Nothing is more stunning then the color and movement of the natural reef. Many people have brought this beauty into their own homes with a mini reef aquarium system.

What Is a Mini Reef Aquarium

This type of aquarium setup is designed and built to replicate nature in the best way possible. Though this artificial replication of nature live corals and other marine animals like fish, shrimp crabs and others are able to live and even reproduce.

What Is Needed To Replicate Nature

Obviously you will need a tank and synthetic seawater to fill it but in the mini reef aquarium there are some other pieces of equipment that you will absolutely need in order for your system to thrive.

Adequate Lighting- On the natural reef the light from the suns rays helps keep corals alive and growing. To replicate this you will need a high intensity lighting system. There are many different methods to lighting a reef tank and all of them have drawbacks and benefits.

Water Motion- In the wild the water that crashes over the reef crest helps to oxygenate the water, carry away coral and fish waste and bring food in for the reef inhabitants. For a successful reef tank you are going to have to supply strong water movement in order to keep corals clean and debris in suspension so it can be removed by the filters.

Natural Environment- Replicating the wild reef is easy with liverock. Liverock is actual rock from the wild reefs that break off. This rock is collected and sold to reef keepers around the world. It will provide a natural looking display and make your inhabitants feel more at home. Good liverock can also help with natural nitrate reduction and improve water quality.

Water Quality- In the wild the water quality is superb, new water is constantly being washed over the reef so nutrients never accumulate. In the mini reef aquarium this is not possible so special equipment like protein skimmers and other filtration methods have been designed to scrub your water and remove harmful pollutants.

To learn how to setup a successful Reef Aquarium take a look at our reef aquarium guide at www.saltwatermethods.com/reeftankguide

Today is a great time to have a marine aquarium. This is because advances in the hobby have lead to a lot of popular saltwater aquarium fish being captive bred. Fish like Gobies, clown fish and more are readily available. Captive bred marine fish are perfect for your aquarium because they have grown up in captivity, experience less handling stress and are more disease resistance.

The wild caught fish on the other hand are caught by divers around the world. Most are caught with chemicals that paralyze the fish so they are easier to catch. If they survive that then they still have to handle the journey from their native country to the wholesaler then the wholesaler to the pet store. Sometime these fish are in transit over 48 hours!

So How Do I pick Healthy Fish Saltwater Aquarium Fish?

The first step is to look around your local fish stores and settle on a species that will do well in your tank and one that you like. Once you have decided on a fish check for the following.

• Never buy fish from a holding tank that has other dead fish in it. Those fish died for a reason and disease may have been one of them and they can easily pass this disease onto other fish in your aquarium
• Always check to make sure the fish has clear colorful eyes. Eyes that are cloudy show signs of infection and other potential problems
• Look over the fish’s body and fins, avoid any specimens with torn fins or injuries on their bodies.
• Look for even slow gill movement, rapid gill movement is a sign of labored breathing and a possibly sick fish. Also make sure the gills are not flaring out, they should be flat with the fish’s body
• Look for small white specks on the fish, if the fish has white specks on it it has a bad disease Called ich which is highly contagious and deadly to other fish in your tank
• Choose fish with full round stomachs, any fish that has a pinched in stomach has either given up eating or has been underfed and is probably weak and susceptible to disease.
• Make sure the store feeds the fish and that it eats the food. Most sick fish will not eat and this is a sure sign of other problems.

For more information on saltwater fish and setting up a successful saltwater aquarium for them to live in check out our saltwater aquarium guide at http://www.saltwatermethods.com

Setting up a new coral reef aquarium can seem like a huge task and one that frightens many new or would be hobbiest’s away. But if you can grab yourself a good reef aquarium book you can increase your chances of success and enjoy the hobby. But with so man out there what should a good reef aquarium book contain?

Information You Need To Have A Great Reef Tank

Any good informational material on reef aquariums is going to need to contain the following in order for you to fully understand a salt water system.

Lighting Systems- There is a wide variety of choices when it comes to mini reef lighting and a good book should explain those options to you so you can make the right choice.

Filtration Methods- There is more then one way to filter the water in your reef tank and you should be made aware of all of them and how each one can benefit your set up.

