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Marine

Mandatory weekly inspection of coral reefs:

  • Ca < 350 ppm: Add Ca or perform a water change using Ca-rich water
  • KH < 7 dKH: Add potassium/sodium bicarbonate or Part B of the Balling system
  • Mg < 1200 ppm: Add magnesium sulfate (Epsom salt + MgCl₂)

Note: CA and KH must be in balance. If CA is raised significantly without raising KH, or vice versa, CaCO₃ will precipitate (milky water).

Review of Live Rock / Corals

Monthly:

  • Look for new Aiptasia → treat immediately before they spread
  • Look for unwanted crabs (reef crabs—Emerotherion)—they can eat coral
  • Examine the base of the corals → basal necrosis is a sign of stress
  • Photograph the corals → compare with the previous photo to see if they have grown or shrunk

Curing New Rock

When adding new live rock to the aquarium:

  1. Check for unwanted stowaways (praying mantises, aggressive crabs, Aiptasia)
  2. Cure in a separate tank equipped with a heater, circulation, and lighting for 2–4 weeks
  3. Change the water in the bucket once a week
  4. Only add to the main aquarium once the parameters in the bucket have stabilized.

TROUBLESHOOTING COMMON ISSUES

The water is cloudy

White/milky → Bacterial bloom (normal in new aquariums or after disturbing the substrate) → Wait, change some of the water. If it persists → check the filtration Green → Single-celled algae bloom → Reduce light, perform a water change, check nutrient levels Brown/yellow → Tannins (new wood) → Normal and harmless. Activated charcoal removes it. Gray → Dirty filter or too much debris → Clean the filter, vacuum the bottom

The water smells bad

Rotten egg smell (H2S) → Anoxic zone in the substrate or a dirty filter → Clean the filter, refresh the substrate Decay → Dead fish or plant (location unknown) → Search for and remove Swamp water → Overfeeding + poor filtration → Water change + reduce feeding

There are a lot of algae

See the section on algae (included in Sections 2 and 3). Most common causes:

  • Excessive light (too long or too bright)
  • Excess nutrients (NO3 and PO4)
  • Imbalance Between Nutrients and Plants
  • A Young Aquarium Out of Balance

The BBA (Black Brush Algae) method:

  • Reason: CO2 fluctuations (in planted tanks)
  • Solution: Stabilize CO2, apply Easy Carbo directly to the algae (out of the water using a pipette), introduce Caridina japonica (Amano shrimp)

Fish Mortality in a Mature Aquarium

With no apparent obvious cause: