Quarantine

Quarantine

I’m sure it’s a subject on everyone’s mind right now. Staying home or limiting exposure to keep yourself or loved ones from getting sick is a big deal.

Coincidentally, quarantine is also a staple of fish husbandry. Quarantining new or sick fish is all part and parcel of caring for an aquarium and an important step in keeping your aquarium inhabitants happy and healthy.

WHY QUARANTINE MY FISH?

NEW FISH

If you’ve just come home from the local fish store with a couple of new fish for your tank or you’ve received a shipment of fish from an online vendor, you need to pump the brakes. Unless you’re putting these fish into an empty tank that’s already been cycled these fish will need to be quarantined and observed in a separate tank for at least 2 weeks.

Fish that have not been quarantined could possibly carry a bacterial/fungal infection or a parasite. These things could be introduced into your healthy tank and will cause damage or death to your existing livestock. It’s very common to have new fish introduced to an established tank and suddenly your favorite fishy friend is floating belly up.

SICK FISH

Let’s say that during your morning feeding time you notice that one of your fish or invertebrates is acting a little funny. Maybe they’re swimming slowly or crookedly with clamped fins. Maybe they look a little like a pine cone. Maybe you notice a bulging eye, an open wound or a damaged fin.

All of these are signs of disease or injury. The best solution is to remove the sick fish to a quarantine tank where you can monitor and medicate the individual.

Quarantine tanks are necessary for treating an injured or diseased fish, which also keeps the rest of the tank safe. Bacterial and fungal infections can spread quickly from fish to fish, and parasites can infect the tank permanently.

Many of the stronger medications also carry heavy colors that will permanently dye your decorations and even tint the seals on glass tanks. Not to mention that many of the effective medications on the market are not safe for reefs or freshwater invertebrates.

HOW TO QUARANTINE MY FISH?

The best way to treat fish or keep them under observation is to keep them separate in a quarantine tank.

The good news is that a quarantine tank can be bare bones. A filter, a heater, maybe an air stone, and that’s it. No substrate or decorations. Generally a 10 to 20 gallon tank is recommended for fish under 5 inches. Anything larger will need a 30 or 40 gallon tank, especially if you’re quarantining more than one fish.

Keeping it simple makes it easier for you to focus on the fish or invertebrate’s recovery. Many medications require heavy water changes, and the lack of decor will keep them from being dyed by the medication.

Tip: Any supplies that you use for treating and maintaining the quarantine tank MUST be separate from your main tank and used ONLY for the quarantine tank. Diseases and parasites can be transferred from the maintenance equipment (tubing or nets) used on a sick tank to healthy one.

Once you have identified the illness or injury you should follow the medication instructions to the letter. Sometimes the fish will respond well to quick and aggressive treatment, and sometimes just a couple weeks in a tank with no decorations will do the trick.

Monitoring the water parameters is also crucial during quarantine. Depending on the severity of the disease or parasite, you might have to keep the salinity high or perform daily water changes. Keeping the water parameters in check will help speed the recovery of your fish.

WHEN TO END LOCKDOWN

If, after 2 weeks, your fish show no sign of illness or injury they can be acclimated to your aquarium. Make sure that the water parameters, temperature and salinity are the same before transferring your fish.

Generally, floating the fish in their sealed bags for about 15 minutes in the top of the tank will bring the temperature in the transport bag to the same level as the tank. However, if you are acclimating salt water fish, then you may need to do a drip acclimation to make sure the fish aren’t shocked by a sudden change in salinity. Again, test your salinity and other parameters before transferring your fish or invert.

A good rule of thumb is to NEVER pour the water from a shipping/transport container into your established tank. It’s better to net the fish and strain out the water instead. However, if you have a fish that has more delicate fins or will be incompatible with a net, then the fish should be scooped up with a solid container. Then you can empty out the water and gently slip the fish, with as little of the old water as possible, into the established tank.

If you have an aquarium service take care of your tank, make sure to notify your service technician or service manager as soon as possible if something seems wrong with your tank. A quick email with some clear photos can help identify if your fish are in need of some serious help, and get emergency service if necessary.

A good way to stay on top of the health of your aquarium is to test the water parameters on a regular basis.

