Page 217 - Encyclopedia of Aquarium and Pond Fish, 3rd Edition

PREPARING THE TANK 215

through the soil and contaminate the water supply.
Test your supply for nitrates (see p.221), or contact
ADDING SESSILE INVERTEBRATES your water company for information. There are
Before placing sessile invertebrates, such as anemones and corals, in various options available for removing nitrates;
the tank, make sure the rockwork is securely positioned; the delicate the simplest is to run the tap water through a
bodies of these animals are easily damaged. Position them in a well-lit special nitrate filter. A reverse osmosis (RO)
part of the aquarium and relatively close to a powerhead, where
there is a good flow of water that will waft food to them and carry unit is a more expensive option that removes not
away their waste. Sponges prefer a more shady area in the aquarium. only nitrate but also other pollutants, including
Always transfer these creatures in water to minimize the risk of phosphates. Finally, the water must be treated
structural damage, which can lead to bacterial infection. with a dechlorinator or water conditioner,
which neutralizes chlorine and chloramine.
Gloves guard against Marine salt is available from aquarium
stinging tentacles
stores and comes with detailed
instructions on how to make up a
saltwater solution of the correct salinity.
It also contains all the key ingredients,
Allow a gap equivalent
to at least their own notably calcium and magnesium, to
width between anemones ensure that the solution is sufficiently
and corals when placing
them in the aquarium. hard, and to enhance its buffering
If they are too close capacity. Salinity is measured on the
together, they are likely specific gravity (SG) scale. This compares
to sting each other with
their extended tentacles. the density of the salt solution to pure
water; the more concentrated the
solution, the more dense it is relative
Water quality to water and the higher the SG reading.
Marine tanks must be filled with a specially prepared salt-and- Specific gravity can be measured using
water mixture (see below). Never use water from the hot-water a hydrometer; the SG reading is taken
system in your home; it may be contaminated with copper from the floating hydrometer’s position
from the pipework, which can be deadly to invertebrates. at the surface of the water.
Even if using water from the cold-water system, it is always a Once the tank has been filled
valuable precaution to test for copper, using a suitable test kit. (see below), the system is ready to be
A further potential problem in some areas is the high level of switched on. The thermostatic
nitrates present in the domestic water supply. This typically heater will raise the water temperature
occurs in agricultural areas, where nitrate fertilizers leach gradually to the preset figure.

1 Build up the decor 1 Fill the tank 1 Measure salinity
3
5
4
Add rockwork and other basic decor to the Place a clean saucer on the substrate and Check the salinity of the
dry tank. First create a secure base with larger then carefully pour the salt and water water using an instrument
rocks, and then build up the rockwork, leaving solution onto it, to avoid disrupting the that measures specific gravity,
plenty of holes and crevices. base layers of substrate in the tank. such as this hydrometer.

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