Marine Aquarium Planning from A to Z. Where to start your own saltwater aquarium?

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• II Planning a marine aquarium from II

—financial budget; — selection of sea fish; —choice of corals; — selection of marine invertebrates; — selection of technical equipment; —choosing a location for the aquarium; — selection of equipment; —selection of soil; — selection of stones for IBS, LC, etc.; —launching a marine aquarium, options for “revitalization”; - how does the aquarium mature? — introducing animals into the aquarium, how to do it correctly;

Preface. No matter which way you go when starting a marine hobby, I simply insist that first of all you think about the finances that you are ready and able to spend on an aquarium, then about those who you will keep in it, and only then about the shape, size of the aquarium and the rest . Even if you start by buying an aquarium of a certain size, you CANNOT skip the stage of studying fish and corals!

I strongly advise against purchasing your first marine aquarium at Euphoria. Very often, a novice aquarist wants to get results in one day, which ultimately leads to the death of the purchased fish and other animals. We are not like that, it is important for us to achieve an excellent result with our “sea”.

Making a plan is the most logical start to a successful and long-lasting hobby! As I already wrote, I will put finances first. Without fooling yourself, decide how much you are willing to spend on a saltwater aquarium. A hobby should be a joy for the family, not a burden.

At the next stage, you will have to immerse yourself in the study of fish, corals and invertebrates living in sea water. Why is this important in the beginning? Yes, because a house is not built for a house, but for the one who will live in it. Fish and corals and other animals have their own requirements for the environment, and if they are not respected, the hobby can only bring trouble. I don't think anyone enjoys watching animals suffer. When we have decided on the inhabitants, we select the size of the aquarium, its location in the house, equipment for it and related consumables.

More details about all stages.

Choosing fish for a marine aquarium.

Paradoxically, I want to start this section with the mistakes of beginners.

Basic mistakes of newbies:

• Overcrowding the aquarium and not leaving enough space for future fish growth.
• Introducing fish into the main aquarium without quarantine
• Introducing new fish into the main tank without adequate socialization
• Introducing aggressive and territorial fish into the aquarium first
• Keeping fish of varying aggressiveness
• The belief that all big fish are aggressive and all small fish are calm
• Buying adult and large fish at once, rather than small and young forms
• Periodically adding “another fish” to the aquarium.
• Buying fish on a “euphoric” market based on a picture without properly studying the features of maintenance, care and behavior.

Now that we know about the mistake, we are strong and will not allow them! Knowledge is power!

I’ll just list those who can be chosen without a twinge of conscience at the first stage of settlement, because they are stable and unpretentious:

• Amphiprion ocellaris Amphiprion oceliaris
• Amphiprion clarkia
• Amphiprion frenatus (tomato) Amphiprion frenatus
• Swallowfish Chromis viridis Chromis viridis
• Bicolor blennyfish Ecsenius bicolor
• Blennyfish Salarias fasciatus
• Cardinal fish Pterapogon cauderni
• Lionfish Pterois Volitans (for large volumes)
• Foxfish Siganus vulpinus (for large quantities)
• Yellow Zebrasoma flavescens (for large quantities)

This is not an ironclad list. In future articles I will talk about advanced fish selection.

I also want to mention those fish that a beginner should avoid.

BEGINNERS AVOID the following fish:

• Angelfishes:
  Apolemichthys species: all
• Desmoholacanthus arcuatus
• Centropyge bicolor
• Pomacanthus xanthometopon
• Pomacanthus imperator
• Pomacanthus navarchus
• Centropyge multifasciata
• Pygoplites diacanthus
• Holacanthus tricolor
• Holacanthus venusta
• Anthias – all
• Platax pinnatus
• Butterfly fish - everything
• Oxymonacanthus longirostris
• Zanclus cornutus
• Family Scaridae - all
• Rhinomuraena quaesita
• Family Syngnathidae - all
• Plectorhinchus chaetodontoides
• Surgeons
  Acanthurus Achilles
• Acanthurus lineatus
• Acanthurus leucosternon
• Naso vlamingii
• Acanthurus nigricans
• Family Malacanthidae - all
• Wrasse:
  Labroides spp.
• Macropharyngodon spp.
• Anampses spp.

Methods for choosing the number of fish.