Another good way to monitor your fish health is to feed them the right kind of food. Fish aren’t the only tank members that need a full meal.

The Nitrogen Cycle

The Nitrogen Cycle

Have you ever wondered what the deal is with water changes on your aquarium? You have a filter and it was probably the best one on the market when it was installed, so dumping out water and adding more seems redundant, right?

Or, you have a brand new aquarium and you’ve added your favorite kind of fish right after you set up the tank. But when you check on them the next day they’re all dead. What gives?

Both of these questions have the same answer: The Nitrogen Cycle of the Aquarium.

THE NITROGEN CYCLE

Let’s break this down by first explaining what the Nitrogen Cycle is. Take a look at the picture below.

When fish eat and breathe any waste that comes from the fish is converted to Ammonia. And just like the concentrated cleaning chemical, high amounts of Ammonia in your aquarium is bad news. Your fish can experience Ammonia burn on their fins and gills and it will quickly decrease their health and longevity.

In an established tank, good bacteria called Nitrosomonas will break down the Ammonia in the water and convert it to Nitrite. While it’s no longer chemically Ammonia, Nitrite is still harmful in any quantity.

Nitrite is then broken down by more good bacteria called Nitrobacter, and converts Nitrite to Nitrate. Nitrate is much less harmful (in low amounts) in your aquarium. When you test your aquarium water a healthy reading for your tank should be Ammonia: 0ppm, Nitrite: 0ppm, Nitrates: <50ppm*.

*ppm stands for Parts Per Million.

The Nitrogen Cycle

WATER CHANGES

While your filter does work to break down the Ammonia and Nitrite in your aquarium by housing the good bacteria in the filter and in the substrate of the tank, it can’t get everything. Eventually those levels of Nitrate will build up to harmful levels.

Which brings us back to Question 1: Why do I need to do a water change if I already have a filter on my tank?

Water changes are necessary for removing water with built-up levels of Nitrate. In nature, this water would be naturally filtered out by aquatic plants and small bodies of water like a river or a stream leading away from the lake or pond. However, in an aquarium the natural filtration processes have to be done by hand.

A good rule of thumb is to change out 30% (roughly one third) of the aquarium water and replace it with clean dechlorinated water once a month. If you don’t have access to Reverse Osmosis water to refill your aquarium, then tap water treated with tap water conditioner/dechlorinator that is the same temperature as your aquarium water will do just fine.

Tip: If you’re in the warmer months of the year and your aquarium seems to be evaporating faster than usual, you can top it off with clean dechlorinated water. If you have a saltwater aquarium, be sure to top off with fresh water and not saltwater. The salt gets left behind during evaporation, so it won’t change the salinity of your tank if you top off with fresh water, but it will spike the salinity if you top off with saltwater.

NEW TANK SYNDROME

Now on to Question 2: Why are all my new fish dead? It’s a brand-new tank! Well, there’s a reason it’s called “New Tank Syndrome.”

New Tank Syndrome is one of the most common issues that new (or impatient) fish hobbyists run into. An aquarium that has just been set up needs time to build up the beneficial bacteria in the filter and the substrate. Otherwise what happens is a big spike in Ammonia from the fish waste, and there’s no beneficial bacteria to break it down and convert it through Nitrite to Nitrate.

Experienced hobbyists know how to seed their filters by literally taking the biological part of the filter media from an established tank and transferring it to a new one. This piggy-backs the beneficial bacteria from the established tank to the new one.

But if you can’t grow your own beneficial bacterial, store-bought is fine. There are bacterial and chemical additives that are made specifically to jump-start the Nitrogen Cycle in a new aquarium and avoid New Tank Syndrome.

Your new aquarium should cycle for a week or two with the beneficial bacteria building up without fish or other livestock present. You should test your water parameters about every 2-3 days to make sure it’s cycling correctly. If you can, record your testing data. You’ll be able to see when your tank goes through a big Ammonia spike, then it will drop as the bulk of it is converted to Nitrite and then on to Nitrate. When you test your aquarium water it should be Ammonia: 0ppm, Nitrite: 0ppm, Nitrates: <50ppm.

