The eleven commonest Mistakes created by seawater vivarium Keepers

No matter what type of aquarium keeper you are, here is a list of the most common mistakes you may be making. These problems can be avoided if you are aware of them before starting an aquarium.

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Overfeeding Fish and Invertebrates

Uneaten food simply settles to the bottom of the tank, creating nitrates and overloading the biological filter.

Not fully understanding the nutritional requirements of their fish, the tendency for many people is to “throw food” at the fish to meet their requirements. If the fish do not accept the offered food, many aquarists will “throw even more” at the fish, thinking that the fish are simply not seeing the food. Feed once, twice a day or once every 2-3 days.

Know what’s in the food you’re feeding by comparing the nutrients of commercial feeds, buy only high-quality food, and feed only what your fish will consume in 2-3 minutes per feeding.

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moving too fast

“Patience” is a requirement for anything you do with a saltwater aquarium. Too many people report problems after putting a tank together because they are moving too fast! A high percentage of people do not take the time to read and study the hobby before starting.

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system overload

One problem that goes hand in hand with moving too quickly is getting too much livestock and/or live rock into the aquarium at one time, especially in a tank that isn’t fully cycled or has just completed the cycling process.

Even in a well-established system, putting too many new additions to the tank quickly can cause new tank syndrome. slow down! The saltwater aquarium is not a scheduled event, so take it easy and work on your patience skills.

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Inadequate filtration and water circulation

Having sufficient biological filtration is the main key to success in maintaining a saltwater aquarium. There are several filtration methods to choose from, but not making the correct filter selection for your tank’s planned bioload can lead to a wide variety of problems. Whether biological, mechanical, or chemical, it is better to have more filtration than too little filtration.

This same concept also applies to the circulation of water in the aquarium. Lack of good water flow throughout the system can lead to problems with low DO (dissolved oxygen) content, slime or other nuisance algae buildup, prevention of stationary animals receiving food, and more. The solution here? Add a powerhead or two, or a surge device.

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Misdiagnosed diseases When it comes to diagnosing illnesses, salt water is the biggest problem. It is easy to confuse Oodinium (amyloodinium ocellatum – aka sea velvet or coral fish disease) with white spot disease (Cryptocaryon irritans). They are similar but they are two very different types of saltwater, and each responds to different types of treatment.

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over medication Very often one or more remedies are thrown at a sick or diseased fish without knowing what the problem is. Medicines should only be used when necessary, and whenever possible in a quarantine tank.

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Buy animals without knowing anything about them

It never ceases to amaze us how often people select new additions to their aquarium without knowing what the animals are, how to care for them and how to feed them. Before you buy anything, take the time to find out about it first.

You shouldn’t buy on impulse because you like the pretty colors a fish has, how pretty it looks, or for any other “touch-sensitive” reason, or if a seller can’t provide you with critical information you need to know about an animal in question. particular

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cattle incompatibility

Statements like my fish ate my hermit crab, my sticks don’t get along,

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Purchase of animals in poor health

One of the easiest things to do when selecting a creature is to determine if it’s healthy or not. In a simple sentence, most sick fish do not eat. Before you buy a fish or other animal, it’s best to have a sales person at a store show you what you’re actually eating.

Learn to recognize the outward signs or symptoms of common diseases so you know what to look for when inspecting cattle for purchase.

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Using a poor quality freshwater source

Although many aquarists do, choosing to use water directly from the tap or unpurified water from another source to create saltwater solutions and top off a tank can lead to many water quality problems in aquariums. Using a water purification filter, purchasing clean natural seawater or pre-filtered RO/DI water from a trusted supplier is an investment that will pay for itself in the long run.

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Lack of proper tank maintenance

Well-maintained saltwater systems rarely experience high nitrate levels, bacterial outbreaks, or other water quality problems. To avoid the usual pitfalls with problems in this area of ​​aquarium maintenance, set up and follow a regular maintenance routine.