Keeping Marine Fish

This article is not intended to be the ultimate voice on keeping on marine fish. Nor is it about keeping any specific marine fish. It's a simple primer on some of the main differences aquarists who are familiar with freshwater, but unsure of marine, should be made aware of. Having even a small background for entry into the marine hobby can make this transition smoother for all hobbyists.

Stocking

Stocking a freshwater tank, in most instances, can be done by following some simple guidelines. There are community fish, semi-aggressive, and any other endless description of fish available in the hobby. Before applying any of the "rules of thumb" or generalities you may be familiar with, it helps to have a basic understanding of where these fish are coming from, and their natural instincts in regards to habitat and territory.

With a few exceptions, most notably clownfish, the majority of marine fish you'll find available for sale are wild-caught direct from the ocean. While this has its advantages, there are also some distinct issues this can raise. First, let's examine what this means to us in terms of habitat and water quality.

Most of the popular, brightly colored fishes that are sold in stores come from coral reef habitats. This means there are many hiding places, and they are surrounded by many colors. Indeed, these fish are colored in order to blend into their environment for safety, some even going so far as to have developed symbiotic relationships with other creatures in their environment (more on this later). Coral reef environments are almost completely devoid of any organic wastes. The ocean is a huge volume of water, and this in itself provides enough dilution to the point that the common dissolved organics we test for (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate) are essentially zero. For this reason, marine fish do not tolerate the increased levels of nitrogenous compounds (even nitrate) that most freshwater fish will. It is best to keep the nitrates in a marine fish tank (fish-only, this does not include reef tanks, which should be kept under 10ppm) at under 50ppm. The lower the better.

With these pristine conditions in the wild, it is necessary to keep your tank in top shape. There are many ways to accomplish this, so do your research before setting up the tank. It is not necessary to invest into the latest technology and spend hundreds of dollars (or more) on advanced techno-gadgets that may or may not help keep the environment

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