shapes, and styles. In fact, that is the beauty of ordering a custom aquarium; you pretty much get to help design the aquarium that you would like to purchase. While a large number of custom aquariums are large in size, there are many medium sized or even small sized custom aquariums. When a custom aquarium is ordered, it is most commonly ordered because the purchaser couldn’t find what they were looking for elsewhere. While there are some custom aquarium restrictions, depending on the manufacturer in question, custom aquariums can be purchased in a wide variety of different sizes, shapes, and styles.

MYTH: Custom aquariums can only be ordered directly through a fish tank manufacturer.

TRUTH: Yes, a fish tank manufacturer will likely be the one making your custom aquarium, but you don’t have to place your order directly with the manufacturer. There are a number of fish tank supply stores, both on and offline, that work directly with many fish tank manufacturers. These retail stores, such as FishTanksDirect.com, can take and process all custom aquarium orders, including yours.

Now that you know some of the many myths associated with custom aquariums, you are less likely to fall victim to those myths. With any large purchase, like the purchase of a custom aquarium, you are encouraged to thoroughly examine your decision to make sure that it is the right one for you.

Starting a Marine Aquarium – the Very First Considerations

Seeing pictures of a healthy marine fish only or reef aquarium in books or on the internet, or even better, in reality at a public aquarium will cause just about anyone to appreciate the beauty and general fascination of them. Some people will wonder if they could have one, and the thought will shortly disappear. Others, however, will not forget so easily and will want to delve further into the possibility of having their own home aquarium.

If the potential aquarist knows a friend who already has a healthy marine aquarium, then there is a source of advice available already. The friend will already have been through all the research and considerations. Often, however, the potential aquarist will want to find out for him/herself. That is very good, as the aquarium system will be understood thoroughly. Then there may not be a known marine aquarist available, so what is the first move? Dashing to the local shop and buying an aquarium and a few bits of equipment that the shop says is needed is totally incorrect.

The first move is to follow a planning scaffold. This scaffold will be the foundation for all the decisions that need to be made in building the system. There are quite a few decisions along the way and things can get a little confusing, even to someone who is experienced in the freshwater aquarium field. The scaffold will help.

The scaffold has to prepare the budding marine aquarist so that indicative costing on basic equipment provision can be made. Often marine aquarists have equipment laying about. This could have been caused by upgrading because the original equipment was not adequate and needed to be replaced. Money expended that perhaps need not have been.

So, the scaffold then. The following is a list of headings and basic notes. It does not attempt and is not intended to open a comprehensive path from zero to a fantastic fish only or reef tank. What it does do is give a lead to follow on the way towards a successful aquarium. No doubt extra considerations will arise on the way, and that’s as it should be, it means the planning is working. Each stage of planning needs individual consideration, and there will often be more than one decision to make. On the way, research using books and/or the internet is useful or necessary.

Where is it practical to site the aquarium?

Try to choose a location away from direct sunlight, to assist with proper lighting control. There should not be heavy and/or noisy household traffic passing (reasonable traffic is acceptable). There needs to be a reliable power supply available, ie. power outlets. Generally easy access to the aquarium is required. If floors are suspended, consider floor strength – aquariums full of seawater are heavy!

What size aquarium?

The aquarium should not stand on ordinary furniture, but on a properly designed stand. The aquarium may need a hood. These need to be taken into account. Then the available space for the aquarium can be considered.

What type of system?

The system can be fish only or reef. This decision affects other later decisions. Most will opt for a reef.

Sump or no sump?

A sump is a small aquarium that is attached to the main one. It supplies extra water capacity to the system, and allows heaters, sand beds and protein skimmers to be kept away from the display aquarium. The sump can be beside or underneath the display aquarium. A sump on any type system is highly recommended. (If a sump is to be used, the main aquarium will need to be drilled to allow plumbing to take water from the aquarium to the sump. It is then pumped back again.) Note: if a DSB (deep sand bed) or plenum (a raised DSB) is to be employed, the sand bed area should be at least 2/3rds of the base area of the main aquarium. The sand bed should be at least 4″ deep. Consider the cost for the fine sand for the DSB. A DSB in the sump is highly recommended. Leave enough room for a partitioned area for the seawater return pump.

Lighting?

Is the system to be fish only or a reef? If fish only, then two marine fluorescents are sufficient. If reef then:

Hard corals.

Best lighting is halide, supplemented by actinic fluorescent tubes. T5 fluorescent tubes can be used (marine white and actinic equally mixed) but they do not penetrate the seawater as deeply.

Soft corals.

It is sufficient to use T5 fluorescent lighting (actinic and white mixed). Halide lighting can be used, however, and will not be detrimental (ensure corals exposed are light demanding varieties).

Net seawater capacity of aquarium and sump (if used)? This is easily calculated once the aquarium size and sump have been decided. This gallonage will be excessive as, when rocks and sand are added, it will decrease. Therefore, reduce the amount by 10%. This will still not be correct, but does give a reasonable allowance for displacement.

