Aiptasia in the Reef Aquarium Can Be a Big Problem, Here is a Few Solutions.

Aiptasia or the glass anemone as it is otherwise known. Is known in the reef keeping hobby, to be a pest and a pain to control. It can be quite destructive. But there are ways to control aiptasia. Their are natural ways and chemical ways of control them.

Many would argue that the natural method is the way to go, but is not always as effective as the chemical method. The natural methods will add life to any coral reef aquarium including the future of accidental introduction from new coral additions.

Natural methods.

There are three natural methods that i know of and probably the most known is the introduction of a true Pepper mint shrimp. My past experience has shown me that these shrimp don't tend to consume big Glass anemones, but certainly control and stop the formation and growth of new aiptasia.

The second method that i have no experience with are Berghia nudibranches.I have found out these will consume aiptasia, but that is all this type of nudibranch will consume, so after it as all gone the nudibranch will die. I have read that few shops will take these back off your hands after the glass anemone is consumed, The Nudibranch can then be resold. A great idea, but i guess stressful for the nudibranch.

The third method of control is the introduction of a copperband butterfly fish. These are just as effective but are not suitable for all reef aquarium. These fish grow quite big so a suitable size aquarium is required.

Chemical method.

There is a off the shelf method of eliminating aiptasia called Aiptasia X .This product works really well and is really simple to use. The effects of this product is visible within 24hours. It is simple to use, just turn of any circulation pumps and inject the fluid into the centre of the anemone with the provided syringe. Wait fifteen minutes and turn on your power heads. The anemone will die off over the coming week. If any more appear in the future simply retreat as described.

To conclude If you don't have any aiptasia i would recommend the introduction of a Pepper mint shrimp for a small aquarium as a part of your clean up crew. If you have a large aquarium the introduction of a copper band butterfly fish would make a good addition to your fish collection. If you unlucky enough to be plagued by aiptasia i would treat with Aiptasia X.

Aiptasia Problem, here's the cure.

Well after the problem with the leaking skimmer, another problem has come to light. Aiptasia, or glass anemone as it is otherwise known. My first intention was to purchase a peppermint shrimp, but at my latest visit to a LFS had non in stock but recommended Aiptasia X. I have heard of this before but was a little sceptical. It is expensive but thought what the heck!!

This product is fantastic, simply shake it up, draw some into the syringe provided, turn off any Power heads. The best bit insert the fine tip very closely to the centre of the anemone and introduce the fluid. The anemone then consumes the fluid and just appears to withdraw and die. After 24 hours all my aiptasia seems to have almost gone. I would highly recommend this product despite the high cost.

TMC600 skimmer leak sorted

Thankfully after the bad look with my skimmer leaking i have promptly managed to fix the problem.

My local fish shop has closed down so i had to search elsewhere so i decided to contact TMC directly they recommended another good aquatic shop locally and to help me out sent me a new seal totally free of charge, many thanks!

All i need to do now is see if the recommended shops is up to good standards then i will order a few more seals and change them regularly, not taking any chances now. We all know about the damage water can do and it is something i don't wont to have to deal with ever.

Water leak, aaarrrrgghhhh!!!

After decorating the living room and being to totally happy with the look i discovered something bad. Water on the new real wood oak floor, gutted, only a small amount though. SO after thinking of the worse scenario i started to check around my aquarium to diagnose the problem.

I Discovered the rubber 'o' ring seal that go between the skimmer and collection cup was leaking so i am know trying to get my hands on some, quickly. I am in the meantime going to have to run my aquarium with no skimmer. Lets hope i can get it sorted in a couple of days.

I am going to get hold of about ten of these and replace them every year to avoid this problem again, It will become a part of my maintenance regime.

The reef clean up crew, a simple guide.

After setting up a Reef Aquarium and adding live rock you most likely have been advised to add the clean up crew. These should be added before any fish and/or corals. I would strongly advise adding the clean up crew after the nitrate cycle has completed. I know it is a slow process but patience is very important.

The purpose of the clean up crew is to help consume any uneaten food and break down uneaten food and waste even further. some will help in consuming nuisance algae.

Here are a few examples of what you can introduce.

