AQUARIUM MAINTENANCE MANUAL
by
Sequoia Shannon
U n i v e r s i t y of Hawaii
Marine Option Program
Honolulu, Hawaii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
O f t h e t h r e e o r i g i n a l members of t h e proJect: Randy Harr,
Gary Fukushima, and Sequoia Shannon, only Shannon, P r o j e c t
Leader, remained t o complete t h e project. Elizabeth Ng came on
as an aquar l a he1per November 1983 and w i 1 l take t h e mantle o f
ProJect Leader June 1984. Jeremy UeJio, a special member since
October 1983 has contributed ~ u c h o f h i s expertise t o t h e
proJect.
Marty Wisner, of t h e Waikiki Aquarium, became t h e
P r o j e c t Advisor i n January 1984. Special thanks go t o him f o r
h i s assistance i n g i v i n g so f r e e l y of h i s time and h i s h e l p f u l
advice.
Many students have a l s o helped o u t w i t h t h i s proJect during
i t s fourteen months o f operation. We would l i k e t o express our
thanks and appreciation t o Mar1 Shlntani-Marzolf, Dave Gulko,
Gale Henley, Linda Ader, Shirley Chang, L o r i Kishimoto, Alan
Tomita, J e f f Preble and A l l i s o n Chun.
Much aloha and thanks must go t o L a u r i e Izumi, Kerry Lorch,
and C l a i r e Ebisuzaki f o r t h e i r help and encouragement during t h e
project, and t o Sherwood Maynard, Annie Orcutt, and H e n r i e t t a
Yee f o r t h e i r a d m i n i s t r a t i v e support.
Special recognition and appreciation goes t o Jack Davldson,
D i r e c t o r o f t h e Sea Grant Program, f o r h i s support during t h i s
proJect.
INTRODUCT ION
The marine environment, i n Hawaii, contains b e a u t i f u l c o r a l
r e e f s and unique animals.
Many who v i s i t these waters, are
desirous t o b r i n g a n I i t t l e s l i c e o f t h e oceann home w i t h them
I n t h e guise o f an aquarium.
Aquariums are fun t o have and t h e animals a Joy t o watch i n
t h e confines o f t h i s nmini-oceann set-up.
Thls d e s i r e t o s e t up
and maintain an aquarium I s o f t e n tempered w i t h t h e thought t h a t
aquarium-keeping
i s a time-consuming and d i f f i c u l t task t o
undertake.
Thls manual i s a b r i e f primer t o help t h e would-be a q u a r i s t
f o l l o w a step-by-step
process I n
the
establishment
and
maintenance o f e i t h e r marine and/or freshwater aquariums. The
information contained herein was garnered f r a n fourteen months
o f aquarium-keeping by students o f t h e Marine Option Program
whose s k i l l p r o j e c t was I n Aquarium Management.
Much was
learned t h e "hard wayn about aquariums through f a i l u r e s and
successes.
Such knowledge I s hereby presented f o r use by others who
d e s i r e t o j o i n i n t h e fun o f keeping aquariums t h e successful
information can be found
and easy way1 Within t h i s manual,
regarding necessary equipment, types o f food, water q u a l i t y , t h e
nitrogen cycle, maintenance procedures and other h e l p f u l h i n t s .
TABLE OF CONTENTS
........................................
IN T R ~ ~ U CION
T ............;........... ....................
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
;
OBJECTIVES
............................................
Data .................................................
S a l i n i t y .............................................
N i t r i t e ..............................................
Animals i n t h e Aquariums .............................
Feeding Considerations ...............................
Quarantine Procedures ................................
Narrative
EQUl PMENT
.........................................
S i z e of Tank .........................................
Shape o f Tank ........................................
Undergravel F i l t e r ...................................
F i l t e r Medium ........................................
A i r Pumps ............................................
A i r l i f t Tubes ........................................
Outside Power F i l t e r .................................
I n s i d e Corner F i l t e r .................................
Hood Cover and L l g h t s ................................
Decor ................................................
Water ................................................
Type o f Tank
Hydrometer
........................................... 15
SETTING UP THE AQUARIUM
...................... 17
S i t e . Stand . and A i r Pump ............................ 17
F i l t e r P l a t e I n s t a l l a t i o n ............................ 18
Substrate M a t e r i a l ................................. 18
F i l l i n g t h e Tank ..................................... 18
Adding t h e Fish ...................................... 19
Cleaning and Checking f o r Leaks
FILTER SYSTEM
................................ 20
Chemical F i l t r a t i o n .................................. 21
Biological F i l t r a t i o n ................................ 22
Mechanical Filtration
N l TROGEN CYCLE
............................................. 24
Testing ..............................................25
Bacteria
MAINTENANCE
................................................ 28
Weekly ...............................................2 9
Monthly .............................................. 2 9
Yearly ...............................................31
Daily
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Supp .
WATER QUALXTY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . - 5 Supp.
Specific Gravity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 SPP*
pH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 SUPP*
-ED
FOODS FOli MARINE O R G A I T I S . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Supp.
Foods for Carnivores . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Supp.
Foods for Y~rbivores . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Supp.
Foods for Intermediates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Supp.
Gel Nix
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Supp.
AQUARIUM CAPACITY AM> lXM3ERS OF FISH . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Supp.
COAPATIBILITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Supp.
liE@PEDD
LIST OF F'ISNES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Supp.
Specles for the Beginner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Supp.
Coclpatibility Ratings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Supp.
LIST OF READINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Supp.
DIAGRAMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Supp.
DISFASE P m T I O N AND C O ~ Q L
OBJECTIVES
The primary o b j e c t i v e of t h i s p r o j e c t was t o estab I ish and
maintain marine and freshwater aquariums f o r t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f
Hawaii Marine Option Program. I n doing so, knowledge would be
accumulated on behavioral consideratlons, feeding requirements,
and disease prevention, and t h i s knowledge passed on t o other
interested students o f aquaria. Additionally,
t h e opportunity
would be provided t o MDP students t o observe flsh, t o study
t h e i r behavior i n an enclosed env ironment, and t o simply enjoy
t h e beauty o f t h e aquariums.
NARRAT lV E
The p r o j e c t o f f i c i a l l y began A p r l l 1983 with t h e acceptance
o f t h e p r o j e c t proposal, and i s now being completed, July 1984,
w i t h t h i s f i n a l report.
The p r o j e c t began w i t h two tanks,
an 85-gal Ion saltwater
tank and a 15-gallon freshwater tank. Both were establ ished and
i n operation w i t h a v a r i e t y o f animals. During t h e period o f
a1 I are
t h i s project, f i v e more tanks have been acquired;
c u r r e n t l y i n operation.
Each tank was s e t up and maintained by t h e p r o j e c t members.
This involved t h e i n i t i a l preparation o f t h e tanks, c o l l e c t i o n
o f water, t h e a d d l t i o n of animals, monitoring o f water qua1 i t y ,
feeding o f t h e flsh, and t h e d a i l y e n t r i e s i n t h e aquarium
journal. Once a month a water change and tank cleaning was made
A quarantine tank was usually s e t up and
o f each tank.
maintained f o r observation and care of new f i s h .
DATA
The data gathered and recorded I n t h e d a l l y journal was
segregated by s p e c i f i c tanks.
The n o t a t i o n was made
on
eating/not eating, type o f food given, physlcal appearance o f
fish,
i n t e r a c t i o n o f species, and other
pertinent
data.
Notation was a l s o made, on a weekly basts, o f t h e sat i n i t y and
n i t r i t e readings i n t h e saltwater tanks.
SAL lNlTY
S a l i n i t y measures t h e q u a n t i t y o f dissolved inorganlc
s o l i d s ( s a l t s ) i n t h e water, and i s usually measured i n partsper-thousand, o r ppt. Most t r o p i c a l seas a r e 34 t o 35 ppt (35
grams of s a l t i n one kilogram o f water). Freshwater w i t h no
dissolved s a l t s , I s measured a t 0 grams/kilogram o f water.
S a l i n i t y measurements were taken w i t h a floating-type bulb
hydrometer o r a hand-held hydrometer. The hydrometer measures
s p e c i f i c g r a v i t y . S p e c i f i c g r a v i t y i s a r a t i o o r comparison o f
t h e weight (density o f saltwater t o t h e weight o f an equal
volume o f pure water.
Thus, since one (1) represents t h e value
f o r pure water, a heavier substance such as saltwater w i l l s i n k
and has a s p e c i f i c g r a v i t y greater than 1. The s p e c i f i c g r a v l t y
f o r t r o p i c a l saltwater aquariums should be 1.025, w i t h a range
o f 1.023
i.on.
Evaporation
causes a constant increase i n t h e t o t a l
s a l i n i t y since only pure water evaporates and t h e s a l t s a r e l e f t
behind. When s p e c i f i c g r a v i t y exceeds t h a t range,
freshwater
was added t o b r i n g t h e s p e c i f i c g r a v i t y w i t h i n t h e c o r r e c t
level.
A t c e r t a i n times and w i t h c e r t a i n Invertebrates, a lowered
s a l i n i t y may be recommended.
Lowered s a l i n i t i e s keep more
oxygen i n t h e water, allow t h e n i t r i f y i n g b a c t e r i a t o work more
efficiently,
and reduces t h e workload o f t h e f i s h . This f a c t o r
can be beneficial, espectal l y t o f l s h t h a t a r e under s t r e s s o r
a r e i l l . Reduced metabolic workloads allow t h e f l s h t o put t h i s
energy e l sewhere.
A l l fish, freshwater o r marine, c a r r y s a l t l e v e l s i n t h e i r
blood and c e l l tissues. Freshwater f i s h do metabol i c work t o
prevent loss o f s a l t t o t h e surrounding f r e s h water, and marine
f i s h work t o prevent loss o f freshwater from t h e i r bodies. They
a r e always t a k i n g s a l t i n through t h e i r mouths and excreting it
through t h e i r g i l Is. Water i s always leaving marine f i s h w h i l e
I n freshwater f i s h water i s always going in. This d i f f e r e n c e I n
sal l n i t y r e q u i r m e n t s o f freshwater and sal twater f ish i s t h e
reason mixing them i n t h e same aquaria i s n o t possible.
Water i s removed from marine f i s h because s a l t density o f
t i s s u e water I s less than ambient water environment.
If the
s a l i n i t y o f t h e water i s hlgh, t h e metabolic workload o f t h e
f l s h i s increased i n t r y i n g t o prevent excess loss of t i s s u e
water.
-
When an aquarium I s f i r s t s e t up t h e most important problem
a r i s e s from t h e buildup o f nitrogen-containing m a t e r i a l s I n t h e
water. These r e s u l t from t h e a c t i v i t i e s o f b a c t e r i a t h a t change
animal excretions, l e f t o v e r food and dead m a t e r i a l from one k i n d
o f chemical t o another. The most t o x i c o f these chemicals i s
ammonia, which appears e a r l y i n t h e series o f transformations
t h a t involve nitrogen. (See section on t h e NITROGEN CYClE)
During t h e nitrogen cycle, ammonia i s oxidized t o n i t r i t e
and n i t r i t e t o n i t r a t e , respectively. Ammonia and n i t r i t e are
toxic; t h e end product n i t r a t e , i s r e l a t i v e l y non-toxic and can
be allowed t o accumulate i n t h e aquarium without much concern.
Ammonia status i n t h e aquarium need n o t be monitored since,
w i t t i i n a few days, t h e appearance o f n i t r i t e w i I l i n d i c a t e t h a t
t h e ammonia has been converted t o t h e less t o x i c n i t r i t e .
N i t r i t e i s monitored by use o f a n i t r i t e t e s t k i t . The t e s t
Indicates t h e presence o f n i t r i t e by producing a red-colored
s o l u t i o n w i t h i n t e n s i t y proportional t o t h e amount o f n i t r i t e .
N l t r a t e , +he end product, I s transformed I n t o n i t r o u s oxide
and f r e e nitrogen, which are n o t as harmful t o f i s h as I s
n i t r i t e and ammonia. If t h e aquarium i s allowed t o develop
pockets
of
low oxygen o r anerobic conditions,
bacterial
reduction of n i t r a t e can produce t o x i c compounds.
N i t r a t e can
a l s o increase over time and accumulates I n t h e system. N l t r a t e
can most e a s i l y be removed by d i l u t i o n through p a r t i a l , p e r i o d i c
water changes.
N i t r i t e monitoring during t h e . f i r s t s i x t o e i g h t weeks o f a
new aquarium i s c r i t i c a l t o t h e success o f t h a t aquarium.
Periodic checks during t h e remaining period o f t h e nmaturew
aquarium i s t o assure t h a t no increase I n n i t r i t e I s occurring.
I f an increase I s noted, t h i s usually indicates t h e r e i s a large
amount
o f organic matter (e.g.,
dead fish,
excess food)
decomposing, hidden under some coral or rock, or t h a t sudden
ndie-offn o f b a c t e r i a o r algae i s t a k i n g place.
Healthy reef f i s h w i l l s u r v i v e a t t h e level o f n i t r i t e I n
t h e v i c i n i t y o f e i g h t t o t e n p a r t s per m i l l i o n f o r a day o r two.
I f t h e level does n o t drop w i t h i n twenty-four hours, h a l f o f t h e
water i n t h e aquarium should be changed.
This d i l u t e s t h e
n i t r i t e t o a safer level. N i t r i t e l e v e l s should n o t exceed one
o r two ppm i n a healthy aquarium.
This nitrogen c y c l e operates t h e same i n t h e aquarium as it
does i n t h e sea; however, t h e sea i s a balanced system i n which
g r e a t volumes o f water,
I n constant movement, and w i t h other
f a c t o r s work together t o maintain good water q u a l i t y .
It i s a
r e a l challenge t o t h e aquarist t o o b t a i n t h i s same healthy
balance i n t h e nitrogen cycle.
