Aquarium Maintenance

What you Need to Know

 

 

Chemicals

Ammonia- Ammonia is the first and most dangerous stage in the nitrogen cycle. Ammonia is created from detritus waste and must be kept in check by proper biological filtration. An ammonia spike is considered to be an increase of the ammonia levels in an aquarium that exceed .5 ppm, at 1.0 ppm you are likely to lose livestock.

Nitrite- Nitrite is the second stage in the nitrogen cycle and will not cause a threat to your aquarium if kept below 1.5 ppm.

Nitrate- Nitrates are both beneficial and harmful ions that occur at the third stage in the nitrogen cycle. Nitrates unfortunately will gather at the end of the nitrogen cycle and spike quickly to dangerous levels. Unfortunately the only real cure for nitrates is time and proper biological filtration. Nitrates will spike to around 1.5 and as high as 2.0 before falling into the safe zone. It is important to watch these spikes very carefully because attempting to do a water change to lower them before they turn to nitrogen gas will only prolongs the spike further. However if the nitrate spike persists past the 2.0 ppm mark you must do a water change to avoid the loss of livestock.

Nitrogen Gas- Nitrogen gas is a sign of success and is a welcome addition to your reef, however the gas is toxic and can kill your livestock if not handled correctly. Nitrogen gas forms under the substrate and accumulates pockets of toxic nitrogen. Never release too much of the nitrogen gas bubbles into the water, it will kill your livestock.  The best way to fight nitrogen is in your cleaning crew. Nassarius snails, sand sifting starfish, sand dwelling gobies and an army of copepods are the best effort in naturally releasing the bubbles periodically.

System

Your system in composed of 6 major components.

1) The light, on top is a metal halide combination with T5HO bulbs. This light offers a high output of UV light to your aquarium and most corals and fish will thrive from it. The light must be cleaned periodically, to do this simply use a wet cloth using water ONLY to remove the salt build up from the top. NEVER under any circumstances apply anything wet directly to the bulbs without letting them cool off first. Doing so would cause the bulb to burst and may cause serious eye or skin injury.

2) The Aquarium is the display tank atop the stand. Daily cleanings should not be necessary after the nitrogen cycle is complete, however green dust algae will be a pest and must be kept in check or it will overrun your tank. To control algae you must remove its food (phosphates) from the water. There are many ways of doing this but the most effective method is in UV sterilization in combination with Ozone and a healthy macro algae population in the sump. The UV sterilizer should only be run with outbreaks of algae while the ozone will run permanently as will the macro algae. 

3) The sump is the main filtration for the system; it captures detritus and micro bubbles in the media and live rock and breaks it down away from the main livestock population. The sump should never be touched or cleaned. In doing so would disrupt the natural biological table found within. However when adding water for top offs, you should add water to the sump and not into the aquarium. There are three stages to your sump. The first is the intake chamber where the protein skimmer is located. This is where you add top off water. The second chamber is the refugium, which is where the filtration occurs. The last chamber is the pump and return.

4) The protein skimmer is the large chamber of rising bubbles in the sump. It removes waste by raising the thick protein from the water into a cup on top of the unit. The protein skimmer should never be cleaned aside from emptying the cup on top by removing it and dumping the contents from it in the sink or compost pile.

5) The ozonizer is the most dangerous piece of equipment of the system. It creates a natural gas called ozone which oxidizes free floating bacteria, organics and waste from the water. There are three stages to the ozone system that must be kept in clean working order at all times. The dryer chamber is where air is taken into the system to be converted into ozone. The ozonizer is the machine which electronically changes the air to ozone, and the output hose which must be plugged into the protein skimmer. The protein skimmer must have a charcoal bag on top of the air vent to capture any leftover ozone created by the system. Ozone is a life threatening gas and must be taken seriously. If you smell ozone (a sweet non aggressive gas smell) turn the ozonizer dial down to 0% open the windows and doors then call your LSF or Aquarium Service Company immediately. Ozone can kill you.

6) The pump. The pump should remain on at all times it is the central life support for the entire aquarium system and should never be adjusted or cleaned. If you see micro bubbles coming out from the return heads in the aquarium just add water to the sump until the micro bubbles go away.

