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Marine Topics -
FAQs
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 Q) What points should I bear in mind when looking for healthy livestock?
R. Messina, Florence, Italy.
A) Apart from a bargain, everyone is looking for livestock in the peak of health. By purchasing strong and vibrant animals, the marinist gains a distinct advantage in that his/her charges will already be ready to survive the rigours of aquarium acclimatisation and come out the other end full of vitality and stress-free. But do most enthusiasts know what to look for in a good specimen? How can we tell the good from the bad - even though they may be ugly!? |
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Marine Topics -
FAQs
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Q) Why does my marine aquarium appear to 'lose' water? Is it likely to be harmful to the fish and invertebrates? How can I replace it safely?
A) Any body of water left open to the atmosphere will evaporate if not replaced. This can be demonstrated by wetting the back of your hand. Within a minute or so, it will be completely dry as the water quickly evaporates. The same principle applies to the aquarium; given long enough, a full aquarium would dry out completely! Realistically, the marinist would attend to any lost water as required by various methods, as we shall see. It is important to note at this point that it is only water molecules that evaporate, molecules of other substances remain in the main body of water, effectively making it denser. The end result being that specific gravity (s.g.) and salinity start to rise if measures are not taken to redress the balance. Both fish and invertebrates are sensitive to changes in these parameters as it affects their osmoregulatory systems markedly, leading to stress and possibly disease. Therefore, it is in everyone's interests to replace water as soon as it evaporates. (Unfortunately, a complete explanation of the highly interesting, but nevertheless substantial topic of osmoregulation in fish will have to be the subject of a future article).
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Marine Topics -
FAQs
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Q) How much importance should be given to water circulation in the marine aquarium?
A) The 'big' topics such as filtration, lighting, feeding and stocking nearly always overshadow water circulation to such an extent that it is almost dismissed as unimportant. This a pity because good water movement within any aquarium is vital to the health and well-being of just about any livestock you care to name. |
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Marine Topics -
FAQs
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 Q) I have limited lighting over my aquarium, although the water quality is high. Is it possible to keep invertebrates that do not require high intensity lighting?
A) Mention invertebrates to most aquarists and they will immediately associate them with high intensity lighting such as metal halides. In truth, there is a vast selection of invertebrates that require very little, if any, light and these can be kept quite successfully with a little planning. Firstly, however, it might be useful to understand why some invertebrates demand high intensity lighting. In this way we can more easily identify those species that will thrive under low-light regimes. |
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Marine Fish -
General Marine Articles
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 Pondering the mysteries of the universe one evening (you know how one does), a thought crossed my mind ... WOMEN! (Now chaps, don't get too excited!) Just why is it that so few women get involved with the marine side of the aquarium hobby? The question was a serious one and did not elicit a ready answer. I'm not talking about the wornan who helps her partner lug the odd bucket around at water change time but the 100% committed hobbyist. Think about it for a moment, see how many you know; not that many, if any, I would care to venture. A strange situation, indeed. Is there a reason why more women should not get involved, or does the hobby hold so little attraction? Who better to ask than some of those few already firmly involved. A look at their fishkeeping history rnight also furnish some clues. So with that in mind I set off to interview four likely candidates in what turned out to be one of the most interesting assignments I'd undertaken in a long time,
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