Aquarium Husbandry for the Beginner

8/3/2019 Aquarium Husbandry for the Beginner

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Reef aquarium Husbandry for theBeginner.

This article is designed specifically get the beginner on the right track maintaining a

habitable environment suitable to maintaining healthy reef organisms. By no means is it tobe considered a comprehensive manual. There are many very good books written aboutmodern reef keeping techniques. We have put this information forward as we find many abeginner can become overwhelmed with information on water parameters. The confusioncan lead to the beginner chasing less important problems while the animals suffer fromsome simple more important oversights. We keep this article short and sweet and only tacklethe most necessary issues to keep you focused where you need to be before you run out andstart buying the animals.

Once you start your reef keeping experience there is much to learn. We strongly urge you tobuy good quality recently released books by reputable authors the more you learn on how toimprove your aquarium husbandry the better the results you will achieve.

We dont go into set ups or system designs here! Thats a whole topic in itself we. We expect you to have done the

appropriate research and have a suitable aquarium up and running.

Emergency. When in doubt .. Do an emergency water change as a first action. Most aquarium water qualityissues can be solved or at least eased, buying some more time to find the root problem and implement thecorrection required.

Urgent toxic conditions to the tanks inhabitants as Ammonia/nitrite spike, nitrate accumulation, tank crash,spawning events and decaying sponges etc releasing toxins can all be temporarily fixed by water changes. You doneed to find the cause and prevent it from happening again. In such an emergency do frequent large water changesuntil water parameters nitrite and ammonia are in check water is clear and has no obvious odor.

If there is something obviously dead smelly and polluting the water get it out of the tank or the water quality willagain quickly deteriorate.

Have sufficient Natural sea water (NSW) or substitute with artificial salt mix (ASM) to do these urgent waterchanges. Have a spare heater and aerator to prepare the water for use.

NSW as delivered by many suppliers can introduce disease and parasites into the aquarium. The practice of storingthis water for several weeks before use greatly minimizes any risk and leaves you with emergency reserves.

Disease issues will not receive much benefit from a water change read on..

Quarantine.There is inevitability that sooner or latter every hobbyist will encounter a disease, parasite, pest orindeed even an unwanted predator. Diseases, parasites, pests and predators that may be relatively innocuous in thewild, can in the limited space of a captive aquarium become an overwhelming problem. Once you introduce adisease, parasite, pest or predator into the aquarium all of the aquariums inhabitants are put at risk.

We strongly endorse use of a quarantine system at least then only the newly acquired specimen is at risk.

Disease and parasite infliction is common in marine aquarium fish many fish may have only just arrived from thereef any disease or parasite may not be yet obvious or have had sufficient time to multiply enough to detect bycasual observation, also techniques employed by some suppliers of marine animals (ie hypo salinity) may not curebut mask or hold in check these potential threats. Place the newly acquired fish into a separate smaller quarantine

aquarium (Q tank). Observe newly acquired fishes for at least a few weeks in full strength sea water. Medication andtreatment can then be conducted safely without putting the main display at risk. Many of the only effective fishtreatments are harmful to invertebrates and cannot be used in the main display.

Predators and pests come along for the ride as hitchhikers on marine specimens and live rock. Carefully check allnew specimens identify any organisms you dont have a familiarity with research what they might eat in theaquarium. Ideally have a lighted Q tank so corals and other photosynthetic organisms can be observed for a whilebefore moving into the main display.While they are in the Q tank try a few tricks to get some of the problem critters out.

Listen for clicking sounds a tell tail sign you might have a mantis shrimp well known as problem predators in themain display and very difficult to get out.


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Place weighted bait in the bottom of a jar and lean it at an angle against any new rocks overnight. Crabs that onlyhave walking feet fall in and cannot get out.

Place bait away from the specimens to see what comes out at night to eat; you may expect to find swimming crabspredatory snails, crustaceans, worms etc. Anything willing to eat meat needs to be identified it is of high concern!

Nutrition. Feed regular small feeds of high quality food. Healthy fish fight disease naturally we stress this isimportant and over looked by many. Quality fresh food is important, we cant give you hard rules fresh algaes ormeats shrimp fish etc may be required research your animals requirements and meet them it is the best way toprevent disease out breaks.

Water quality.Poor water quality will stress, weaken fish and make them susceptible to disease. Basically dontscrimp on setting up your aquarium or over stock it. You will pay in $ losing stock if you do.

Well maintained and set up aquariums receiving sufficient regular water changes are less work to look after. Poorlymaintained and overstocked aquariums with insufficient filtration are problematic with frequent out breaks ofdisease, parasites and algae blooms.

