A. The main misconception is that the rock itself is alive. The rock is made up of calcium carbonate skeletons of long dead corals or other calcareous organisms. What makes it live is all the organisms living on it or in the crevices. Most of what is alive is bacteria which feed off the waste the fish produce. There also can be snails, crabs, worms, shrimp, sponge, and even algae living or growing on it. So when someone refers to live rock they are referring to rock that has living organisms on it.
A. Water changes are important to keep the mineral content balanced and to dilute excess accumulated nutrients. Frequent small water changes are more beneficial than infrequent large water changes. It is less disruptive and eliminates massive changes in water quality parameters. When performing a water change it is important that the new water match the water that was removed. Things to keep in mind with the new water are to get the specific gravity and temperature the same as the old. In essence, the water coming in should be no different (except as higher in potency of trace minerals) than the water you took out. It is important to log your water parameters so that the tasks you perform, including dosing, water changes, etc. can be tracked. If you are having water quality problems, such as excess algae, beware that water changes with tap water can actually exacerbate the problem. Always use a verifiably pure source of water such as reverse osmosis and or deionized water. A good rule of thumb for frequency is 5 to 10% water volume change every two weeks. Your test results should dictate the frequency of changes.
A. The main reason live rock is the key to a saltwater aquarium is that it provides a home for different kinds of bacteria. These bacteria break down fish waste from ammonia all the way down to nitrogen gas which gets released from the tank. Live rock is by far the most efficient biological filter and is of course the natural one.
Live rock is the main formation of the reefs out in the ocean and the main biological filter. Live rock provides a home for the fish and a foundation for most corals to grow on.
A. All photosynthetic corals have some sort of lighting requirement, some need only a small amount of light and others need intense amounts. Depending on the type of corals being kept, whether they are soft or hard, lighting kits made up of power-compacts, V.H.O., or metal halides should be used. A quick way of measuring the lighting on a tank is to put it in the terms of watts per gallon. A good start for reef tank lighting would be four to five watts per gallon.
A. A protein skimmer is a device that mixes air with the water from your aquarium and allows the mixture to concentrate into foam where protein molecules attach and become removed. There are several types of protein skimmers. They include counter-current, venturi and downdraft types. Protein skimmers are placed either in or near a sump or are hung on the back of the aquarium. The primary benefit of a protein skimmer is that it removes a large quantity of organic waste before it is broken down biologically. An additional benefit is that it oxygenates the water raising your dissolved oxygen.
FAQ's
A. An Ultra Violet Sterilizer (U.V. Sterilizer) is a water filtration device that uses an ultraviolet light bulb to kill microscopic organisms that are free floating in the water. Parasites, viruses, algae and bacteria are killed after passing through the unit. When using one in a marine aquarium, the UV unit should be placed last in the filtration line. You want to first filter the aquarium water through your mechanical filter and then through the UV device before returning the water to your tank. By first removing the solids in the water with your mechanical filter, your UV unit can attain its maximum efficiency. The effectiveness of any UV sterilizer is determined by the UV bulb wattage, the age of the UV bulb, how clean the quartz sleeve is and the flow rate of the unit.