Seawater circulation?

The seawater in the display aquarium will need to be circulated for the health of the inhabitants whatever they are, but particularly in a reef system. It is recommended that a minimum of two powerheads are used to achieve this. The turnover of seawater in a reef needs to be around ten to twenty times the net capacity of the display aquarium (exclude the sump) per hour, depending on coral occupants.. In fish only systems, it can be less.

Protein skimmer?

A protein skimmer is essential for most systems(*), in particular where there is inexperience. The device is very useful as it helps significantly towards high water quality. The protein skimmer should be sized for around twice the net seawater capacity of the aquarium plus sump (if used). Now that the use of a sump (or not) has been decided, consider whether to use a hang-on or stand alone skimmer.

(* some mud based system designs do not require a skimmer.)

Heating?

The net gallonage of the system is known, so the heating need can be considered. (Note: it is best to purchase two heaters as this is a good safety feature for the aquarium inhabitants. Each heater should be one half of the total heating requirement.) In warm areas where temperatures are always above 80 deg F, the use of a seawater cooler (chiller) will replace heaters.

Return pump?

This only applies if using a sump. Seawater, once it has flowed to the sump, needs to be returned to the main aquarium. A pump is required for this. As a guide, the flow through the sump should be two or three times the net capacity of the system per hour. When considering the pump, remember to factor in the lift, that is the height from the pump level to the highest point that the returning seawater reaches before it enters the main aquarium.

‘Live’ rock.

This is used for filtration purposes (it is excellent for this) and for the construction of the reef. It can also be used in a fish only system. Allow 1½ lbs for each gallon that is in the entire system. There are other filtration methods, but ‘live’ rock coupled with a DSB in a sump is highly recommended.

Reverse osmosis (R/O) unit?

The R/O unit is a tap water filtration device that removes nearly all (around 95 to 98%) unwanted contaminants. Therefore the seawater mix is at its best from the start. It is highly recommended that R/O water is always used, including the first fill of the aquarium. R/O units come in different gallons per day outputs. Remember that usually the aquarium is filled completely only once. The normal routine water change amount is 10% of the net system gallonage weekly.

Dry salt mix?

There are several makes on the market. If keeping a reef system, obtain one that is ‘designed’ for reefs, as additional attention has been given to calcium content etc. Fish only systems can use ‘standard’ mixes or as described above.

Make a list.

As each item is gone through, find out and write down the likely cost. If it is electrical, also write down the wattage (W).

The evidence. When all items are priced, add them up. This represents a general guideline to the cost of setting up. If electrical, add up the wattage. Divide the total wattage by 1000, this will give kilowatts. The cost of electricity per kilowatt will be known. Multiply the number of kilowatts, including any fraction, by the cost per kilowatt, this is the approximate electrical running cost of the system per day. To get weekly, multiply by seven. Monthly, multiply by four. Etc. (Note: lights can be considered as being on 50% of the day. Heaters/coolers will not be on all the time, but it is difficult to determine a guideline percentage.)

OK. The list is there and it indicates the guideline aquarium equipment cost and electrical running cost of the system. These will not be completely accurate but near enough to either dissuade the desire to have an aquarium or to go ahead. There are other costs, of course. For example, no account has been taken of the fish and/or corals that are to inhabit the aquarium. Then additional equipment, often considered later, might be obtained, such as a calcium reactor, a de-nitrator, or a canister filter etc. Maybe coarse coral sand, ½ to 1″ deep, will be used as a decoration in the display aquarium.

Nevertheless, the scaffold will have achieved its purpose, which is to generally guide the new aquarist down a path that cuts its way through what can be a confusing beginning.

After the scaffold, there is still plenty to be done. Many answers can be found in the listed articles on this site (http://www.aquaristsonline.com).

Appropriate articles can be worked through one by one. Any remaining questions can go on the forum. The internet is an excellent resource for knowledge. Typing in a name, eg, marine aquarium lighting etc, into a search engine should produce a good response. Then, of course, there are books. Nothing like an hour of bedtime reading!

Which to Choose – a Small or Large Aquarium

Most aquarists are dictated to by circumstance. There is a really big aquarium, at a really good price, but one rather definite problem, and that is there’s nowhere to put it. So a smaller aquarium is chosen, but not by choice. However, even in the described circumstances, a smaller aquarium could be the one of choice.

Most aquarists dream big, visualizing that final aquarium that will bring the ultimate reef. In most cases, it never materializes. Some are lucky of course. There are some beautiful big reefs about.

There are also some beautiful small reefs about, but the beauty is not ‘in the face’. It is in the detail.