ANIMALS IN THE AQUARIUMS
There was a wide v a r i e t y o f animals, both invertebrates and
vertebrates t h a t were kept during t h i s p r o j e c t because o f t h e
m u l t i p l e number o f aquariums and t h e use o f both s a l t and
freshwater systems.
captured
The animals were obtained I n a v a r i e t y o f ways:
by t h e P r o j e c t Members o r by other students, bought a t t h e pet
shop, o r donated from students1 home aquariums. Organisms were
usual ly chosen f o r t h e aquar Iurns w i t h cons i d e r a t 1on g Iven t o
species, size, aggressiveness, feeding requirements and behavior
of the fish.
s I derat ions L
Some species o f f l s h are more aggressive than others, and
some o f t h e same species w i l l even k i l l one another un l ess
remwed from t h e same environment.
I n general, f l s h are more
aggressive toward t h e i r own species than towards others. The
f i s h o f t h e damsel family (e.g., Abudefduf a w e r e most prone
t o t h i s type o f behavior, provlng so i n t h e aquariums. Sane had
t o be remwed and e i t h e r returned t o t h e sea or placed i n
another tank where they could be more s u i t a b l e tankmates.
.,
F ish w lt h strong predatory character 1s t ics (e.g
I lonf ish,
smal l
nblte-sizew
groupers, e e l s ) cannot be
kept
with
i n d i v i d u a l s unless they are f e d well; a prevention t o keep them
from e a t i n g t h e smaller animals.
Much aggressiveness i s r e l a t e d t o space and t e r r i t o r y . The
p r o v i d i n g o f enough h i d i n g places and areas I n which t o roam
he1ped t o reduce t h e aggressive behav l o r o f some species.
Larger animals generally needed a l a r g e r t e r r i t o r y t o ncontrolm
than t h e smaller animals.
I n mixing l a r g e and small f i s h ,
s u f f i c i e n t s i t e s o f concealment (e.g.,
c o r a l heads, rocks) were
provided f o r t h e small and l e s s aggressive f i s h t o take
p r o t e c t Iv e cover.
Feed io m d a t a t ions r
Sane f i s h are carnivores,
some herbivores, and
some
omnivores.
These
latter
types
were t h e most frequent
i n h a b i t a n t s of t h e aquariums because t h e i r d i e t requiranents
were most easi l y met.
I n t h e n a t u r a l environment, f i s h a r e
Same
constantly r o v i n g about searching f o r and e a t i n g food.
f i s h are bottom feeders,
some a r e surface feeders, sane are
aggressive eaters, whi l e others a r e much more t i m i d i n t h e i r
approach t o eating. Mixing these f i s h i n t h e same aquarium can
be a problem, as t h e aggressive f i s h s e i z e a l l t h e food and t h e
more t i m i d ones starve. Try ing t o prov ide enough food f o r t h e
t i m i d f i s h t o e a t may cause water p o l l u t i o n due t o uneaten
p o r t i o n s o f food decomposing i n t h e tank. These f i s h , which do
n o t compete w e l l for food, must be removed t o a tank w i t h l e s s
aggressive inhabitants.
a) Freshwater f i s h : The freshwater f i s h would e a t a v a r i e t y o f
foods. The food type used t h e most was a f l a k e tood composed o f
animal protein, freshwater algae and cereals. P e l l e t s , composed
o f t h e same basic ingredients was o f f e r e d t o t h e f i s h
but
were usual l y r e f used u n t i l t h e f i s h became extremely hungry.
The removal o f t h e uneatened p e l l e t s was r e q u i r e d t o avoid
(e.g.,
minnow) was
p o l l u t i n g t h e water. A t times, l i v e f i s h ,
o f f e r e d t o t h e A f r i c a n c i c h l i d . L i v e food was r e a d i l y accepted
pieces o f
b u t n o t always aval l a b l e . Raw meat was o f f e r e d (e.g.,
f i s h f i l l e t ) but was always r e j e c t e d . The f i s h were f e d t w i c e
d a i l y w i t h enough food they could consume w i t h i n f i v e minutes o f
I f a l l was eatened more was offered.
feeding.
The f i s h had a fondness f o r many o f t h e green p l a n t s placed
for decoration,
particularly the plant
in
the
aquarium
Anarch a.Every month these p l a n t s would have t o be
replaced because t h e f i s h would s t r i p each s t a l k o f i t s tender
l eaves.
b) Freshwater newts: The newts were easy and i n t e r e s t i n g t o
care for.
The d i e t t h a t had been recommended f o r them was a
commercially prepared p e l l e t o f p r o t e i n and p l a n t products. Few
cases of e a t i n g was a c t u a l l y witnessed and it was assumed they
a t e them l a t e r i n secret. Later, a d i e t o f l i v e b r l n e shrimp
was tested. T h i s they seemed t o enjoy w i t h g r e a t r e l i s h , as
they d i d t h e raw f i s h f i l l e t o f f e r e d t o them. Raw f i s h f i l l e t
should n o t be o f f e r e d everyday because it i s t o o r i c h a d i e t .
Other recommended food types a r e f r u i t f l y larvae, l i v e t u b i f l e x
worms, and baby c r i c k e t s . The newts were fed each day during
t h e afternoon and had become relaxed enough for us t o hand-feed
them.
c ) Saltwater f i s h : The s a l t w a t e r f i s h combined a v a r i e t y o f
annivores which were fed an assortment o f foods: d r i e d b r i n e
and
shrimp, frozen b r i n e shrimp, l i v e b r i n e shrimp, f l a k e food,
pieces of raw f i s h .
They were o f f e r e d t h i s d i e t morning and
afternoon, and were fed what was consumed w l t h i n a f ive-minute
period.
I f they s t i l l appeared hungry, a d d i t i o n a l food was
o f f e r e d them. The invertebrates were f e d once a day.
The carnivorous f ish, whether eat1 ng raw f i l l e t or only
l i v e food, were some o f t h e most i n t e r e s t i n g f i s h t o keep. The
animals t h a t would e a t only l i v e food were,
perhaps, t h e most
d i f f i c u l t t o keep since a supply o f l i v e feeder-fish was n o t
always a v a i l a b l e f o r t h e i r feeding requirments. The feeder-fish
were o f freshwater types, such as guppies, minnows, and smal l
t a l a p i a or c i c h l l d s . Caution i s advised upon feeding m i v o r e s
pollywogs (tadpoles);
these c o n t a i n t o x i c substances and w i l l
r e s u l t i n t h e deaths o f p r i z e d marine f l s h .
The animals t h a t would e a t any type o f raw meat were
usually
invertebrates,
though t h e vertebrates (omnivores)
enjoyed being f e d small amounts too. The i n v e r t e b r a t e s were fed
mah I, b u t t e r f ish,
raw shrimp, octopus, and wh l t e f i s h (sole,
halibut).
Red f i s h was n o t o f f e r e d because it contains a g r e a t
deal o f f a t which could e a s i l y p o l l u t e tank water.
The invertebrates were o f f e r e d food everyday, b u t some only
a t e every o t h e r day, wh i l e others went f o r weeks w i t h o u t eat1 ng.
I f they a t e they were u s u a l l y o f f e r e d food u n t i l they no longer
came t o feed. Most o f t h e i n v e r t e b r a t e s were f e d by hand.
Ine Procedurss,.
The m a j o r i t y o f vertebrates were placed i n a quarantine
tank f o r a p e r i o d o f t h r e e weeks p r i o r t o i n t r o d u c t i o n t o t h e l r
d i s p l a y tanks. The quarantine tank water was medicated w i t h
a n t i b i o t i c s o r w i t h a copper s u l f a t e s o l u t i o n . F i s h t r e a t e d
t h i s way prevent t h e i n t r o d u c t i o n o f pathogenic organisms i n t o
t h e l arger d i s p l ay tank, r i d t h e new f lsh o f these organ1sms,
and gave t h e new f i s h time t o become acquainted t o a confined
environment and t o adapt t o new and strange foods as w e l l as t o
people. A f t e r t h e quarantine period, t h e f i s h were introduced
i n t o t h e i r new home dur ing t h e one t o two hour p e r i o d o f
accl imation. A t t h e end o f t h i s period, they were a l lowed t o
swim f r e e l y i n t o t h e tank.
Some f i s h were merely l1dumpedW in t o t h e d i s p l ay aquar iums
The f l s h
by MOP students w i t h o u t t h i s quarantine procedure.
o f t e n d i d n o t survive, and a t t h e same time brought harmful
organisms i n t o t h e l a r g e r tanks.
invertebrates cannot be t r e a t e d w i t h medications. The only
method t h a t i s u s u a l l y recommended I s t o place t h e animals i n a
tank (without medication) f o r a period o f a few weeks t o observe
"surv ivab i l i t y v
and
d isease-free
appearance.
An
its
experimental method was t r i e d : c e r t a i n s p e c i f i c animals were
given
a 60-second freshwater d i p ( i n water o f t h e same
temperature). This would usually r i d them o f any parasites o r
other harmful organisms.
Any external parasites, not deeply
imbedded, q u i c k l y takes up water and b u r s t from t h e increased
osmotic pressure.
This method has been used w i t h some success
on featherduster worms, anemones, crabs,
sea cucumbers, sea
stars, and sea urchins.
EQUl PMENT
--
A l l equipment used I n marine tanks
a i r tubes, a i r l i f t s ,
should be made o f glass,
p l a s t i c , or
slphons, f i l t e r s , etc.
o t h e r s p e c i f i c s y n t h e t i c m a t e r i a l s i n order t o be as corrosionproof as p o s s i b l e for t h e aquarla.
Saltwater i s f a r more
c o r r o s i v e than freshwater.
--
EQUIPMENT NEEDED TO SET UP
non-metal l i c tank
undergravel f il t e r
f l l t e r medium
a i r pump and t u b i n g and/or an external outside power f i l t e r
hood cover and l i g h t
decor
water
o t h e r useful equipment
BASIS FOR EQUIPMENT SELECTION
a l l i c T&
The tank may be constructed o f g l a s s o r a c r y l i c . A l l t h e
tanks i n t h e MOP aquaria p r o j e c t were made o f glass, therefore,
They are, o f
acry l i c tanks were n o t t e s t e d as t o su itab i l it y
course, l i g h t e r I n weight and cheaper I n cost, as w e l l as can be
constructed i n various shape
configurations
not
usually
avai l able i n g I ass tanks. The acry l i d tank has t h e disadvantage
o f being scratched e a s i l y but t h i s may be pol ished out.
or wood tanks a r e n o t recommended
M e t a l l i c , concrete,
because they a r e d i f f i c u l t t o adapt t o aquarium use unless
coated w i t h a p l a s t i c non-toxic resin, a very time-consuming and
expens i v e process.
.
-
The tank s i z e s used i n t h e MOP aquaria proJect consisted o f
( 1 ) 10-gallon, (2) 15-gallon, (2) 40-gallon, ( 1 ) 55-gallon, ( 1 )
85-gallon, and ( 1 ) 100 gallon.
The smaller tanks were used f o r freshwater aquaria and one
was used as a saltwater quarantine tank. The minimum s a l t w a t e r
s i z e recommended f o r beginners i s a 20-gallon tank.
Smaller
tanks tend t o f o u l much more r e a d i l y because they leave l i t t l e
margin f o r e r r o r f o r t h e physical and chemical changes t h a t
occur.
I n a l a r g e r volume o f water these changes occur l e s s
r a p i d l y , thus, t h e r e i s greater leeway f o r e r r o r .
Small tanks
a l so tend t o be overcrowded.
.CL
The s l z e s f o r freshwater aquaria I s n o t as c r i t i c a l .
Freshwater f i s h are less a c t i v e and generally produce l e s s waste
m a t e r i a l s t o f o u l t h e water q u a l l t y o f t h e l r envlronment.
Another f a c t o r t o consider I n s l z e s e l e c t i o n I s t h e welght
o f t h e f l l l e d tank. A g a l l o n o f seawater weighs nearly 8 1/2
pounds (8.34 pounds o r 3800 grams, t o be exact).
Therefore, a
exclusive o f
20-gallon
tank,
when f l l l e d w l t h seawater,
substrate mater i a l s (gravel, rocks, sand, etc. 1, decoratlons,
hood covers, I l g h t s , and o t h e r apparatus, weighs 170 pounds. A
g a l l o n of freshwater weighs s l i g h t l y less. (The g a l l o n capacity
o f t h e tank can be e a s i l y c a l c u l a t e d by m u l t l p l y l n g ( I n Inches)
t h e length tlmes t h e width tlmes t h e h e l g h t o f t h e tank and then
d l v l d l n g t h l s number by 231.)
I t I s imperative t h a t t h e support stand and t h e f l o o r area
under t h e stand be a b l e t o support t h e weight o f t h e tank BEFORE
it I s placed i n l o c a t l o n and f l l l e d w l t h water.
Thls was o f
prime consideration I n t h e l o c a t i o n o f t h e 100-gallon tank,
located I n t h e Marine Sclence B u l l d i n g
second f l o o r lobby.
T h i s tank, whan f u l l of water, 850 pounds o f seaweter, p l u s t h e
weight o f t h e other necessary adjuncts,
would e a s l l y t i p t h e
scales a t 1000 pounds. While it I s t r u e t h a t welght spread o u t
o r d i s t r i b u t e d over a l a r g e r area w l l l c r e a t e less s t r e s s than
w i l l t h e same welght I n a smaller area, t h e c o n s i d e r a t i o n o f
poundage o f t h e aquarium must be o f prime concern t o t h e
aquarlst.
