by Saltwater Smarts | Mar 5, 2016 | Aquaculture, Equipment, Fish, Invertebrates, Photography, Reef, Science, Tanks
There are a number of choices when it comes to the rock you use for aquascaping, my personal favorite is live rockToday’s marine aquarists have more options than ever before when it comes to the types of rock used to aquascape their tanks—from live rocks, whether aquacultured or wild-harvested, to all manner of dry rocks and even natural-looking man-made rocks. Each type has its advantages and drawbacks, and the choice that’s best for any given hobbyist depends on, among other factors, his or her aquascaping goals, budget, risk tolerance, and desired level of control over the system’s biodiversity. Call me old-school (or Lord Admiral Jeff of the Universe—whichever you prefer), but my aquascaping material of choice has always been live rock, whether comprising the rockwork entirely or at least a major portion of it. Here’s why:Fascinating biodiversity Live rocks come loaded with organisms that emerge or hatch out for many weeks and months—even years—after they’re added to a tank. Various “pods,” fan worms, sponges, tunicates, mollusks, worms, coral colonies, macroalgae, and coralline algae are just a sampling of what might appear. And this process/progression is truly amazing to observe. I’ve never tried it, but I think it would be fascinating to set up a live-rock-only (LRO?) tank, with no fish or intentionally introduced invertebrates, and just sit back and watch what pops out of the rocks over time by Austin Lefevre | Feb 29, 2016 | Eye Candy, Industry, Invertebrates, Reef, Science, Tanks
We all know the inherent risks that come with using live rock. Sometimes we’ll even be gifted hitchhikers on new coral. One of the most undesirable pests has to be a giant worm from the Eunice genus, commonly labeled a ‘Bobbit... by Saltwater Smarts | Feb 29, 2016 | Fish, Invertebrates, Reef, Science
When you realize the salinity in your aquarium is off, making slow adjustments is importantSaltwater Smarts visitor Andrew had the following question about our post titled “5 Tips for Maintaining Stable Salinity in a Saltwater Tank.” Since we get similar questions quite frequently, we thought it might be helpful to elaborate on our response in today’s post: QuestionThis article says, when doing a water change, make sure the salinity is the same as [that of] the dirty water. My question is, what if the salinity in the tank is a little high or low?” – Submitted by Andrew Answer If the salinity (hereafter expressed as specific gravity) in your tank is slightly off, you can adjust it up or down in a variety of ways. Let’s look at each scenario separately, keeping in mind that each remedy may need to be repeated several times to restore the desired level: If you need to raise your specific gravity, your options are to: Dissolve a small amount of sea salt in aquarium water (e.g., in a cup or beaker) and drip the mixture slowly into your sump or a high-flow area of the tank. This is best done in several doses over the course of a few hours or even a day or more, depending on how far the level must be raised. When performing water changes, replace the dirty water that you remove with clean salt water mixed to a slightly higher-than-normal specific gravity. Top off water lost to evaporation with salt water rather than fresh water until the desired specific gravity is reached. If you need to lower your specific gravity: Remove small amounts of salt water and replace them with equal volumes of purified fresh water. During water changes, mix your replacement water to a slightly lower-than-normal specific gravity. by Saltwater Smarts | Feb 27, 2016 | Corals, Equipment, Fish, Invertebrates, Reef, Science, Tanks
A recent shot of Paul B’s 40+ year old reef aquariumMany marine fish can survive in captivity for decades, and many corals and other sessile invertebrates can hang in there, well, who knows how long. In any case, maintaining a marine aquarium “for the long term” can mean an awfully long time. Just ask Paul B, author of The Avant Garde Marine Aquarist. His current tank has been up and running with much of the same livestock since somewhere around the Second Battle of Bull Run (being a New Yorker, Paul presumably wouldn’t have called it Second Manassas). My style of aquarium keeping also leans toward the long-term, so I thought I’d dedicate today’s post to what I consider the pros and cons of this approach (versus keeping specimens for relatively brief periods and frequently changing up your livestock) for those whose hobby experience doesn’t yet span decades:Pros: You gain a new respect for the growth potential of specimens—and thus the benefits of spacious housing. For example, reading that fish species X can reach Y inches/centimeters in maximum length doesn’t compare to actually seeing the genuine article fully grown and swimming around in your tank alongside a bunch of other fully grown specimens. by Joe Rowlett | Feb 26, 2016 | Invertebrates
I’ve always found it frustrating that the snails available to marine aquarists are so aesthetically underwhelming; coral reefs abound in colorful gastropods! I can certainly respect the hard work put in by Turbo and Astraea, and I tip my hat to the fine snails of... by Joe Rowlett | Feb 22, 2016 | Invertebrates
There are dozens of genera of sea star found around coral reef habitats, yet little of this biodiversity makes its way into the aquarium hobby. But, while only a handful of species find themselves regularly exported, every now and then something a bit out of...
