Spring Break is over book clubbers so it?s time to get back to Fenner.
Many thanks to Josh for putting us on the forum drop down list and making our forum area look so cool! :agree: Now we just need a big comfy chair to read in!
Maintenance has to be the most boring chapter in any book about aquarium keeping. However, if you look at all the best tanks on MR, you will find all the best maintenance whether it is automated or done the old fashioned way.
Here are Fenner?s recommended maintenance practices:
EVERY TIME YOU LOOK AT THE TANK
Check livestock ? this is the most fun, and I am pretty sure we all spend time looking at our tanks :fish:
Check your readings - how many reefers have digital displays of what is going on their tanks? Personally, I only have temperature. What are some of the devices that other reefers have that display information readily?
DAILY
Feeding ? do the best tanks have automatic feeders or is this still done mostly by hand?
Take readings ? if you are not already doing this every time you look at the tank.
Check flow rates ? make sure every thing is working properly.
Empty the protein skimmer ? this is the worst and the one that I am most delinquent with!!!! How often is MR emptying their protein skimmers?
Top up the water supply ?ATO has been emphasized lately for maintaining stability. Again, what do all the best tanks have? What about the best nano tanks?
WEELY
Check water parameters ? how many times have you seen someone write, I only check when it looks like something is wrong? As beginners, this is not really something we are qualified to do, but what about more advanced members? Who is testing every week? What does their tank look like? Who tests rarely, and what does their tank look like?
Check SG ? I consider this part of my water parameters. Here Fenner, says that some areas that have good enough tap water even for reef tanks. I would love to live in one of those areas!!!!
Clean and check filters ? Again, I hate doing this because it is disgusting. I definitely am not doing it often enough. I just read that twin reef changes his filter sock every 2 days. He is TOTS so let that be a lesson to me!
Water change ? Fenner recommends 5-10% if you are doing weekly water changes. He emphasizes using aged salt water. I know there are a couple of MR threads about aging salt water. It would be interesting to go back and read who ages and who does not, and then look at their tank threads.
Clean tank components ? wipe everything down. I also use this time to remove coralline my power heads if they are getting crusty. Wearing gloves is recommended, and I think everyone on MR is pretty much on the glove boat.
MONTHLY
Change water ? if you are not doing weekly changes, you should do a 10-20% water change monthly.
Clean aquascaping ? siphon all the detritus that is stuck in the cracks. I usually blow it off with a power head as Fenner advises, and then siphon it out. The filter feeders in my tank go crazy
INKEL: when I do this!
Add supplements ? Fenner seems opposed to adding supplements, but it seems strange that if you were adding them, you would only do it on a monthly basis. Wouldn?t that mess with stability? Also, please read this article about supplements before you decide to add anything.
Inspect heaters and other equipment ? check cords for any wear and tear, check heaters for cracks, and ALWAYS HAVE DRIP LOOPS!!!!
Check your log ? Other than LoisMustDie (who has his reasons), all the best tanks keep track of what goes on in their tanks in some form.
EVERY SIX TO TWELVE MONTHS
Check lighting ? keep track of when the bulb were installed and replace them according to manufacturers instructions.
Clean and replace substrate - Fenner advises a partial change of calcerous substrate. Who does this?
Check non mechanicals ? who ever thinks to look at something a benign as tubing?
Perform other equipment maintenance ? it seems that many of the tanks on MR are upgraded every year so equipment maintenance occurs naturally :smile:
Following is a list of Toxic Water Situations:
Overstocking ? one of the most common problems with newbies that I have seen lately, is stocking too quickly.
Overfeeding ? guilty!
Medications
Nitrate Accumulation
Drop in PH
Lack of Oxygen
Anaerobiosis
Bad Foods
Livestock Hazards
Wipe Out Syndrom
Poisoning from D?cor
Cleaners and Household Poisons ? Ask Tony Scoots about this one!
Whew!!! OK, now that I have done the most boring yet most important chapter, I need volunteers for Chapter 7 Marine Algae (to be posted on May 10th) and Chapter 8 Foods and Feeding (to be posted on May 17th). Unfortunately, the book club?s spring break did not coincide with mine so I will be out of town!!!!