Disease.Early detection is critical in getting a good out come Most cures take time equally diseases take time toadvance! The earlier the correct diagnosis is made and the right corrective action is applied the better the endresult.

Beginners do not have the ability to diagnose or treat sick fish without a lot of detailed research. Be willing toidentify that you have a problem and ring your local reputable live fish shop (LFS), they deal with these issues every

day and can help. Support LFS that supply quality fish it does cost them more to do so and in the long run costs youless.

Typical disease symptoms include heavy breathing, abnormal behavior (ie not moving around or feeding), skinlesions, lumps, spots, dusty looking skin etc. Get some good detailed photographs of the animal concerned andmake notes of the behavior. Email or take this information straight to the LFS. There are also traveling experts in thefield of fish disease and diagnosis who come inspect and treat the fish for you.

Choice of animals.Know what the animals needs are. Lighting feed etc it may well survive by eating the thing youbought the day before or it may require an item you cannot supply. If you see a animal at the LFS dont just by it onimpulse ask what does it eat!

I would never recommend you to buy a fish without asking the LFS to feed it for you in front of your eyes. Any LFSnot willing to do this without very good reason walk out the door.

Only select fish with clear eyes, clean skin and always with good body condition. Observe the fish from above the

body should be as fat as the head the body gently tapering down to the tail. A fish shape showing emaciation fromthe head to the tail is in poor health and should not be purchased.

Similarly corals and inverts should be in the best of health any tissue receding or damaged is symptomatic of ananimal in declining health.

Compatibility.The beginner needs to get good advice here. If you plan to place corals near each other ask the LFSfor advice they learn by experience. Many corals will not tolerate others within reach. Resulting in one looser, RIP.

If you plan to add fishes of similar species to highlight just a few of the problem childs.. Angelfish and Clownfish.Expect lethal confrontation within species and genus.

It is a good idea to keep a list of the fishes within your aquarium. You can take the list of what you have and showthe LFS before new additions. The LFS have to place fish on display in aquariums for you to choose from they knowwhat will mix together.

Suitability. Many wrasses may decimate reef invertebrates or surgeon fishes may quickly reach huge sizes. You

need to understand what the fish you buy will need to eat and how big they get.

Some fishes establish a territory on the reef and chase any fish that stray into the territory out of it. This helps usgreatly when we are collecting the fishes in the wild our target may go to ground down a crevice in the reef. All wedo is wait a few seconds for the resident damsel to realize the intrusion. The fish is quickly chased back out intothe open. We strongly urge if you want a peaceful tank dont buy a damsel fish. Damselfish often will badger all newtank additions to death. Fish added post the damsels are chased away to hid in a far corner and are not evenpermitted to come out to feed freely. The stress of the situation quickly overcomes the new tank addition. Many anew comer may not understand that the new fish died from the stress and harassment only to try another withthe same result.

That cute little wiggly Panther grouper a few cm long will eat all your fishes within 18 months.


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That beautiful bright purple tree coral (Dendronephthya) will starve to death without a constant supply ofphytoplankton.

That beautiful red starfish will eat all of your stony corals if left in the aquarium.

Research / ask:

How big does it grow to?

What does it eat in the wild?A simple Google search of the scientific name can more often that not give you a wealth of information on theanimals requirements.

Water parameters.The aquarium water needs to be kept within certain parameters following is information onhow to provide the parameters suitable for a general reef animal collection.

Salinity. You must replicate salt concentrations as found on the reef, 1025 measured at 26C.Measurement can be made by using either a hydrometer or a refractometer. You must have one of these.Hydrometers can be purchased for as little as $5. As water evaporates from your aquarium you mustreplace it with fresh water (top off water) to keep the salinity stable. Top off water must be free fromcontamination. Popular options are reverse osmosis filtration, distilled water and rain water. Often top offwater is calcium enriched (Kalkwasser) We cover the make up process for Kalkwasser under the calciumheading.

Temperature. Tropical reefs around the world vary in temperature seasonally. Most reefs Around Australiawhere our inverts and corals come from cycle through a temp 22 29C. At lower temperature ranges reef

animals slow metabolism and growth rates slow, the water holds higher dissolve oxygen levels generallyfishes are less stressed. Ideally keep your tank at 24-26C. The biggest problem we see most aquarists havewith their aquariums is in summer the tank gets to warm. Without a chiller or constantly air-conditionedenvironment in summer your tank will quickly climb towards 30C. This is very bad corals will bleach fishstress and suffer disease. The aerobic activity within your sand bed and rock work can become anaerobicstarting a cycle of decay leading to chain reaction causing a total wipe out of all your animals (tank crash).There is no set temperature at which a tank will crash high stock loads and poorly maintained sandsystems lower the thresh hold point. Lightly stocked well aerated and managed aquariums can cope (albeitstressed) at 33C. More often anything over 30C is very dangerous and the tank is running a critical risk.More information can be foundkeeping your cool in summer.

