Nano Marine Hand Out
Download the PDF version.
The requirements for keeping a marine aquarium are fairly simple, regardless of the size of the aquarium. Pisces Pet Emporium will guide you in your quest for your own piece of the ocean. Although most of us dream of having a huge reef tank, reality dictates that for some of us, this is not practical. You might be restricted by your living space or you want to gain confidence with the hobby before you feel you are ready or that monster reef aquarium.
Pisces Pet Emporium is proud to be a leader in Calgary for nano reef aquariums and offers marine set-ups from 2 gallons to 38 gallons. Beyond our selection of aquariums and supplies for a successful and fun hobby, Pisces Pet Emporium offers expert knowledge to make your marine dreams come true.
Regardless of the aquarium you choose, the same rules will apply. We will be setting up a 16 gallon system for the purposes of this course. All of our nano marine kits come with all the supplies you need to get started. Of course, like all hobbies, you an upgrade certain things if you choose to...so let's get started!
Once you have chosen your aquarium the real fun begins. Let us start by setting everything up so when you find "Nemo" you can bring him home to a safe and healthy environment.
Mechanical filtration is any filter or part of a filter that physically removes particles from the water. The most common use of mechanical filtration is the use of aquarium floss, sponges and aquarium wool. Protein skimmers are also a very good mechanical filter for marine aquariums. The protein skimmer uses foam friction to remove wastes at a molecular level.
Chemical filtration uses resins (carbon, charcoal, zeo-lite, etc.) to remove waste by-products from the water. Chemical filtration is used to polish the water, and remove odors and discoloration. Chemical filtration is also used to remove proteins, fatty acids and phosphates. For nano reefs, Purigen by Seachem is an ideal resin to remove organics from the aquarium. Purigen is often referred to as a protein skimmer in a bag. Most resin needs to be changed every two to three weeks for best results.
Biological filtration is the part of the filter that provides sites for beneficial bacteria to establish and thrive. This part of the filter naturally removes ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. The bacteria that remove ammonia and nitrite are aerobic (using oxygen) and the bacteria that removes nitrate are anaerobic (void of oxygen). Pisces Pet Emporium recommends the use of both Bio Media Max and Matrix (Bio X Max) as the best filter media for all three stages of the biological filtration. Bio filter media should be changed at a ratio of 50% every three months.
Substrate refers to the material that is used to cover the bottom of the aquarium. The preferred substrate for a nano reef aquarium is live sand. The sand is important for a few reasons, one being that it provides a site for denitrifying bacteria. A base of 1.5 to 2 inches in optimal. All substrates will become live eventually. Sand that is calcium-based (aragonite, for example) will help to maintain the pH, hardness and calcium in the aquarium. The sand is also home to many micro-organisms and even some of the fish and invertebrates that you might choose to keep.
Of course the water that you use is a huge part of the having a successful marine aquarium. Other than the temperature and specific gravity of the water, almost all of the marine environments found around the world are consistent in their chemical makeup. For this reason, Pisces Pet Emporium chooses to use Aquavitro Salinity. Each bucket of Aquavitro Salinity is tested before it reaches the public and has a 5% or less deviation from the proper base line of high end salt. Some salt mixes might have up a 60% deviation in its chemical makeup between batches. Your marine animals depend on a consistent environment to be happy and healthy.
Specific gravity refers to the amount of dissolved salt in the water. To test the specific gravity of your water, a hydrometer or refractometer can be used. For the reef aquarium, Pisces Pet Emporium recommends a reading of 1.023 to 1.024. The refractometer is your best bet for you and your aquarium. Altitude and temperature can affect the specific gravity; a refractometer can be calibrated to always give you the proper reading.
For most aquarium set-ups, the ideal temperature should be 78 °F (or 26 °C). To maintain the quality and integrity of the water in your aquarium, 25% of the water should be changed weekly. Topping up an aquarium to replace water lost through evaporation is not a water change.
Lighting is an important part of a successful reef aquarium. All of our nano reefs have enough lights to grow coral. Like all hobbies you can upgrade to meet your own needs. The water in a nano reef aquarium is shallow enough that the lights provided in a nano reef kit will be sufficient. For larger aquariums, you will need to invest in a stronger lighting system.