SELECTION BY MAXIMUM FISH SIZE. Remember the rule : 1 cm of fish per 2 liters of water (if there is an LCD of at least 30% of the volume of the aquarium, skimmer). For example: We want 10 fish. We look in the atlas for information about the maximum size that a fish can reach and count: 3 x 10 cm, 2 x 7 cm, 1 x 15 cm, 1 x 12, 6 x 5 cm. Total: 30+14+15+12+30 = 101 cm multiplied by 2 liters = 202 liters. We buy a 200 liter aquarium. ATTENTION, this is considered if you select by the maximum (reference) size of the fish that they can reach, and not by the actual one!

CHOICE BY ACTUAL FISH SIZE. I recommend 3-4 liters of sea water per 1 cm of fish (if there is LCD at least 30% of the volume of the aquarium, skimmer).

Also in the guide we pay attention to the minimum volume of an aquarium for fish. If the minimum aquarium size in the directory is larger than our calculated size for the entire system, then we do not take such fish.

I recommend using this reference book: Atlas of marine aquarium fishes. Dr. Burgess's. Third edition. You may find completely different numbers in other sources, so I recommend choosing one “star” to guide you.

How to work with the directory

A couple of fish combinations for different aquarium sizes:

• Aquarium about 150 liters: Amphiprion ocellaris – 2 (pair)
• Sphaeramia nematoptera – 2
• Nemateleotris magnifica – 1-2 or Gobiosoma oceanops – 2-3
• Cryptocentrus spp. – 1 (if possible + shrimp of the genus Alpheus spp.) or Amblyeleotris spp. – 1 (if possible + shrimp of the genus Alpheus spp.)

• Aquarium about 200 liters: Chrysiptera parasema – 3-5
• Halochoeres chrysus – 1-2
• Centropyge loricula – 1 or Neocirrhites armatus – 1
• Escenius midas – 1 or Salaris fasciatus – 1
• Siganus vulpinus – 1 or Zebrasoma flavescens – 1 (they require an aquarium at least 120 cm long)

• Aquarium 200 – 300 Paracanthurus hepatus – 1-2
• Chromis viridis – 5-7
• Centropyge bispinosa – 1
• Oxycirrhites typus – 1
• Pterapogon kauderni – 2-3

• Aquarium 300-400 liters: Centropyge argi – 1
• Gramma lotero – 2 or Gramma melacara – 2
• Apogon maculates –2
• Myripristis jacobus – 1-2
• Serranus tortugarum – 3

As a replacement you can use:

• Bodianus pulcellus
• Lioproma rubre

• Aquarium over 400 liters: Pterois volitans or Dendrochirus zebra
• Rhinecanthus aculeatus or Odonus niger
• Paracirrhites arcatus
• Zebrasoma xanthurum or Zebrasoma flavescens

As a replacement you can use:

• Cephalopholis urodeta
• Echidna nebulosa
• Gymnomuraena zebra

Above is a selection of more aggressive and larger fish.

When we have decided on the number and types of fish, open the atlas of sea fish and write down the maximum sizes of the selected fish: 2 x 15 cm, 3 x 10 cm, 2 x 8 cm, 3 x 9, 2 x 6 cm, 1 x 12 cm. Total: 30 +30+16+27+12+12= 127 cm multiplied by 2 liters = 254 liters. We buy a 250 liter aquarium. Once again, please note that this is a method of calculating the number of fish based on the maximum size and not the actual size.

Links[edit]

1. ^ abcdefghijkl Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2014). "Chormis Viridis" in Fishbase. Version November 2014
2. ^ abcdefghi "Free Fish Facts, Blue Green Chromis" Archived December 20, 2014, at the Wayback Machine. Free Fish Facts
   Retrieved December 19, 2014
3. ^ ab "Zooplankton captured by coral reef fish: an adaptive response to evasive prey" Retrieved December 19, 2014.
4. Youtube << Advance Marine Aquarium >> Section "Creatures", Damselfish - Author: Sublanding Fish [2020-06-19]

Choosing corals for a marine aquarium and their mounting.

Corals can become another resident of our marine aquarium. In aquarium farming, it is customary to group corals according to the following characteristics:

- presence or absence of a hard calcium carbonate skeleton

- size of polyps

Thus, corals are divided into:

- soft : Amplexidiscus, Briarium, Cladiella, Clavularia, Dendronephthia, Discosomes, Rodactis, Ricordia, Sarcaphyton, Scleronephthia, Sinularia, Xenia, Zoanathus and others. It’s worth starting to get acquainted with corals with this group, as they are less demanding in terms of living conditions.

