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From: sasaki@harvard.UUCP (Marty Sasaki)
Newsgroups: net.pets
Subject: Re: Fish Questions
Message-ID: <601@harvard.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 11-Jan-86 13:05:47 EST
Article-I.D.: harvard.601
Posted: Sat Jan 11 13:05:47 1986
Date-Received: Mon, 13-Jan-86 08:21:21 EST
References: <1513@ihlpg.UUCP> <51700006@ctvax>
Reply-To: sasaki@harvard.UUCP (Marty sasaki)
Organization: Harvard Science Center
Lines: 49

I have found that marine aquariums are not any harder to maintain than
freshwather aquariums, only different. There is also a hidden cost to
marine aquariums, and that is the cost of running them.

I don't use undergravel filters anymore, not since I discovered
external biological filters. These consist of a large sand or foam
external filter. For my 100 gallon tank, I use a 10 gallon tank as an
external filter. It is half filled with foam.

The main problem with undergravel filters is that sooner or later they
get clogged and must be cleaned. There are also problems with water
not flowing evenly through the undergravel filter. Reverse flow
undergravel filters (which solve these problems) are expensive since
they are all based on expensive canister filters.

Anyone interested in such filters can send me mail. I will be happy to
talk at length about them.

The cost of running a marine aquarium may be very high. Marine
aquarium's require higher levels of filtration, more light, and
slightly higher temperature levels than freshwater set ups. Most
authorities recommend frequent partial water changes, and the salt
required to make these changes costs money too.

I am not trying to discourage marine aquarium keeping, just trying to
help avoid surprises.

Once a tank is set up and healthy, I don't mind leaving it for even
extended periods of time. I have had friends who don't mind coming in
and checking on things and feeding the fish. The only extra thing that
I had them do was to top off the tank as evaporation lowered the
level.

Lot's of interesting things have happened in my marine aquariums. I
had one carpet anenome split in half and produce two anemones. My
Achilles Tang never stopped swimming (at least I never saw it stop
swimming). Before I realized that crustaceans of all types were the
favorite snack of trigger's, I watched in horror as my new Picasso
trigger neatly ate half of a banded shrimp, and then circled around
and ate the other half. This same trigger jumped out of the tank and
layed on the floor for about 30 minues before I realized that he had
jumped. When I finally found him, he gave me a little bite when I
picked him up and tossed him back into the tank.
-- 
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  Marty Sasaki				net:   sasaki@harvard.{arpa,uucp}
  Havard University Science Center	phone: 617-495-1270
  One Oxford Street
  Cambridge, MA 02138