Hermit crabs. These are the first things many reefers add to their aquarium, most common are red legged and blue legged crabs. Don't forget to provide a few extra shells as they like to change from time to time. If no empty shells are available they may fight for them.

Snails. Turbo snails are the most common introduced to marine aquarium. These will help in the process of cleaning your glass and live rock from algae, they will not perform miracles though, you still need to clean the glass frequently.

Shrimp. I would start with a cleaner shrimp as these are less expensive, one or two for most aquariums. Peppermint shrimp come highly recommended these will eat the pest anemone, aiptasia. The favorite of many reefers have to be fire shrimp or blood shrimp as it is otherwise known. a fantastic bright red shrimp and white legs, stunning but expensive.

Starfish. There are many varieties of starfish available and some are very difficult to keep in the home aquarium. You should research then decide if suitable. It wont do any harm in introducing sand sifting starfish as these are really helpful at cleaning the sand.

As with any fish are coral these are sensitive animals and need to be carefully and correctly acclimatised particularly starfish.

Living room revamp and decoration.

It has been quite some time since i have wrote on my reef blog. I have been decorating the living room, Quite a task. The plasma TV is now in the wall as part of the false chimney breast that is now finished in a blue suede effect paint to compliment the other furnishings in the living room, it looks great!

I have just finished laying a real oak wood floor, this is very difficult to lay and a time consuming task, without taking the cost into consideration. Really happy with the result.

I am now awaiting an entertainment unit that is being custom made to fit the exact width of the false chimney breast. This will hide all the equipment, including all the newly installed plug sockets, phone line, aerial socket and wiring outlet for the TV wires. The unit will be finished in gloss white. Im hoping it will look fantastic.

Back to the reef hobby now. I have had to move my aquarium into the kitchen diner for the last month to help aid in the completion of the above mentioned changes. It has been slightly neglected because of the hard work in the living room, but I will in the next few days be reintroducing it to the living room. Before i do though i am going to strip down and overhaul the equipment and try my best to hide any offending cables and unsightly wires.

As soon as this is done and finished i will upload a few photos so you can see the end result.

Reef conservation and implications

We all know how beautiful coral reefs are, many of us have seen them on the TV and few lucky enough will have visited one of the many around the world. This will of cause what will have made you to decide to keep these fantastic animals in your home.

Many of these have disappeared and even more are under threat. These include Climate change, Pollution, overfishing and other human activities. As hobbyist's it our responsibility we don't contribute to these threats.

Please Act responsibly. Many corals, fish and invertebrates come from the wild. many reefs around the world are productive so taking from them can be sustainable, provided it is correctly managed. You can help by finding ways helping conservation. Here are a few ideas to help you.

• 
  Use all resources for selecting livestock including, Books, Magazines, experience from other Reefers and on line Forums.
• 
  Learn about your upcoming purchases using the above resources.
• 
  Find out where your fish and corals come from.
• 
  Make sure the animals are certified and sustainable.
• 
  Find coral 'frags' from fellow reefers that come from their aquariums.

Some rules. All corals require an import license, some species are banned into the EU to help protect them.Looking for stock that is certified by the Marine Aquarium Council (MAC) This stock will have met all the above criteria and more. Other organisations inlude the Marine Conservation Society.

Now you need to be responsible in meeting your live-stocks needs and see many years of enjoyment from your livestock. Requirements include.

Correct water quality. Plenty of space.
Correct food and feeding regime.
Compatibility with other tank mates.
Lighting.
Flow.

Remember there is always something to learn. hobbyist's are learning new things all the time. This is one of the great things about this hobby

9 Unthought of Accessories reqiured for Reef Keeping

This article will aid you in the selection of some necessary items That you may not have considered to help keep a great looking reef aquarium. This excludes all the obvious hardware like pumps, skimmer, test kits and so on. You may well have some of these around the home, But I would recommend aquarium dedicated items to prevent contamination and unwanted problems.

