Saltwater Aquarium Care
Some saltwater aquarium enthusiasts avoid having their own tank because they think that its care is burdensome and chancy.That is just not the case. The problems resulting during care of the saltwater aquarium usually stem from making some common errors early on.
Here are some typical mistakes made in the care of a saltwater aquarium and the ways to avoid them.
The first mistake is not having enough care and patience to move slowly when creating the saltwater aquarium. They don’t test the system to make sure it works properly before adding the live creature, nor do they study up on aquariums as they should before they start.
Many owners of saltwater aquariums overload their tank, putting too much livestock or live rock into the tank at once. This is especially poor saltwater aquarium care if the tank has not completely cycled or has just completed its cycle process. The result of too many additions in too short a time creates what is known as new tank syndrome. This syndrome can happen when too little care is taken to space the saltwater aquarium live additions. Because of this improper care ammonia builds up in the saltwater aquarium and the amount is too great for the bacteria in the system to consume. This can cause harmful nitrate build up as well.
Another side effect of improper saltwater aquarium care is the misdiagnosis of diseases in its sea creatures. Saltwater itch is the primary problem disease with saltwater aquarium and great care needs to be taken to diagnose which itch disease it is that’s afflicting the tank. Coral Fish disease, also known as marine velvet disease is often mistaken for white spot disease. While similar saltwater itch diseases, they respond to different treatments.
Initial care of a saltwater aquarium should include the design of a quarantine tank. There are too many incidents of overmedication or misdiagnosis that cause fish to be given the wrong treatments. The best remedy for ailing fish is to place them in a quarantine tank until the exact ailment is known and can be treated correctly.
Filtration is a crucial part of saltwater aquarium care and if inadequate can wreak havoc on the living creatures and rocks in the tank. There are many types of filters including varieties of mechanic, chemical and biological filters. Having more filtration than is necessary is preferable to having too little.
Many times new saltwater aquarium owners don’t take care when choosing the animals to add to the tank. Many times they enthusiastically buy new creatures without finding out how to feed or care for them. Buying fish on impulse because they are pretty is not taking adequate care of the saltwater aquarium, especially since some of the prettiest breeds of fish are poisonous aggressors. Knowing the compatibility of the livestock in the aquarium goes hand in glove with this issue. The owner must understand the compatibility of the animals she or he is adding to the tank or one might end up eating the other, or many of the fish could become ill because of stress issues related to incompatibility.
Overall, the basic rule for good saltwater aquarium care is to take the time to know what is required to keep a safe environment for all the creatures in the tank before rushing out to buy the livestock and the other items for the tank.