For anyone who does not know I have an article here on Brett’s Reef pertaining to Marine Ich and it includes two treatment types one bieng hyposalinity and using Copper to Treat Marine Ich. This article has helped many reef aquarists and it is my number two sought after article on Brett’s Reef, mainly becouse of the vast comment section where I give help to those aquarists battling Ich. A number of questions arrise about the use of copper treating reef aquarium fish and how to go about doing so. Let’s face it using copper is not safe for the reef aquarium and will kill any invertabres as well as the parasite you are tring to erradicate. So here are some pointers when using Copper to treat your reef aquarium fish.
Copper as most reef aquarium owners know can wreck havok to a full blown reef aquarium even in small amounts. The copper that we use to treat our salt water fish is diluted with water and even if some brands claim to be “reef safe” eventually the copper will kill your tanks invertebres and beneficial bacteria, as well as marine Ich. This is where the quarantine tank comes into play, Copper should only be used in a controlled environment and only if your fish shows signs of an ich infestaion or if other fish in your main reef aquarium show signs of Ich. When fish are in quaranteen its important to keep an eye on the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate as you would with your main reef tank, Chances are you will be doing water changes and a lot of them becouse the quarantine tank will generally not be cycled if you are cought off guard and the tank is not set up. Since you will be changing out water from this tank you will ned to check the copper levels as well and adjusting the copper levels as per the manufacters directions. You will need to do this after every water change.
Once your fish are in the copper treated quarantine tank and have been in there for the copper treatment as per the manufacter’s directions (some copper treatments last up to 14days)you will want to change out water to reduce the levels of copper. Your main tank should be fish free if fighting ich for nearly 1 month (sometimes longer) so your fish will need to stay in quarantine until your main reef aquarium is free of Ich. This gives the fish some time in quarantine to acclimate to copper free water (remember your changing out the copper treated water for fresh saltwater after the treatment) and for you to watch to see how your fish is acting and see if it’s feeding well.
After your main reef tank is Ich free and your quarantine reef fish are free of infection you will need to acclimate them in a seperate container with your main reef aquarium’s saltwater. After acclimation to prevent any residual copper it is best to net the fish into your main reef tank. This will prevent any residual copper treated water from getting into your main reef aquarium. Remember, even though you changed out the copper treated water for fresh saltwater in your quarantine tank there still will be a small amount of copper left in the water which is why you net the fish instead of dumping it in.
The most daunting task for a beginner saltwater aquarium owner is choosing the right live rock to use in their aquarium. There are many different choices between the origin of the live rock, the size, porosity and price. Many beginning reef keepers are confused by the concept of using live reef rock as filtration for the marine aquarium and for may aquarists the concept is still shrouded in mystery.
So what is live rock anyway?
Live rock is merely rock that is collected in a natural reef or aquacultured from “seeded” rock in a plot in the ocean. This rock is generally dead coral skeletons that have broken off there mother colonies in storms or other natural and unnatural events. If this broken colony cannot support itself from the mother colony then it slowly dies and leaves behind a coral skeleton. This coral skeleton over time will become part of the reef and will become a host for beneficial nitrifying bacteria, other corals and anything else that wishes to inhabit it. Aquacultured Live rock is usually porous rock collected from a land area and is dropped in the ocean. Over time this aquacultured rock will become home to many different types of organisms and beneficial bacteria, this rock is usually collected after several months to a year and is sold to reefers world wide. Although it can be debated, aquacultured live rock is generally less porous then its natural counterpart and therefore more heavier.
How does the bacteria help my saltwater aquarium?
Live rock as I mentioned above is porous therefor creating deep holes in the rocks structure. These holes are home to nitrifying bacteria that create natural filtration for the saltwater aquarium. This nitrifying bacteria breaks down ammonia into nitrites and then breaks it down further into nitrate. The “die-off” from bacteria, plants and animals from shipping and exposure from air create a nitrite cycle. Once the live rock is placed into the aquarium the bacteria will start to regrow and will convert the present ammonia and nitrite.
The many types of live rock.
