So, you want to become a Marine Aquarist?!

When I started marine fish keeping in 1989 things were a lot different. Most Marine Aquarists had to rely on a certain amount of ingenuity to remain in the hobby without going broke. Back then I only kept fish and a few of the easier invertebrates - like shrimp, Anemones and Feather Dusters, so keeping coral is new to me. There are many more complexities to a coral tank than a fish-only, but modern advances in the hobby and more information availability make it a bit easier (relatively speaking). Another nice aspect of keeping corals today is that advances in the understanding of corals, and available water quality equipment and chemical supplements, allow you to actually propagate many of the corals - giving you the opportunity to trade specimens and acquire "tank raised" animals that survive aquarium conditions better than those removed from the wild. Of course, another advantage of this is the fact that eventually we may get to the point where there is less reef destruction happening on our behalf

Just a note on that last point. There are very few highly desirable reef animals that are actually bred in captivity. This means that the animals in our tanks have been harvested from tropical oceans. This is being done more and more responsibly as time goes on, but it is still a disruption to the natural ecosystem. The fact that these animals can not be tank bred should be a good indicator that they require very special living conditions. For most, it is nearly impossible to perfectly duplicate their natural environment. Please be responsible if you are going to take on this hobby, these magnificent animals are a natural resource that it would be a shame to lose.

OK, soap box time over - if you are considering entering into this hobby and intend to keep corals, here is an overview of the kind of commitment that will be required. If you just want to keep fish and intelligent inverts (to coin a classification), you can probably get away with about 1/2 of this:

• Start-up costs can easily run over $1000.00 - even for a small tank.
• About 1/2 hour each day for food preparation and maintenance.
• About 2 Hours each weekend for maintenance, testing and water changes.
• About 6 hours once a month for major cleaning and maintenance.
• One full weekend once a year for overhaul (can be avoided with good maintenance)

Unless you have a lot of time on your hands, setting the system up can take three or four weekends - just to get to the point of adding animals. Mine actually took about 12 weekends, but it is too bizarre to be a good benchmark. As well, the first 6 months of operation are usually very time consuming because you are continuously adding animals and adjusting your maintenance routine to keep the water quality stable.

If you want a lot of time-saving advice, hang around at a local pet shop that sells reef animals or equipment - Aquarists LOVE to share ideas. Another good source of information is the Internet and mail-order pet supply web-sites. Many mail-order sites allow customers to review products - giving you the benefit of someone else's good or bad experiences. As well, most mail order sites have great information about the animals that they sell.

Mail-Order fish you say?!?
Yes! I have had VERY good luck acquiring fish and higher inverts through the mail from quality vendors. In fact, I have had lower mortality rates buying animals through the mail than any other method. As long as you are home to receive an early morning delivery and follow good acclimation procedures this may be a very viable option for you, especially if resources in your area are sparse.

Finally, I will offer some advice of my own - don't believe everything you hear - even from the most seasoned hobbyists. I have already successfully done many things that I was told cannot be done. I have also failed at things that "are so easy, all you do is..." (you know what I mean). Common sense and investigation are the key. When it comes to animals, use the web as a resource for compatibility, often you will see conflicting advise, but with enough research you can usually figure out what is most likely correct.

This will get you off on the right foot - it is important.

• Use only Instant Ocean Sea Salt mix - it's the best hands down.
• If you want to keep a reef, do small water changes frequently and don't bother with additives unless you are confident that a deficiency exists (even then, I choose a water change over additives).
• Use a really good, oversized protein skimmer and an aragonite deep sand bed - not gravel or crushed coral.
• Provide strong lighting (for corals and Anemones) and good, variable water currents.
• Cycle the system with good quality live rock and a refugium/detrivour kit (or two from different vendors for variety).
• Feed the fauna, but don't add large animals (maybe a damselfish or two would be OK) until the tank cycles and the sand bed fauna are noticable in quanity (8-12 weeks).
• During the cycle, run your lights as you will when the tank is operational.
• There is no need for any other filtration unless you want to add a mechanical filter to clarify the water when problems arise (use as needed, but not full time).
• If you get heavy into hard corals and have a large tank, you should consider a calcium reactor or calcium buffer system.
• Add cleaner shrimp (one per 30 gallons - at least two) and let them get comfortable for a few weeks before you add any Tangs.
  
  Finally - don't buy an animal unless you know what it is, what it is compatible with, what environmental conditions it needs, and what it turns into when it grows up! If you see something you like at a pet store, ask the store to hold it for you and find out everything you can about it before you buy it. Try to find pictures - in MANY cases I have found that the store has incorrectly identified animals - which is not hard to do since the wholesaler often incorrectly identifies them for the store on the shipping receipt.
  
  Good Luck - if you decide you would like to become an aquarist. I will be adding a page of links to my favorite resources soon, so check back. Until then, feel free to email me.