Livestock Overview- You will need to be aware of what are good reef fish and what are not. You will also need to know what fish are good for a beginners tank and what ones will get along together. You should also be educated on the different types of corals and their care.

Maintenance Practices- Any good mini reef will only stay good is it is properly taken care of. A good reef aquarium book will explain maintaining your tank to keep it in top shape.

Set Up Tips- Setting up your tank correctly is very important . You must be fully educated on proper locations for new reef tanks as a well as many other tips and tricks that will make your reef something to enjoy

How The Systems Works- All the explanation in the world will not help if you are just not sure how it all comes together and works to keep fish and corals alive and thriving

For a complete reef aquarium book check out www.saltwatermethods.com/reeftankguide

Maintaining proper PH in a reef aquarium is one of the more common challenges. A low PH can negatively affect coral growth and lead to problem algae. There are however a few easy ways to make sure your PH stays at or above 8.0

Good Water Circulation

Maintaining good water movement in your reef tank is critical to keeping your PH high in your reef aquarium. A tank circulation level of 15 to 20 times the tank volume is a great starting point. This means that if you have a 55 gallon tank you want to have a circulation amount of 825 1100 GPH.

You also want to make sure that this flow causes surface agitation. Increased surface agitation will transfer the carbon dioxide out of the water and bring fresh oxygen into the tank.

Proper Stocking Levels

Low PH in a reef aquarium can also be a sign of ow oxygen levels. If increase the surface agitation and water flow levels fail to help you may have to look at your tanks bio load. Fish are one of the biggest users of oxygen in your tank and having to many will have negative effects.

The standard rules of one inch of fish per gallon for stocking freshwater tanks do not apply to marine aquariums for a variety of reasons, this is especially true for reef aquariums. As a good rule of thumb keep your tanks fish load to one fish for every ten gallons of tank water.

The Right Substrate

One easy way to increase your reef tanks PH and hold it steady is to use aragonite sand or gravel in your tank. Aragonite will dissolve at lower PH levels and during this dissolving process it will release minerals and elements back into the tank that will in turn raise the PH. This is why it is critical you only use gravel or sand that is meant for reef tanks and not freshwater based material.

Chemical Additives

If for whatever reason you just cannot raise PH in a reef tank or hold it steady you may have to turn to chemical additives designed to help you out. There are many two part additives on the market that will raise calcium and alkalinity and at the same time increase your tanks PH levels.

A cheap alternative is kalkwasser set up to drip into your tank every few seconds. While it is a pain to mix up and apply it will do a great job at maintaining calcium, alkalinity and PH. But like any chemical you add to your tan start slow and work your way up, and always test the results!

Want a crystal clear successful Reef Aquarium with thriving fish and growing corals? Our reef tank guide will show you step by step how to create a beautiful reef tank and avoid the common mistakes that lead to fish death, algae and an ugly tank. To get the secrets to creating a stunning reef aquarium visit http://www.dseventures.com/reeftankguide

Part of the enjoyment of having saltwater aquariums is learning about fish and other animals that live in the ocean and providing a captive home for them to thrive in.

Some of the best information can be found in books and on the Internet at various forums and blogs. One such blog that offers some great information about saltwater tanks is www.thereeftank.com/blog

This blog offers alot of information that saltwater aquarium owners of any skill level will find helpful. It is updated frequently and they often have guest posters that are very knowledgeable on saltwater fish and reef tanks

In addition to their great blog they also offer a great forum where you can interact with other saltwater aquarium enthusiasts and get help and help others. The forum is located at www.thereeftank.com

If you have an interest in keeping saltwater fish or are a seasoned pro you will find something beneficial to you at either of these great online resources, so be sure and check them out today!

What makes a reef aquarium stand apart from a standard saltwater fish tank is the live coral. Nothing can compare to the natural movement colors and beauty that live coral can bring to an aquarium. While there have been recent advances in the reef aquarium hobby that make keeping corals alive easier not all of them are as easy to keep and some are almost impossible and left to the advanced hobbiest. There are however some very popular good beginner aquarium corals that are not only easy to care for and hardy but that will provide both beauty and enjoyment to your reef tank.