--
-
Shape a f f e c t s t h e f l l t e r l n g capaclty o f t h e tank and,
therefore, t h e f Il t e r Ing capac ity and qua l l t y o f t h e water. The
more surface area o f t h e i n s l d e f i l t e r ( f i l t e r p l a t e s and
substrate m a t e r i a l coverlng t h e bottom o f t h e tank), t h e greater
w l l l be t h e f l l t e r l n g capacity o f t h e f i l t e r mediumand,
therefore, t h e greater t h e number o f f i s h which t h e tank can
A low f l a t tank has a g r e a t e r f i l t e r l n g
s a f e l y support.
capacity than a high-sided tank o f t h e same water capaclty.
Hlgh-sided tanks were n o t t e s t e d o r used I n t h e MOP aquaria
p r o j e c t t o make a comparlson o f t h e f i l t e r i n g capacity.
r"
F i l t e r Aid1
e l F i l t e r (RiotThls I s a p l a s t i c base-plate covering most o f t h e bottom o f
t h e tank t o r e s t r i c t substrate m a t e r i a l from golng underneath.
All
Base-plates come i n various s l z e s and configuratlons.
should have s l l t s o r spaces through which water can flow.
Most
p l a t e s come equipped w l t h one-Inch diameter a i r l l f t tubes o f
c l e a r p l a s t i c . Each a i r l i f t tube i s a l s o equipped w l t h end caps
and smal l e r (1/8 lnch diameter) Inner a l r i l f t tubes t o be used
i n conjunction w i t h t h e a i r pumps.
F l a t plates, 1/2 lnch height, a r e equlpped w l t h one o r two
tube wportholesw. These p l a t e s can be made more e f f e c t l v e ,
In
t h e t r a n s f e r o f water, by p l ac lng spacers (1/2 lnch PVC plpes) ,q
p l a s t i c tubing, p l e x l g l a s s s t r i p s , o r other s l m l l a r m a t e r i a l
under t h e p l a t e t o provide more area. Make sure t h a t these a r e
evenly d l s t r i b u t e d under t h e p l a t e s so t h a t t h e p l a t e s do n o t
*See Ciagram: 18 Supplement page
r~
nca*-
crack under t h e weight o f t h e s u b s t r a t e m a t e r i a l . T h i s method
was used I n t h e freshwater tanks and found t o be q u i t e adequate.
The other type o f p l a t e s have a "wavyw surface a t 1/2 t o 1
inch high elevation, and a r e equipped w i t h two t o f o u r l i f t - t u b e
portholes. T h l s increase o f e x t r a p o r t h o l e s i n t h e f i l t e r g i v e s
f l e x i b i l lty t o place t h e I i f t tubes I n more d e s i r a b l e positions.*2
T h l s proved t o be t h e case w i t h t h e S-55D tank i n t h e MOP
office.
I n May 1984, t h e replacement of t h e a i r pumps w i t h
o u t s i d e f i l t e r s was attempted.
They n o t only increased t h e
e f f i c i e n c y o f t h e tank, b u t also increased t h e a e s t h e t i c s o f t h e
tank. The f i l t e r p l a t e s w i t h i n t h e tank were equiped w i t h only
two a1r l 1f t tube portholes.
The presence o f t h e new outs1 de
power f i l t e r s caused t h e hood covers t o be t i p p e d a t an awkward
angle.
I n June 1984, a breakdown o f t h e tank was performed (see
s e c t i o n on tank breakdown procedures) w i t h t h e new f i l t e r p l a t e s
i n s t a l l e d , which had three-hole arrangements, thus, allowing
b e t t e r p o s l t i o n i n g o f t h e o u t s i d e power f i l t e r u n i t s and t h e
hood
covers
could
be placed i n t h e i r proper p o s i t i o n .
Consequently, t h i s increased t h e a e s t h e t i c appearance o f t h e
tank,
and reduced t h e r a t e o f evaporation o f t h e water. The
greater f l e x i b i l i t y i n a i r l i f t tube arrangements allowed by t h e
a d d i t i o n a l f i l t e r p l a t e portholes i s recommended when purchasing
f l l t e r plates.
F i l t e r p l ates and a i r l if t tubes can be constructed a t home *3
using p l a s t i c "eggcrate" as a l i g h t d i f f u s e r f o r b u i l t - i n
f l u o r e s c e n t l i g h t s and PVC pipes. These pipes can be c u t t o f i t
t h e s i z e o f t h e tank. Time r e s t r a i n t s prevented t h e attempt o f
homemade undergravel f i l t e r p l a t e s by MOP p r o j e c t members.
E u h L M d b
@*-
The f i l t e r media should cover 1 1/2 t o 2 inches i n depth
above t h e f i l t e r plate. The f i l t e r media houses organisms which
break down and change t h e composition o f p o t e n t i a l l y t o x i c
products. The media must be t h e proper s i z e t o perform t h l s
function.
The recommended s i z e I s 1/8 t o 3/16 inch i n diameter.
I f t o o small, anaerobic c o n d i t i o n s may r e s u l t ; i f t o o large, n o t
enough area e x i s t s f o r good b a c t e r i a l development.
Some animals,
such as wrasses,
bury themselves i n t h e
I f t h e aquarium
substrate m a t e r l a l a t n i g h t o r when frightened.
has such inhabitants, a f i n e r s u b s t r a t e (smaller diameter) must
be added t o t h e tank. Larger materials w l l l cause abrasions on
t h e f ish.
I f such animals are placed I n t h e tank, t h e f i l t e r media
must be s p e c i f i c a l l y arranged t o accomodate them. Place t h e
coarse m a t e r i a l (1/8 t o 3/16 inch i n diameter) on t h e f i l t e r
p l a t e s i n a l - i n c h t h i c k layer. Place a patch o f sand, about*4
1/3 t h e area o f t h e f i l t e r p l a t e s and about 1-inch t h i c k on t o p
o f t h e coarse layer. F i l l i n t h e r e s t o f t o p layer w i t h medium
I t i s important t h a t t h e sand n o t cover t h e
g r a i n material.
e n t l r e t o p layer because t h l s w i l l cause anaerobic c o n d i t i o n s i n
t h e bottom layer.
This patch o f sand w l l l g i v e t h e wrasses a
place t o w d i v e intow, and y e t t h e sand w l l l be somewhat
prevented from clogging t h e s l i t s / s l o t s i n t h e f i l t e r plates.
*See DLagrarr,s: 18 Supplement page
I n time, some sand may f i l t e r through b u t t h i s can be removed
v i a a hose placed down t h e a i r l i f t tube and suctioned out.
f il t e r
media:
marine gravel, crushed coral,
Marine
seashells, dolomite, and a l l m a t e r i a l s w i t h a calcium carbonate
composition i s recommended t o automatically c o r r e c t t h e pH i n
t h e water which w i l l change over time.
For freshwater aquaria, stream o r r i v e r rocks should be
used as t h e f i l t e r media. The use o f media intended f o r marine
aquaria I s n o t recommended because o f t h e calcareous nature o f
the material.
This w i l l break down more r a p i d l y i n freshwater
and may adversely a f f e c t t h e pH l e v e l I n t h e tank.
-
AlrPY! T u b l n a . a n d / o r J A t s l d A i r pumps were used t h e m a j o r i t y o f t h e time and on t h e
m a j o r i t y o f t h e tanks managed by t h i s p r o j e c t . A i r pumps
( S i l e n t Giant, Apollo, and Whisper, etc.) a r e commonly used by
most a q u a r i s t s and are t h e types recommended by aquarium
manuals. A i r pumps have been successful and a r e standard i n
most aquarium systems and aquarium nhow-tow books, b u t does have
a t l e a s t two problems: ( 1 ) they can be somewhat noisy; and (2)
they can be very messy around s a l t w a t e r tanks.
A prime complaint i s t h e s a l t deposits and carbonate layers
t h a t form on t h e outside surfaces o f t h e tank (I.e.,
lights,
tank walls, covers, and any area adjacent t o t h e tank). This i s
caused by t h e constant breaking o f a i r bubbles on t h e surface o f
t h e water. Wiping away t h i s e n c r u s t a t i o n I s a constant and
never-ending problem t h a t r e q u i r e s d a l l y maintenance.
Many aquar i s t s , nevertheless, w I l l choose t o use t h e a i r
pump method. (The MOP p r o j e c t i s most f a m i l i a r w i t h t h i s
method.)
Each a i r pump i s r a t e d as t o t h e g a l l o n capacity o f
c i r c u l a t i o n o r i t s r a t e o f a i r flow. The a i r pump capacity must
be matched t o t h e g a l l o n capacity o f t h e tank. The a d d i t i o n o f
more than one a i r pump i s sometimes r e q u i r e d t o c r e a t e t h e
necessary a i r - f l o w r a t e f o r a p a r t i c u l a r tank.
The a i r pumps add a i r t o t h e tank environment v i a tubing*5
attached t o t h e pumps a t one end, and t o an a i r s t o n e d i f f u s e r
i n s i d e t h e a i r l i f t tubes a t t h e other.
This a i r i s I n j e c t e d
i n t o t h e water as large numbers o f small a i r bubbles. The a i r
bubbles a t t h e bottom o f t h e a i r l i f t tubes a r e mixed w i t h t h e
water t h a t i s beneath t h e f i l t e r plate. As t h e a i r bubbles
r i s e , they c a r r y t h e water t o t h e surface v i a t h e a i r l i f t tubes,
w i t h t h e displaced water being replaced w i t h water f l o w i n g down
through t h e f i l t e r medium i n a constant circulation.
The e f f i c i e n c y o f t h e a i r bubbles can be increased by
decreasing t h e s i z e o f t h e bubbles and increases t h e numbers of
bubbles.
This can be done by t h e use o f various types of
It can a l s o be done by
a i r s t o n e s t o d i f f u s e t h e a i r bubbles.
increasing t h e number of a i r l i f t tubes and d i r e c t i n g t h e a i r
from t h e a i r pump t o a m u l t i p l e number of tubes by t h e use o f a
gang-valve,
designed i n a s e r i e s o f arrangements (2-way, 3-way,
4-way, etc.).
These gang-valves must be p a t i e n t l y adjusted t o
c r e a t e an even flow from each tube g i v i n g o f f small a i r bubbles.
*See Ciagams: 18 Supplement page
L e t t h e pumps run f o r about 30 mlnutes then check t h e flow
through t h e valves again.
The greater t h e number o f bubbles breaking on t h e surface
o f t h e water, t h e greater t h e oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange
can take place. But, o f course, t h i s constant breaking o f a i r
bubbles can cause t h e "escapew o f s a l t spray t o cover everything
outside o f t h e tank.
A l r pumps a r e f a i r l y easy t o clean and malntaln.
The
rubber diaphragm should be changed about every two years. The
two S i l e n t Giant a i r pumps MSG-1, XSG-2) which operate t h e S85A were serviced i n Sept. 1983. Two Apol l o a i r pumps were
purchased i n Jan. 1984 and t h e r e f o r e are due f o r service two
years hence.
-
A i r l i f t tubes, whether commercial or homemade, must be t h e
proper length t o e f f l c l e n t l y perform t h e l r function.
The tube
shout d reach from t h e bottom o f She tank t o a poi n t about 1/2
Inch below t h e a n t l c l p a t e d water surface
This w i l l allow t h e
placement o f an end cap o r o f a PVC elbow on t o p o f t h e tube t o
d i r e c t t h e flow o f a l r and water. With outside power f i l t e r s , * 6
t h e tube must be an inch above t h e a n t i c i p a t e d water level.
T h i s w l l l allow t h e power f i l t e r tube t o be placed Inside t h e
a i r l i f t tube.
( I n e i t h e r case t h e e x t r a f l l t e r portholes should
be capped t o prevent t h e f i l t e r media from fa1 1 ing under t h e
f l l t e r plates.)
-
Another method o f providing t h e needed aeration, and
a d d i t l o n a l l y , t h e f l l t e r l n g a c t i o n o f a i r c i r c u l a t i o n and water
c I r c u l a t l o n through t h e f l l t e r medium, i s w l t h t h e use o f an
I n May 84, two power f i l t e r s , o f t h e
outside power f 1 l t e r .
brand name Auto Flo, were added t o t h e S-55D tank.
I n June 84,
a Dynaflo 150 outslde f i l t e r was added t o t h e S-40H.
Both tanks
a t t h a t tlme,
had t h e i r a i r pumps removed. Power f i l t e r s
(canister type) have been employed w i t h t h e S-100F.
The outside power f i l t e r method has t h e advantage of:
(1)
q u i e t e r operation, ( 2 ) d r a s t l c a l l y reduce t h e s a l t encrustation
problem t h a t I s encountered w i t h a i r pumps, and ( 3 ) being used
as a mechanical, chanlcal, and t o a lesser degree, a b i o l o g i c a l
f II t r a t i o n fMthmh aid.
-
There are corner f 1 1 t e r s wh lch can be i n s t a l led i n s 1 de the*7
aquarium.
These can be used as an adjunct, i f t h e undergravel
f l l t e r I s not adequate, and a l s o I f t h e r e I s a desire t o provide
a d d i t i o n a l aeration and f i l t r a t i o n o f t h e water t o remove
dissolved organic p a r t i c l e s and/or medication. A combinatlon o f
a i r pumps, outslde f i l t e r s , and corner f i l t e r s can a l s o be used
t o provlde greater aeration.
*See Magrams: P a g ~1 9 Supplement
(
+
Covers
Tank covers
should cover t h e e n t i r e surface of t h e tank t o p
( 1 ) reduce evaporation o f water
especially
i n order to:
important i n s a l t w a t e r aquarlums i n maintaining t h e proper
s a l i n i t y o f t h e seawater, ( 2 ) reduce splash and spray from a i r
bubbles breaking a t t h e surface from t h e use o f a i r pumps, ( 3 )
e l i m i n a t e t h e introduction o f o u t s l d e contaminants,
such as
insects, objects, etc.,
and (4) prevent escape o f some
dust,
organ isms.