Temperature

Your aquarium should be kept at 76°-80° Fahrenheit. If your aquarium rises above 81°F you will lose livestock. To lower your temperature in an emergency based event you can add 2 cups of ice every 5 minutes into the sump until the temperature is lowered to the appropriate level. Never lower your temperature more than 2 degrees per hour. Chillers are expensive but offer long lasting security to your investment.

Feeding

Your fish should be fed once a day staggering their diet between meaty foods and plant formulas. For best results feed plant formulas every day and the meaty foods every other day.

Your corals require some extra care when feeding. I suggest using the Brightwell Aquatics product line as I have used it to great success in my home aquariums for years. The Brightwell Aquatics stock you should keep is

·         Magnesion

·        Calcion

·         Alkalin8.3

·         Strontion

·        Iodion

·         Reef BioFuel

·         Macrovore

·        Microvore

Please see the coral feeding chart below for a more detailed schedule.

 

Period/Time	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
1st	Magnesion + Calcion	Alkalin8.3 + Iodion	Magnesion + Calcion	Cyclopeeze	Strontion
2nd	Magnesion + Calcion	Alkalin8.3 + Iodion	Magnesion + Calcion	Macrovore + Microvore	Reef BioFuel
3rd	Magnesion + Calcion	Alkalin8.3 + Iodion	Magnesion + Calcion	Cyclopeeze	Strontion
4th	Magnesion + Calcion	Alkalin8.3 + Iodion	Magnesion + Calcion	Macrovore + Microvore	Reef BioFuel
5th	Magnesion + Calcion	Alkalin8.3 + Iodion	Magnesion + Calcion	Cyclopeeze	Strontion
6th	Magnesion + Calcion	Alkalin8.3 + Iodion	Magnesion + Calcion	Macrovore + Microvore	Reef BioFuel
7th	Magnesion + Calcion	Alkalin8.3 + Iodion	Magnesion + Calcion	Cyclopeeze	Strontion
8th	Magnesion + Calcion	Alkalin8.3 + Iodion	Magnesion + Calcion	Macrovore + Microvore	Reef BioFuel

 

Cleaning

While a mature aquarium requires little cleaning getting it there is the most difficult and also the make or break factor in reef keeping. While cleaning the aquarium make sure never to add any unwanted chemicals for it will prove fatal to your livestock. Wash your handswithout soap in hot water for 30 seconds before handling anything that will enter the aquariums water. Never use any additional cleaning chemicals especially Windex. House hold chemicals are extremely toxic, never use them around your aquarium or store them near your aquarium.

Common Problems

Algae Blooms; are microscopic plant blooms that are necessary for the development of your reef. Although at first they are unattractive they will in time feed your reef with plenty of nutrients and oxygen while removing carbon from the water. (Did you know that algae are responsible for 70% of the worlds oxygen supply?) While cleaning algae from the reef simply brush the front panel of the aquarium with an algae scraper or sponge until clean. Do not clean the back panel or the reef it’s self.

Ammonia Spike; is an invisible killer and will not be noticeable until far beyond the safe levels. If your Aquarium is orange or yellowish in color you have a major ammonia problem and should call your LSF or Aquarium Service Company immediately.

Bacteria Bloom; bacteria blooms will cause a white or grey cloudiness in the water and although not overly dangerous can become a nuisance to the enjoyment of the aquarium. To handle a bacteria bloom, simply turn on the UV sterilizer for 24 to 72 hours or until the bloom has subsided.

Cyano; is a bacteria bloom with a red to black color and will smell very pungent. Cyano is a serious bacterial disease and will eventually kill your livestock. To avoid Cyano make sure to have a healthy sized cleaning crew in the reef. If a break out occurs stop feeding your fish and corals for a week, limit your lighting period to less than 4 hours a day and call your LSF or Aquarium Service Company immediately.

Diatom; is another form of bacteria bloom that looks much like long stringy brown algae. The disease can be fatal to your live stock. To avoid Diatom make sure to have a healthy sized cleaning crew in the reef. If a break out occurs stop feeding your fish and corals for a week, limit your lighting period to less than 4 hours a day and call your LSF or Aquarium Service Company immediately.

Micro Bubbles; are a common killer of inverts and corals and must be taken seriously. The most common cause for micro bubbles is low water level in the sump causing the return pump to draw air, and the protein skimmer malfunctioning. If your sump water level is low, just add RODI water until reaching just above the baffle point. If the protein skimmer is faulty call your LSF or Aquarium Service Company immediately.