Good Beginner Aquarium Corals

Mushrooms- This is by far the easiest to keep and care for and the most long lived of any of the beginner corals. They come in a wide variety of colors and will thrive in lower light conditions so a large expensive lighting system is not needed. They will often grow very fast and can cover a patch of your tank quickly.

Bubble Corals- This is a large polyped stony coral or LPS as it is referred to in the hobby. It is easy to care for, will eat solid foods and will tolerate lower light levels. Do not place this coral in to high flow of an area or it may never fully open. They come in white, tan and green. The LPS family is also full of many other aquarium corals that are easy to care for and beautiful.

Soft Corals- This family is full of some very fast growing and easy corals to care for they are great for the new reef keeper and provide slow rhythmic movement to your reef aquarium. Most will thrive in medium light setting s so power compacts will usually be fine they are also very tolerant of water conditions.

Green Star Polyps- These are beautiful neon green polyps that thrive in virtually any system. They do need good water flow in order to keep dirt and debris off of them. Other then that they grow well under medium light and grow fast. They grow so fast that they often spread to the back of aquarium walls further adding to the tank’s beauty.

Want a crystal clear successful Reef Aquarium with thriving corals and healthy fish? Our reef tank guide will show you how to set up your tank and avoid the common mistakes that lead to fish death, algae and an ugly tank. To get the secrets to creating a stunning reef aquarium visit www.saltwatermethods.com

Probably the most critical part to having a good marine aquarium is the fish. Pick the wrong species and it could eat everything else in the tank. Pick a sick fish and it could spread disease through your entire tank and wipe it out. But how do you pick a healthy marine aquarium fish? Just follow the simple checklist below and you will never buy another sick fish again!

Look For Rapid Breathing- Fish breath through their gills and in a healthy fish the gills move at a slow rhythmic pace. Avoid a fish that display rapid quick gill movement as this can indicate troubled breathing and an unhealthy fish.

White Spots- If you see any white spots on a saltwater fish never buy it. White spots indicate a disease known as ich. If left untreated ich can kill fish. The worst part is that most treatments will kill your corals as well as the ich.

Cloudy Eyes- A healthy fishes eyes should be clear and colorful. If the fish you are interested in buying has cloudy eyes avoid it. While cloudy eye can be treated it again requires medications that may harm live corals.

Beat Up Appearance- Carefully examine the fish you want to purchase and take note if they have sores on their body, torn or missing fins or other physical problems. Fish in this state are normally weak and get sick very easy.

Watch It Eat- All healthy marine aquarium fish will eagerly take food that is placed into the aquarium. With this in mind ask your fish store to feed the fish before you agree to buy it. If it fails to eat you may want to avoid it or have the store hold it for you and try again in a few days.

Want a crystal clear successful tank? Our Marine Aquarium Guide will show you how to avoid the common mistakes that lead to fish death, algae and an ugly tank. To get the secrets to creating a stunning marine aquarium visit http://www.saltwatermethods.com

Most people get involved in marine aquariums because of the beautiful colorful fish. It is also these colorful fish that confuse people and can wind up costing them a lot of money if the salt water fish the choose are either to difficult to care for or do not get along well with or eat other fish in the tank. This article will touch on a few popular and easy to care for salt water aquarium fish for beginners.

Clown Fish- Clown fish are some of the most popular marine aquarium fish today. They are almost the poster child for the hobby. They are also some of the best choices for new aquarium keepers because they eat well and are very hardy and resistance to changes in the tank. There are also captive grown clown fish on the market that are healthier and longer lived then wild caught specimens.

Damsel Fish- Damsel fish are very hardy marine aquarium fish and some are very colorful. However they can also be very, very aggressive and kill other fish in the tank. For this reason you should stick with only a few kinds. These would be the yellow tail blue damsel, the chromis species which should be kept in schools. Both these species are peaceful and very active additions to the aquarium, but as a precaution add them last to avoid any aggression.

Basslets- This is a great family of salt water aquarium fish but you again must choose carefully. One of the best choices in this group is the Royal Gramma. This fish is purple and yellow and very mild mannered. It is inexpensive and easy to care for and generally very hardy in aquariums. Just provide it with some rocky areas to hang out around.