Some f i s h , when f r i g h t e n e d o r s t a r t l e d , w i l l jump o u t o f
t h e tank as has been t h e case i n w i t h some animals I n t h e F-40B
and t h e S-40H. Octopus and e e l s a l s o have a tendency t o escape
and t h e r e f o r e a very secure cover i s recommended. Although an
octopus has n o t been kept by t h e p r o j e c t members, an eel has
been a r e s i d e n t o f t h e S-85A tank since Jan. 1984 and he has
made no attempt t o crawl o u t o f t h e tank. Perhaps, he i s t o o
w e l l fed t o leave!
Hood covers can be made o u t o f a v a r l e t y o f materials, such
as g l a s s o r plexiglass, o r commercial p l a s t i c covers. A l l have
been used w i t h varying degrees o f success i n t h e p r o j e c t . There
a r e advantages and disadvantages t o each type.
--
I t I s strong, inexpenslve and has g r e a t c l a r i t y f o r
Glass:
above
the
tank
top.
Its
view lng t h e f i s h from
disadvantages i s t h a t i t s edges must be very c a r e f u l l y
beveled and polished o r a q u a r l s t s w i l l s u f f e r sharp c u t s on
I t can a l s o break e a s i l y .
I t must be c u t t o
t h e i r hands.
f i t t h e tank t o p and allow t h e f i s h t o be fed.
Plexlglass:
It does n o t break nor needs t o have pollshed
edges t o prevent cuts.
I t w i l l n o t break e a s l l y and it I s
I ightwetght.
But It scratches easler than g l a s s and very
large pieces i n t h i n n e r sheets, w i l l bow when t h e weight o f
t h e l i g h t i s placed on t o p (unless supports a r e placed
I t a l s o must be c u t t o f i t tank and c u t t o
underneath).
allow f o r feeding o f f i s h .
Commercial p l a s t i c covers: They can be purchased ready f i t
f o r i n d l v l d u a l tanks and g l v e a f i n l s h e d look. They have a
hinged door f o r viewlng and feeding. The only disadvantage
t h e most expens i v e o f t h e hood covers.
i s the1 r c o s t
--
Liahts
-
L i g h t s simulate s u n l i g h t I n natural wavelengths I n a
c o n t r o l l e d manner, f o r growth o f healthy tank algae and t o
enhance t h e beauty o f t h e tank environment by enhancing t h e
c o l o r o f t h e f i s h and a i d i n g I n viewlng t h e inhabitants.
There are various types o f l i g h t s and l i g h t arrangements
which can be used.
The f l o u r e s c e n t type l l g h t s a r e most
commonly used as they produce l i t t l e heat and come I n t h e
n a t u r a l spectrum ( d a y l i g h t ) . Bulbs of
2 t o 4 watts,
with
r e f l e c t o r , should be ample f o r most aquaria requirements. These
a r e t h e types which were i n s t a l l e d on a l l t h e MOP aquariums.
They have been found t o be adequate f o r t h e i r intended purposes,
although they do n o t provide enough l i g h t f o r t h e growing o f
l i v e c o r a l s o r l i v e p l a n t s over a long p e r i o d o f time. A more
intense l i g h t (such as a d d i t i o n a l spot o r f l o o d l i g h t s ) f o r j u s t
t h i s purpose, has n o t been t e s t e d by t h i s p r o j e c t .
Most
incandescent l i g h t s produce t o o much heat t o be s a f e l y used.
A t i m e r t o c o n t r o l d u r a t i o n o f l i g h t on each f i x t u r e I s
s t r o n g l y recommended. F i s h do b e s t when t h e d u r a t i o n o f l i g h t
each day remains constant o r changes very slowly. F i s h should
have 8 t o 10 hours o f darkness everyday. P l a n t s I . . , algae)
need l i g h t i n order t o photosynthesize.
The covering o f t h e tanks (and t h e t u r n i n g o f f o f t h e
l i g h t s ) during t h e evenlng hours when students were I n t h e
lounge has n o t always been successful, as It i s impossible f o r
t h e aquaria p r o j e c t members t o be on t h e premises every evening
a t 7 o r 8 o'clock t o add t h e covers, and then t o remove them i n
t h e mornings and t u r n on t h e tank I i g h t s . T h i s has proved t o be
e n t i r e l y impossible on Saturdays and Sundays when t h e f i s h
received no a u x i i l i a r y l i g h t i n g during t h e day.
Timers have n o t been used due t o a v a r i e t y o f reasons.
(1)
Hood l i g h t s t h a t a r e a c t i v a t e d by a "push i n w t y p e button, w l l l
n o t f u n c t i o n w i t h a timer. As these are t h e only type o f l i g h t s
t h a t t h e MOP aquaria has, no t i m e r s were used.
( 2 ) Budget
l i m i t a t i o n s , t h e purchase o f t i m e r s and o f hood l i g h t s o f t h e
type t h a t * t w i s t onw, have prevented t h e use o f such devices.
Timers would g r e a t l y enhance t h e q u a l l t y o f l i f e f o r t h e
aquaria i n h a b i t a n t s by c o n t r o l l i n g t h e d a y l i g h t / n l g h t l l g h t hours
o f operation, b u t u n t i l a way can be found t o encourage students
using t h e lounge during t h e evenlng hours (when t h e roan l i g h t s
w i l l be on), t o place t h e provided covers f o r t h e tanks, t h e
f i s h w f l l n o t f u n c t i o n a t optimum level. L i g h t s t h a t come on
suddenly, o r o f f suddenly, o r l i g h t t h a t continues t o f u n c t i o n
will
without t h e required 8 t o 10 hours o f darknesq
c r e a t e an environment o f s t r e s s f o r t h e f i s h .
Stress 1s a
predisposing f a c t o r i n many diseases.
DECOR
Decoratlons, such as plants, c o r a l heads,
lava rock,
pumice, t u f f , large she1 Is, and r i v e r o r stream rocks ( i n
freshwater aquar ia 1, g r e a t l y enhance t h e beauty o f t h e tanks and
will
provide
a
more
natural environment f o r t h e tank
Inhabitants. Thls can a s s i s t i n maintaining a less s t r e s s f u l
environment f o r them and, therefore, a more successful aquarium.
I n s a l t w a t e r aquariums, make sure t h a t nothing added has
any m e t a l l i c parts. Corals and s h e l l s (empty and devoid o f any
animals) can be cleaned e a s i l y w i t h a high-powered water j e t
stream when removed frcm wster, b u t BEFORE becoming dry.
This
w i l l remove nearly a l l of t h e animal ( c o r a l polyp) o f t h e c o r a l
and any d e b r i s o r organisms t h a t may be h i d i n g w i t h i n t h e
crevices.
Coral can a l s o be soaked I n a 50% c h l o r i n e bleach
s o l u t i o n f o r 1/2 hour t o a day u n t i l they a r e clean and as w h i t e
(-
L
as desired. Rinse VERY well, and place i n t h e sun t o dry f o r a
week o r more u n t i l no c h l o r i n e smell can be detected. This i s
t h e method which t h e p r o j e c t members used as access t o a highpowered water J e t was n o t available.
I f t h e s h e l l s smell l i k e dead animals, soak I n p l n e o i l o r
c h l o r i n e bleach solution, r i n s e well, and dry i n t h e sun f o r a
week o r more u n t i l no odor can be detected. T h i s cannot be
emphasized t o o strongly; a l l t r a c e s o f c h l o r i n e or p l n e o i l must
be gone from coral, lava, shells, etc., before p l a c i n g i n tank.
I f n o t thorough Iy removed, a t o x i c agent w 1 1 l be added t o the
water which w i l l completely d i s r u p t t h e b i o l o g i c a l processes
t h a t a r e i d e a l l y occurlng I n t h e tank. The death o f many f i s h
have occurred t h i s way, although none I n t h e MOP aquaria due t o
t h e c a r e f u l procedures i n r i n s i n g and sun d r y i n g o f c h l o r l n e c l eaned decor.
Freshwater rocks, d r i f t w o o d (from freshwater streams o r
r i v e r s ) can be r i n s e d and scrubbed very thoroughly w l t h a s t i f f
brush t o clean. A d d i t i o n a l l y ,
they can be s c r u b b d w l t h z
s o l u t l o n o f baking soda and then r i n s e d thoroughly.
I t I s not
recommended t o dry t h e d r i f t w o o d I n t h e sun f o r it w i l l ndry
o u t w and f l o a t i n t h e tank instead o f l y i n g along t h e bottom o r
propped a t an angle on some l a r g e rocks among t h e plants.
The
rocks and d r i f t w o o d i n t h e freshwater tanks I n t h e MOP lounge
were a l l gathered i n t h e Manoa Stream behind t h e U n i v e r s i t y and
a f t e r cleaning I n t h e above recommended methods, were placed i n
t h e tanks. They have g r e a t l y enhanced t h e beacty of t h e aqb3ria
and have given t h e i n h a b i t a n t s a more natural environment i n
which t o l ive.
Water
i
Water f o r t h e freshwater tanks can be used d i r e c t l y from
t h e water taps.
Honolulu water I s very clean and i s n o t
chlorinated, and therefore, does n o t need t o s i t f o r 24 hours o r
more t o allow t h e e l i m i n a t i o n o f c h l o r i n e gas t o escape t h e
water molecules.
Water f o r t h e s a l t w a t e r tanks was normally obtained from
t h e Waikiki Aquarium.
They provide a pub1 i c s e r v i c e o f f r e e
f i l t e r e d seawater,to e l l t h a t ask,bet#een t h e hours o f 10 t o 4,
Monday through Friday. This water i s f i l t e r e d through c o r a l and
rock and drawn up a w e l l f o r use a t a faucet adjacent t o t h e
Aquarium. The method t h a t t h e p r o j e c t used f o r o b t a i n i n g water
from t h e Waikiki Aquarium i s explained i n t h e s e c t i o n on
Maintenance.
Thls water can be used immediately, and u s u a l l y was,
when
making t h e monthly water changes o r when s e t t i n g up a new tank.
But, t h e water can e l s o be stored i n a cool, dark place f o r up
t o t h r e e weeks and s t i l l used i f aerated an hour o r so b e f c r e
p l a c i n g i n t h e tank.
The purpose o f using water a t a l a t e r date than when
( 1 ) stored water I s r e a d i l y
I n i t i a l l y taken I s two-fold:
available I n case of emergency o r f o r l a t e r convenience I n time
r e s t r a i n t s ; and (2) stored water i n dark containers and without
an oxygen source, w i l I usually have less possible pathogenic
organisms t o introduce i n t o t h e tank. Water has been kept up t o
t e n days and then safely used i n t h e MOP aquaria. A longer
period o f time was not tested because of lack o f storage space
t o keep t h e containers o f water i n t h e MSB (Marine Science
Building).
Two other sources o f seawater were used during t h i s
proJect.
One source was from t h e large seawater storage tank
located on t h e r o o f o f t h e MSB. This tank had been r e c e n t l y
f i l l e d w i t h seawater and was o f f e r e d f o r use by t h e Oceanography
Department i n t h e guise o f Dr. Richard Young. Ten g a l l o n s o f
t h i s water was used t o s t a r t a quarantlne tank f o r newly
acquired f i s h .
Within 24 hours, every f i s h l n t h e quarantlne
tank had died. The chemistry o f t h e water was t e s t e d and found
t o contain a n i t r i t e level o f over 15 ppm. This i s c e r t a i n l y
f a r i n excess o f t h e recommended level of 1 ppm o r less.
Obviously t h e water I n t h e r o o f
storage
had
been
contaminated by t h e construction m a t e r i a l s o f t h e tank and t h e
l i n e s leading t o and from t h e tank. This water had not been
used before, and therefore, no one knew or even suspected t h a t
do
t h i s water would n o t be safe t o use. A lesson was learned:
n o t ever use a new water source f o r t h e tanks u n t i l t h e water
q u a l i t y has been checked.
The tank on t h e roof would be t h e Ideal s o l u t l o n t o
transporting
water t o t h e MOP aquaria, b u t u n t l l it i s
thoroughly cleaned and r e - f i l l e d w i t h "safev seawater, it cannot
be used. The MOP aquaria p r o j e c t members have volunteered t o
a s s l s t Dr. Young w i t h t h i s p r o j e c t and hopefully it can be
accomplished soon.
Another source o f water was
obtained
from
Anuenue
Fisheries.
They have a large diameter pipe t h s t l i e s along t h e
ocean f l o o r extending out some distance from t h e i r f a c i l i t y .
It
i s pumped inland v i a a powerful pump.
This water q u a l i t y ,
chemically, was o f t h e 1 pprn o r less n i t r a t e level, but because
t h e pump t h a t b r i n g s t h e water i n t o t h e F i s h e r i e s f a c i l i t y i s so
powerful, it brings large q u a n t i t i e s o f d i r t along w i t h t h e
water.
To use t h i s water a complex system o f f i l t e r i n g would
have t o be employed t o remove t h e brown mud l y i n g a t t h e bottom
o f t h e containment b a r r e l s and suspended I n t h e water. This
source was used only once.
Hvdromerter
The hydrometer I s a device f o r measuring t h e amount o f s a l t
s o l u t i o n I n t h e water.
It i s sometimes r e f e r r e d t o as s p e c i f i c
g r a v i t y . There are two types o f hydrometers t h a t have been used
(a) F l o a t i n g hydrometer (may be p o r t a b l e o r *8
i n t h i s project:
remain i n tank a t a l l times): This i s f l o a t e d l n t h e water and
a reading I s made on t h e stem.
( S p e c i f i c g r a v l t y should be read
a t t h e bottom of t h e curve o f t h e meniscus, level w i t h t h e
surface o f t h e water (see d lagram) 1, and ( b > Portable Hydrometer *9
box: This type of hydrometer i s f i l l e d w l t h water and a movable
lever r e g i s t r s t h e speci f i c grav i t y on a scel e engraved cn t h e
*See Eagams:
Page 19 Supplement
face of t h e b o x - l i k e p l a s t i c container.