Water circulation is very important for a clean, healthy reef system. Pisces Pet Emporium provides extra water movement with water propeller systems included in the set-up kit. Having a healthy flow of water with currents in your reef aquarium will help to keep the aquarium clean and will be prevent problems with cyno-bacteria.
Blue Hermit Crab - eats excess food and algae on rocks.
Snails - Eat algae on glass and rocks.
Peppermint shrimp - eat excess food and aiptaisia.
Brittle starfish - eat excess food.
Urchins - eat excess food and algae.
Sandstars - eat excess food and stir up sand bottom.
Cleaner shrimps - eat excess food and eat parasites off fish.
Fill tank.
Make sure the heater is working.
Set up filter and pumps.
Add live sand and water.
Test the salinity of the water (1.025).
Wait one day.
Step 2.
Add live rock (one pound per gallon).
Step 3.
Wait 2-3 days.
Test ammonia and nitrite levels.
Step 4.
If the water tests are good (low ammonia and nitrite levels), add a cleaning crew.
Step 5.
Wait 5 days.
Test the water.
Step 6.
If the water tests are good, add some fish and corals.
Step 7.
Wait 5 days.
Test the water.
Although all of our nano reef starter kits come with test kits, we encourage you to bring a water sample in for free testing. Once you are comfortable testing your reef aquarium on your own, you will be well on your way to enjoying a successful and fun hobby. No matter what your experience level is, Pisces Pet Emporium is here to help you through every phase of your hobby.
Nano Marine Aquariums
Have you always wanted a marine aquarium but were reluctant to try bringing a piece of the ocean to your home? Maybe you heard that you needed a huge aquarium to have any chance of success or that it is too hard to maintain. A lot has changed in the marine hobby and today it is easier than ever to keep a marine aquarium.The requirements for keeping a marine aquarium are fairly simple, regardless of the size of the aquarium. Pisces Pet Emporium will guide you in your quest for your own piece of the ocean. Although most of us dream of having a huge reef tank, reality dictates that for some of us, this is not practical. You might be restricted by your living space or you want to gain confidence with the hobby before you feel you are ready or that monster reef aquarium.
Pisces Pet Emporium is proud to be a leader in Calgary for nano reef aquariums and offers marine set-ups from 2 gallons to 38 gallons. Beyond our selection of aquariums and supplies for a successful and fun hobby, Pisces Pet Emporium offers expert knowledge to make your marine dreams come true.
Regardless of the aquarium you choose, the same rules will apply. We will be setting up a 16 gallon system for the purposes of this course. All of our nano marine kits come with all the supplies you need to get started. Of course, like all hobbies, you an upgrade certain things if you choose to...so let's get started!
Once you have chosen your aquarium the real fun begins. Let us start by setting everything up so when you find "Nemo" you can bring him home to a safe and healthy environment.
Filtration
Filtration is one of the key components for a successful aquarium. Filtration can be broken down into three categories: mechanical, chemical and biological.Mechanical filtration is any filter or part of a filter that physically removes particles from the water. The most common use of mechanical filtration is the use of aquarium floss, sponges and aquarium wool. Protein skimmers are also a very good mechanical filter for marine aquariums. The protein skimmer uses foam friction to remove wastes at a molecular level.
Chemical filtration uses resins (carbon, charcoal, zeo-lite, etc.) to remove waste by-products from the water. Chemical filtration is used to polish the water, and remove odors and discoloration. Chemical filtration is also used to remove proteins, fatty acids and phosphates. For nano reefs, Purigen by Seachem is an ideal resin to remove organics from the aquarium. Purigen is often referred to as a protein skimmer in a bag. Most resin needs to be changed every two to three weeks for best results.
Biological filtration is the part of the filter that provides sites for beneficial bacteria to establish and thrive. This part of the filter naturally removes ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. The bacteria that remove ammonia and nitrite are aerobic (using oxygen) and the bacteria that removes nitrate are anaerobic (void of oxygen). Pisces Pet Emporium recommends the use of both Bio Media Max and Matrix (Bio X Max) as the best filter media for all three stages of the biological filtration. Bio filter media should be changed at a ratio of 50% every three months.
