If you make these most common mistakes in getting started with your saltwater aquarium, it can be overwhelming, confusing, frustrating, and costly.So now I am going to reveal the most common worst mistakes people make and what to do instead.Mistake #1 - Learning from too many different sources at once - When we are excited about something new, we often seek out information wherever we can find it.You might be getting your information from aquarium reference books and aquarium related magazines, going to on-line forums, attending aquarium hobby club meetings, and then there is also the local fish store - and this goes on.The challenge here is that there are an unlimited number of different ways to do an aquarium well.So which one do you pick? And this is where people get themselves in trouble.Many of these difference sources will have differing opinions that contradict or disagree with one another, which can be very frustrating, confusing and lead to overwhelm, or worse, and can cause you to make horribly frustrating and costly mistakes with your tank.Solution. Start with one expert, who has proof that they know what they are talking about, and who you know, like, and trust.Learn their way of doing things and get some experience and success under your belt.And then (only then), is it time to start experimenting with what "other people" say.Mistake #2 - Using every method and piece of equipment you find - I once went to a famous public aquarium whose reef tank had an algae scrubber, a protein skimmer, an artificial fiberglass background, and D.E.Filter (diatomacious earth), ozone, and on and on it went.They had multiple different kinds of filtration equipment installed all over the system, and many of them were making one another ineffective.Solution. Pick a method and stick to it.Each method of reef keeping (for example) has different equipment that go with it.Resist the temptation to buying into the myth that you need every new gizmo gadget filter that comes along.Not only do some filtration components not go together, but those that do often need to be used in a certain sequence.So pick a method and its related equipment and stick to it.Mistake #3 - Using the right filtration components in the wrong way or wrong configuration - Often is the case that hobbyists will get a new piece of equipment that is well designed and well made and then they install it in the wrong way or in the wrong place on their system.For example, if you are using a mechanical canister filter on a fish-only tank with live rock, you do not want to put it on the same pump loop with the protein skimmer.As the mechanical filter does its job and gets clogged, it will reduce flow and cause back pressure and thus may change the flow rate being sent to the skimmer.A much better place to put the mechanical filter canister is on its own dedicated pump loop recirculating directly on the display tank.Solution. Learn how and where to apply or install equipment before you buy it.Mistake #4 - Being in a rush to add fish to your new tank - This one is completely understandable, and boy does it cause problems.The fact is that your tank needs a complete and cycled bacterial population in the biological filter in order to handle the waste that fish create.Otherwise the waste the fish create will make them sick or even die.The old school way of cycling a tank is of course no longer necessary.The way it used to be done, "disposable" or "cheap" or "hardy" fish were actually used to cycle the tank, to create this necessary bacteria population in the biological filter.This meant wasting money on fish you do not necessarily want, let alone sacrificing fish.Today, the best way of cycling a tank is to kick start your biological filter with either live bacteria cultures you can purchase, or by adding live sand or biological filter media from an existing and well established tank.Solution. Cycle your tank quickly with live bacteria cultures you can buy, or with sand or biological media from an existing and well established tank.And, no matter how well you cycle your tank, there are always limits on how quickly you can add new fish to your tank.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
The Worst Mistakes to Avoid in Getting Started With Saltwater Aquariums and What to Do About It
If you make these most common mistakes in getting started with your saltwater aquarium, it can be overwhelming, confusing, frustrating, and costly.So now I am going to reveal the most common worst mistakes people make and what to do instead.Mistake #1 - Learning from too many different sources at once - When we are excited about something new, we often seek out information wherever we can find it.You might be getting your information from aquarium reference books and aquarium related magazines, going to on-line forums, attending aquarium hobby club meetings, and then there is also the local fish store - and this goes on.The challenge here is that there are an unlimited number of different ways to do an aquarium well.So which one do you pick? And this is where people get themselves in trouble.Many of these difference sources will have differing opinions that contradict or disagree with one another, which can be very frustrating, confusing and lead to overwhelm, or worse, and can cause you to make horribly frustrating and costly mistakes with your tank.Solution. Start with one expert, who has proof that they know what they are talking about, and who you know, like, and trust.Learn their way of doing things and get some experience and success under your belt.And then (only then), is it time to start experimenting with what "other people" say.Mistake #2 - Using every method and piece of equipment you find - I once went to a famous public aquarium whose reef tank had an algae scrubber, a protein skimmer, an artificial fiberglass background, and D.E.Filter (diatomacious earth), ozone, and on and on it went.They had multiple different kinds of filtration equipment installed all over the system, and many of them were making one another ineffective.Solution. Pick a method and stick to it.Each method of reef keeping (for example) has different equipment that go with it.Resist the temptation to buying into the myth that you need every new gizmo gadget filter that comes along.Not only do some filtration components not go together, but those that do often need to be used in a certain sequence.So pick a method and its related equipment and stick to it.Mistake #3 - Using the right filtration components in the wrong way or wrong configuration - Often is the case that hobbyists will get a new piece of equipment that is well designed and well made and then they install it in the wrong way or in the wrong place on their system.For example, if you are using a mechanical canister filter on a fish-only tank with live rock, you do not want to put it on the same pump loop with the protein skimmer.As the mechanical filter does its job and gets clogged, it will reduce flow and cause back pressure and thus may change the flow rate being sent to the skimmer.A much better place to put the mechanical filter canister is on its own dedicated pump loop recirculating directly on the display tank.Solution. Learn how and where to apply or install equipment before you buy it.Mistake #4 - Being in a rush to add fish to your new tank - This one is completely understandable, and boy does it cause problems.The fact is that your tank needs a complete and cycled bacterial population in the biological filter in order to handle the waste that fish create.Otherwise the waste the fish create will make them sick or even die.The old school way of cycling a tank is of course no longer necessary.The way it used to be done, "disposable" or "cheap" or "hardy" fish were actually used to cycle the tank, to create this necessary bacteria population in the biological filter.This meant wasting money on fish you do not necessarily want, let alone sacrificing fish.Today, the best way of cycling a tank is to kick start your biological filter with either live bacteria cultures you can purchase, or by adding live sand or biological filter media from an existing and well established tank.Solution. Cycle your tank quickly with live bacteria cultures you can buy, or with sand or biological media from an existing and well established tank.And, no matter how well you cycle your tank, there are always limits on how quickly you can add new fish to your tank.
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