It does n o t measure
temperature.
Pure freshwater should have a s p e c i f i c g r a v i t y of 1.000
because it should have no dissolved s a l t s . Seawater should have
1.027.
The
a s p e c i f i c g r a v i t y o f 1.024 w i t h a range o f 1.023
range i n s a l i n i t y i n seawater r e s u l t s from t h e evaporation o f
water i n t h e aquaria w i t h s a l t s being l e f t behind i n t h e
remaining water.
See section on s a l i n i t y .
Most hydrometers a l s o c o n t a i n a thermaneter, b u t i n Hawail,
without t h e strong temperature f l u c t u a t i o n s ,
there I s l i t t l e
need f o r a thermaneter unless t h e tank i s placed i n an a l r conditioned room ( t o which a tank heater w i t h thermostat can be
added), o r near a very sunny west window which may r a i s e t h e
temperature t o unsuitable levels. Temperature can range from
between 65 t o 85 degrees Fahrenheit f o r t r o p i c a l fishes.
Both types o f hydrometers were used and although t h e
f l o a t i n g type can be l e f t i n t h e tank, it i s more d i f f i c u l t t o
read especially by inexperienced people. The box type I s e a s i l y
read a t a glance without p o s s i b i l i t y o f e r r o r .
-
SETTING UP M E AQUARIUM
d C h e m g f o r L*:
The new tank should be scrubbed w i t h s a l t and/or baking
soda s o l u t i o n t o c l e a n . l t of any residue. Used tanks can a l s o
be cleaned t h i s way, and an a d d i t i o n a l s o l u t i o n o f weak m u r i a t i c
a c i d can be used t o s t e r i l i z e t h e tank from any organisms t h a t
may l i n g e r i n t h e c r e v i c e s of t h e tank seams.
I n e i t h e r case,
t h e tanks should be thoroughly r i n s e d w i t h f r e s h water before
using.
I t I s recommended t h a t t h e tank be f i l l e d w i t h water
outside o f t h e set-up area t o check f o r leaks.
I f t h e tank has
any leaks it can be e a s i l y repaired w i t h s i l i c o n e sealant made
especial l y f o r aquariuo
use.
Make sure t h a t t h i s type o f
sealant i s used as o t h e r types o f s l l icone sealants
on t h e
market c o n t a i n m a t e r i a l s t o x i c t o t h e aquarium inhabitants.
The tank must be thoroughly dry and t h e area t o be sealed
must be cleaned w i t h acetone t o remove any o i l y residues which
may a f f e c t t h e bonding q u a l i t i e s o f t h e s i l i c o n e . Apply a t h i n
l i n e o f sealant and allow it t o dry according t o t h e d i r e c t i o n s
on t h e container. A f t e r t h e tank has dried, add water again t o
This method
t h e tank t o v e r i f y t h a t t h e leak had been fixed.
was used on t h e s a l t w a t e r 100-gallon tank (S-100F) t o seal a
small leak located on t h e upper r i g h t f r o n t s i d e where t h e g l a s s
meets t h e frame; it was a sucessful bonding.
Caution should always be taken when moving any tank,
e s p e c i a l l y one t h a t i s p a r t i a l l y f i l l e d w i t h water and/or
substrate m a t e r i a l . S h i f t i n g movements Incurred i n t h e t r a n s f e r
o f t h e tank creates s t r e s s on t h e
s t r u c t u r a l 1ntegr it y o f
I t i s best t o decide where t h e tank w i l l be be
t h e tank seams.
permanently placed f o r display and then l e f t alone.
The S-55D
( i n t h e MOP o f f i c e ) had been moved t o t h r e e d i f f e r e n t l o c a t i o n s
w i t h i n t h e year t h a t it was s e t up, and because o f t h e g r e a t
care care taken, it has produced o n l y a small leak.
Stand, and A i r Pvmp
Avoid p l a c i n g t h e tank i n t h e d i r e c t s u n l i g h t . D i r e c t
s u n l l g h t coming i n t o t h e tank creates rampant algae growth t h a t
may be d i f f i c u l t t o c o n t r o l . The S-85A ( I n t h e MOP Lounge) has
a g r e a t amount of s u n l i g h t e n t e r i n g through t h e end o f t h e tank,
producing a continuous heavy brown algae growth on t h e g l a s s
w a l l s w i t h i n a few days a f t e r removal. Also t h e d i r e c t s u n l i g h t
w i l l cause t h e temperature of t h e water t o increase. The other
constderation regarding t h e placement o f t h e tank i s t h e d r a f t
o f t h e a l r conditioner, which c h i l l s t h e water.
I n general,
avoid areas where t h e r e a r e l i k e l y t o be g r e a t f l u c t u a t i o n s i n
temperature as t h i s causes s t r e s s t o t h e f i s h .
Make sure t h e r e i s easy access t o t h e tank f o r feeding,
cleaning, water changes and general maintenance o f t h e tank once
It I s placed i n p o s i t i o n .
The support stand, whether o f metal, wood, o r concrete
blocks, must be strong enough t o support t h e weight of t h e
f 1 l l ed tank. Remember, a ga l Ion o f seawater we i g k s about 8 1/2
pounds. Additional support f o r t h e bottom o f t h e tank can be *lo
made by p l a c i n g a piece of styrofoam w i t h i n t h e area o f t h e
underside of t h e tank.
I t should n o t be t h i c k e r than t h e space
under t h e tank bottom o r it w i l l c r e a t e s t r e s s ( I n an upward
direction).
The a i r pump i s normally placed i n a p o s i t i o n above t h e
tank t o prevent t h e accidental d r a i n i n g o f water i n t o t h e pump
during a power f a i l u r e . This i s n o t always possible, and unless
it can be stored o u t of s i g h t it d e t r a c t & from t h e appearance
o f t h e aquarium display. An a l t e r n a t e l o c a t i o n f o r t h e pump can
be below t h e tank stand. Merely p l ace a loop i n t h e a1r tub ing *I1
l i n e above t h e t o p o f t h e tank t o prevent t h e accidental
backflow o f water i n t o t h e pump (see diagram). This method
proved s a t i s f a c t o r y w i t h t h e MOP aquaria p r o j e c t during two
power outages (Hurricane Iwa and Black F r i d a y ) .
-
A f t e r thoroughly washing w i t h clean water, i n s t a l l t h e
undergravel f i l t e r p l a t e s and t h e a i r l i f t tubes i n t h e aquarium.
The p l a t e s should cover t h e bottom o f t h e tank t o t h e edges t o
prevent any small animals from c r a w l i n g underneath and p o l l u t i n g
t h e water i f they should d i e there, as w e l l as preventing any
gravel, sand, and o t h e r substrate m a t e r i a l s from s l i d i n g under.
Wash t h e gravel, sand, or freshwater pebbles w i t h tap water
o r use a weak s o l u t i o n o f m u r i a t i c a c i d t o remove any pathogenic
organisms.
I n e i t h e r case. s u b s t r a t e m a t e r i a l should be r i n s e d
thorough l y
D i s t r i b u t e it over t h e f i l t e r p l a t e s t o a depth o f about 1
1/2 t o 2 1/2 inches. This substrate m a t e r i a l n o t only forms t h e
basis f o r t h e b i o l o g i c a l f i l t r a t i o n , b u t i n a d d i t i o n f u n c t i o n s
t o a d j u s t t h e pH i n s a l t w a t e r aquariums. The substrate m a t e r i a l
must be t h e proper s i z e t o allow enough surface area t o promote
t h e development o f n i t r i f y i n g bacteria. Substrate should range
i n s i z e from 1/8 t o 3/16 inch diameter, unless you a r e adding a
f i n e r sand layer over t h e t o p p o r t i o n o f t h e substrate f o r
wrasses and other organisms who need t h i s s h e l t e r protection.
.
v
Place t h e l a r g e s t piecesof t h e decor
(coral heads, rocks,
on
t h e substrate med iurn
and
other
large
decorati ons)
(gravel/pebbles).
Add t h e water v i a a siphon hose, buckets,
and/or pump. A l l f i l l t h e tank, b u t t h e pump w i l l make t h e Job
more e f f i c i e n t and less messy. The water i s poured nrac t h e
decor i n order n o t t o d i s t u r b t h e even d i s t r i b u t i o n o f t h e
substrate materials. When t h e tank i s 3/4 f u l l ,
add whatever
*See Diagrams: Page 19 Supplement
\
Jc
a d d l t l o n a l decorations deslred f o r t h e tanks beauty and t h e
enjoyment o f t h e animals. Complete t h e f l l l l n g o f t h e tank;
t u r n on t h e pump and allow t o r u n f o r 24 hours so t h a t t h e
suspended sedlment can s e t t l e and t h e water becomes clear.
Outside power f i l t e r s can be used, but must not contaln any
a c t i v a t e d carbon I n t h e f l l t e r u n t i l t h e tank has been running
f o r a few days.
Carbon hinders t h e l n l t i a l development of
n i t r i f y i n g bacteria. A l l of t h e MOP aquariums were s t a r t e d I n
t h l s manner and have proven t o be q u i t e s a t i s f a c t o r y .
-
I
*P
A t f Ir s t ,
lntroduce only one o r two very hardy types o f
f l s h and/or Invertebrates t o t h e aquarium.
Members o f t h e
damsel family (e.g.,
~ v I I au
l b i s e l l a ; whlte-spotted damsel),
and hermit crabs o r b r i t t l e sea s t a r s a r e good animals t o begln
t h e tank.
New animals, whlch were from d i f f e r e n t water environments,
must be gradually acclimatized t o t h e aquariumls temperature,
pH, s a l l n l t y , etc. Thls can be e a s i l y accomplished by c a r e f u l l y
t r a n s f e r r l n g them and t h e water they a r r i v e d I n t o a clean r l g l d
p l a s t i c container whlch can be f l o a t e d I n t h e aquarium.
After allowing s u f f i c i e n t tlme f o r t h e temperature t o
e q u i l i b r a t e , about 15 t o 20 minutes, begln adding tank water t o
t h e conta iner. Every 10 t o 15 minutes, add a vol ume o f tank
water about equal t o 1/5 t h e volume of t h e container. The
container must be large enough t o add t h l s water and y e t remain
f l o a t i n g w i t h t h e a d d l t l o n a l water added during t h l s tlme. Thls
w i l l normally take one t o two hours t o safely accllmatlze t h e
f l s h . You may now add t h e f i s h t o t h e tank by gently t l p p l n g
t h e container and allowlng t h e f l s h t o swlm out l n t o t h e i r new
home.
Thls may seem i l k e a long and time-consuming process t o
perform each and every tlme new f l s h are placed l n t o t h e tank,
b u t t h e rewards w i l l be t h e reduction o f environmental s t r e s s
t h a t f l s h w l l l have t o endure, thereby ensuring h e a l t h i e r f l s h .
Flsh, whether bought from t h e pet store, from a f r i e n d ' s
tank or captured from t h e ocean, must be quarantined f o r a f u l l
three-week period p r i o r t o lntroduclng them t o t h e main dlsplay
tank.
Thls process o f a c c l l m a t i z a t l o n
must
occur
when
introducing f l s h t o t h e quarantine tank as w e l l as t h e dlsplay
tank.
THE FILTER SYSTEM
Filtration provldes a powerful t o o l f o r processing waste
products, t h a t otherwise p o l l u t e t h e aquarlum and k i l l t h e
Inhabltants, as well as keeplng water c r y s t a l clear.
Filter
systems remove coarse and suspended d e t r i t u s , which I s t h e
and
source of many of t h e undersirable substances I n t h e water,
remove organlc substances t h a t cannot be f u r t h e r broken down by
bacter Ia.
Many types o f f l l t e r systems e x i s t ; a l l a i d I n e l t h e r
mechanlcal, b i o l o g l c a l o r chemical f l l t r a t l o n , and some a l s o
accomplish more than one f l l t r a t l o n method. A l l t h r e e methods
a r e important t o water q u a l i t y and healthy f i s h .
The undergravel f l l t e r i s recommended f o r a l l tanks. Thls
I s where t h e b l o l o g l c a l f l l t r a t l o n process occurs and I s most
Important t o t h e health o f t h e tank, and was I n s t a l l e d on a l l o f
t h e MOP aquariums.
There are two types o f a l d s t o t h e undergravel f ll t e r
system. One I s an a l r pump a l d i n g t h e mechanical aspects o f
flltratlon.
The other i s a power f l l t e r a l d l n g t h e rnechanlcal,
Both
chemlcal, and t o a lesser degree, b i o l o g l c a l f l l t r a t l o n .
types were used, w i t h success, I n t h e MOP Aquaria Project.
-
F lLTRAT ION METHODS
The removal o f coarse d i r t p a r t i c l e s suspended I n t h e tank
excrement, uneaten food, bottom d e t r l t u s , etc.
takes
water
place i n t h e mechanlcal f l l t e r ,
which removes t h e coarse
particles from t h e water passlng through it I n t h e fashion o f a
flne-meshed sleve.
There are various f i l t e r medlums, some o f
whlch conslsts o f dacron floss, nylon floss, polyurethane foam,
and P o l y F l l t e r pads. These a r e layered I n t h e outslde f i l t e r
u n i t o r inside t h e corner-box u n i t .
This type o f mechanlcal f l l t e r must be cleaned frequently
by washing t h e f l l t e r f l o s s o r other materlal under t h e
It I s recommended t h a t t h i s be done on a weekly
freshwater tap.
basis, and changed e n t i r e l y w i t h t h e monthly water change
operation.
I n t h i s way, large amounts o f d e t r i t u s I s removed
from t h e aquarium before decomposition s e t s in.
The mechanlcal f i l t e r can a l s o a c t as chemlcal f i l t e r w i t h * l 2
t h e a d d l t i o n o f activated carbon between t h e layers o f f l l t e r
f l o s s materlal.