- solid with large polyps - LPS: Acantastroea, blastamus, catalaphyla, caulastraea, cycloseris, duncanopsamia, euphyllia, favia, goniopora, lobophilia, oxypora, platigyra, plerogyra, scolimia, trachyphyllia, turbinaria and others.

- solid with small polyps - SPS: Acropora, montipora, pocylopora, seriatopora and others. Demanding about conditions of detention.

- anemones: sea anemones . The tentacles of these corals are one large polyp, like a case or shell filled with water.

Which coral to choose?

Start with less whimsical soft ones: zoanatas, palitoy, clavularia, briareum and others. Gradually adding LPS and ATP. SPS corals are very demanding regarding water conditions, currents, and light. At the first stages, I don’t see the point in chasing something outlandish and incredibly desirable for you. Buy those corals that are affordable and in stock. After a few months of “swimming”, you will understand what kind of living creatures you want to add. Don't forget that corals grow and increase in size. Therefore, leave room for your pets to develop. In addition, many of them can show aggression and sting neighbors while winning their place in the sun.

Most often, corals are not sold isolated, but attached to a piece of stone (such a stand is called a plug). But there is no need to rush to fix the coral. First, you need to place it in the intended habitat and observe for a while, see if the level of lighting in this place is appropriate, the current, how the coral will feel. The coral has dissolved its polyps and feels good - it can be fixed. The most convenient and inexpensive, in my opinion, is to use two-component epoxylin. Take equal parts from each sausage and mix. We wait 3-4 minutes (this is necessary so that the composition does not collect dust in sea water) and then we fasten the surfaces we need directly under water. You can also use glue moment GEL. If you received a coral without a plug, then you can safely attach it to the stone with ordinary injection needles, rubber bands or tourniquets. There will be a separate article about this in more detail. After 10 days, the coral will grow to the substrate and the additional fasteners can be removed.

Chromis red

photo can be enlarged

Red Chromis or Red Stone Cichlid, scientific name Hemichromis lifalili, belongs to the family Cichlidae. A beautiful bright fish, quite easy to keep and breed. The only significant drawback is excessive aggression during the spawning period, so in a small aquarium it is very difficult to find suitable neighbors.

Comes from the Congo River basin from the territory of the state of the same name, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Inhabits streams and rivers in regions with slow flows. Thanks to polynomial thresholds, the water is rich in dissolved oxygen.

Adults reach a length of up to 10–15 cm. The color is orange or red with small bright blue specks. During the spawning period, the colors become more saturated. Sexual dimorphism is weakly expressed, distinguishing a male from a female is problematic.

Live or frozen foods (bloodworms, daphnia, brine shrimp, etc.) with herbal supplements, such as spirulina flakes, are preferred. An excellent alternative is high-quality dry food with a high protein content.

The optimal size of an aquarium for one pair of fish starts from 70 liters. The design must include a sufficient number of shelters (caves, snags, etc.) and areas with dense vegetation. Chromis red often digs into the ground, so use a sandy, fine gravel substrate; for the same reason, live plants are planted in pots to avoid tearing them out or damaging the roots.

Aquatic conditions have slightly acidic pH values ​​with low to medium hardness. To maintain a high concentration of dissolved oxygen, provide an effective water aeration system and regularly clean the soil of organic waste, which, during the decomposition process, actively absorbs it through chemical reactions.

Territorial and very aggressive fish during the spawning period. The rest of the time it can coexist quite peacefully with other calm species of similar or slightly larger size. Red chromis are monogamous, form a permanent pair, which remains throughout their entire life, while they treat other relatives extremely unfriendly, as a rule, killing weak fish.

The male is usually very persistent in the courtship process, and if the female is not ready, then she will need reliable shelters to hide from the intrusive advances of her partner.

A suitable place for laying is any flat surface; the female can even attach eggs to glass. In total, up to 400 eggs are laid. The incubation period lasts about 48 hours, all this time the female is near the clutch, and the male, being at a distance, digs several holes.

When the fry hatch, the female will alternately transfer the brood from one hole to another over several days until the fry are able to swim on their own. In total, parental care lasts about a month, after which it is advisable to transfer the fry to a separate tank.

