Dear Friends of CORAL,

There is plenty of bad news about coral reefs this year, but here is some good news. After years of work by lots of different organizations and individuals, President Clinton has issued an Executive Order creating the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Reserve, the single largest nature reserve ever established in the United States.

 
Setting Up The Aquarium In Brief

1. Place heating cable, Substore Mix and gravel into the aquarium as per instructions.

2. Place filter, heater thermostat and CO₂ system in position but do not turn on until aquarium is filled with water.

3. Decorate the aquarium using bog wood, inert rocks or ceramic ornaments.

4. Fill the aquarium ¾ full of water. This will make the job of planting the aquarium so much easier and more comfortable. If the aquarium is to be left for a few days before planting do not turn the lights on until planted.

5. At least 80% of the substrate should be covered by the plants, with half of those being fast growing plants. This will help counteract algae problems which new aquariums are more prone to.

6. The aquarium can now be filled completely and all the systems checked to see that they are working properly.