A new type o f f l l t e r medlum, P o l y F i l t e r (Blo Marine) has
been used I n t h e S-55D which has a longer Ilfe-span and I s more
e f f l c l e n t i n removlng harmful materlal from t h e water.
--
*See Diagrams:
Page 19 Supplement
--
Inside corner-units were used p r i m a r i l y i n t h e freshwater
tanks (F-15C and F-40B) since t h e under-substrate f i l t e r p l a t e s
f o r those tanks were not adequate f o r proper water c i r c u l a t i o n .
Outside f i l t e r u n i t s were i n s t a l led on t h e S-40H and S-55D (May
19841, and t h e S-100F (July 19841, which should prove t o be
q u i t e successful i n maintaining water c l a r i t y .
Mechan ica I f II ters, whether i n s ide o r outs ide, can a l so
f u n c t i o n as a b i o l o g i c a l f i l t e r i f It operates long enough
between cleanings (or i s r i n s e d i n seawater f o r saltwater
aquariums),
This prevents t h e k i l i i n g o f t h e n i t r i f y i n g
b a c t e r i a i n t h e f l o s s material. T h i s b i o l o g i c a l f i l t e r medium
can be very important t o conserve e s p e c i a l l y during a period
when a tank i s t o undergo r a d i c a l tank break-down and cleaning.
This method was used i n t h e break-down o f t h e S-55D during i t s
r e l o c a t i o n from t h e MSB Lobby t o t h e MOP o f f f l c e i n November
1983, and again during t h e r a d i c a l cleaning and equipment
m o d l f i c a t l o n done June 1984.
The f II t e r mater la1 was kept immersed i n seawater t o
prevent t h e dying-off o f t h e n i t r i f y i n g bacteria.
The f i l t e r
medium, a f t e r t h e cleaning operation, was then r e - i n s t a l l e d i n
t h e f l l t e r box wlthout r l n s i n g . This gives t h e tank a "seedn o f
"goodn b a c t e r i a t o re-establ ish i t s e l f t o t h e proper b a c t e r i a l
l e v e l s t o handle waste m a t e r i a l s from t h e animals i n t h e tank.
-
Chem ica I
f iIt r a t 1on
removes
d issol ved compounds and
elements from t h e aquarium water. There are four basic chemical
f i l t r a t i o n methods commonly used. These are: a c t i v a t e d carbon,
ion exchange resin, p r o t e i n
skimming
(airstripping)
and
o x l d a t l o n through ozonation.
Activated carbon removes dissolved compounds and elements
from the aquarium water,
because each carbon g r a i n contains
microscopic pores.
These pores absorb dissolved compounds o f
various organic and inorganic substances from t h e water and t r a p
them so they no longer present a problem. When a l l t h e pores
are f i l l e d , t h e carbon i s deactivated and f u n c t i o n s only as a
biological f l l t e r . This takes q u i t e some tlme, depending on t h e
f i l t e r i n g load.
Because carbon absorbs dissolved compounds, it must be kept
i n an a i r t i g h t container when not i n actual use o r it w i t I be
useless as a chemlcal f i l t e r when placed i n t h e f i l t e r box.
Deactivated carbon should n o t be recycled. During t h e monthly
water changes it I s best t o replace t h e carbon i n t h e f l l t e r .
Caution
must be taken i n using a c t i v a t e d carbon on
invertebrate tanks because invertebrates seem t o be
more
dependent on t r a c e elements than do vertebrates. Carbon can be
used w i t h greater frequency on vertebrate tanks, e s p e c i a l l y
older carbon (which i s b e t t e r than new carbon because it r e t a i n s
t h e capacity t o remove large organic molecules a f t e r I t s
a f f l n l t y f o r simpler compounds has diminished).
Sane a u t h o r i t i e s be1 leve t h a t aquariums should be given
frequent r e s t s from carbon filtration, e s p e c i a l l y Immediately
a f t e r water changes.
None of t h e MOP aquarla have had carbon
f i l t r a t i o n f o r long enough periods o f time t o determine whether
long-term use adversely a f f e c t s t h e anlmal s. But, I n a homec o n t r o l tank, a c t i v a t e d carbon has been used on a d a l l y b a s l s
f o r a p e r i o d o f e l g h t years, and a l l animals a r e very healthy.
Some o f t h e t h l n g s t h a t a c t i v a t e d carbon w l l l remove, t o
some extent, are: oxygen and carbon d i o x i d e ( b u t n o t enough t o
a f f e c t a well-aerated aquarium), copper, ozone, chlorine, many
a n t l b l o t i c s , some dlssolved p r o t e i n s and carbohydrates,
lodlne,
mercury, vanadium, chromium, cobalt, Iron, molybdenum, methylene
blue, malachlte green, s u l f a drugs and organlc dyes.
Most compounds a r e n o t completely removed by a c t i v a t e d
carbon, but a r e reduced I n concentration t o v a r l a b l e extents,
depending on t h e f i l l e d pores-spaces o f t h e carbon. Some
organlc dyes), w h i l e others
compounds a r e e a s i l y removed (e.g.,
(e.g.,
mercury) a r e more d l f f l c u l t o r lmposslble f o r carbon t o
e f f e c t i v e l y remove from t h e water.
It
Do n o t use a c t i v a t e d carbon on t h e quarantlne tank.
w l l l remove t h e medicatlon t h a t was placed I n t h e water t o t r e a t
I f t h e maln dlsplay tank has been treated, t h l s
t h e animal.
process can be used t o remove t h e medication p r l o r t o t h e
a d d l t l o n o f Invertebrates. Most invertebrates a r e I n t o l e r a n t o f
medlcatlon.
-
Ion
exchange, p r o t e l n skimming and o x i d a t i o n through
ozonatlon have n o t been t e s t e d by t h l s p r o j e c t because o f t h e i r
compl e x l t y , and I n some ways, expense, t h i s p r o j e c t was n o t
prepared t o accept.
The other types of f l l t r a t l o n a r e Important and h e l p f u l ,
b u t biological f i l t r a t i o n I s o f upmost Importance t o t h e
aquarlum and i t s healthy function.
There a r e basic types o f contaminants i n aquarium water
suspended physical p a r t i c l e s and dissolved chemlcal compounds.
Physlcal particles vary I n size; t h e
dissolved
chemlcal
compounds may o r l g l n a t e I n s i d e o r o u t s i d e t h e tank.
Dissolved chemical contaminants normally a r e created from
t h e metabolic waste m a t e r l a l s o f t h e l n h a b l t a n t s and from
bacterial a c t i v l t y o f t h e organlc waste matter produced i n t h e
tank.
These dissolved chemical compounds Include ammonla,
n l tr l t e , n l t r a t e , urea, proteins, amlnes, f a t t y acld, phenols,
and dyes. Outside chemical compounds may be:
I n s e c t spray,
p a i n t fumes, soap and perfume on t h e hands o f t h e careless
aquar i s t .
Biological f l l t r a t i o n I s t h e transformation o f these t o x i c
waste substance, p r l m a r i l y ammonia, I n t o r e l a t i v e l y non-toxic
substances through t h e a c t i v l t y o f I l v l n g organlsms,
prlmarily
nitrifying
bacteria.
Waste
products,
(undigested food,
I n t e s t i n a l bacterla, carbon dloxlde, and n f t r o g e n wastes from
utilization o f p r o t e i n and normal breakdown o f body c e l l s ) a r e
produced by every tank I n h a b i t a n t and must be e l l m l n a t e d by t h a t
lnhabltant.
--
The biological f i I ter does not BF!XU
these waste
substances from the water; it only CHANGES them to a form less
harmful to tank inhabitants during the nitrogen cycle. Because
it only reduces these waste substance's toxicity, the need for
periodic water changes is mandatory.
The carbon dioxide content of the aquarium remains stable
despite the constant production by the animals and utilization
by algae. Some of the C02 passes back and forth with the
atmosphere via exchange at the surface with the aid of aeration
at the surface of the tank water. The remainder is either taken
up by algae or enters tn an ion equ.ilibrium whlch.affects the pH
of the aquarium.
The solid wastes of fish and invertebr tes, uneaten food,
dead an ima l s(und i scovered by the aquar i ast! ! l l affect the pH
acidlty/alkalinity balance
of the water.
These wastes are
attacked by aerobic bacteria during the nitrogen cycle, decaying
the dead matter and producing ammonia from the decomposed
protein (i.e., mmonificatlon). In high concentrations, ammonia
is toxic.
The maJor source of ammonia in a well-run aquarium is from
the nitrogen wastes of the animals. They must rid themselves of
the toxic material In thelr blood, which is formed from the
break-down of proteins. Fish rid themselves of waste nitrogen
primarily through their gills into the surrounding water.
These two sources of tox ic sol ub l e ammon I a (deri ved [rom the
activity of decay bacteria and animal excretion), must be
compensated for or the water environment will become unhealthy
for the tank inhabitants. This is where the biological filter
earns its worth.
Nitrify ing aerob ic bacteria (requiring oxygen) have the
capacity to oxldize ammonia. The substrate material provides a
surface for the bacteria to colonize. The bacteria genera are
blitr0smu.s and Nitr-.
Nltrosomonas ox id izes ammonia to
nitrite, and then N i t r m changes nitrite to nitrate.
The 1 ntermed i ate product, nitr ite (%kt2), is a l so tpx ic but
less so than ammonia. The end product, nitrate (NI-QI, is
relatively non-toxic and is not of great concern to the
if anaerobic (not requiring oxygen)
aquarlst.
However,
conditions exist where pockets of low oxygen develop in the
tank, bacterial
reduction of nitrate can produce toxic
compounds. These anaerobic conditions can occur if large areas
of the substrate material Is covered with large coral heads,
large rocks, and other large decorations which prevent the
bacteria from receiving adequate amounts of oxygen.
This
condition can be avoided If air spaces are provided under the
larger pieces of decor with the use of smaller rocks beneath the
larger or using large rocks with large, uneven indentions of
their bottom surfaces.
--
--
NITROGEN CYCLE
Ammonia occurs I n two states, depending on pH:
the
unionized s t a t e (NH3) and t h e lonlzed s t a t e (NH3+4). The
unlonlzed s t a t e I s more t o x l c than t h e unlonlzed s t a t e because
It invades body t i s s u e s more readily, but fortunately, almost
a1 I free ammonia I s I n t h e ionlzed s t a t e a t t h e normal pH o f
non-toxlc forms o f ammonla
seawater.
As t h e pH increases,
r a p l d l y decrease, and t h e t o x l c forms r a p i d l y Increase.
A t hlgher pH values, t h e r e are fewer hydrogen Ions.
Consequently, more o f t h e ammonla e x i s t s I n t h e unlonlzed form.
T h l s c h a r a c t e r l s t l c accounts f o r t h e s t g n l f l c a n t d l f f e r e n c e
between e s t a b l i s h i n g freshwater and marlne aquariums.
I n t h e pH
range normal l y encountered I n freshwater systems (near 7 =
neutral), most o f t h e ammonia I s i n t h e lonlzed form.
A t pH
vat ues found I n saltwater systems (8.0-8.4 = s l l g h t l y a1 k a l lne,
o r basic), a s l g n l f l c a n t p o r t i o n o f t h e ammonia e x i s t s i n t h e
unlonized, t o x l c form. Thls I s why new freshwater systems may
be stocked q u i c k l y w l t h slzeable populations, whereas new marlne
systems must be stocked q u l t e modestly a t f l r s t , and t h e
populatlon increased gradually. Thereby, tlme I s glven t o a1 low
b l o l o g l c a l a c t i o n t o convert t h e ammonla t o a less t o x l c
molecule, t h e n i t r i t e ion. Levels o f ammonla and n l t r l t e should
always be very near zero I n t h e aged and balanced marlne
aquar Ium.
The N t r o b a c t e r l a a r e t h e f l r s t t o populate t h e
f l l t e r and r a p l d l y begln o x i d l z l n g
ammonia
to
nitrite.
Nitroi s l n h l b l t e d by t h e presence o f ammonia and does n o t
begin r a p l d population growth u n t l l ammonia l e v e l s begln t o
fall.
It can then begln convertlng n l t r l t e t o t h e less t o x l c
compound, n i t r a t e .
Obviously,
these
bacteria
cannot grow unless t h e l r
They
nutrients, ammonla and n l t r l t e , a r e present I n t h e tank.
can be provided n a t u r a l l y by lntroduclng some hardy f l s h and/or
Invertebrates, o r a r t l f l c l a l l y by adding a s o l u t l o n o f inorganic
ammonla (e.g.,
N l t r o Qulk).
Another method t o begln t h e
I
s
t
o
"seedn
t
h e new tank w l t h some b a c t e r l a
b a c t e r i a l growth,
(scooped up i n t h e substrate material from another healthy and
balanced aquarium) I n a d d i t l o n t o adding some hardy anlmals.
This method and t h e natural method o f beglnnlng w i t h hardy
animals have both have been applied w l t h success I n +he MOP
aquariums. The advantage o f uslng "seedw i s that, obviously,
t h e tank can o b t a i n a larger populatlon o f b a c t e r l a f a r more
q u i c k l y than merely beginning w l t h t h e hardy anlmals; t h e wastes
from t h e animals must accumulate t o t h e p o l n t t h a t b a c t e r i a l
a c t i o n can begln.
The dlsadvantage of uslng "seedw, I s t h a t
t h i s may introduce some undesirable organisms i n t o t h e new tank
from t h e o l d one.
I t i s recommended t h a t i f t h i s i s t h e choice,
take t h e longer way and begin t h e tank w i t h t h e hardy animals.
