Breeding Maroon Clowns Breeding clownfish nowadays is a relatively easy thing to accomplish and not nearly as hard as you might think so long as some of the basics of fish keeping are adhered to. For the purposes of this write up I will assume you have already kept tropical marine and understand the needs to keeping the water parameters stable.   My first foray into clownfish breeding occurred as I had a pair of maroon Clowns that laid in my reef tank, if you don’t already ha

Breeding Maroon Clowns Breeding clownfish nowadays is a relatively easy thing to accomplish and not nearly as hard as you might think so long as some of the basics of fish keeping are adhered to. For the purposes of this write up I will assume you have already kept tropical marine and understand the needs to keeping the water parameters stable.   My first foray into clownfish breeding occurred as I had a pair of maroon Clowns that laid in my reef tank, if you don’t already ha

CYCLING NEW ROCK AND TANKSWritten by: tHEcONCHINTRODUCTIONCycling rock and tanks can be a bit of a mystery for beginners. Cycling and the 'Nitrogen Cycle' are pretty well covered by other sources, but the other stages that tanks and rock usually pass through at the same time aren't often mentioned and can cause a bit of anxiety to those starting out. Many books and internet threads refer to using 'live rock'. Overseas you can buy 'live rock' which has all sorts of marine algae, bacteria, and lit

I wrote a Marine FAQ (Frequently asked questions) to hopefully help out some beginners...AcronymsGeneralASW = Artificial Salt Water BB = Barebottom (no substrate) BR = Base Rock BS = Baking Soda (sodium bicarbonate) CC = Crushed Coral CL = Closed Loop CUC = Cleanup Crew DI = Deionization DOC = Dissolved Organic Carbon DSB = Deep Sand Bed EC = End Cap (light) FO = Fish Only FOWLR = Fish Only With Live Rock for goodness sake = Favourite Fish Store FTS = Full Tank Shot (photography) HO = High Outpu

Marine starter guide Author: Wasp First published in Aquarium World November 2007 A marine tank is a fascinating hobby which gives the owner not only the chance to keep some very colourful fish, but also the chance to grow living corals, have invertebrates such as crabs and shrimps, and if skillful enough, come close to recreating a little piece of coral reef ecosystem. Even some of the amazing symbiotic relationships that happen between various species can be done in a reef tank, such as the cl

WARNING SIGNS AND COMMON BEGINNER MISTAKES Written by: tHEcONCH THE BIGGEST PROBLEM OF ALL - BEING IMPATIENT Setting up a marine aquarium is exciting and beginners are often tempted to buy cheaper equipment (or not buy certain equipment at all), chuck everything in their tank as quickly as they can, and hope for the best. Unfortunately that is a recipe for disaster. Setting up a marine tank simply cannot be rushed. There are no corners to cut. Patience is necessary with just about anything tha

YOUR FIRST FISHES AND CORALS Written by: tHEcONCH INTRODUCTION After your tank has cycled thoroughly it is time for one of the best moments in setting up a new tank – adding the first livestock. By now you will have had plenty of time to decide what fishes or corals you want to keep as you watched brown diatoms grow in your tank, and then green hair-like algae, then red cyanobacteria all come and go from your tank. You will have researched their needs, and you will have styled your rockwork a