When your water parameters are within acceptable ranges, then you can slowly start to add fish. Another big factor in new tanks “crashing” is because there are too many fish, inverts or corals added at once. The Ammonia spikes and the bacteria colonies that are present in the aquarium can’t handle the bio-load and the new additions die.

It’s best to wait a week or two in between adding new livestock to the tank. The best way to know for sure is to test your water parameters to make sure they’re within acceptable ranges before you head off to the local fish store.

But water changes aren’t the only things you have to stay on top of. Experienced aquarists know that there’s a whole host of maintenance that comes with an aquarium. Click here to see what other water parameters need to be monitored in your reef aquarium.

Making sure that you can handle the work required of an aquarium is an important part of being a hobbyist. Click here to find out what aquarium type is right for you.

Reef Aquarium Testing

Reef Aquarium Testing

REEF AQUARIUM TESTING

Water testing can be one of the timelier aspects of maintenance, but without testing, it’s difficult to know what’s going on inside your tank. Every time you test your water is a chance to correct any imbalances in water chemistry and improve the overall water quality of your system.

You should be testing your water at least once a week. Most local fish stores will help you test your water; however, aquarium test kits are relatively inexpensive and it’s a good idea to start testing your water at home. From the day you set up your aquarium until years down the road, testing your aquarium water should become an important aquarium ritual.

WHAT TO TEST 

If you are just setting up an aquarium the first month or longer is an important time for beneficial bacteria to grow inside your reef tank, this process is called cycling. During this period, you want to actively monitor: Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate. 

Ammonia is a byproduct of fish waste or un-eaten foods. During the initial set-up or cycling or your tank, Ammonia is absorbed by Nitrosomonas bacteria and released as Nitrite through an internal chemical process. High level of Ammonia and Nitrite are harmful and even toxic to fish, therefore it’s important to take your time before adding any fish or corals to the aquarium.

During the first month Nitrobacter bacteria are building up in your aquarium. These bacteria consume Nitrite converting it to Nitrate. Nitrate, while not as harmful, will build up in the aquarium and must be removed. This can be done through regular water changes.

You can test for all three of these parameters using aquarium test kits. For Ammonia, you can also purchase Ammonia indicators which can be placed inside your aquarium glass. This test will change color if toxic level of ammonia is building up in your tank.

As your aquarium progresses and you are ready to add fish and corals, you will want to test for Salinity and Temperature. Saltwater aquariums should be kept between 75 – 80°F or (23.5 -26.5°C) and you can purchase a floating thermometer for your tank.

Salinity should be maintained at 35ppt or a specific gravity of 1.0264. As water evaporates from your aquarium salinity levels can rise, since only the freshwater is evaporating. This can be avoided by having an auto top-off system installed on your tank or manually topping off with freshwater.

If you are keeping a nano size aquarium smaller than 20g you will want to pay close attention to salinity. You can test for salinity with a refractometer. 

By now you should have a weekly routine for testing Nitrate and Salinity, while also keeping an eye on your Temperature and Ammonia levels, at this point you can start testing you Phosphate, Alkalinity, Calcium, Magnesium, and PH.

These parameters affect the growth of corals and algae in the aquarium. You can test for these parameters using aquarium test kits, taking your water sample to a local fish store, or by sending your water for an in depth ICP water analysis.

If you are using at home test kits and your aquarium is healthy you shouldn’t need ICP testing. These tests are helpful if certain corals are dying or you have an unexpected crash.

HOW OFTEN TO TEST

You should test your water about three days a week. If your water is experiencing swings or spikes from test to test, then you may need to test every day. At home test kits come with easy to follow instructions, and don’t be worried if it takes a few tries to get it right. Be sure to check the expiration date when buying test kits.

Test for anything you are dosing and test each time you dose your tank. Overdosing your tank with alkalinity can kill the tips of your coral which I have learned the hard way from experience.

Some at home test kits, especially those which involve counting drops or color can be difficult to distinguish between result levels. As you become more involved in reef keeping you can invest in probes which continually monitor parameter like PH and Salinity. You can also purchase Hanna instrument checkers which give you an instant readout for Nitrate, Phosphate, Calcium, or Alkalinity.

You will see the benefits of testing in no time and if you do not test you will surely see the consequences. Testing allows us to know what our tank needs so we can provide a healthy habitat for keeping fish and corals.