Selecting invertebrates for a saltwater aquarium:

1. Snails Lithopoma (Astraea) spp.
2. Trochus
3. Turbo

1. Bivalves Tridacna crocea
2. Tradacna maxima

Shrimps, hermit crabs, brittle stars, and snails are essential inhabitants of a full-fledged marine aquarium biotope. Hermit crabs can grow to large sizes and become a nuisance in the aquarium. Therefore, the free shells for them should not be large in size so that they do not grow quickly. Sea urchins should only be purchased for aquariums of sufficient size.

Technical equipment for a marine aquarium for launch.

Let's continue the example with a 250 liter aquarium. For such a marine system you need to make or buy:

- the aquarium itself

— SAMP (more about it below, you can do without it).

- a cabinet that will support the weight of the aquarium. Most often, a metal frame is made, which is sheathed with chipboard. It is important to provide legs with which you can level the aquarium.

— a hydraulic system connecting the aquarium and SAMP. It is made from PVC pipes with an adhesive joint. All elements must be made of plastic, since sea water will corrode almost any metal. As standard, they make a drain pipe, an emergency drain pipe (if the main drain suddenly becomes clogged), and a return line.

- electrician. On average, you need 10-15 sockets. Most aquarists place sockets in a cabinet under the aquarium. I make a separate small bedside table and put all the electrics there. In addition, I install a separate RCD for the aquarium (for additional protection against current leakage), and distribute the load across 3-5 circuit breakers. I also always provide an uninterrupted power supply for 24 hours for circulation pumps.

— lighting

— a bunch of different other things: from lighting in the cabinet to an aquacomputer.

What is SAMP?

For more practical maintenance of a marine aquarium, we will make an additional aquarium - SAMP. We will place all our equipment in it and organize some stages of filtration. Most often, SAMP is placed in a cabinet under the main aquarium. The standard volume of SAMP is usually equal to 30% of the volume of the main aquarium - this is a rule derived from practice (for our example, about 70 liters). Classic SAMP is divided into 3 sections: drain, algae, return compartment. The water is drained into the first section. A skimmer is most often installed in this department. It helps maintain high water quality by removing organic matter from the water. Then it enters the second compartment, where marine macroalgae (caulerpa, chaetamorpha) are located, which help remove nitrates and phosphates from the water and compete with lower unwanted algae. In the last compartment there is a return pump, which supplies water back to the aquarium through a pipe system.

Should you make a marine aquarium yourself or buy ready-made options? This is everyone's personal choice. There are some things you can do yourself and I even recommend it. In the near future, materials will appear on the portal detailing independent “sea building.” If you have money and lack time, it is better to buy. It is important to understand that at first you will need to devote a lot of time to your hobby, so if time is very tight at the stage of purchasing equipment, think twice, do you need it? When the system stabilizes, taking care of the aquarium will not take much time.

Choosing a place where the aquarium will be located.

It is very important to determine the location for the aquarium in advance and when installing the aquarium, make sure that it is level and not tilted to any side. It is also worth understanding that the aquarium will be viewed from all sides, from 3 sides, from 2 sides, or only the front part. This nuance can affect the interior decoration of the aquarium and its structure in general.

Choosing equipment for a marine aquarium.

It is difficult to give detailed advice on the choice of equipment. Currently, there are a huge number of manufacturers, choose to suit every taste. If you want it cheaper, order from China. Let’s just dwell on listing what is necessary to get started and some nuances:

- return pump

The main characteristic is the volume of water supply we need. 5-10 volumes of circulation per hour between the aquarium and SAMP. That is, for 250 liters we take a pump of 2500 l/hour, or better yet 3000 l/hour. It is important to understand that as water flows through pipes and pipe bends, the flow power will drop, and it will also fall depending on the height of the water supply. Manufacturers usually provide a graph of flow versus water supply height. I recommend choosing a pump with a power reserve and the ability to regulate flow. This function may be useful to us when debugging the drainage of water from the main aquarium to SAMP. Another equally important characteristic is operating noise. It is difficult to understand in advance what level of noise and vibration the pump will create, but you can read reviews from colleagues and choose the appropriate option.

- circulation pumps

We pay attention to the volume of circulation and method of fastening. It is better to take one with a magnetic base rather than suction cups, which can come off and create a storm in the aquarium. There are options with controllers. I don't think you need a controller when starting out. The circulation volume we need in the main display is in the range of 10-50 aquarium volumes per hour. I would recommend this: for 250 liters, two pumps of 3000 l/hour, or one for 3000 l/hour, and the second for 5000 l/hour. Do not forget that two low-power circulation pumps are better than one powerful circulation pump.

