|
Home | Marine Aquariums |
Freshwater Aquariums |
Planted Aquariums |
Brackish Systems |
Ponds,
lakes & fountains |
Turtles & Amphibians |
Aquatic Business |
Aquatic Science |
Ask the WWM Crew a Question |
Please visit our Sponsors | ||||
About 'Your Plan', Necessary
Gear & More: The moment of truth is nigh'¦ Do you have
all the tools and materials we chatted re? It is a bother'¦ an
inconvenience to impossible go forward if you don't have everything
you need'¦ Do check one more time. Siting/Positioning:
Hopefully you will have given thought to how much space and
particularly where your marine system will be situated ahead of this
time. Such tanks are better placed on strong flooring (near a wall if
upstairs on a wooden floor), but away from possible vacillating
environmental influences, like windows that allow too much sunlight to
hit the tank, drafty outside doors, or too busy passageways (that will
frighten your livestock into hiding). Stand/Support
Placement/Leveling:
Put
what you intend to in turn put your tank on in place'¦ Now,
where's that level? A not-long enough one can be used by placing
this in turn on a good level board or such, and laying this on the
stand/support. Is it level? Is it so on all horizontal faces? Before
going away with that level, take a big step and lean, climb up on the
stand yourself'¦ it should support your weight (at least on
the corners) even if the intended tank size is quite small. Is the
support still level? If not it is imperative that you render it so at
this time. If 'only a smidgen' off on one corner, you may be
able to shim that one end'¦ if off on an entire side, or if
this system is being placed on something other than a concrete
foundation, I strongly encourage you to stop! And cut a piece of wood
(ply) that will fit under all feet and shim under the leg/supports
under this board. But as they say on late night TV, 'Wait,
there's more!'; If this tank is 'upstairs', do assure
yourself that the floor joists will take all the upcoming
weight'¦ possibly with the aid of a hired structural engineer
(see your 'Yellow Pages' directories). Tank Placement/Leveling:
Once
you've assured yourself that the stand is level, the floor
sufficiently sturdy, you're ready to place the tank. Likely it
can/will go right on top of the support without any other cushioning
in-between'¦ but do take a look at the space all the way
around the tank where it rests on the stand'¦ Is there more
than a credit cards width gap in evidence? If so, but not much more
than this, a pad of some sort may help to spread out the stress/force
of the tank once it is filled. If there is much more than a credit card
gap twixt the tank and stand/support, particularly if this is a glass
tank (not an acrylic), you should not proceed till you have fixed the
support. Too much 'tensional' strain on the tank can lead to
catastrophic failure.
Let's see'¦ we'll imagine there are no stand/tank gap
problems and proceed to test the tank/stand/support again to make sure
it's level AND planar. There are a few ways to do this'¦ a
nice long carpenters level is one, but the best is simply to put a
minimal amount of freshwater in the tank to see if this 'evenly
coats' the bottom'¦ and alternatively does not crowd up in
one corner or end. Is this tank/support combination both level and
planar? If not, you should trust the 'water level' and re-shim
the support to assure it is so. Testing the Tank & Gear:
Next
you want to fill all up and fire it over! But not so fast
bucko'¦ Do bear with me a bit longer here'¦ Have
patience. Take my advice and 'test fill' the tank to near
full'¦ all still level? Take out the various 'mechanicals
and controllers''¦ all those boxes of filters, heaters,
lighting'¦ and after reading the box labels and circulars
(I'd save all this for posterity'¦), attach all to the
tank'¦ plug it in, and test run it. What about the gravel?
When do you put in the salt mix? Not yet'¦ I encourage you to
'just' run the tank and mechanical gear for a day or two to
assure it's all there and functional. Trust me. Adding Gravel, Decor,
Seawater:
So'¦ everything is working? No tank leaks? Good! Unplug all
and drain the water to your garden or waste. It's time for the real
fun; washing your gravel. This is best done in small quantities (5-10
pounds) in a dedicated 'pickle bucket' that you use for your
aquarium/s only. You want to insure that no soap, detergent or other
residue accidentally makes its way into your marine system. Put your
grubby clothes on, a short sleeve shirt and rinse the new gravel in the
bucket either outdoors with a garden hose, or (carefully) in your
sink'¦ rinse and re-fill, stir, dump, rinse'¦ till
each batch is 'pretty clear' of particulates. Some folks use a
colander-type device instead of the 'pickle bucket' method, but
I like the bucket'¦ Whichever ways you clean the gravel make
sure you do it rather than just plunking it into the tank.
Once
all the gravel is placed (over the undergravel filter if you're
using such, natch), you can mix up and place your synthetic, or just
place your pre-made synthetic or natural water. If you're new to
saltwater keeping and using salt mix for the first time, do this
outside the tank it'¦ as you will find that certain parts of
the salt mix do not readily dissolve'¦ Then pour the water (or
pump it if you're so set-up) into the tank. You may find that using
a chemically inert plastic container placed on the gravel in the tank
to pour the water onto works to distribute the incoming water w/o
splashing the gravel hither and yon. What's Next? Cycling
Plus:
After letting your new system run a few days to further assure it is
stable, all salt mix is thoroughly mixed, the specific gravity about
right, the temperature is where you want it to be'¦ You can
act on how you intend to biologically cycle your system. This important
'break-in' period is crucial to the life in your
system'¦ Your system must be 'cycled' ahead of
livestock introduction. There are a few ways to go about this,
including the purchase of live/stored beneficial bacteria cultures like
Bio-Spira, the addition of going cultures of these microbes on
'used' media such as old filter material, gravel from another
'clean' tank that's been going for a while, the addition of
some live rock and/or live sand. In the 'old days' folks used
to advise the use of some 'tough' livestock, like Damselfishes,
Lions, even brackish turtles (!) to 'pop' a new system. I
discourage this practice, as too often such introductions bring with
them disease problems.