Nitrogen cycle. You need to understand what is going on unseen in your aquarium accumulation andtransformation of Ammonia to Nitrite and finally Nitrate. Please read our articleThe Ammonia Cycle.

Ammonia. Readings should bealways be at 0 or at worst very near, 0.1in a reef aquarium. Detectablelevels of ammonia indicate a problem, dead or dying matter in the aquarium decaying uneaten food or youfiltration system is not functioning sufficiently and must be fixed. Ammonia is highly toxic to marine

animals. For higher readings the first action required is a urgent 30 % or more water change if seriouslyhigh. Continue water changes until ammonia is brought to a safe level. Second action is improved filtration,skimming or addition of quality live rock. If the event is caused by die off remove any decaying matter.

Nitrite.Readings should ideally be at 0. Low levels can be tolerated (0.3mg/ltr) but is symptomatic of aoverstocked aquarium or in adequate filtration system. Elevated nitrite can also be indicating dead anddecaying matter is in the aquarium. High levels of nitrite are toxic and require immediate corrective actionof a water change followed by improvements to the filtration capacity.

Nitrate. Nitrate being the least toxic higher levels can be tolerated 10 parts per million (PPM). Nitrateaccumulates being the last product in the ammonia cycle. Removal from the aquarium must be periodicallyachieved. Typically this is done by a regular water change. A water change of 10-20% per month isrecommended. Additional ways of further reducing nitrate are recommend when keeping sensitive marineinvertebrates. Using a process known as denitrification anaerobic areas are created in a deep sand bed of15cm depth. The anaerobic bacteria that develop under these conditions consume the nitrate. Thoughsome marine animals benefit from the nutrition gained from low nitrate levels like clams and many otherinvertebrates like corals containing algae cells utilize the nitrate much like fertilizer. Too high a level will

encourage unwanted algal blooms. Phosphate. Phosphate readings should be kept below 0.1PPM. Phosphate can be introduced by use of

phosphate rich tap water during top off. If you have a phosphate problem then test your tap water to checkthe phosphate level. The juice from frozen fish feeds are rich in phosphate and should not be introduced tothe aquarium.

PH.Ph level target range is 8.0-8.5. Your readings will vary dependant on the time of day during hours ofdarkness aquariums typically drop to a lower PH. To raise a low PH the two most common methodsemployed are regular use of Kalkwasser and or in conjunction with dosing sodium carbonate (washingsoda) PH should not normally require lowering in our marine aquariums but some circumstances can resultin a high PH simple addition of a small amount of plain white vinegar can lower PH.
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Calcium and Alkalinity (carbonate hardness). Calcium referring to the dissolved levels of calcium inPPM should be 380-450. Alkalinity (carbonate hardness) refers to the compounds that together raise the PHof our aquarium water it is commonly measured in DKH or in meq/L The recommended range being 8-13DKH or 2.5-4.5meq/L. Both calcium and alkalinity are closely linked and should be adjusted in a balancedway or you will have difficulty in getting both within the acceptable range. Dont presume by elevatingcalcium (resulting in lower alkalinity) corals will grow at a faster rate both alkalinity and calcium arerequired in a balanced level for effective calcification.

o Use of Kalkwasser (Kalk) for replacing evaporation replenishment is an excellent way of adding

Calcium and alkalinity in a balanced way.Kalkwasser is made by dissolving 1 tea spoon of calciumhydroxide (Builders lime or hydrated lime will suffice) per liter of water. We dont recommend anyaddition of white vinegar to the solution many authors will recommend this will help withdissolution we understand that it is lethal even in small doses to clams. Mix the Kalk carefullyavoiding inhalation or contact with the solution. The ingredients are caustic requiring safetyequipment as goggles, gloves and dust mask. Let the solution settle for at least two hours thenthe un dissolved sediment will have settled you can siphon off the Kalkwasser ready for use. Donot put the sediment into the aquarium. The Kalkwasser is added to replace evaporated water tothe system. Never add large enough amounts to create large swings in PH at once or near thespecimens. Add small daily amounts in the sump or drip in the solution through a small diametertube and valve system. Aquariums with a high demand for calcium will require additionalmeasures.

o Calcium and alkalinity can be added to the aquarium directly but this must be done separately

from each other as mixing the two together results in reaction forming solid calcium carbonate. Toadd calcium to the aquarium use Calcium chloride. To raise alkalinity use a mix of 1 part sodiumcarbonate to 5 parts sodium bicarbonate. Using this method you will need to monitor for increasesin salinity and perform a large periodic water change to bring the water chemistry back to a closerchemical composition of natural sea water as some imbalances will build with time.

o Use of a calcium reactor in conjunction with Kalkwasser is a very effective method for aquariums

with a high calcium demand.