- skimmer

Let's look at the volume of the aquarium the skimmer is designed for. It is better to take with a margin of about 30%. The following parameters are important: ease of maintenance, ease of setup, stability of operation, noise and other parameters. So before making a choice, it is better to consult your colleagues on the forum. You can buy a pump for the skimmer and make the body yourself.

- heating pad with thermostat

It is better to take two smaller ones instead of one powerful one. Don't forget about reliability.

- thermometer

Here is a field for imagination and choice - whatever your heart desires.

-refractometer for measuring water salinity or hydrometer or hygrometer

Experienced aquarists use a refractometer. But you can start with cheap options: a hydrometer or hygrometer. We will need these devices when starting and monitoring the salinity of the water in the aquarium.

There is a ton of additional equipment, but the above described is enough to get you started.

Choosing lighting for a marine aquarium.

A separate point is lighting. If you are planning an open aquarium, think about a lamp mount in advance. To illuminate a marine aquarium, you can use fluorescent lamps (FL), metal halide lamps (MH), and diode lighting.

Each of the listed points has an army of its fans and defenders. Whatever is available, buy it. Do not forget that T5 and MG waters located close to the surface will heat it up. And for a marine aquarium, the question is often how to cool it, especially in summer. In addition, once every six months or a year, these lamps must be replaced with new ones (as manufacturers say, although practice suggests that lamps can be used for 2 or more years without problems). For LED lighting, the first question is price. But there is an advantage - energy saving.

Note!

Important! When all the equipment has been purchased, we need to decide: is there enough wiring power to power all our stuff without overloads? Currently, copper wire with a cross-section of 2.5 mm is supplied to the sockets. Usually there is a 16 A circuit breaker per line of sockets, which means that our load should not be more than 3000 W, otherwise the machine will break. Be sure to find out what else is posted on this thread. If the total power of the apartment junk of this line is close to 2000-2500 W (the main thing is to make sure that the electric kettle and washing machine are not powered from this line) - look for another option for powering the aquarium.

Choosing soil for a marine aquarium.

The aquarium and cabinet have been purchased, the equipment is lying around, the lighting is waiting - it’s time to start buying soil and stones. How much soil do you need? There are many different calculators for calculating the weight of soil at a given height. I would simplify everything to the following formula: 10% of the volume, that is: volume 30 liters - rash 3 kg of soil; volume 200 liters rash 20 kg of soil. With this method, the height of the soil will be about 3 cm. Lately, aquariums without soil have been gaining popularity, especially in the West. I don't think this is a good solution for a marine aquarium biotope.

The question remains about the quality of the soil and its fraction: aragonite sand, coral chips or something else? There are no comrades according to taste and color - whatever is available, buy it. Some people use sand and are happy, others use coral chips. Some people switch from sand to coral chips, and others vice versa. Currently they offer to buy “live sand” - if you have extra money (down the drain) - this is your option. Better yet, save money and buy an extra kilogram of living stones that are truly alive. Nuances. The whiter the aragonite sand, the smaller the fraction. And vice versa, the yellower the sand, the larger it is. If you plan to keep fish in the aquarium that dig sand (gobies, even clowns can dig), then you should choose coarser sand so that the rising sand quickly settles and there is no turbidity in the aquarium. Usually in small aquariums a fine fraction is used. In large aquariums, it is more practical to use coral chips or coarse aragonite sand. The color doesn't really matter as it will change after a while.

Selecting stones for a marine aquarium.

So, we come to the choice of stones. The question is very subtle and delicate. You can buy shell rock, tuff, dry reef stone (DRS), a lively version of the previous stones, live stones (LC) “from the wheels” (these stones just brought from the sea, usually collected collective orders and delivered by a certain date) and overexposed LC ( LCDs “off wheels” that were not sold simply go into the aquarium and languish there, waiting for their buyer).

First things first. If you want to make columns, beautiful slides inside the aquarium, buy shell rock, tuff, SRK and create it. No one is rushing you, you can fasten it this way and that, drill here and there. Make frames for them from PVC pipes. We assembled your masterpiece columns in the aquarium, something didn’t fit and we didn’t like it - we took it apart and remade it. But lively stones, liquid crystals “from wheels” and overexposed liquid crystals should be purchased when the aquarium is already salted. There’s not much time to make a landscape from “living” stones, and you need experience. But if you want to be able to quickly add animals to your aquarium so that it matures faster, buy any of the options for live or animated stones.

