Compatibility Chart

Here's a handy compatibility chart for a bunch of the various marine species you might want to have!

It's not a totally complete chart, but is a good place to start....

Marine Fish & Invertebrates Compatibility Chart
Blank= OK, N= No, S=Sometimes, C=Caution
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30	31	32
1. Anemone fish									S									N	N				N
2. Angels							N		S																							C
3. Batfish							N		S		C					N	N
4. Blennies								N	S									N	N				N						N
5. Box/Trunks									S																							N
6. Butterflies									S		C																					N
7. Cardinals		N	N						S	N					N				N				N	S	N	N	N	N	N
8. Catfish				N								N		N			N													N
9. Croakers	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S
10. Damsels							N		S									N	N				N	S		N			N
11. Dottybacks			C			C			S			C	C	C	N			N	C				C	S						C	C
12. Dragonets								N	S		C				N			N	N			N	N	S	N	N		N	N		N
13. Filefish									S		C		C					N	N				N	S	N	N		N	N			N
14. Gobies								N	S		C				N			N	N				N	S			N
15. Grunts							N		S		N	N		N			N							S						N		N
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30	31	32
16. Hawkfish			N						S										N				N	S		N
17. Jawfish			N					N	S						N			N	N				N	S	N	N		N
18. Lionfish	N			N					S	N	N	N	N	N			N							S						N
19. Moray Eels	N			N			N		S	N	C	N	N	N		N	N							S						N
20. Porcupinefish									S												N			S								N
21. Puffers									S											N				S								N
22. Rabbitfish									S			N												S						N		C
23. Sea Bass/Groupers	N			N			N		S	N	C	N	N	N		N	N							S								C
24. Seahorses/Pipes	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S
25. Snappers							N		S			N	N				N							S								N
26. Squirrelfish							N		S	N		N	N	N		N	N							S						C		C
27.  Surgeon/Tangs							N		S															S
28. Sweetlips							N		S			N	N				N							S								N
29. Triggers				N			N		S	N		N	N											S								N
30. Wormfish								N	S		C				N			N	N			N		S		C
31. Wrasses									S		C	N												S								C
32. Inverts		C			N	N							N			N				N	N	C	C		N	C		N	N		C
Correct Reef Husbandry	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30	31	32

(Sorry, if you can't see the whole things and it's cut off... I'll try to fix that)

This isn't everything that you need to know about mixing all the various species of marine animals together, it is also highly suggested that for each marine species you are interested in that you research specifically and in detail about the various types of creatures you want to keep together!

Again this is just a starting point.... Complete your research by looking into each of the various species you are interested in.

- Jay

A Cycled vs Mature Aquarium

Finally!

The long-awaited post about a cycled aquarium vs a mature aquarium!

To distinguish between the two we must go all the way to the beginning, the very first thing you do when you have your tank set up... At first you start out with nothing but the equipment. You have your tank, your filter, a light and hood/fixture, maybe a heater or chiller, your saltwater is all mixed up and you've filled your tank with it and some decorations perhaps. But it's not an aquarium yet, there's absolutely nothing in your tank that's alive yet!

The very moment that you put a living organism into your aquarium you begin the cycling process. But what is the cycling process?

Simply the cycling process occurs when a living organism produces Ammonia as a waste product, which could be from excretion or death and decomposition in the aquarium. The cycling process is the process in which bacteria forms to break the Ammonia (bad and harmful to aquaria) down to Nitrate (or even to Nitrogen gas - which then leaves the aquarium).

Two types of bacteria are needed to break down the Ammonia into Nitrate (a less harmful substance, but is still harmful in higher amounts - which is why we do water changes), the first type of bacteria breaks down the ammonia into Nitrite (which is not as harmful as ammonia, but even in small amounts adversely affects aquaria). A second type of bacteria develops and breaks down the Nitrite into Nitrate (which isn't as harmful until at higher quantities. These two types of bacteria are aerobic, meaning that they need oxygen to do their job in breaking down the Ammonia to Nitrate. This is why a filter is needed and perhaps an extra airpump or powerheads in the aquarium. The movement of the water - particularly at the surface - is what gets more oxygen into the aquarium for the bacteria to do it's job and protect your fish. (This is why power outages can be so damaging to your fish!)

There is the possibility for a third form of bacteria to form in your aquarium that breaks down the Nitrate to Nitrogen gas, which then floats to the surface and leaves the aquarium. However, maintaining a population of this form of bacteria is very complicated and involves delicacy. Even if you are able to get this form of bacteria to stay in your aquarium and you don't maintain high levels of Nitrates you will still have to do water changes anyways! You can't ever really get away from doing water changes, no matter how balanced your aquarium may come to be.

Imagine being in a 20' X 20' room with five other people. Then imagine that that room, it's atmosphere and all are closed off to the outside world. You still always have enough oxygen food and water. But you never get any new air or atmosphere. Now imagine being in that room with those people for a month straight. So for a month you don't get any new air/atmosphere. After even a week can you imagine what the air and atmosphere in the room would be like? Imagine it at a month?

This is what it is like for the fish in the aquarium but instead of air as their 'atmosphere' it's water. They would like to have a full gill of clean water as we would like a full lung of fresh water, so keep this in mind whenever you think about your fish! And do some water changes - maybe more frequently.

That's what cycling an aquarium is in a nutshell, and why water changes are so important. Next, I will describe what makes an aquarium 'mature'.