Reef Tank Maintenance

Reef Tank Maintenance

9 MOST IMPORTANT REEF TANK AQUARIUM WATER PARAMETERS

Here are the 9 MOST IMPORTANT Reef Tank Parameters:

  1. Alkalinity
  2. Ammonia
  3. Calcium
  4. Nitrate
  5. Nitrite
  6. pH
  7. Phosphate
  8. Salinity
  9. Temperature

Let’s dive a little deeper into each individual water parameter as well as the value considered to be ideal for a reef tank:

1. ALKALINITY

Alkalinity is a complex concept/thing to contemplate. As aquarists, we don’t care so much about the scientific definition of it, as much as we care that it is a proxy (a way to estimate) the amount of bicarbonate available in the water–because bicarbonate is essential for coral health–it is one of the main ‘ingredients’ used to build coral skeletons.

Even though it is difficult to understand, as a concept, rest assured that alkalinity is one of the most important reef tank parameters.

IDEAL ALKALINITY FOR A REEF TANK

The ideal alkalinity for a reef tank is 8-12 dkh. That’s a pretty broad range. The goal, as with most of these water parameters, is to maintain consistency. Even though the accepted range is 8-12 dkh, it doesn’t mean your tank will do well if the alkalinity drifts dramatically from day to day. Do what you can to maintain stable alkalinity–and even if you are trying to get your alkalinity up (if it is low, for example), you will want to do so very, very gradually to avoid shocking any of the animals in your system.

2. AMMONIA

Ammonia is toxic waste in your aquarium. Except for when you are cycling your tank, you want ammonia levels to be as close to zero as possible. Ammonia gets into your reef tank when your fish…um…pee…and also when food or other stuff rots.

A healthy, fully-functioning biological filter will remove ammonia from your water. If you have detectable levels of ammonia in your tank, it means your aquarium is too new (has not fully cycled yet) or there is a problem with your biological filter.

IDEAL AMMONIA PARAMETER FOR A REEF TANK

As another one of the most important reef tank parameters, the ideal ammonia level for a reef aquarium is ~0 ppm. If your tank has fully cycled, there should be no detectable levels of ammonia. Ammonia can burn your fish and corals and at higher levels, it can be toxic.

3. CALCIUM

Calcium is another essential element for coral health in a saltwater tank and is one of the most important reef aquarium parameters. According to the Drs. Foster and Smith chart, natural coral reefs tend to have calcium levels between 380-420 ppm (parts per million). For simplicity sake, I find 400 ppm to be a suitable approximate value. Calcium is extremely important for LPS Coral and SPS Coral.

IDEAL REEF TANK PARAMETER FOR CALCIUM

The ideal marine aquarium water parameter for Calcium is ~400 ppm

4. NITRATE

In a properly cycled aquarium, the presence of nitrate is confirmation that your biological filter is working. Congratulations on that. On an ongoing basis, you want to strive for nitrate levels as low as possible. However, levels around 30-40 ppm are generally tolerated by most saltwater aquarium fish (except for fragile species) and many soft corals that tend to come from nutrient-rich waters.

In order to help keep your nitrates as low as possible, you may want to purchase a high-quality protein skimmer.

IDEAL REEF AQUARIUM VALUE FOR NITRATE

The ideal reef aquarium value for nitrates is ~0 ppm. However, as mentioned above, you may be able to ‘get away with’ slightly higher levels.

5. NITRITE

Nitrite is an intermediate by-product produced by your bacterial filter. In your filter, bacteria convert toxic ammonia into less toxic nitrite and then nitrite is further converted into an even more safe chemical called nitrate.

Except when cycling your tank, nitrite levels should remain as close to zero as possible.

That is the reason that nitrite is one of the 9 most important reef tank parameters.

IDEAL NITRITE LEVEL FOR A REEF TANK

~0 ppm

6. PH

I won’t bore you, too much, with the scientific definition of what pH is. The simple version is that it has to do with how acidic (or not acidic) the water is.

The scale reads from ‘acidic’ on the low end to ‘basic’ on the high end. The pH is essential to how all of the chemistry in your reef tank works, which is why pH is one of the 9 most important reef tank parameters.