Substrate
Substrate refers to the material that is used to cover the bottom of the aquarium. The preferred substrate for a nano reef aquarium is live sand. The sand is important for a few reasons, one being that it provides a site for denitrifying bacteria. A base of 1.5 to 2 inches in optimal. All substrates will become live eventually. Sand that is calcium-based (aragonite, for example) will help to maintain the pH, hardness and calcium in the aquarium. The sand is also home to many micro-organisms and even some of the fish and invertebrates that you might choose to keep.
Water
Of course the water that you use is a huge part of the having a successful marine aquarium. Other than the temperature and specific gravity of the water, almost all of the marine environments found around the world are consistent in their chemical makeup. For this reason, Pisces Pet Emporium chooses to use Aquavitro Salinity. Each bucket of Aquavitro Salinity is tested before it reaches the public and has a 5% or less deviation from the proper base line of high end salt. Some salt mixes might have up a 60% deviation in its chemical makeup between batches. Your marine animals depend on a consistent environment to be happy and healthy.
Specific gravity refers to the amount of dissolved salt in the water. To test the specific gravity of your water, a hydrometer or refractometer can be used. For the reef aquarium, Pisces Pet Emporium recommends a reading of 1.023 to 1.024. The refractometer is your best bet for you and your aquarium. Altitude and temperature can affect the specific gravity; a refractometer can be calibrated to always give you the proper reading.
For most aquarium set-ups, the ideal temperature should be 78 °F (or 26 °C). To maintain the quality and integrity of the water in your aquarium, 25% of the water should be changed weekly. Topping up an aquarium to replace water lost through evaporation is not a water change.
Live Rock
Live rock is the backbone of the reef aquarium. Live rock is rock that is already full of micro and macro life. One pound of live rock per gallon of water is recommended for the reef aquarium. Pisces Pet Emporium offers live rock that is aqua-cultured. This is rock that has been "grown" in the ocean for aquarium use. Healthy live rock will soon be covered in coralline algae (usually purple colored). Always remove any bristle worms or aiptasia from your rock as soon as you encounter these pests. You can aid the growth of coralline algae with Crazy Coralline Explosion from Pisces Pet Emporium. Performing weekly water changes will also allow for healthy rock to develop in your aquarium.Lighting
Lighting is an important part of a successful reef aquarium. All of our nano reefs have enough lights to grow coral. Like all hobbies you can upgrade to meet your own needs. The water in a nano reef aquarium is shallow enough that the lights provided in a nano reef kit will be sufficient. For larger aquariums, you will need to invest in a stronger lighting system.
Water Flow
Water circulation is very important for a clean, healthy reef system. Pisces Pet Emporium provides extra water movement with water propeller systems included in the set-up kit. Having a healthy flow of water with currents in your reef aquarium will help to keep the aquarium clean and will be prevent problems with cyno-bacteria.
Cleaning Crew
Blue Hermit Crab - eats excess food and algae on rocks.
Snails - Eat algae on glass and rocks.
Peppermint shrimp - eat excess food and aiptaisia.
Brittle starfish - eat excess food.
Urchins - eat excess food and algae.
Sandstars - eat excess food and stir up sand bottom.
Cleaner shrimps - eat excess food and eat parasites off fish.
Set Up Schedule
Step 1.Fill tank.
Make sure the heater is working.
Set up filter and pumps.
Add live sand and water.
Test the salinity of the water (1.025).
Wait one day.
Step 2.
Add live rock (one pound per gallon).
Step 3.
Wait 2-3 days.
Test ammonia and nitrite levels.
Step 4.
If the water tests are good (low ammonia and nitrite levels), add a cleaning crew.
Step 5.
Wait 5 days.
Test the water.
Step 6.
If the water tests are good, add some fish and corals.
Step 7.
Wait 5 days.
Test the water.
Although all of our nano reef starter kits come with test kits, we encourage you to bring a water sample in for free testing. Once you are comfortable testing your reef aquarium on your own, you will be well on your way to enjoying a successful and fun hobby. No matter what your experience level is, Pisces Pet Emporium is here to help you through every phase of your hobby.