The purchase o f n i t r i f y i n g b a c t e r i a i n freeze-dried form
(e.g.,
N i t r o Q u i k ) t h a t can be added t o t h e aquarium when it i s
f i r s t s e t up, can provide t h e r i g h t k i n d o f b a c t e r i a and can
decrease t h e t i m e when b a c t e r i a l populations begin t h e n i t r i t e
t o n i t r a t e process. The a d d i t i o n o f some hardy animals, along
w i t h t h i s bacteria, accelerates t h e n i t r o g e n cycle. This method
should shorten t h e c o n d i t i o n i n g time by a week t o t e n days,
depending on t h e amount o f freeze-dried b a c t e r i a i n i t i a l l y added
t o t h e tank.
Sufficient
populations
of
bacteria
needed f o r t h e
conversion process must grow i n a r e l a t i v e l y s t e r i l e , new f i l t e r
bed.
It w i l l take some time f o r such numbers t o develop I f only
a few b a c t e r i a a r e present a t t h e s t a r t .
Therefore,
starting
w i t h a l a r g e r b a c t e r i a l populations accelerates t h e process o f
growth t o proceed more r a p i d l y i n t h e secondary phases than I n
during t h e
t h e p r lmary phases. The development o f NItr-,
primary phase, converts ammonia t o n i t r i t e . The development o f
m a c t e r , t h e secondary phase, now converts n i t r i t e t o
n i t r a t e . This i s why ammonia and n i t r i t e l e v e l s drop so r a p i d l y
t o less than one or two ppm, u s u a l l y w i t h i n a day o r two, even
though they were b u i l d i n g t o h i g h l e v e l s over a p e r i o d o f
several
weeks.
Obviously, s t a r t i n g o u t w i t h a b a c t e r i a
population o f some size, t h e t i m e r e q u i r e d t o e s t a b l i s h t h e
necessary n i t r i f y i n g p o t e n t i a l w i l I be shortened.
and 4
!l Itroare
A f t e r t h e popu Ia t i o n s o f Bttrwe1 i established, o x i d a t i o n o f ammonia and n i t r i t e occurs as
these compounds a r e formed. Thus, they never accumulate i n t h e
system and only t h e end product,
n i t r a t e , can but Id t o h i g h
levels.
N i t r a t e can be removed by d i l u t i o n through p a r t i a l
algae
water changes, o r since it i s a basic p l a n t n u t r i e n t ,
growth i n s u f f i c i e n t number and q u a n t i t y can prevent h i g h
concentrations.
Nevertheless,
p e r i o d i c water
changes
are
recommended and was t h e method most r e l i e d upon f o r t h e
elimination o f n i t r a t e b u i l d u p i n t h e K)P aquaria.
TESTING DURING M E NITROGEN CYCLE
Chemical t e s t i n g f o r n i t r i t e I s important during t h e
c o n d i t i o n i n g p e r i o d o f a new tank because it keeps t h e a q u a r i s t
informed on t h e progress o f t h e tank, when t h e process i s
complete, and when no more n i t r i t e remains i n t h e tank. N i t r i t e * l 3
l e v e l s appear i n t h e tank around t h e t e n t h day and gradual l y
r ises t o a peak near t h e 15th t o 30th day. The f ir s t few days
w i l l show no i n d i c a t i o n o f n i t r i t e because only ammonia w i l l be
present, b u t eventually t h e t e s t w l l I i n d i c a t e v a r y i n g degrees
of nitrite.
The n i t r i t e c y c l e i s much t h e same as t h e ammonia
N i t r i t e usually
c y c l e except t h a t it u s u a l l y takes longer.
becomes measurable on t h e 7 t h t o 10th day a f t e r f i s h a r e
introduced.
See Diagrams:
Page 20 Supplement
Keeping accurate records o f d a i l y water t e s t s f o r n i t r i t e
i s important.
I n most cases, n i t r i t e l e v e l s w i l l r i s e , peak,
and then f a l l t o zero somewhere between t h e 15th and 30th day.
A f t e r a few weeks t h e r e w i l l be no i n d i c a t i o n o f n i t r i t e because
o f i t s immediate conversion t o n i t r a t e .
The c o n d i t i o n i n g
sequence I s now complete and t h e b i o l o g i c a l f i l t e r i s f u l l y
functional.
L e t t h e aquarium stay as it i s f o r another two t o
f l v e days before adding more f i s h .
A f t e r t h i s i n i t i a l period, a d d i t i o n a l specimens may be
added.
It I s always wise t o increase t h e population gradually
t o allow t h e b i o l o g i c a l f i l t e r t o a d j u s t t o t h e increased load.
Adding another animal increases t h e amount o f waste products i n
t h e aquarium and t h e b l o l o g i c a l f i l t e r needs time t o a d j u s t t o
t h e greater m o u n t o f ammonia. As a general rule, add only pne
o r ~N.Qanimals a t a time and w a i t seven t o t e n days before
adding more.
When t h e new f i s h a r e added, n i t r i f y i n g b a c t e r i a
begins t o reproduce a t a greater r a t e because t h e r e i s more food
avai lable.
By allowing t h i s i n i t i a l period t h e tank inhabitants w i l l
never be exposed t o unhealthy l e v e l s o f ammonia o r n i t r i t e .
When adding new specimens, always monitor t h e n i t r i t e level.
This r u l e applies t o new tanks as w e l l as o l d e r established
aquariums.
It i s possible t o break t h l s r u l e and get away w i t h
It, b u t adhering t o it g r e a t l y increases t h e chances o f success.
The v a l i d i t y o f t h l s r u l e was, unfortunately, confirmed by
problems encountered w i t h a newly established tank (S-85A) and
w i t h an older established tank (S-55D) i n t h e MOP p r o j e c t . The
S-85A was estab l ished as a new tank on July 30, 1983 and was
initially
s t a r t e d w i t h wseedn from a healthy established
aquarium and w i t h t h e r e q u i s i t e hardy animals, i n t h i s case, two
paScyIIuci a l b i s s e a (white-spotted damsel) and one
( b r i t t l e sea s t a r ) .
Within nlne days, t h i r t e e n a d d i t i o n a l
animals (vertebrates and invertebrates) had been placed i n t h e
tank (without MOP p r o j e c t approval!) and then f i v e days later,
another nlne animals "appearedn i n t h e tank, again without
p r o j e c t approval. Even though some o f these animals were moved
t o another aquarium, it was apparently n o t enough t o a s s i s t t h e
already overworked b i o l o g i c a l f i l t e r . Within a few days a f t e r
t h e a d d i t i o n o f animals and w i t h a 25% water change made, t h e
more del i c a t e
animals
(e.g.,
Chaetodn lunula (Racoon
butterfly),
It aurfaa (Threadf i n b u t t e r f l y ) ,
, d . l , a & ~(Long-nose b u t t e r f l y ) , and t h e Zebrasoma flavescens
(Ye1 low Tang) began t o die, nearly one per day u n t l l only t h e
most hardy o f f i s h survived (e.g.,
~ ilv etl is
(polka-dot grouper). This g r e a t f i s h eventually succumbed, even
though he had been removed and placed i n a quarantine/hospital
tank f o r treatment o f a p e r s i s t e n t fungus Infection.
The older established tank, S-55D,
had on two d i f f e r e n t
occasions, a large number o f f i s h placed i n t h e tank without t h e
recommended gradual i n t r o d u c t i o n period. The tank, established
nearly f l v e months, contained s i x f i s h and f i v e invertebrates.
Ten more f i s h were donated t o t h e tank and w i t h i n two weeks
began t o d i e on a weekly basis. The G&kLL&e
*, being very
.---
hardy, were t h e only survivors. Again, I n January 1984, w i t h
t h e tank havlng been establlshed f o r nine months, s i x more f l s h
were placed I n t h e aquarium.
These were a l l Chaetodons and
w l t h l n two weeks a l l had dled.
Durlng t h e time t h e tanks were s e t up and t h e animals were
belng added, n i t r i t e readings were belng taken. Usually these
readings read w l t h l n t h e acceptable l e v e l s ( l e s s than 5 ppm),
and because of t h l s observation It was assumed t h a t t h e water
qua1 lty was normal and no problems exlsted.
Now, only w l t h
h i n d s i g h t and a more thorough understanding o f t h e functlonlng
o f t h e b i o l o g i c a l f l l t e r and I t s I l m l t a t l o n s , t h a t t h e problem
was a r a p l d r l s e o f ammonla I n t h e aquarlum r e s u l t i n g from t h e
Increased amounts o f waste products o f t h e many anlmals.
The
n l t r l f y l n g b a c t e r i a I n t h e f l l t e r could n o t keep up w l t h t h l s
increased load and t h e stress o f ammonla concentration I n t h e
water r e s u l t e d I n t h e deaths o f t h e anlmals.
Another p o s s l b l l l t y i s t h a t n l t r a t e w l l l undergo reduction
t o ammonia. Ammonia accumulates f a l r l y r e a d l l y when t h e r e I s a
sudden r l s e i n t h e amount o f organic matter belng decomposed,
and t h l s combined w l t h t h e ammonia t h e aquarium anlmals normally
excrete may overwhelm t h e system.
When ammonla accumulates,
f u r t h e r oxidation o f n l t r l t e t o n i t r a t e I s seriously Impeded.
It was usually n o t
Testing f o r ammonla was never done.
necessary because t h e presence o f n l t r l t e (verified by t h e
n l t r l t e t e s t k l t ) Indicated whether ammonia was present and t h a t
had converted ammonia t o n l t r l t e .
I n addltlon,
t h e Elitrostudies conducted (FAMA, December 1979) lndlcated t h a t t e s t k i t s
f o r hobbylsts f o r ammonla were generally u n r e l i a b l e and t h a t
nresearch-qualltyn t e s t k i t s were generally t o o expenslve. The
KIP project, generally under-funded, d i d n o t purchase any
ammonia t e s t k l t s and therefore, t h e v a l l d l t y o f t h e i r use has
n o t been made.
Even w l t h o u t t h e ammonla t e s t k i t , t h e problem could have
been ellminated I f STRICT c o n t r o l on t h e number of f l s h added
(one o r two) t o t h e tanks and t h e proper c o n d l t l o n l n g period
(seven t o t e n days) before more f l s h were added, had been
malntalned. I t I s strongly recommended t h a t t h l s r u l e n o t be
v i o l a t e d agaln o r s i m i l a r r e s u l t s may occur.
MAINTENANCE
i
&--.
Aquariums r e q u i r e regular care and maintenance. This i s t o
be done on a d a i l y basis, usually during t h e time when feeding
t h e animals;monthly,
done i n conjunction w l t h t h e water changes;
and yearly, when t h e f i l t e r bed and c o r a l must be cleaned.
Equipment used I n connection w i t h maintaining and cleaning
t h e aquariums (small nets, siphon tubes, sponges, containers)
must be made o f non-corrosive m a t e r i a l s and never used f o r
anything other than aquarium purposes. These items should never
be washed w i t h soap but should be thoroughly r i n s e d w l t h
freshwater a f t e r each use.
During t h e cleaning operations,
unplug a l l e l e c t r i c a l
equipment:
a i r pumps, power f i l t e r s ,
and I i g h t s . S p i l l i n g
water on connections, plugs, o r sockets may blow a fuse o r
worse, shock t h e aquarist o r t h e f i s h .
Another axiom i s t o l i m i t maintenance operations I n t h e
aquarium. The less interference w l t h t h e aquarium environment
t h e b e t t e r . Unnecessary cleaning
(provided it I s healthy!),
every week may prevent t h e estab l 1shment o f stab l e cond lti ons.
Above a l I, avoid constant t i n k e r i n g w l t h t h e aquarium ( t o
improve a small d e t a i l here and there). F i s h need t o f e e l safe
q u i e t nook.
I f the l a y o u t o f the
i n t h e i r awn f a m i l i a r ,
A newly
aquarium changes constantly they never s e t t l e down.
stocked aquarium o r new specimens, i n p a r t i c u l a r , should be l e f t
alone as much as possible.
DAILY MAINTENANCE
.-
Generally, r e s t r i c t maintenance t o t h e observance o f t h e
animals:
eating/
not
eating,
signs
of
disease
and
deterioration, whether they hide i n corners, are f i g h t i n g , o r
a r e I 1st less. The observance o f a1 r pumps, power f 1 l ters,
working l i g h t s , and closed hood covers should a l s o be made.
In
addition, water c l a r i t y and smell should be noted.
I f there I s
a s l i g h t cloudiness o f t h e water, o r i f t h e water gives o f f an
odor or p e r s i s t e n t heavy foam t h e r e i s probably a dead f i s h
l y i n g hldden behind t h e coral/rocks o r a large q u a n t i t y o f
uneatened food. The uneatened food and t h e water must be
s iphoned out through a f ine-mesh n e t o r removed w i t h t h e use o f
a wad o f f i l t e r floss. The f i l t e r e d water can then be returned
t o t h e tank. To avo1 d hav ing a dead f ish I 1e unobserved beh ind
rocks/corals check t h e e n t i r e population everyday; t h i s i s n o t
always easy t o do, as c e r t a i n species may hide f o r hours.
Wrasses and c e r t a i n other species sometimes hide I n t h e sand f o r
I f , on t h e
over a week when f i r s t introduced t o t h e aquarium.
other hand, an i n d i v i d u a l o f an a c t i v e species does n o t show up
f o r a r e l a t i v e l y long time t h e r e I s reason t o assume someth ing
unfortunate may have occurred. L i f t t h e c o r a l s and rocks g e n t l y
as t o n o t f r i g h t e n t h e o t h e r f i s h and look f o r t h e missing,
p o s s i b l y dead, animal.
An a d d i t i o n a l cause of excess dissolved organics I n t h e
water may be t h e reduced capacfty o f t h e b i o l o g i c a l f i l t e r - b e d
t o handle t h e waste products. Mechanical f i l t e r i n g q u a l l t y o f
t h e f i l t e r medium may be reduced by excess d e t r i t u s . T h i s can be
corrected during a cleaning o f t h e f i l t e r - b e d .
.
.