While the absolute pH is important, it is perhaps even more important to ensure that the pH remains stable. Dramatic swings in pH can cause problems for your livestock.

IDEAL PH FOR A REEF AQUARIUM

~8.1 – 8.4

7. PHOSPHATE

On natural reefs, phosphate is present at a level of ~0.13 ppm. In your saltwater aquarium, it acts as a fertilizer for algae–because of that, I recommend you keep levels below 0.2 ppm if possible.

IDEAL PHOSPHATE LEVEL FOR A SALTWATER TANK

<0.2 ppm

8. SALINITY

The salinity of the ocean is actually ~ 35 g/L, but for your saltwater aquarium, it is more common to measure the specific gravity of the water as a proxy for salinity, because of how easily specific gravity can be measured. If your zoanthids have closed up, check your salinity.

You have to have salt in the water to measure salinity. Most of us make our own seawater with a salt mix.

IDEAL REEF TANK SALINITY LEVEL–MEASURED AS SPECIFIC GRAVITY

Ideally, you want to keep your aquarium reef at a specific gravity of  1.025, which is the simplest way to ensure the salinity replicates the salt concentration of a natural reef.

9. TEMPERATURE

As long as the temperature of your saltwater aquarium is in this range, keeping the temperature consistent (avoiding fluctuation) becomes more important than the actual value itself. I have most commonly seen/heard recommended temperatures around 78 degrees Fahrenheit (25.5 degrees Celsius).

To keep your aquarium temperature stable, you might need two pieces of equipment.

An aquarium heater is probably required for just about any aquarium because most of us live in houses where the daily temperature is lower than the ideal values listed below. The aquarium heater raises the water temperature and helps keep it from falling below that level.

If you live in a warm climate, where the temperature gets above the ideal range, you may need an aquarium chiller.

IDEAL VALUE

73-84 Fahrenheit or 22-29 Celcius

OTHER IMPORTANT REEF AQUARIUM PARAMETERS

There are three other aquarium water parameters on the Drs. Foster and Smith chart that were left off the list of 9 MOST IMPORTANT reef tank parameters:

  1. Iodine
  2. Magnesium
  3. Strontium

The reason those three reef tank parameters didn’t make the cut is that they are not practical to measure or dose in a saltwater aquarium. Don’t read this the wrong way–all three are important to reef coral biology. The critical factor is not that these are irrelevant biologically, but that they are not practical for the casual hobbyist.

Magnesium is a tremendously important ion–but it is available in such large amounts in a typical aquarium that it is all but irrelevant for most aquariums. Iodine and Strontium, on the other hand, are important trace elements–but their concentrations are generally so low that it is not practical to dose them, measure them or otherwise deal with them in any reasonable fashion.

As best I can tell, the science supporting the dosing of these trace elements in a reef aquarium is inconclusive. So, I took them off the list. No sense measuring something you don’t intend to act upon.

IODINE

Iodine, as a trace element does appear to be important to several macroalgae, shrimp and coral species, but because natural levels are so low (0.06 ppm), it is very difficult to test and maintain these levels with standard test kits. As such, I don’t recommend dosing iodine as a supplement with the intent to keep levels consistent with natural seawater.

IDEAL VALUE

0.06 ppm

MAGNESIUM

Magnesium is the third most abundant ion in seawater. It is an extremely important ion, but since it is generally present in such high quantities, measuring it and worrying about it just doesn’t seem that practical to me. It is a critically important reef tank parameter, but it tends to only be a problem in advanced situations.

As such, I put it in the ‘nice to know, but don’t need to worry’ bucket. At least for right now.

If you’re already an advanced aquarist, then, you may want to dig a little deeper there.

IDEAL VALUE

1285-1300 ppm

STRONTIUM

Strontium is actually a bit of a controversial supplement in the saltwater aquarium hobby (well, I guess as controversial as something like strontium supplementation could be).

IDEAL VALUE

~8 ppm

So those are the 9 MOST IMPORTANT marine aquarium water parameters plus 3 more important items that are important, but just not worth a lot of your time and effort (in most cases), unless you are having serious problems and are convinced the top 9 values are fine.