There is one aquarium type where, I would imagine, bigger is usually best. That is the fish only aquarium. When an aquarium system is considered, between reef and fish only, if say angels and butterfly fish are to be kept, then fish only is the choice. Some angel and butterfly fish are said to be reef friendly, but many are not. The aquarist with a big fish only aquarium will have a lot of choice of fish, with all the colour and interest that goes with them. If the aquarium was smaller, then fish loading would have to be reduced. This does not mean to say that a fish only small aquarium is a waste of time, it is not. In this case, though, the choice of fish is limited, in size and territoriality. For example, it would be wrong to house a surgeon fish in a nano aquarium.

Small aquariums such as the nano should house fish of appropriate size. Perhaps the common clownfish (Amphiprion oscellaris) would be suitable, or other small fish such as the Neon goby (Elacatinus oceanops) and similar. In the larger nano aquarium, fish such as dwarf angels (Centropyge sp) could be suitable. Stocking levels have to be a disciplined affair with the very small nano aquariums, and not excessive with the larger ones. The fish only aquarium of whatever size has the advantage that, although water quality is important, there is no great need to worry about calcium and the like, the need being to keep nitrates and phosphates as low as possible. So if the desire is to have a good number of exotic fish which may not be reef friendly, a larger aquarium will do. If the idea is to have one or two small fish then a nano will be fine. Both types will need suitable decoration for the fish to feel secure.

If the aquarist yearns for a reef tank, and wants to emulate as close as possible the corals of the reef in quantity then a larger aquarium is going to be required. The fish stocks have to be controlled as reef unfriendly fish are not required, and too many fish will tend to depress the water quality despite modern equipment. The aquascaping of the reef is fun, and the aquarist will, with care and attention, achieve a beautiful reef. The reef will never properly emulate nature’s own, of course. There is a lack of size, a lack of diversity, and reef unfriendly fish are missing.

Then there is the aquarist who is very interested in detail. They do not want a big reef, but a very small section of a reef so the detail of the development of the life on a rock or two can be watched in particular. Or perhaps the antics of two small fish are the attraction. Here the nano will be suitable, as a ’live’ rock or two of suitable size will be all that is required. Then the aquarist can stock a coral or two, plus perhaps a suitable shrimp, or go for a fish or two. It is most probable that the aquarists who deliberately choose a nano tank when there is room for something larger are few.

Again as said, most aquarist’s vision is of the big one. The nano aquarium also brings the fascinating marine world more within the reach of the aquarist with a restricted financial ability.

There are aquarists who run a larger reef aquarium and also run a fish only one as well. This is probably the best of both worlds. Then there are the aquarists, usually advanced, who run a larger aquarium of whatever type and also run a nano aquarium, sometimes two, so that particular aspects of marine life can be studied.

So what are the advantages of a nano aquarium? The term nano is applied to an aquarium up to 50 gallons. The nano can start at a size of 10 gallons or slightly less. So it becomes pretty obvious that the set up costs are minimized. In the fish only nano, there is the cost of the fish, of course, and the seawater mix, and any sand base that might be used, and the heating/lighting. Plus any ordinary rock which is required. If ‘live’ rock and one or two small corals are incorporated then the cost will rise but not significantly. So the demand on the wallet is not going to be high. Running costs are low. Water changes will not amount to many gallons and are effective, if done weekly, to maintain water quality. If there is a calcium etc requirement then commercial additives should last a long time. There should be no requirement for expensive add-on equipment. If desired nano aquariums can be purchased ready for use at reasonable prices in designs that fit into the modern house well. There are potential problems though. If the aquarist overstocks then water quality is going to suffer. The small seawater gallonage is subject to negative change, maybe caused by the aquarist (overfeeding, overdosing), or caused by external influences (overheating). So the nano aquarist has to be extra vigilant on water parameters.

What of aquariums that are over 50 gallons in capacity? The bigger they get, the more money is going to be needed. The cost of a fairly large aquarium, when furnished with ’live’ rock, sand bed, protein skimmer, corals and fish can run into thousands. Not cheap. Likewise the fish only system. The large amount of seawater required, any ’live’ rock used, a protein skimmer, sand bed etc plus all the fish again is a significant cost. Larger aquariums can also be purchased ready for use. The cost of these is very high. Against that, the larger aquariums are more naturally stable. The aquarist needs to make a major blunder to badly overdose the aquarium. Feeding likewise, though the larger numbers of fish in a fish only aquarium plus overfeeding could spell trouble. External influences can cause problems with overheating, the larger aquarium does not escape this. Halide lighting and warmer weather will cause a temperature rise. However, the temperature rise will occur more slowly because of the higher volume of water. Generally, as the aquarium is larger it is usually easier, more practical, and financially more acceptable to take action to control temperature rise with fans or, if really necessary, a cooler (chiller). By this it is meant that fixing cooling apparatus to a larger aquarium is easier than doing so with a very small nano aquarium, and the high cost of a seawater cooler is more acceptable on a very expensive aquarium. It can be done with a nano, of course, and for the sake of the life in the aquarium stable parameters are needed.

So, it’s ‘horses for courses’ as they say. We each have our own ideas and we know our financial capabilities. Whatever the choice, marine life is fascinating.

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