How
will you know when your system is cycled'¦ that you can
proceed with purchasing and placing your livestock? Testing! And close
observation. The Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate test kits discussed
previously will grant you this view into your water quality. Initially
there will be no ammonia'¦ you can add this exogenously by
chemical means, but adding a bit of protein/food will do a better/safer
job here. Do record your test results'¦ After a few days to
weeks you should detect some ammonia presence'¦ and weeks
after this the production/increasing concentration of nitrite. Lastly,
you will find a steady accumulation of nitrate, with likely the
beginning of some algae growth (probably light brown at first, becoming
green'¦ on the substrate, viewing panels'¦). Voila
(!), your system is cycled'¦ and you are ready to add some
livestock. Why not all? For a few reasons, but for our purpose here, to
allow the beneficial microbe populations that have become situated in
your system, converting ammonia to nitrite to nitrate to adjust to the
new source of chemical food from your first livestock additions.
About
Feeding:
Though you may be tempted, do hold off on trying to feed just-new
livestock. It's best to wait a day for them to become situated (and
even better in established systems to quarantine most types of life
ahead of introduction) before attempting to feed them. Such novel
material often goes unnoticed and such pollution is to be avoided.
You
need to investigate the foods, feeding, nutritional needs of each
type/species of livestock you intend to keep, and meet those needs.
Information on most all can be found in books, the Net, fish stores and
fellow hobbyists. Be aware that most types of life will go on
'feeding strikes', but that perpetual dis-interest in feeding
is a very bad sign. Observing Your
Livestock:
As
previously stated, your careful watching, learning the 'normal'
and not behavior of your livestock is the single-best tool/method you
have for assuring your success. Do make a quick scan to assure all are
present and accounted for each time you spend 'real time' at
the tank. Is the filter working, temperature about right? Are your
animals out and about, curious, interacting with each other, aware of
your presence? Good.
Do
you think there is something awry with the livestock? Do become
philosophical here'¦ Don't over-react and simply dump a
remedy in the tank'¦ Take the time, care to review your
set-up, water quality'¦ when/where in doubt, change some water
out. Be careful re jumping to conclusions whether there is a pathogenic
(disease-causing organism) at work or not, and even if so, how you
could best address this. Many more organisms are killed off by hobbyist
'knee jerk' reactions than outright pathogenic disease.
About Maintenance:
Water Changes/Gravel Vacuuming:
After your tank has been up and going with livestock in it a month or
more, it is time to initiate your regular and periodic service. Using
your dedicated bucket and gravel vacuum, or an attachment to this last
that will allow you to vent the 'old' water to waste, you want
to begin doing weekly, perhaps bi-monthly partial water
changes'¦ along with vacuuming part of the gravel. Remember
this: 'Cleanliness is not sterility', and therefore you
don't want to strive to remove every last bit of algae, detritus
from your system. Especially when the tank is new/er, I would just
gravel vacuum one side, then the other next service interval.
You have been strongly encouraged to pre-mix/store
new seawater for replacing the old'¦ to assure its specific
gravity, rid it of sanitizer, and perhaps to modify its chemical,
physical properties. This is a very good practice. Oh, and the rationale for these change-outs? Your
water/system is constantly changing'¦ drifting in its make-up
if you will. By switching out part of the old for the new you provide
for 're-centering' water quality back toward the newer/better
quality. Other Activity: During this
regular/weekly tank maintenance sessions, you should take the time to
check your protein skimmer, dump and clean the collection cup and
possibly the contact chamber'¦ Check the filter media (should
you have such) in your mechanical filters and change out this for new,
perhaps along with the stated interval/useful life span of chemical
filtrants. About Record Keeping; Do
It:
It
is a very good habit to keep tabs on what tests you've done, when
new livestock and gear was purchased, and all noteworthy observations
concerning same, warrantees, receipts... A permanent notebook, written
into with an indelible pen will pay you dividends in enjoyment and
being able to locate important data. Re: The Nature of the Truth,
Experiential Phenomena:
The
more you know the more commensurate will be your enjoyment of this
hobby. Do take the time to read up re the 'broad stroke' of
what marine aquarium keeping is 'all' about. Aspects of
chemistry, physics, biology'¦ Art/design, aesthetic
appreciation'¦. Plumbing, carpentry, electrical
engineering'¦ and much more go into making one a successful
aquarist and human. Read on the Net, complete and specialty books,
consider joining/attending a marine aquarium hobbyist group in your
area, even attending some of the national hobbyist conferences that go
on every year. You will find that your involvement in this hobby
is ever-opening you to new adventures, possibilities'¦
|
|
Features: |
|
Featured Sponsors: |