Many thanks to Josh for putting us on the forum drop down list and making our forum area look so cool! :agree: Now we just need a big comfy chair to read in!
Maintenance has to be the most boring chapter in any book about aquarium keeping. However, if you look at all the best tanks on MR, you will find all the best maintenance whether it is automated or done the old fashioned way.
Here are Fenner?s recommended maintenance practices:
EVERY TIME YOU LOOK AT THE TANK
Check livestock ? this is the most fun, and I am pretty sure we all spend time looking at our tanks :fish:
Check your readings - how many reefers have digital displays of what is going on their tanks? Personally, I only have temperature. What are some of the devices that other reefers have that display information readily?
DAILY
Feeding ? do the best tanks have automatic feeders or is this still done mostly by hand?
Take readings ? if you are not already doing this every time you look at the tank.
Check flow rates ? make sure every thing is working properly.
Empty the protein skimmer ? this is the worst and the one that I am most delinquent with!!!! How often is MR emptying their protein skimmers?
Top up the water supply ?ATO has been emphasized lately for maintaining stability. Again, what do all the best tanks have? What about the best nano tanks?
WEELY
Check water parameters ? how many times have you seen someone write, I only check when it looks like something is wrong? As beginners, this is not really something we are qualified to do, but what about more advanced members? Who is testing every week? What does their tank look like? Who tests rarely, and what does their tank look like?
Check SG ? I consider this part of my water parameters. Here Fenner, says that some areas that have good enough tap water even for reef tanks. I would love to live in one of those areas!!!!
Clean and check filters ? Again, I hate doing this because it is disgusting. I definitely am not doing it often enough. I just read that twin reef changes his filter sock every 2 days. He is TOTS so let that be a lesson to me!
Water change ? Fenner recommends 5-10% if you are doing weekly water changes. He emphasizes using aged salt water. I know there are a couple of MR threads about aging salt water. It would be interesting to go back and read who ages and who does not, and then look at their tank threads.
Clean tank components ? wipe everything down. I also use this time to remove coralline my power heads if they are getting crusty. Wearing gloves is recommended, and I think everyone on MR is pretty much on the glove boat.
MONTHLY
Change water ? if you are not doing weekly changes, you should do a 10-20% water change monthly.
Clean aquascaping ? siphon all the detritus that is stuck in the cracks. I usually blow it off with a power head as Fenner advises, and then siphon it out. The filter feeders in my tank go crazy
INKEL: when I do this!Add supplements ? Fenner seems opposed to adding supplements, but it seems strange that if you were adding them, you would only do it on a monthly basis. Wouldn?t that mess with stability? Also, please read this article about supplements before you decide to add anything.
Inspect heaters and other equipment ? check cords for any wear and tear, check heaters for cracks, and ALWAYS HAVE DRIP LOOPS!!!!
Check your log ? Other than LoisMustDie (who has his reasons), all the best tanks keep track of what goes on in their tanks in some form.
EVERY SIX TO TWELVE MONTHS
Check lighting ? keep track of when the bulb were installed and replace them according to manufacturers instructions.
Clean and replace substrate - Fenner advises a partial change of calcerous substrate. Who does this?
Check non mechanicals ? who ever thinks to look at something a benign as tubing?
Perform other equipment maintenance ? it seems that many of the tanks on MR are upgraded every year so equipment maintenance occurs naturally :smile:
Following is a list of Toxic Water Situations:
Overstocking ? one of the most common problems with newbies that I have seen lately, is stocking too quickly.
Overfeeding ? guilty!
Medications
Nitrate Accumulation
Drop in PH
Lack of Oxygen
Anaerobiosis
Bad Foods
Livestock Hazards
Wipe Out Syndrom
Poisoning from D?cor
Cleaners and Household Poisons ? Ask Tony Scoots about this one!
Whew!!! OK, now that I have done the most boring yet most important chapter, I need volunteers for Chapter 7 Marine Algae (to be posted on May 10th) and Chapter 8 Foods and Feeding (to be posted on May 17th). Unfortunately, the book club?s spring break did not coincide with mine so I will be out of town!!!!
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