A few words about the nuances with stones. When choosing an IBS, you need to understand that the necessary microorganisms will not be able to colonize the stone both inside and outside right away. This may take from 3 to 9 months. When purchasing an LCD, various micro and macroorganisms already live both “on” and “in” the stone, so the aquarium quickly achieves biological balance.

“Pitfalls” of stones: IBS can secrete substances for a long time, leading to problems and the growth of unwanted algae. LCDs can introduce parasites, diseases and unwanted guests into the system, which will subsequently have to be dealt with. The choice is yours.

Choosing a water source for an aquarium.

Due to the poor quality of tap water for a saltwater aquarium, it is advisable to purchase osmosis water or have access to distilled water. Why do we need water of this quality? To prepare artificial sea water. After all, to obtain artificial sea water, we dilute aquarium sea salt, consisting of many different components, with our water. Since tap water contains a lot of mineral salts, no one can predict how the components of sea salt will interact with the minerals of the water. We don't want to poison our aquarium. And water that has passed through an osmosis membrane (and distilled water) has no or virtually no mineral salts. Therefore, water treatment is a very important point. To be sure, have your tap water analyzed by your local sanitary and epidemiological service. If the water quality is good, try using tap water. But be sure to report your experience.

Chromis blue-green - Chromis caerulea

photo can be enlarged

Blue-green chromis is a small and very bright fish that looks perfect in reef areas. These fish are territorial, so they are aggressive towards members of their own species.

The growth of fish can be very different from 4 to 30 cm. the body is elongated and flattened at the sides. Their head is elongated, their eyes are large with a bluish rim, their mouth is small, and their nostrils are small, 1 or 2 on each side. The longest fin is considered to be the dorsal one. The body is covered with large scales with 1 black dot or stripe at the ends.

Chromis have a variety of colors, most often they are found in bright colors, which can be either bright blue or black, but most chromis are blue-green. It is because of its color that Chromis blue-green got its name. The Pamarcentra family is mainly found in fresh water, but there are cases when they were found in brackish water. Chromis are considered omnivores; they can feed on both vegetation and smaller fish. These fish get along well with almost any type of fish.

Chromis blue-green is widespread from the Red Sea to Madagascar, almost throughout Oceania, as well as on the Fiji Islands.

Chromis blue-green matures for fertilization at the age of 13-17 months. The female lays her eggs on flat, slightly inclined stones. During spawning, it is better not to touch the fish, they become more aggressive. The incubation period lasts up to 3 days at a temperature of 28-30°C. Parents take care of the eggs, guarding them in turns. After the fry hatch, they transfer them to the pits. Chromis are considered caring parents when the fry already begin to swim and accompany them while eating. At first, they feed on “living dust”, after which they switch to a more nutritious diet.

Starting a marine aquarium. Options for “revitalizing” the system.

After the aquarium is filled with water, we need to “revive” it and start the biological processes that take place in natural water. Most often, this process is called the launch and maturation of a biological filter. What is it for? In the process of life, fish and other inhabitants emit waste - these are potentially dangerous and toxic nitrogenous compounds: ammonium/ammonia (this is one substance, but in an acidic environment it exists more in the form of ammonium (which is less toxic), and in an alkaline environment it exists more in the form of ammonia (which is the most toxic)). To neutralize them, there are special bacteria in nature that, feeding on ammonium/ammonia, release less toxic nitrites . But nitrites can also kill animals even in small concentrations. They also need to be converted into less toxic compounds - nitrates . And for this purpose, there are bacteria that, feeding on nitrites, convert them into nitrates . This is a very simplified diagram of the incomplete nitrogen cycle. And all our efforts are aimed at its formation. How do we properly start the nitrogen cycle?

The following options exist:

1. Bookmark LCD or OZhK.
2. Laying living soil.
3. Introducing a culture of nitrogen cycle bacteria. Various types of drugs are sold for these purposes.
4. Add ammonia (ammonia) to the aquarium every day.
5. Add fish food as if you were feeding all the fish you introduce.
6. Plant fish that are resistant to ammonium/ammonia/nitrite/nitrate fluctuations and feed them. You can use freshwater mollies or guppies transferred to sea water for a week. You can also plant resistant Pomacentraceae.

