Mixing Your Own Saltwater

If you have your own RO filter system, you must premix your saltwater before adding it to the aquarium. Begin by filling a 5-gallon bucket or larger non-toxic container (preferably with wheels) with RO water. Next, add salt to the water. Follow the instructions on the salt mix (Such as Instant Ocean), keeping in mind that a general rule is to add approximately one cup of salt to every two gallons of aquarium water.

After mixing salt with the water in the bucket, use a hydrometer to test specific gravity. There are two different types of hydrometers that aquarists use. One is a plastic box with a floating swing-arm and the other looks similar to a floating glass thermometer. Either style will work.  You could also use a refractometer to accomplish this goal with greater accuracy, for a few dollars more.

Be Sure to Check the Following:

• ·         The specific gravity should read between 1.023 and 1.025. If the specific gravity is too low, add more salt. If you add too much salt and the hydrometer reads over the target, remove some of the water and add fresh RO water.

• ·         The RO filter system should have removed chlorine and/or chloramines, therefore a water conditioner is not necessary. Test pH and make sure it is between 8.2 and 8.4. If the pH is below 8.2, add a buffering agent to adjust it.

Pour water slowly onto one of the live rocks close to the bottom of the aquarium. You can also place a dinner plate in the aquarium temporarily on which to pour the water. Fill the aquarium until the water level is just above the bottom of the aquarium's frame and water begins to flow over the overflow.

At this point you can either continue to add water to the aquarium to fill the Berlin sump in the cabinet or you can pour water directly into the sump until filled to the designated max fill line.

For larger aquariums, carrying water back and forth may take too much time and energy. You may want to purchase a new thirty-five to forty-five gallon trashcan or other non-toxic, plastic container (with wheels). Whichever size container you choose it should only be used for your aquarium. Once the salt is mixed in the container, roll it over to the aquarium. The premixed saltwater can either be bucketed into the aquarium or a water pump with flexible tubing attached can be used to pump the water into the aquarium.

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Aquarium Tips: Setting Up a Refugium

Article By Laurren Schmoyer of AquaticExperts.com

What is a Refugium?

When setting up your aquarium, it is highly recommended to create a refugium if you are using a Berlin sump for filtration.  A refugium is an additional chamber that is built into a saltwater, brackish, or freshwater fish tank that shares the same water supply. It is a separate sump, connected to the main display tank.  The name comes from the fact that it provides refuge for beneficial micro-organisms such as anaerobic denitrifying bacteria and photosynthesizers.

A built-in refugium is simply a compartment in a Berlin sump which houses mud or sand and algae. The walls of the compartment are designed to allow water to pass through, and then return the water to the display aquarium. These walls also slow water flow to assist with macro algae feeding.

How Large should the Refugium be?

The size of the refugium needed depends on the bio-load of the display aquarium. A larger refugium is necessary for a heavily stocked aquarium, while a smaller refugium may be used for a lightly stocked aquarium.  A good rule is 1:10 of the main tank volume.

What type of Lighting does the Refugium need?

Place a light over the refugium to help grow macro algae. The bulb should be 5,000 to 6,500 Kelvin for optimum plant growth. Choose a light fixture that produces at least 4 watts per gallon of water in the refugium (for those less than 16 inches deep).

Two T5 strip lights mounted above refugium

Set the refugium light to turn on when the aquarium light turns off.  This will keep the total system pH more stable, due to the constant uptake of carbon dioxide.  

What do I put in there?

Refugiums are easy to set up.  Just add mud and/or an oolithic (sugar size) aragonite sand to a depth of up to six inches and macro algae. Macro algae can be added to refugium 24 hours after aquarium is setup or you can wait until the aquarium has "cycled".  Chaetomorpha, Ulva (Sea Lettuce), Halimeda (red seaweed) and Gracilaria (red seaweed) are macro algae that do well in refugiums.

Berlin sump with refugium compartment with oolithic sand

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When mixing salt water at home, my preference is to use R.O. (Reverse Osmosis) water. This water, often sold in five-gallon jugs at local fish and pet stores, is forced through a series of filters that remove most impurities including phosphates and nitrates. This helps significantly to control algae!

Saying goodbye to Granddad. Lungfish have always been one of my favorites. He had a good long life though.

"Today we’re saddened to share that the Shedd family has bid farewell to one of our best-loved members. Australian lungfish Granddad, who made Shedd his home since 1933, was humanely euthanized Sunday due to a rapid decline in quality of life associated with old age."

"In his long life at Shedd, Granddad offered fond memories and a shared connection with the living world to generations of visitors. We ask you to keep the Shedd family in your thoughts during this difficult time, especially the caregivers most deeply affected by his passing." -CNN

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This pretty creature is a Pink Peacock Cichlid!  Peacock Cichlids are endemic to Lake Malawi. This rift lake is estimated to have over 800 species of cichlids.

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The Kaudern's Cardinal, also known as the Banggai Cardinalfish or Longfin Cardinalfish, is silver highlighted by black stripes and white spots on the body and long, elegant fins.

 Banggai Cardinal Fish are only found in a small area around Banggai Island off Sulawesi, an Indonesian Island east of Borneo. This fish is very close to being placed on the endangered species list because of over collection.  

These little guys can reproduce in captivity, and these captive-bred fish are the ones you should buy for your aquarium.  Before you purchase a Banggai Cardinal Fish, ask the retailer where they came from. If they say that is was wild caught, please don't buy them!

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The Golden Headed Sleeper Goby is one of the larger sized sand sifting gobies. They have a beautiful white colored body with bright golden yellow head that makes it an excellent addition to any aquarium. Be careful if you have coral though, because these guys like to scoop up sand in their mouth and rearrange their tank, sometimes covering up coral in the process!

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Sargocentron xantherythrum commonly known as Hawaiian squirrelfish or striped squirrelfish is a member of the squirrelfish family that is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade.

Euphyllia divisa, commonly known as frogspawn coral and sometimes misspelled Euphyllia divisia, is a large-polyped stony coral native to the Indo-Pacific islands. It is a commonly kept species in the marine aquarium hobby.

This photo was taken by Aquatic Experts on our visit to Elite Aquarium Services in High Point, NC.

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Laurren and I recently took a road trip to visit our friends at Elite Aquarium Services of High Point, NC. It was amazing! We were able to talk about their immense variety of fish, corals, and other aquatic life, along with trading off some aquarium maintenance knowledge. I'll be adding more photos of this trip soon...

Photo taken by Aquatic Experts today of a Tesselata Eel living at Elite Aquarium Services of High Point. This eel is about 3 feet long, and can reach up to 50 inches in length. It is an aggressive species that will eat live feeder shrimp, and can sometimes be switched over to frozen food. A beautiful creature, but not ideal for a reef aquarium because of it's aggressive nature. It needs to be kept in tank without sessile invertebrates and corals. This eel also has poor vision, so be careful when feeding because they might miss the food and grab a finger! They will attack humans when provoked. Perfect addition to an aggressive aquarium.