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Other items

This page covers smaller are items that are helpful & in some cases essential for establishing & maintaining a successful marine aquarium.

Salt

Contrary to what many people believe once salt has been added to the water it does not evaporate. New salt only needs to be added when water is removed from the aquarium. Only fresh water (ideally R.O. water) should be used for topping up the aquarium. There are many different brands of salt suitable for maintaining life in a marine aquarium. There is very little to choose between them, however Tropic Marin, Instant Ocean & Kent, these have all proved to be a consistent quality.

Hydrometer

The hydrometer is an easy way to determine the amount of salt in the water. Natural sea water has a specific gravity of 1.025, but aquariums are kept at the slightly lower level of 1.022. There are two types. A floating type that looks similar to thermometer, these are relatively inexpensive, but difficult to read. The more popular type is the swing needle hydrometer, these are very easy to read, if a little more expensive (£10-15). Whatever type of hydrometer you use ensure it is always kept spotlessly clean, otherwise it may give inaccurate readings.

Refractometer

These very easy to use, just place a few drops of water on the prism and look through the eye piece. This gives the S.G. and grams of salt per litre. They are easily calibrated with R.O. water to ensure they stay accurate. Refractometers are more expensive than other methods of determining the salinity, however they are the most accurate, and do not have the drawbacks of a hydrometer.

Test kits

Marine fish & invertebrates are sensitive to water quality, therefore this needs to be monitored carefully to prevent problems from occurring and ensure optimum conditions are provided. The four most important tests to carry out are:

Ammonia This is highly toxic to all aquatic organisms and especially marines due to the high pH. Levels as low as one part per billion can prove fatal. Fortunately, this is easily broken down by a well established efficient filtration system. It does not normally become a problem once the aquarium has become established. Maximum level 0.1ppm

Nitrite This is also toxic to higher aquatic organisms, but is far less toxic to marines than fresh water inhabitants. Again this broken down by the bacteria that occur in an efficient filtration system. Maximum level 0.5 ppm.

Nitrate This is the end product of the filtration process and is not easily broken down by conventional filtration. It is fairly harmless to fish at low levels (below 40ppm), but levels as lower than 5ppm can be required for more sensitive invertebrates. At higher levels it can result in long term damage & algae problems. The best way to control nitrate is by changing 10% of the water weekly. Some areas suffer from high nitrate in the tap water this may need removing to bring it down to acceptable levels. Maximum level 40ppm for fish, 10-20ppm for hardy invertebrates.

pH The pH in any marine aquarium must remain above 8.0, ideally 8.3. This is relatively easy to achieve by good water movement & oxygenation. Frequent partial water changes and removal of sediment also help, as does the use of a powdered buffer.

Other important tests for invertebrates are Phosphate & Calcium. Phosphate builds up in the aquarium as a by product of feeding. It is not harmful to fish, but will harm invertebrates, as well as cause algae problems. Maximum level 0.1 ppm. Calcium is essential for invertebrates to grow along with Strontium & Molybdenum. Calcium levels should be maintained at around 450ppm.

Rowaphos

One of the main causes of algae in any aquarium is phosphate, this is introduced to the aquarium primarily by feeding the inhabitants. Even with regular water changes it is almost impossible to maintain levels low enough to stop algae growing. Rowaphos is a completely new filter material to eliminate phosphate. Through It’s unique qualities it has the ability to bind enormous quantities of phosphate without negatively affecting the water in any way. In fact, Rowaphos is the ultimate solution to phosphate problems. Rowaphos is best placed in a canister filter, but can placed anywhere with a good water flow and still be effective. For more information on problem marine algae or information on problem freshwater algae read one of our fact sheets by clicking on the links.