The first three options are based on the immediate creation of a sufficient population of nitrogen cycle bacteria, thereby accelerating the maturation process of the aquarium. Regarding special preparations, bacteriologists unanimously say that such preparations can significantly speed up the startup of a biological filter, up to a day.

Options 4, 5, 6 are based on the fact that nitrogen cycle bacteria exist everywhere, but in small quantities. Therefore, we simply have to grow the population of bacteria we need in the aquarium. To do this, we add a nutrient medium for them, and they themselves gradually multiply and begin to fully perform the functions of processing toxic ammonia into nitrites and nitrates.

With great success, you can combine these methods in various combinations.

How does the maturation process of a marine aquarium occur? What to expect?

diatoms-algae
The process of complete maturation of the system can take six months or more (here we are talking not only about the formation of the nitrogen cycle, but also about many other processes occurring in natural conditions). Since it is difficult for us to look into the microbiological changes in the aquarium, we will evaluate the maturation process visually and based on the results of tests of sea water. What do we see? At first, a brown coating/mucus appears on the sand, stones, glass - these are diatoms. After some time (from several days to several weeks or more) they will begin to disappear on their own. Next, green filamentous and red mucus-like algae will begin to appear.

filamentum-bryopsis

All this does not look very nice, but there is nothing terrible about it, since it takes time for the aquarium to become itself. Help your “sea” by mechanically removing large accumulations of algae. This can be done with your hands or by siphoning with a tube. Monitor the parameters of sea water (density, temperature, ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, phosphates), regularly make 10-15% changes once a week (be sure to monitor the quality of water for replacement). It would be nice if you have macroalgae (chaetamorpha, caulerpa or others) in your aquarium. They will compete for nutrients with microalgae, which are not desirable in our system.

Chromis butterfly

photo can be enlarged

This small, colorful fish of the cichlid family is native to Colombia and Venezuela, where it inhabits shallow river backwaters in the upper reaches of the Orinoco River basin.

The chromis butterfly is quite popular among aquarists - it is not capricious in its maintenance, is peaceful towards other inhabitants of the aquarium (belligerence during spawning is directed mainly at representatives of the same species), and is easy to breed. Its coloring is so variegated that it is necessary to think through the design of the aquarium to match it, and not vice versa.

The body is small (up to 5-6 cm), quite high, bright yellow or with a reddish tint (especially in males during spawning), covered with blue sparkles. There is a large black spot on the sides, the belly is pinkish-red. A vertical black stripe runs through the eye. In males, the first rays of the dorsal fin are elongated. Males are noticeably brighter and larger than females. During the spawning period, the lower part of the fish’s body becomes intensely red, especially in females.

Chromis love warmth, so the water temperature is desirable not lower than 25-26°C, and when the water is heated to 30°C (as advised in some sources), the color intensity and activity of the fish increases. Water hardness 8-12°, pH 6.0-6.8 (preferably in these ranges, given the chromis’ dislike of hard and acidic water).

The aquarium must be equipped with a good filter and carefully monitor the cleanliness of the water and soil, because the formation of turbidity and the accumulation of decay products is detrimental to the fish. Regular water changes are required: 25-30% weekly, or better yet, 10% every other day.

“Butterflies” are very susceptible to the chlorine content in water, so special attention should be paid to settling and dechlorination. It is advisable to siphon the bottom once every two weeks (more often if possible) when changing the water. Bright lighting is recommended, but with the obligatory organization of shaded areas in which fish like to hide.

Any live food is suitable as food for chromis - bloodworms, coretra, daphnia, cyclops, tubifex. Dry and frozen products can be used.

It is advisable to purchase a group of young animals of 8-12 pieces. Butterflies usually reach sexual maturity by 6 months, but can spawn earlier. Spawning can occur in a community aquarium. The fish themselves are divided into pairs, which, as a rule, are preceded by so-called “tournaments”, and firmly secure their territory.

The substrate for spawning can be smooth surfaces and “caves”: large stones, shards from a clay flower pot, as well as simply shallow holes and wide leaves of plants. A suitable surface is first cleaned by the pair, and then eggs in the amount of 70-400 pieces are laid on it.