Feeding Your Aquarium

Feeding Your Aquarium

There’s no reason not to feed your fish the best! From flake to frozen to specialty foods, there’s a quick fix for every aquarium setup to make your tank top notch.

FEEDING TIME

Did you know that fish have their own unique personalities? The best way to discover them is at feeding time. You’ll see that some fish are bold and have no trouble getting a full belly. Other fish will be shy and timid, possibly not getting enough in the recommended 2-3 minute feeding window.

If timidity is the case, spreading out the feeding area and targeting some of your shy fish will help keep everyone happy and healthy.

Monitoring your fish during feeding time is the ideal way to see that everyone is eating well, as well as observing any behavior that could signal something is wrong with your fish.

TYPES OF FOOD

Everyone is familiar with the classic flake fish food when it comes to feeding. However, flake food is not always the best choice for your entire aquarium.

There are lots of options to choose from, depending on your aquarium residents.

  • Flake food
  • Frozen food (carnivore and herbivore)
  • Freeze-dried krill
  • Dried Seaweed
  • Species-specific pellets
  • Liquid food

Some marine fish like wrasse, triggers, groupers and other carnivorous fish with larger mouths prefer frozen food, freeze-dried krill and other larger pieces of food.

Puffers are a special kind of fish, besides their ability to puff up, because they have a beak that never stops growing. A diet rich with clams, snails and other hard-shelled foods to keep their beaks ground down is highly recommended.

You may also see some larger puffers have irregular wear on one side of their beak. This is because some puffers will swim back and forth while rubbing their face against the acrylic or glass side of the tank. Unfortunately this behavior also scratches the inside of the tank.

Click here to see some scratch removal techniques.

Some marine fish with smaller mouths like butterflyfish, angels, tangs, foxface rabbitfish and other fish prefer a mixture of high-quality flake food and will graze on algae and seaweed. A suction-cup clip with seaweed or fresh greens is the recommended way to provide grazing in well-kept aquariums.

Don’t forget your reef!

Invertebrates like snails, hermit crabs and sand-sifting stars can be forgotten because they’re usually called in as the clean-up crew. While it’s true that they will pick up most leftover food that makes it to the bottom of the tank, many sea stars and snails also appreciate dried seaweed. So don’t be surprised when you see more than just fish grazing on the seaweed you provide.

Soft and hard corals as well as invertebrates like feather dusters will actively filter-feed from the current in the tank, so providing a diet of liquid food like Reef Roids is a great way to make sure that everyone is receiving proper nutrition.

VITAMINS

Occasionally you may see a marine fish that is missing color and possibly scales from their face that may extend down the side of the fish, parallel to the spine. This is a very common disease in aquarium-kept marine fish called Lateral Line Disease. This is caused by a lack of vitamins and minerals that they would otherwise consume naturally in the ocean.

It’s highly recommended to soak frozen or pellet food in liquid vitamin supplements before feeding to help combat Lateral Line Disease. Liquid vitamins can also be added to the aquarium on a regular basis to help with the natural intake of vitamins, especially for the grazing fish or fish that are regularly fed flake food.

TAKING IT EASY

While it can be time-consuming to keep up with the proper feeding techniques, there are some short-cuts that can make it easier.

INSTALL AN AUTOMATIC FEEDER

We regularly install and recommend automatic feeders that dispense a set amount of food and are easily programmable. These are ideal for tanks with smaller fish that are mainly herbivores and office tanks that won’t have anyone available on weekends to feed them.

Flake food, pellet food and small freeze-dried mysis shrimp are ideal for automatic feeders.

QUICK AND EASY FROZEN FOOD

There are lots of frozen food options to choose from. While you can get flat-packs of frozen krill, bloodworms, silversides, or herbivore/carnivore gel, they can be a real pain. We offer easy-to-use cubes of frozen food that are a mixture of herbivore and carnivore diets to meet the dietary needs of all tank residents.

Simply plop as many cubes as will be consumed in a 2-3 minute period into a small cup of water and let it sit for about 5 minutes. You can do the same with clams. After 5 minutes the food will be thawed and you can simply pour it into the tank. No need to get messy hands or have smelly food sitting around.

Feeding fish is just one of the many ways to interact with your aquarium, and these tips will keep you happy with your tank and your fish for years to come.