Page 211 - Encyclopedia of Aquarium and Pond Fish, 3rd Edition

SITING AND SUBSTRATE 209

Avoid placing the aquarium
where it will be exposed to
SITING TIPS direct sunlight, because you Acrylic admits about 15 percent
• Keep the tank clear of will then lose control over more light than glass of
comparable thickness, and it can
heaters, air-conditioning the light intensity and be shaped into more unusual
forms with rounded corners.
units, and windows. Sudden temperature in the tank.
changes in temperature can
be lethal to fish. Water and electricity don’t
• Be prepared to rearrange mix, so it is essential to keep Acrylic tanks are preferred
the room decor to display the cabling short and neat; avoid by some marine aquarists.
tank to best effect. using messy extensions and They are lighter and easier
• Consider how easy it will always consult a professional to handle than glass, and
holes may be drilled through
be to service the tank. electrician if you have any them to conceal inlet and
• Place the tank on a doubts about your system. outlet pipes. However, they
completely level surface. do scratch more readily than
Never plug pumps or filters conventional glass tanks
into switched outlets—it and are more expensive.
is all too easy inadvertently to flip the wrong wall switch
and shut off the tank’s life support systems.

Substrate matters DECORATIVE BACKDROPS
The substrate in a marine aquarium is not just for decoration. A tank’s inlet and outlet tubes are rather unsightly but are easily
Some fish, such as jawfish (see p.282), like to burrow, so the hidden behind a backdrop, stuck to the outside rear of the tank.
sand or gravel used must be of a suitable texture. The Commercially available backdrops made from fade-resistant,
substrate is also important in maintaining water chemistry; waterproof plastics feature all
thanks to its calcium carbonate content, it acts as a buffer, sorts of images, from reef scenes,
which create a good illusion of
helping to counter the progressive acidification of the water depth, to tropical beaches and
(see p.221). And, when an undergravel filter is used, the substrate even lunar landscapes.
also serves as a filter bed (see p.211). In this case, the size and
depth of the substrate particles are key; the substrate needs to
be deep enough to be effective as a filter, and water must be
able to pass between the particles. Usually, the filter plate is
covered with a layer of coarse material (see below), such as
crushed coral, shell, or dolomite chips (all of which are high
in calcium carbonate). Coral sand or aragonite sand is then
laid on top of this to create a more natural appearance.

1 Add coarse substrate 1 Fit the gravel tidy 1 Cover with coral sand
5
4
3
Place a layer of calcareous substrate— Lay the mesh net over the coarse substrate Pour fine coral sand onto the mesh to a
washed in aquarium disinfectant and well layer, turning the edges down. This will depth of about 1 in (2.5 cm). Shape the sand
rinsed—onto the filter plate to a depth of prevent the sand from sinking and filling layer to the desired form, typically sloping it
about 2 in (5 cm), and spread it out evenly. in the spaces between the coarser grains. forward toward the front of the tank.

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