Magnesium. Magnesium is an important part of balancing the calcium and alkalinity equation. Maintainlevels at 1300PPM. Magnesium is added with magnesium sulphate (Epson salts)

Iodine. Iodine is beneficial to many marine invertebrates and has beneficial effects on the aquariumsbiological processes we recommend that it be dosed. Use a known strength solution and dose atrecommended rates. Never over dose and if you have a problematic slime or diatomous algae reduce to ahalf dose until the problem is resolved. There are many name brand iodine supplements available.

Trace elements.There are many elements found in sea water some of the more important ones requiring specialattention are mentioned above in our section on water parameters Iodine, Calcium and Magnesium. We recommendregular partial water changes to replenish trace elements. Strontium is considered by many to be beneficial in

calcification and is recommended as an important element that should be supplemented. We can not confirm thebenefits of the addition of strontium beyond what regular water changes afford.

There are many products sold of various brews of this and that touted as miracle cures, magic coralline algaegrowth tonics etc. In many cases the major components of these products are indeed calcium, iodine, strontium andmagnesium. Use of these products is likely to confuse your own calculations for maintaining the correct levels ofthese elements.

Putting it in Practice. Q. Ok now we have discussed a multitude of water parameters how is this reef keeping larksimple? A. In a well set up and balanced and maintained aquarium many of the water parameters will stay withinacceptable ranges.

We emphasize it is very important.

Balanced aquariums.. Are in a state of equilibrium where the wastes produced by the in habitants (poo) isable to be processed by the available bacteria and detritivours living within the aquarium. These critters

are numerous to mention worms, crustaceans, snails etc. most are introduced with good quality live rockand live sand. You can help increase the capacity of your aquarium to cope a larger volume of wastesby

o Add some extras like brittle stars, janitor crabs, Cerith snails etc.

o Creating good water flow throughout the aquarium. Giving all available surfaces the maximum

availability to the water column leaving no detritus accumulating dead spots.o Having adequate but not too much live rock, crowded live rock accumulates wastes.o Removal of waists directly by protein skimming.o Removal of waists directly by regular partial water changes.


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The beginner should stock the aquarium lightly add more fish . Hence more food (poo) the harder it is to keep thesystem balanced.

Test kits and monitoring equipment you will need to keep your reef animals healthy.These you will needwhen and why.

Thermometer.You need to be aware the temps are remaining consistently within range year round.

Hydrometer / refractometer.Test frequently and correct any variations from standard sea water.

Nitrite test kit. First sign of abnormal behavior of your inhabitants (Corals not opening or fish breathingheavy) always do a nitrite test first.This will tell you when things are not well with your filtration systemand you are at critical risk of a tank crash. Elevated levels are indicating your filtration is failing this can becaused by elevated temps, over stocking, over feeding, dead animals within the aquarium etc, etc.

Nitrate test kit. Periodically conduct a nitrate test.This indicates the overall balancing of your aquarium.Persistent high levels indicate over stocking, insufficient or infrequent water changes.

Calcium and Kh test kits. You will need to conduct these tests frequently in the beginning till you get ahandle on the consumption of these products within your aquarium and establish a schedule of additions tomaintain adequate levels. There after conduct periodical checks that confirms that you are keeping pacecorrecting any discrepancies as you go. Your systems requirements will change over time animals grownew ones are added etc.

Thereafter if problems persist. Certainly purchase further test kits with time furthering your understanding ofhow all the chemistry is functioning within your own aquarium. Most LFS will offer a comprehensive evaluation ofyour water parameters we recommend you get the water evaluated periodically and review the results.

This is specifically designed to get you started When you have been in this hobby for a while you will realize youare on a perpetual learning curve so many animals so many issues. Share any discoveries with your co hobbyists.Our knowledge is greatly based on such generous sharing from our customers, we still learn as much now each dayas we did the day we started.

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Aquarium Husbandry for the Beginner