The parents protect the clutch, but most often, after a while, the eggs are destroyed - apparently, they are unnerved by the presence of numerous neighbors or this is due to the loss of parental instinct during many years of artificial breeding. Therefore, it is advisable to immediately or on the second or third day place the masonry in a separate container without soil with aeration and water from the same aquarium, adding methylene blue to it for disinfection until it turns a slightly bluish color.

The water temperature is increased by 2-3°C. The cleanliness of the container is carefully monitored by regularly changing the water, and when fry appear, it is necessary to clean the bottom daily, removing waste products and unclaimed food.

When breeding in a separate aquarium, the process occurs as follows. For steam, take a vessel with a capacity of 20-30 liters, cover the bottom with a thin layer of coarse sand, and place a substrate (stone or shards). The water should be well settled and absolutely transparent, the temperature raised to 27-28°C, hardness no more than 7-10°, pH about 6.5.

After the pair has mastered the space, which takes 2-3 days, spawning begins. The incubation period is at 25-26°C - 72-80 hours, at 27-30°C - 45-50 hours. The parents “stand” over the clutch (usually the male), guard the territory, fan the eggs with their fins, clean them in the mouth, and also transport hatched larvae from place to place. On the third day, when the fry swim and switch to active feeding, the spawners can be removed from the spawning area.

The starting food is “dust”; ciliates, rotifers. A month later, bloodworms, coretra, tubifex and “burdock worm” are added to the diet. The fry begin to color in the third month, and at a length of 1-1.5 cm they can already be transferred to a general aquarium.

Settling a marine aquarium.

We focus on ammonia/nitrites/nitarts tests. If the first ones are at zero, and nitrates are below 50 (for corals, preferably below 20), you can launch stable pioneers. Start with hermit crabs, snails, brittle stars. Of the fish, give preference to the fish that are higher on the list for beginners. Do not add more than 2-3 fish at a time, as the biological cycle is not yet established and excessive load may disrupt it.

Step-by-step settlement of a marine aquarium:

1. After the start: First stocking: Amphiprion ocellaris ———-2 — 15x2x2=60 liters

1. Addition after 1-2 months: First addition: Escenius bicolor ——————1 — 8x1x2=16 liters

1. Second stocking for the 1st-3rd month: Amblyeleotris guttata (or japonicus, or latifasciata, or steinitzi) or Cryptocentrus cinctus + shrimp Alpheus bellulus or Stonogobiops nematodes + Alpheus randalli - 8x1x2=16 liters
2. Nemateleotris magnifica ——2 —9x2x2=36 liters

1. Third stocking for the 6th month: Pterosinchiropus splendidus—1+1 (male and female)—6x2x2=24 liters
2. Centropyge bispinosus –1 —12x1x2=24 liters

TOTAL: 60+60+16+16+36+24+24=236

Please note that the third addition is only for the 6th month, since these fish must live in a fully mature aquarium. It is possible to move in earlier, provided that the system is mature.

How to properly introduce animals into an aquarium?

In the transport package, water should occupy only 1/3 or 1/4 of the volume, the rest is oxygen or air. We place the bag with the animal in the aquarium to equalize the temperature. Next, within 30 minutes we equalize the water parameters of the bag and our aquarium. This can be done with a dropper or by gradually adding water in a glass every 3-5 minutes. The stages of transportation and acclimatization are very important, since the health of your pets directly depends on them. After the parameters have been adjusted, invertebrates, including corals, can be transplanted into the aquarium, but it is advisable to place the fish in a quarantine aquarium for 3 weeks in order to avoid introducing diseases into the main aquarium.

For convenience, plan the stocking of your aquarium in 3-4 stages and write down which fish and which corals you plan to stock. Try not to deviate from the plan in terms of timing and number of fish. Of course, if an attractive offer for marine life appears, you should not refuse, but you should not abuse it either. Who needs problems in an aquarium? To those who behave inconsistently! We're not like that. The fish have been launched - the aquarium has come to life.

Congratulations, you have a new family member! Don't offend him.

These are, perhaps, the main points that I would like to draw the attention of a novice aquarist. This short article should be the beginning of a systematic study of the literature on marine aquarium keeping. Happy sailing!

Discussion of the article on the forum.

This article was written specifically for Aquamania.by.

Author: Komyakovich Alexander, aka voodoo, 2015

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External links [edit]

• ReefCorner - Green Chromis Database Entry
• https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=212811
• Photos of Chromis viridis from the Sealife collection

• Fish portal
• marine biology portal
• sea ​​life portal