Yellow Tang- This is a very popular fish but also a fish that is not cared for properly by many people. To start with these fish need tanks that are at least 4 feet long in order to swim freely as they do in nature. They also like to eat constantly so they need to fed frequently throughout the day. Other then that they are very good aquarium additions and easy to care for.

Blennies and Gobies- Blennies and Gobies are some of the best salt water aquarium fish for beginners because they are inexpensive, full of personality and very hardy. Two of the best choices are the bi-color blenny and the lawn mower blenny. Both of these fish will graze algae in the aquarium and also provide a fun fish to watch.

If you are setting up a new Saltwater Aquarium and feeling a little confused then you need to have our marine aquarium guide on your side. Our marine aquarium guide will give you a complete step by step plan to follow for a successful marine aquarium. You can learn more by visiting www.saltwatermethods.com

Red slime algae in a reef aquarium can detract from the overall look of the tank. It can also pose a threat to some corals, if they are not strong enough to fight it off it can eventually smoother them and cut off their light.

What Causes Red Slime Algae In a Reef Aquarium

This algae is not an actual algae but a form cyano bacteria. Many reef experts are unsure as to the exact cause of it but it is believed that like any normal aquarium algae it needs excess dissolved nutrients to feed on and grow. And like other algae it needs an adequate light source for photosynthesis

How Can I Get Rid Of It

Red Slime algae has proven to not like high water flow and by simply increasing the flow in your reef tank you maybe able to get it to regress. It is also very easy to remove by hand by simply scooping it out.

There have been some theories that older light bulbs may cause it to appear out of no where so if your bulbs are more then six months old changing them may have a positive affect.

There are also some animals that other reef keepers have claimed eat it. These animals are the red legged hermit crab, the cerith snail and some reports have claimed that bi-color blennies will eat it as well.

Like anything in a reef tank it is hit or miss when adding animals to control algae, they may devour it or they may ignore it.

There are also chemicals that are marketed that claim to reduce or remove red slime algae in the reef aquarium. But like any chemical it will only mask the problem and is not a long term solution. And even if it claims it is reef safe there is a chance that any chemicals added to your tank could also kill sensitive coral or invertebrates so proceed with caution when using chemicals.

Want an algae free Reef Aquarium? Our reef tank guide will show you step by step how to avoid the common mistakes that lead to fish death, algae and an ugly reef tank. To get the secrets to creating a stunning reef aquarium visit http://www.saltwatermethods.com

Many new reef aquarium keepers are usually familiar with aquariums and may have kept freshwater tanks in the past. Mini reef systems like freshwater tanks need to cycle in order to maintain fish. But the cycles and what happens are totally different, this article will help explain what to expect cycling reef aquariums.

Ammonia And Nitrite Spike

Like freshwater tanks the first thing that will happen in your tank is there will be a ammonia spike. This ammonia is the by product if decaying fish waste or food. Within the tank bacteria will grow that will feed on this ammonia and convert it to nitrite. The nitrite will then be converted to harmless free nitrogen.

Both ammonia and nitrite can kill fish and coral so it is wise to not have any tank inhabitants in your system while this is going on. However many reef keepers often use damsel fish to cycle their tanks. While this does work it will be hard to get these fish out if you do not want them in your tank after the cycle, plus its just plain inhumane.

Instead a pinch of fish food can help speed up the process, or if you can get a scoop of sand from a seasoned reef tank or a piece of live rock. Both of these will already have the nitrifying bacteria on them and will jump start the process.

Algae Blooms When Cycling Reef Aquarium

No one really mentions this much but you will have to expect some algae blooms when cycling reef aquariums. This is because as the system stabilizes many chemical and physical shifts are occurring. This will normally result in brown slime algae on the sand bed and rocks of your tank. The best thing to do is remove it by hand or let it be. Once the tank reaches equilibrium the algae will vanish faster then it appeared, that is of course assuming your tank is set up properly.

The cycle of a mini reef systems can take a week two for the ammonia and nitrite parts but can often take six months for a new tank to reach equilibrium. The key during this time is to add livestock slowly and maintain good tank maintenance and you will have a gorgeous reef tank you can be proud of.

Do you want a Stunning Reef Aquarium that is thriving and growing? Then check out our reef guide that will help you regardless of your experience in the hobby. You can learn more about improving your reef aquarium at www.saltwatermethods.com