Aquarium Articles - FinsDepot.com

Imagine this scenario‚…

It’s 2:30am you just had a rough day at work and you just fell asleep an hour or two ago. All of a sudden your kids wake up and come screaming into your bedroom stating the house smells and the fish tank is making really funny noises! You‚’re still half asleep and you go downstairs to the fish tank and what you see horrifies you! Water is spouting from everywhere, flooding the floor and to make matters worse the water is spraying on your electrical wiring causing the wires to burn and smoke!!

Is the above situation a premise for a new horror movie? NO it’s very real and it could happen to you if you do not take precautions!

This actually happened to me not too long ago because a snail decided the best place for him to go and sit was on the top of my drain in my 180 gallon reef tank overflow. This prevented the water from draining into my sump. The sump pump was pumping water back to the main tank but the water can’t get back down so the tank was overflowing! The sump was a 75 gallon tank filled about half full that meant that I had at least an additional 35 gallons of water being pumped back into my 180 gallon tank!

So what can be done to prevent this, actually some very simple but overlooked steps:

‚• Check your overflows on a regular basis to make sure debris is not clogging it at all.

‚• Try to have two overflows if possible and make sure each one could handle the volume if one got clogged

‚• Make sure the overflow is screened so that a snail or even a fish can’t get stuck in it

• If you only have one overflow and you are handy with pvc tubing that is available at your local hardware store construct a tee so that the overflow has two intakes instead of only one

• Use a shutoff value that automatically shuts down the sump pump if the water level goes below a predetermined level. An excellent product for this is the a Float Switch which can be purchased here http://finsdepot.com/accessories.html

Always make sure your electrical plugs are connected to a GFCI ( Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) outlet and periodically check them to make sure they are in working condition. ( One thing I found out is that if you use power strips the GFCI outlet might not detect water on the strips so be careful, remember as always use extreme care as saltwater and electrical current is a deadly mix!)

Thanks and Happy Reefing!

Stu at FinsDepot.com

10 "Easy" Corals For Your New Reef Tank

Many novice (and experienced) saltwater aquarists are a bit leery about starting a Reef Tank. Their requirements not being very well understood, corals used to be almost impossible to keep for any length of time in an aquarium. Over time and with many failed experiments along the way, the knowledge, products and information are now in place, so that many corals can now be successfully kept in aquariums. Some corals are now considered "easy" (how far we have come) while many others are still deemed difficult to impossible for the average Reef Tank hobbyist.

A number of Soft Corals require less light and less rigid water quality standards than their Hard Coral (SPS & LPS) cousins, making them better candidates for converting a FO or FOWLR tank to a Reef Tank with corals.

Here are some Soft Corals which are considered to be more forgiving and easier to grow successfully :

Actinodiscus - Common Names: Mushrooms, Mushroom Coral, Mushroom Anemones and Disc Anemones.
Cladiella -Common Names: Finger Leather Coral and Colt Coral.
Pachyclavularia -Common Names: Star Polyps, Green Star Polyps and Daisy Polyps.
Palythoa -Common Names: Sea Mat and Button Polyps.
Protopalythoa -Common Names: Sea Mat and Button Polyps.
Sarcophyton -Common Names: Toadstool Coral, Leather Coral, Mushroom Leather Coral and Trough Coral.
Zoanthus -Common Names: Zoanthid, Sea Mat and Button Polyps.

Some Hard (SPS & LPS) Corals are less demanding, requiring less light and/or lower water quality, making them easier to keep for the novice aquarists.

Montipora -Common Names: Velvet Coral, Velvet Finger Coral and Velvet Branch Coral.
Pavona -Common Names: Cactus Coral, Lettuce Coral, Star Column Coral, Leaf Coral and Bark Cloth Coral.
Siderastrea -Common Names: Starlet Coral, Lesser Starlet Coral and Pink Starlet Coral.

Please note: Even though we say the above corals are "easy" they still need the proper attention to aquarium maintenance and should only be housed in an aquarium that is properly maintained. Remember our job is to learn and appreciate nature. Please do not attempt to keep corals unless you are familiar with the necessary requirements that they need and can provide them. Any questions please contact us at customerservice@FinsDepot.com.

Reef Tanks by Barry Hooper

The major difference between reef, and salt, or freshwater tanks is that the reef is a veritable eco-system, with the fish, invertebrates, and plants interacting symbiotically. Reefs also tend to emphasize invertebrates over fish. Invertebrates include coelenterates like hard, and soft corals, and sea anemones; crustaceans such as crabs, and shrimp; sea urchins; starfish; tube worms; mollusks like snails, clams, and octopodes. When choosing fish, keep their numbers small and only introduce coral-friendly and non-carnivorous fish like blennies, clownfish and Tangs.

Another important difference is the cost, and sophistication of the reef equipment, and the effort necessary to maintain the ecological balance. Because virtually everything in the reef tank is alive, it has to replicate the ocean as far as possible. This primarily entails installing a sump pump to ensure water circulation, and to simulate constant wave motion, otherwise the sensitive coral, and anemones will die. Corals, being territorial, are hyper-sensitive as regards living space; they can't be in too close proximity, or else they will turn aggressive, exuding chemicals, and nematocysts, i.e. defensive venomous, coiled threads, at each other. Stress must be minimized otherwise the corals' immune systems will diminish making them susceptible to diseases.

Living rocks are another specialty of reefs. These are imported rocks containing micro-organisms, and sea creatures, some of which must be eliminated by treating the rock; usually curing it for a month, or so with frequent cleansing, essentially to eliminate ammonia. When cured it can be shaped to form caves, and other holes for the invertebrates to take refuge in. Many of these invertebrates have a functional purpose, cleaner shrimp; for example, help to eliminate algae, while snails and crabs eat waste products.

Of crucial concern is the tank size, the consensus of opinion is that the minimum size should be 40 gallons, and the domestic optimum is the 70 gallon tank, which is about 18 inches deep. The filtration equipment is very specialized; some even advocate having protein skimmers to prevent the break-down of organic pollutants. Also because saltwater contains less oxygen than freshwater of the same volume, it's necessary to have more aeration than in a freshwater environment. The water must also be changed on a regular basis.

The chemical balance is another major factor, having to consider temperature, phosphates, calcium, alkalinity and pH ratios. Lighting is another crucial feature, UV minimizes the risk of disease, and specialized, time-phased lights are used to highlight the coral to its best advantage.

It will be apparent that keeping a reef tank is no mug's game. It's costly, time-consuming, and takes a great deal of expertise. Seeking advice from reef aficionados locally, and via the internet is a must. As is comprehensive self-education via books, videos, and e-books. However, the end result is spectacular, and environmentally friendly, helping to preserve a threatened ecosystem.

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