WEEKLY MA lNTENANCE
Of utmost importance a r e t h e weekly checks on water q u a l i t y
(pH,
specific
gravity,
nitrite
levels).
Attention t o
maintaining water q u a l i t y w i t I Insure t h a t t h e f i s h a r e never
subjected t o - t h i s environmental stress.
See t h e s e c t i o n on
Water Q u a l i t y f o r f u r t h e r explanations.
MONTHLY MAINTENANCE
Approximately 25% o f t h e aquarium water should be replaced
w i t h f r e s h s a l t w a t e r every month f o r marlne aquariums, and w i t h
l e s s frequency, freshwater aquariums shou Id have 25% o f t h e
water replaced w i t h f r e s h t a p water.
A p a r t i a l water change
provldes a number o f important b e n e f l t s :
pH I s s t a b i l i z e d ,
accumu Iated
d 1ssol ved
metabol it e s
(n it r a t e
and
organ l c
compounds) a r e d i l u t e d .
Additionally,
t h i s w i l l safeguard
against
depletion
of
t r a c e elements (very important t o
Invertebrates), and does much t o prevent s t r e s s and disease
caused by environmental factors.
A week l y 10% water change i s optimal , b u t s i nce water was
n o t r e a d i l y a v a i l a b l e a t t h e Marine Science B u i l d i n g si-ke, a
compromf se was made w f t h a month1y 25% water change w i t h water
from t h e Walkiki Aquarium.
About every t h r e e months, a g r e a t e r water change was made
(50% o r more), b u t t h i s I s n o t recommended on a monthly b a s i s
because It creates s t r e s s on t h e f i s h because o f t h e r a p i d
changes i n water q u a l l t y f a c t o r s (e.g.,
temperature and pH).
As water i s removed from t h e aquarium, excess d e t r i t u s may
S t i r t h e substrate
a l s o be removed v i a t h e siphon hose.
m a t e r i a l w i t h fingers. Since d e t r i t u s i s much I l g h t e r than t h e
gravel/pebbl es, it w 1 l l f l o a t up i n t o t h e water and s e t t l e on
t h e surface o f t h e f i l t e r - b e d .
Here It can be siphoned o u t
e a s i l y along w i t h t h e remainlng 25% o f water.
Only a 1/4
s e c t i o n o f t h e f i l t e r - b e d should be cleaned I n t h i s manner
during t h e water change. This w i l l reduce t h e upset I n t h e
blological a c t i v i t y o f the n i t r i f y i n g bacteria I n t h e f i l t e r
medium. Siphoned marlne substrate m a t e r i a l should be r i n s e d i n
itw water,
n o t freshwater, t o prevent t h e death o f many
n i t r i f y i n g bacteria i n the filter-bed.
Another procedure i s t o
remove t h e tank water c l o s e t o t h e bottom, from under t h e f i l t e r
plates,
by i n s e r t l n g a f l e x i b l e siphon hose i n t o t h e a i r l i f t
tube and siphoning t h e water out. The siphon tubes should n o t
CI
I
#---
be t o o narrow. The tube should f i t as securely as possible i n
t h e u p l i f t tube I n order t o o b t a i n maximum suction action. This
can be performed every t h r e e months o r so.
The lnside panes o f glass can be e a s i l y cleaned o f heavy
algae growth.
Algae should be removed from t h e f r o n t and s i d e
panels t o a i d i n viewing t h e animals. The panes n o t normally
looked through should n o t be cleaned on a monthly basis. This
gives t h e aquarium a more natural look and preserves valuable
algae.
White
sponges o r pads are very e f f e c t i v e f o r
cleaning. Care must be taken n o t t o scratch t h e glass w l t h
other more abrasive types o f cleaning pads. Additionally,
scratching of t h e glass may occur I f s h e l l g r i t o r coral pieces
are rubbed against t h e pane. To prevent t h i s , when cleaning t h e
i n s i d e glass, be c a r e f u l t h a t p a r t i c l e s a r e n o t picked up by t h e
cleaning sponge/pad.
S a l t deposits around t h e l i g h t housing should be cleaned
o f f t o help optimize l i g h t i n t e n s i t y and prevent possible
e l e c t r i c a l shorts. S t r i p l i g h t s , which have a cover panel, can
e a s i l y be disassembled f o r t h i s purpose. Cleaning t h e underside
of t h e light-cover glass i s a l s o important, especially I f algae
grows well there.
The tank t o p should be wiped clean o f s a l t
deposits and t h e a i r stones checked.
I f t h e a i r stone output i s
f a l l lng it i s usually because t h e pores have become clogged o r
t h e material i s d i s i n t e g r a t i n g .
Filter
canisters, w i t h f l l t e r f l o s s and/or a c t i v a t e d
carbon, needs t o be checked f o r proper operation.
If the floss
material appears very d i r t y replace It during t h e monthly
maintenance, otherwise it may be replaced less frequently.
A
new type of synthetic f i l t e r f l o s s I s being used i n t h e S-55D
and w i l l be used i n t h e S-1OOF c a l l e d t h e P o l y F i l t e r . To check
whether it i s s t i l I functioning optimally, observe i t s c o l o r
change; It w l l l progress from an o f f - w h i t e t o a brown c o l o r
a f t e r prolonged exposure t o contaminants i n t h e aquarium. Cut
If
t h e P o l y F i l t e r i n h a l f , crosswise, when it i s brown-colored.
t h e cross-sections a l s o a r e brown, it i s time t o replace w l t h a
new one.
Every two o r t h r e e months, check t h e functioning o f t h e a i r
pump and power f i l t e r . The pump body and t h e impeller (of power
filters)
becomes coated w l t h algae and "muckw which can
It i s
d r a s t i c a l l y reduce t h e output performance o f t h e pump.
recommended t h a t pumps be removed and cleaned t o maintain t h e i r
I f t h e flow from an a i r pump i s reduced, even
maximum output.
w i t h t h e replacement o f t h e a i r stones, check t h e a i r flow
output.
I f it I s low, t h e diaphragm probably has s p l i t and a
replacement i s necessary.
Thls diaphragm s p l i t w l l l increase
over a period of a few days and t h e output from t h e pump w i l l
become zero.
Every t h r e e months, during t h e greater water change, clean
I f t h e coral o r rocks a r e
t h e f l l t e r stems and p l a s t i c tubing.
It I s
very d i r t y they should be cleaned a t t h i s time also.
recommended t h a t only one o r two be removed and cleaned on
p e r i o d i c days t o reduce t h e environmental stress.
An Important procedure f o r maintaining healthy aquariums i s
t o Include marine animals t h a t a i d i n removing uneatened food.
Having a ncleaning creww a t work a l l t h e time reduces labor f o r
t h e aquarist and prevents trouble. Recommended animals are:
hermit crabs, b r i t t l e stars, and coral-banded shrimps.
Hermit
crabs,
p a r t i c u l a r l y large ones, can gradually t u r n a f i l t e r - b e d
over completely and consume uneatened food, a1 gae, and some
d e t r itus.
YEARLY MAINTENANCE
I t I s recommended t h a t an aquarium be nbroken downn t o
completely clean t h e tank,
f i l t e r plates, a i r l i f t tubes and
substrate material. This i s a maJor undertaking and r e q u i r e s a
large p o r t i o n o f time and e f f o r t , b u t t h e rewards w i l I be a
healthier
envlronment
f o r t h e aquarium animals, ff t h i s
procedure i s performed w l t h care.
Gravel or substrate I n saltwater aquar lums serves two maJor
purposes: ( 1 ) a i d s I n b u f f e r i n g t h e water t o a s u i t a b l e
a l k a l i n e pH and ( 2 ) provides t h e large surface area required t o
house t h e b e n e f i c i a l n i t r i f y i n g bacteria. Over periods o f time,
which are n o t we1 l-deflned ( v a r i a b l e s may be numbers o f animals
and/or p l a n t s i n aquaria, as we1 I as water temperature), t h e
There
substrate becomes less e f f i c i e n t as a b u f f e r i n g agent.
are a t l e a s t two l i k e l y reasons f o r t h i s . F i r s t , t h e gravel
surfaces becomes coated w i t h dissolved o r suspended organics.
Second,
it has been postulated t h a t phosphate may replace
I n e i t h e r case, some
carbonate a t t h e gravel-grain surface.
non-buffering agent essentially coats t h e carbonate surfaces and
prevents I n t e r a c t i o n between t h e water and t h e carbonate.
Regardless o f t h e mechanism o f t h e b u f f e r deactivation,
it i s
recommended t h a t p e r i o d i c (perhaps every two years) replacement
o f gravel be performed o r t h a t t h e gravel be washed t o remove
t h e dissolved organics on t h e coated substrate material. This
i s n o t t h e easiest task but i s n o t as d i f f i c u l t as it might
f i r s t appear.
New gravel can be purchased and r i n s e d w e l l i n
preparation. A p a r t o f t h e o l d gravel can be removed, down t o
t h e f i l t e r plate, and w i t h t h e new gravel can then be i n s t a l led.
When substrate rep lacement becomes necessary, rep lacement""l4
o f only 1/3 o f t h e gravel I s recommended ( a t three-month
Intervals), since t h e new gravel requires time t o acquire a
b a c t e r i a l populatlon and t h e b i o l o g i c a l f i l t e r i s only 2/3 as
e f f i c i e n t during t h e interim. Monitoring ammonia and n i t r i t e
concentrations can i n d i c a t e any serious loss o f n i t r i f y i n g
ability.
Any conslderatlon o f addlng new f i s h a t t h i s time
should be put o f f f o r a few weeks t o g i v e t h e b l o l o g l c a l f i l t e r
time t o catch up i n capacity.
The procedures f o r performing t h i s "break downn a r e as
f o l lows:
-
1. . Remove a t l e a s t 1/2 o f t h e water by
container,
*See Diagram:
Page 20 Supplement
siphoning
it
into a
2.
Remove t h e rocks and c o r a l s t o these containers where they
may be scrubbed clean o f excess algae or d e t r l t u s . A f t e r t a k l n g
t h e c o r a l s from t h e tank, check them very c a r e f u l l y because
frightened specles o f t e n hlde there, or, as I n t h e case o f many
Invertebrates whlch r e s i d e there, w i l l stay p u t even when t h e
c o r a l I s removed from t h e water.
I f t h i s should happen place
t h l s piece o f c o r a l I n a container o f o l d tank water, removlng
t h e c o r a l when t h e f Ish has l e f t It. Set as1de after cleaning.
Removlng a l l t h e c o r a l s from t h e tank before removlng t h e
animals w l l l make capture o f them t h a t much easier and thereby
reduce excess s t r e s s t o them.
The r 1 sk o f harm Ing t h e f lsh
would be very g r e a t w i t h decor I n t h e tank as they when
frightened, w l l l dash I n t o h l d l n g places as q u i c k l y as possible.
Another reason t h e water level I n t h e tank must be lowered I s
t h a t many species attempt t o Jump o u t o f t h e water when chased
(e.g.,
lobsters). .
3.
Remove t h e animals t o another contalner w i t h aeration which
has 1/2 o f t h e ''oldn tank water and 1/2 o f t h e T e w " tank water.
Thls gives t h e animals tlme t o a d j u s t ( a c c l l m l t l z e ) t o t h e
d l f f e r e n t water condltlons they w l l l encounter when returned t o
t h e i r tank.
4.
Scrape
sponges.
algae
from
t h e aquarlum w l t h white nylon pads o r
5.
Remove t h e gravel v i a t h e siphoning of t h e remaining water
and r i n s i n g It clean o f d e t r i t u s , I n saltwater t o be discarded.
Thls avolds destroying a l l t h e b a c t e r i a I n t h e substrate
material. Thls, thus,
preserves a t l e a s t sane o f t h e algae,
mlcrofauna and f l o r a so badlyneeded i n th& newly cleaned aquarim.
6.
The f i l t e r medium i n t h e power f i l t e r should be Immersed I n
o l d tank water. Thls I s another source o f biological b a c t e r i a
whlch I s valuable t o preserve.
7.
The a l r l l f t tubes may be cleaned a t t h i s time by removlng
them from t h e f i l t e r p l a t e s and using a long, f l e x i b l e brush t o
clean t h e algae coating t h e I n t e r i o r o f t h e tubes.
8.
The f l l t e r p l a t e s may a l s o be removed and t h e brown "muddyn
water under t h e p l a t e s be siphoned o r "mopped outn o f t h e
aquar lum.
9.
The f Il t e r p l a t e s and substrate, coral/rocks,
may be
returned t o t h e tank and then t h e new water added t o 1/2 t h e
A l l o w t h l s water t o equalize t o
the
same
tank depth.
temperature as t h e contalner I n whlch t h e animals have been
kept, and t o a1 low some of t h e suspended material t o s e t t l e .
Replace coral and rocks.
10. Add t h e animals t o t h e tank and allow them t o s e t t l e i n f o r
a few minutes.
11. Add t h e r e s t o f t h e new water slowly, over a period o f a
few hours, t o g i v e t h e f i s h time t o a d j u s t t o t h e changes i n
pH, s p e c i f i c gravity, and temperature).
water variables (e.g.,
The tank i t s e l f , I s another area of long-term maintenance.
Seams should, obviously,
be inspected f o r signs o f sealant
attrition.
I f t h e r e are small leaks t h e tank w i l l have t o be
broken down f o r thorough cleaning and resealing.
Tank l i g h t i n g i s an area o f t e n overlooked.
Replacement o f
t h e fluorescent l i g h t s i s i d e a l l y done every year b u t may be
every
two
years.
Rep lacement
schedu les vary
rep Iaced
considerably depending upon tank depth and average d a i l y use, t o
name a few variables. A high l i g h t - i n t e n s i t y i s desired because
it i s i n t i m a t e l y r e l a t e d t o good growths of algae. The c o n t r a s t
is
Immediately apparent i n t h e increased
in
brightness
b r i l l i a n c e o f f i s h colors.