An Introduction to the Marine Aquarium Hobby (Part 1)

The marine aquarium hobby can behold a vivid, vibrant, remarkable and fascinating hobby, albeit more expensive than freshwater or african tanks. Setting up and taking the proper steps to afford you the best chances, and that of the livestock which you plan on keeping, of survival and long term success will go, are key to your results of being a successful reefer or a depressed and confidence ridden failure temporarilly. Now you are not responsible to be experts right from the get go, but as you further yourself, over due time with hands on experience, reading and researching, you should become an expert(oh, you must want it as well as it won't come easy or happen overnight)! NO one should attempt to dive into the marine hobby single handedly, or without any kind of preparedness, a plan and without visualizing the concept as a whole. The choice is ultimately up to you as to how you would like to start your journey or journal or end it if you will, and how each adventure pans out along the way.

I guess, if I were to start over again, as a newbie in the saltwater hobby, I would have a few questions that I would need to address before starting any type tank set up. Many of you will probably have the same type of questions, whereas others may find my questions as an Oh, yeah!, good point, forgot about that...
So, here I go as I try to offer you some of the typical and more pertinent questions that you should be asking yourself, not necessarilly in this order, mind you to ensure atleast moderate success.

What kind of tank do I wish to purchase? Tank with canopy/hood, acrylic or glass, size does matter!(the bigger the better applies here as well)! Bigger tanks afford people to dillute water level abnormalities and help lessen human error whcih is always their in one form or another! Where am I going to place this tank(living room, den, basement, bedroom, in the wall or free standing? Type of tank(ie. dimensions...bow, wave, deep tank, standard or special design? Types of equipment needed...filtration, lighting, sump, refugium, live rock, deep sand bed, plenum or algae tuft scrubber, protein skimmer(brand, price, size, additional needed accessories to make it function correctly?) How much money do I want to spend initially?...1 year from now?...5years from now?

Next comes to the inhabitants: Yes the exciting and enjoyable, colorful, life forms that we want to have in our tank(s). Do you want a fish only tank? Tank with some inverts as well, or do you go with a full blown reef? Once that has been decided, you have to break it down smaller to determine the type of livestock you would like to have. You have to design a plan of action as to how you want your tank set-up(example, wall, atoll, tide pool, deep water replica, island structure with caves, nooks and crannies).

Wheeew! Now that you head is spinning and you are ready for a Shirley Temple, beer, or a rum drink...whishing it were five 'o clock somewhere! You are close to completing the initial steps and answering the questions that must be addressed, so relax! As you are focusing on the completion of these steps and answering these questions one at a time, and confident as to your understanding and where you stand, you can now get your tank set up so you can start the cycling process.

If you have no concept as to what cycling is, a red flag should pop up and you should back track, read and familiarize yourself with this very important process. With no or little knowledge regarding this process, you are sure to fail right off the bat, and your livestock will ultimately suffer or die. The cycling process is the natural process where bacteria takes a stronghold to combat the three parts of a cycle: ammonia, nitrites and nitrates, by reducing them into less harmfull components. Now there are ways of speeding up this process, either by adding certain fish able to handle the stress and rigor associated with a cycle. Adding some mature and established live sand and/or live rock will also ensure that your tank will complete a cycle quicker than by just adding fish, such as Damsels, to your tank and waiting for the completion of your tanks cycle.

Now, while this is happening, it is wise to come up with a plan of action as to what kinds of fish, coral and inverts you want to keep and what type of biotope you wish to recreate. Reading and researching the particular animal(s) you desire, is crucial to ensure that husbandry and compatibility needs are identified and met to offer your livestock the best chance of survival in your tank. Many species of fish make poor additions to your tank either due to size, feeding requirements(finicky or very specialized feeding), water parameters, shipping and handling struggles and collection/stress on reef symmetry. Rock Beauty, Ornate, and Majestic Angelfish, Moorish Idols, Dispar Anthias', Pipefish, Seahorses, Shark and Rays are some of the better known fish with bad track records. Certain inverts fair just as poorly due to some of the same reasons as fish, plus many are not compatible with the types of fish, corals or other species of inverts we wish to keep. Sea Lillies, Gigas and Crocea Tridacna clams, many species of Nidibranches, Linkia and Crown of Thorn Sea Stars, Horseshoe Crabs and Sand Dollars are just a short list of troublesome additions to your tank. That leaves the Cnidarians(corals) to forget about adding to your tank. Goniopora(flowerpot coral), Catalaphyllia(elegance coral), Dendronephthya(carnation coral), Sea Fans(gorgonidae) and other aposymbiotic gorgonia and Tubastrea(cup coral).