Corals

Soft corals are the easiest corals to keep in a reef aquarium. They come in a variety of shapes sizes and colors are will adapt to almost any water condition. Soft corals are easily distinguished from other corals because they do not grow a hard calcium skeleton. Some examples of softies are mushrooms, xenias, leather corals, and zoanthids.

LPS; or Large Polyp Stonies are hard corals with large polyps. Although more hearty than SPS they can be difficult to keep. LPS corals require high levels of calcium, magnesium, iodine and a healthy mix of plant and meaty foods in their regular diet. Aside from the chemicals LPS corals require mid to high lighting to survive. Some examples of LPS corals are Frogspawn, Torch Corals, Hammer Corals, Elegance Coral, Brain Corals, Acan Corals and Goniopora.

SPS; or Small Polyp Stonies are hard corals with small polyps. SPS corals are very delicate and require expert experience and care. LPS corals require high levels of calcium, magnesium, iodine and a healthy mix of plant and meaty foods in their regular diet. Aside from the chemicals SPS corals require a high level lighting to survive. (Metal halides are required to sustain healthy growth.) Once a SPS begins to grow, it will produce hard fingers which can be harvested once per year and sold to your LFS for store credit. It is encouraged that all reef enthusiasts bring their frags back to an LFS to continue the eco-friendly tank raised population. Our coral reefs are not as abundant as they once were and are threatened by man. (Without them the world will be much different.) What we can do to preserve them is to keep them in trade by selling our own frags or donating them back to your LFS. Never abandon your corals they are animals.

Fish

Tangs- Tangs are hearty fish that need a long run of at least 4 feet. They enjoy swimming swiftly for great distances (3-4 miles). These fish can become adapted to domestic aquariums but need special care in order to keep them happy. The first thing you should know about tangs is that they are primarily herbivores in diet and will not live a full life without a proper diet of aquatic live plants or frozen formulas specifically designed for tangs and angels.

Angels- Angels are the most colorful and active reef fish you can buy. They tend to do very well in home aquariums with the proper diet. Their diet consists of reef sponges, plants, and copepods. The Angel fishes are normally not reef compatible but they can be adapted slowly by regular feeding. Your best bet in keeping an angel is the dwarf angel or pigmy angelfish. They are much smaller than the full size angels and are not a threat to your corals.

Chromis- Chromis are the most cheerful pet you can own. They will greet you with vigor every time you approach the tank. Chromis must be kept in schools of at least 5 to 10 fish. If there is no school for your chromy he will hide, and eventually die much too young.

Wrasses- Wrasses are your reef keeper fish, they pick and preen off unwanted parasites for your reef and will do that same for your fish.

Gobies- Gobies are generally cave dwelling fish that are opportunistic feeders. If you have a goby, make sure to angle the current so that it will get feed.

Dartfish and Basslets – Dartfish and Basslets are superb pets for any reef aquarium. They are friendly non aggressive fish that will not harm each other or your corals. They come in a wide variety of colors and shapes making them a prime choice for reef aquariums.

Dragonets- Dragonets are bottom skipping fish that will control your copepod population, they are reef save but do not have more than one or two per reef aquarium.

Clown Fish- Clown fish are probably the heartiest fish in the hobby. Clowns are known for their adaptability and survival instincts, they will become as aggressive as the tank requires them to be and they can withstand the most chemical punishment bar none. Clowns are primarily carnivorous but will enjoy a veggie formula on occasion for best color.

Clean up crew

It is suggested to have the following crew in your reef at all times.

·         150 Blue Legged Hermit Crabs

·         4 Emerald Crabs

·        2 Porcelain Crabs

·         20 Turbo Snails

·        20 Cerith Snails

·         20 Astera Snails

·        20 Tonga Nassarius Snails

·         1 Fighting Conch Snail

·        2 Peppermint Shrimp

·         2 Cleaner (skunk) Shrimp

·        1 Green Brittle Starfish

·         1 Sand sifting Starfish

The little critters add a busy metropolis to your reef city and are quite enjoyable to observe the symbiotic relationships that occur with them in the tank. This cleanup crew is designed for an 80 gallon aquarium and has proved to do most of the work for me. I would not have an aquarium without it.

 

Maintenance Technician

Kevin Forsyth