Jay Kahn

Fish Aquarium: Saltwater Aquarium

Fish Aquarium: Saltwater Aquarium:

"Saltwater aquariums are for fish that can only live in salt water obviously. Some of the fish are grouped for example triggers and groupers. Each play their part in the salt water aquarium set up."

This is an obvious post that I found that has, what might seem to be, obvious information that's really unspecific and not extremely helpful.

Why am I posting it here?

I'm not extremely too sure, but maybe you might find it interesting, or funny, or something!

Regards,

Jay

PS... The holidays have kept me busier than I hoped and I still promise to post about cycling and maturing a tank - like I promised in my last post! But I just came accross this and thought it was interesting.... Til then!

Mandarine Goby

gerona: My Saltwater Marine Aquarium 1:

"1 mandarin goby {US $25}"

Let me post another comment that I thought would be good for most people who are interested in keeping Mandarine Gobies!..

I saw that Air Milkay had this on his list of fish he had, and this comment is for people with newer tanks... or may not know much about the Mandarines

First off, Mandarines are very, VERY delicate fish. They are extremely difficult to keep happy in a tank without the right environment.

One of the most difficult things that makes them so hard to keep is their diet. They won't eat the fish food that you would buy! - if they do it's only a small amount but will never eat it as a staple! They will only eat the little inverts that are found living on 'live' rock and the such.

Because they only eat the little critters that live on the 'live' rock, Mandarines need to be in a tank with at least 60 lbs of 'live' rock each for an ample supply of food!!

Once you get enough 'live' rock it may take a little bit of time a month or a few for the live rock to be adequately cured and enough of a population of the little inverts to develop before getting a Mandarine Goby would be something you could consider - but not until that point... just work towards creating the right conditions first!

Because of these facts about the Mandarine's diet requirements and the fact that they are quite delicate animals, they don't make good fish to get within the first couple months of starting your saltwater aquarium, at least.

If you don't want to learn a tough lesson that will literally cost you $25 or whatever the price of a Mandarine Goby is in your area, you shouldn't get one until you have the environment and conditions they need - as described briefly above!

(Note: There are other factors to consider in getting a Mandarine Goby, but I have just explained some of the biggest issues that should deter you from making the wrong decision and what you really need to successfully keep a Mandarine - there are still some other details you need to check first: such as compatibility, water quality, tank size, etc... but this is not an ultimately inclusive list)

A Mandarine Goby should really only be introduced when your tank has matured!

And there is a huge difference between being cycled and matured... but that's a different post for a different time!...

So the next post will be about cycling and maturing your tank... which might even take a few posts to describe each and the difference!

Talk to you soon...

- Jay

Let Me Help You Out

gerona: My Saltwater Marine Aquarium 1:

"55 gallonns {48 inches long by 14 inches wide and 24 inches deep} saltwater marine aquarium in the early stages of becoming a reef aquarium."

I just left a helpful comment on this blog for the owner, Air Milkay. Check it out if you are just starting your saltwater tank and are plannin on keeping damsels, I left a nice word of warning - that anyone who wants to keep these fish should know.

Just look in the comments section and look for my name Jay Kahn, and you will see what I wrote... which was actually quite a lot... (Which is why I don't want to repost it here!)

Also, if anyone wants some help with any sort of trouble that they are having with their tanks/aquariums or saltwater life I am more than willing to help... just post a comment with some information and I will try to help you out whenever I can... I will even post about it if I think it is a common problem that many people might have.

.... I am always eager to make more posts on my blog to help others out!!

So let me help you!!

- Jay

One Fish, Phoney Fish, Robo-Fish

CBBC Newsround | Sci/Tech | 'Robofish' swims into UK aquarium:

"Real Fish Companions

The three robots will live in the tank with real fish and will be on display in the London Aquarium.

In July 2003 a shark model called Roboshark 2 was put into a tank with fish at the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth."

Really cool... a robo-fish!!! The one that will never die on you... just charge it up again!

Fascinating!

Jay

Another Excellent Blog Out There!

I found this other great blog you might wanna bookmark and follow too:

Think Reef - Reef Aquarium Info:

"This site is dedicated to my passion for coral reef aquariums"

Why should I copy what has already been done so well?... So, I'll just re-direct you to another great blog out there that has a bunch of great resources.

I'm not going to repost what's already there, but a lot of what's there is some of the best stuff I've read in a blog about the saltwater/marine aquarium hobby...

But this is one blog for you to check out that is great!

Jay

AquaResearch - The Research That's Fun

Your First Marine Tank - Fish:

"Saltwater tanks require a lot of know-how to establish and maintain. You might want to decide what type of marine tank you will enjoy before you get started.

There is a mystique to the marine tank - the fish are generally more colorful and exotic. Reef tanks and invertebrate tanks are certainly so - their environments seem very alien to land dwellers like ourselves.

Salt tanks have a reputation of being expensive to set-up, complicated to run, and more apt to fail. For sure, marine tanks are not the best choice for beginners. Newbie marine enthusiasts would do well to read every saltwater aquarium book they can lay hands on, and study, study, study. Consider carefully whether you will be able to maintain the expense and interest level to keep a nice, healthy tank going."

Grade AA quality advice!

There is nothing better than to get started out on the best foot as possible. And there is no better way to do that than by doing your research and really understanding everything about keeping a saltwater aquarium.

The research process that you go through in the beginning can actually be the most fun part of the entire process. You are learning new and interesting things, and aren't limited by your tank - just your imagination, the possibilities are endless. Plus, you don't have all the difficulties and chores that come along with actually having a marine aquarium set up!

Before you get into it, get to know it. Like I've said before "know it like nothing else."

Jay Kahn