1. 
   Algae scraper. This will allow you to keep the glass on the inside of the aquarium nice and clean, preventing you having to put your hands in and getting wet. Doing this regularly will ensure great viewing pleasure of your aquariums inhabitants.
2. 
   Turkey baster or similar. These are really cheap and can be found in many food utility shops. Not the most obvious choice of equipment, but these can be used for feeding corals and cleaning off live rock with a blast of Aquarium water every week or more.
3. 
   Small water Jug. These are really useful, I find these helpful with water changes and when adding additives to the aquarium. It is the cheapest method. There are other ways but these can get expensive and complicated to the new hobbyist.
4. 
   Food safe bucket bucket. This is needed for water changes and food safe comes highly recommended.
5. 
   Water siphon. Not essential but really helps drain water on water changes.
6. 
   Glass cleaner. As above but will keep the outside of the glass nice and clean for viewing pleasure.
7. 
   Scissors, Knife and cutters. These can be used for cutting "frags" of your corals that can then be traded with other reefers.
8. 
   Storage box or Container. Really useful for keeping test kits, additives and some of the above accessories.
9. Bucket or suitable container. You will need this for them really important and regular water changes, just empty or drain your water into the bucket

You will be surprised how much these simple items will help you in this fascinating hobby.

Six thing to avoid as a new Reef Keeper

So what should you avoid when keeping a reef aquarium when new to this fascinating hobby?

Lack of knowledge. This is very important, you should learn as much as possible before even thinking about buying anything. Books are expensive, but there are many other Articles and Informative Forums on-line packed with information and help.

Hard corals. These should be avoided until a full understanding of water chemistry and a confidence in maintaining these levels are achieved. These corals require more intense lighting requirements and feeding. Compatibility also creates issues too. As above really, learn about water chemistry, then research your coral selection carefully.

Expensive unnecessary equipment. As a newbie to Reef Keeping it is totally unnecessary to purchase Computers, Reactors, Top up devices, and any other fancy items that may arise. I say this because as a new Reef Keeper you need to understand and manage a Reef Aquarium. Having fancy computers and reactors will create loads of confusion. The same can be said about Calcium Reactors and so on, with issues such as overdosing.

Fancy expensive fish. Please walk before you run. There are loads of reasonably priced fish available, many colorful and rewarding too. Imagine how upset you would be to loose a expensive fish and think of the impact on the environment. Conservation is key to this hobby.

Overstocking. Don't rush out and buy everything you see and like, you will overload your aquarium and most likely kill your new livestock. Do it slowly and stock fish according to your aquarium size.

Overfeeding. This is something many get wrong. By overfeeding you are creating your livestock to produce more waste, Resulting in higher nitrates. Feed small amounts only when required.

Things You Should Do Every Week As a Marine Hobbyist.

There are some really important things that need checking at least once a week and some not so important when keeping a Reef Aquarium. Lets start with the important checks and maintenance.

Feeding. Without any Food the Fish and Hard Corals wont stay alive for long. I would recommend setting out a feeding regime and sticking with it.

Water Chemistry. Checking water parameters weekly is a really good habit. Keeping them within the recommended amounts by adjusting them accordingly with Buffers and Additives. This will save loads of stress to your Aquariums inhabitants.

Inhabitants condition and health. By spending a few minutes having a really good luck into your aquarium per week can help determine problems and save outbreaks of Disease, Pests, and Algae. These can be early signals telling you that something is not quite right.

Equipment. Checking that all Heaters, Power-heads, Pumps, Skimmer and Computers are functioning properly. Maybe they are ready for routine servicing and cleaning. They may in the worst case need replacing.

Protein skimmer cup cleaning. This must be done at least once a week. If not you might as well just turn it off because it will not function as intended.

Water change. Many Hobbyists recommend a 10% water change every week. But if your biological load is low and parameters check out satisfactory you can do a 20% water change every three to four weeks.

The not so important maintenance includes

Cleaning the Aquarium glass. This is totally for you as the Hobbyist. What would be the point of keeping a Reef Aquarium if you can't see it's natural beauty.

Taking photos. This is a really good way to see the growth of your Aquarium Inhabitants as they grow and mature. Taking a few photos every month is all that is needed. You can show your Family, Friends and fellow Reefers your much loved Aquarium.

Checking and purchasing supplies. As you use your Buffers and Additives you will know when you are running low. What better time and opportunity to go to your Local Fish Shop and replace them. You can even treat your self to a new Coral, Fish or Invertebrate.

This sums up most of the maintenance and checks you should carry out regularly. You will find if you adopt these tips into your Reef housekeeping you should not go far wrong.