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establishes itself and that I would need to add my chosen specimen of such last, so that the others would have a chance to stake their claim first. I started with a pair of Black and White (Percula) Clownfish. A mated pair, tank bred, high chance of success. Over the course of the next month and a half, I added a scissortail goby (Ptereleotris evides), a Flame Hawkfish (Neocirrhitus armatus), and Coral Beauty Angelfish (Centropyge bispinosus).

While practicing my regimen of weekly testing, topping off, and water changes, I fell into a routine in which I spent about two to four hours a week maintaining the tank. From the start, I thought that I would be tied to this thing as if an anchor and the work would have me wishing I had chosen room decor that was a bit less needy. I keep a log of test results and can now make adjustments in levels without much stress. If calcium tests low, it is probably late in the water change cycle, or time to make an addition (via supplements) to the water to bring levels back within parameters. I learned that with some patience and persistence, my tank would begin to behave in a more predictable manner that allowed me to enjoy the view instead of waiting for the other shoe to drop with cataclysm to follow.

My fish did very well and after some time I started adding corals and a starfish. The idea was intimidating at first. I had had success so far and did not want to set myself up for a failure as corals and stars have a narrower band of tolerance for changes in PH, salinity, etc. than fishes do. After doing some research, I felt that I would be able to keep my water quality high with the maintenance schedule I had devised. I started with a yellow leather (Sarcophyton elegans). It did well, and over the next few months added some candy coral (Caulastrea furcata) a waving hand coral (Xenia sp.) some blue mushrooms (Actinodiscus sp.) and a starburst carpet polyp (Briareum sp.) My red sea star (Fromia milleporella) is also doing very well.

As I've continued to read and consult with others about different anomalies with my fish, corals and invertebrates, I've learned quite a bit. I can now say with confidence that I've got a lot more to learn about the keeping of my saltwater aquarium. It has been almost a year now since I first began this project. I've added some new creatures and lost a couple on the way, but I am happy to say that this has been one of the most fulfilling ventures I've undertaken. Every time I pass by the aquarium, I notice something different, be it behavior, or a new resident I hadn't noticed before. I find myself at times mesmerized with the goings on in that small space. With weekly maintenance and testing, the intimidating factors of marine aquarium keeping can be mitigated, leaving more time, less stress and a beautiful ecosystem to enjoy.

Learn more about this author, G. Knechtel.
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