Naturally collect reef rock comes mainly from the southern pacific, places such as marshal islands, Tonga and Fiji currently prevail as live rock providers although the Caribbean is making a stronger presence in the live rock arena. There are many names for live rock grades and shapes. Tonga is known for its shelf, branch and ultra grade live rock, each name describes its characteristics. Ultra grade Tonga is generally live rock that has a very good amount of organisms and coralline algae on it. Branching Tonga live rock is just that, it looks like branches. Shelf live rock is merely slabs of rock that look similar to slate slabs. To better know your live rock it helps to know the corals that are indigenous to the area that the rock is found in, after all these corals made the rock to begin with.
How do I choose the right rock for my saltwater aquarium?
While some people will tell you that one live rock is better then another it simply is not true. All live rock are created equal with the exception of the shipper. Choosing the right live rock for your aquarium is merely a matter of taste and preference. for instance I prefer to have Fiji rock in my aquarium, I prefer the softball sized rock over all others because of its ease to move around and to create little niches for my fish to hide in. I have seen many beautiful Tonga branch aquariums and stunning saltwater displays with Tonga branch. But my preference for Fiji live rock has not stopped me from purchasing marshal island and Tonga branch pieces, after all bio-diversity is a key element for any reef aquarium.
What are Hitchhikers?
Hitchhikers is a term coined by reefkeepers referring to live organisms other then bacteria, that arrive on the rock once it has been received by the reefkeeper. These hitchhikers can be just about anything that lived in the area where the live rock has been collected and can be good or bad. Some common hitchhikers can be worms such as bristleworms, peanut worms and spaghetti worms. You could also get crabs, corals, and fish as hitchhikers while these may be a little bit more uncommon and they may not live through the shipping and cycling process they are definitely eye openers for the reefkeeper.
Before choosing a salt water tank or tanks there are many things to consider. The variety of the building material, designs, sizes and price range are somewhat intimidating at first. Most if not all reef aquarium owners would say to buy the biggest one you can afford and in some respect they are right.
Owning a big salt water tank is a risky venture for the beginning reef aquarist. The initial expense is huge and to maintain a large salt water tank takes patience and a well thought out plan. Many beginning reefers should read and study the hobby before making such a purchase. So then why do the more experienced reef keepers suggest that the beginners buy larger salt water tanks? The answer is simple, because bad things will happen slower to a bigger reef tank thus allowing the reefkeeper to make proper adjustments before the tank crashes, such as water quality issues.
One could go the smaller route and own a very nice nano-reef aquarium. These smaller salt water tanks are extremely difficult to maintain. Water quality, temperature and nutrients could go out of hand very fast resulting in a tank crash and the loss of the aquarium.
So know that you consider the size of your salt water tank, you need to take into consideration the material and design of the salt water tank. As of right now you could go with a glass aquarium or an acrylic aquarium. The decision is up to the reefkeeper, but lets take a look at some of the pros and cons of these two salt water tanks.
The Glass Aquarium:
1. Generally cheaper then the acrylic aquarium.
2. Glass Aquariums are more resistant to scratches then acrylic aquariums.
3. Glass is heavy, a pain to move if its really big and needs a well constructed stand to handle its weight.
The Acrylic Aquarium:
1. Weighs less then glass, which then in turn helps with shipping if purchased online.
2. Less resistant to breaks.
3. Can be made into nearly any shape if you find the right aquarium maker.
After you choose what material you want your salt water tank to be you need to figure out if you want to have a bowfront, a regular box or another shape you can think of. Proper planning and research of your reef’s fish and corals will help you choose what size salt water tank and its design.
This rock is generally dead coral skeletons that have broken off there mother colonies in storms or other natural and unnatural events. If this broken colony cannot support itself from the mother colony then it slowly dies and leaves behind a coral skeleton. This coral skeleton over time will become part of the reef and will become a host for beneficial nitrifying bacteria, other corals and anything else that wishes to inhabit it. Aquacultured Live rock is usually porous rock collected from a land area and is dropped in the ocean. Over time this aquacultured rock will become home to many different types of organisms and beneficial bacteria, this rock is usually collected after several months to a year and is sold to reefers world wide. Although it can be debated, aquacultured live rock is generally less porous then its natural counterpart and therefore more heavier.
The many types of live rock.
