"Equilibrium" / Aquarium "Contentment"

[omard]

Hey, we need a "philosophy" thread! ---

Please, anyone, please add some feedback I can add to on below...

Understand some may be "there" --- but most of us either not, or close.

Where do you fit on the "equilibrium" scale? (would set up poll, if I knew how) ---- oh, see button for it..

(3Reef Blog Entry - 10-11-2007 02:25 PM)

Reaching "Equilibrium"

(Aquarium Contentment )

(That elusive goal! )

Reaching aquarium "equilibrium (contentment)," for both the tank and the hobbiest, is a long and trouble strewn path. (If there is really ever such a thing) There is no set time frame, or absolute set of parameters, or given conditions. You will just slowly come to realize you are there.

Signs of "equilibrium" are;

- need for fewer water changes
- tank inhabitants happily and healthily coexisting
- feeling little need for water testing
- fewer hours and sleepless nights of worry about critters and condition.
- No longer have frequent urge to go to LFS and see what they might have that will "fit" in your tank. (or having unplanned critters "following you home")
- Less (or no) experimenting with various additives to somehow improve tank conditions, enhancing appearance and growth.
- Developing healthy fear of adding anything else to tank that may upset conditions or invite disease.
- No longer browsing saltwater retailers on the internet or in catalogs, just to see what you might need. (?)
- Knowing that your fish/coral are happy with kind of food, frequency of feeding and all are optimally thriving.
- Being happy with the appearance and development of all creatures in aquarium taken as a whole.
- Satisfied with lighting, tank and support systems.
- When daily checking and maintenance are no longer a "chore" but something to be looked forward to.
- Enjoyment of just sitting back and observing the interaction of aquarium inhabitants, instead of thinking about which fish/coral needs to be added.
- Looking at the tank as a whole instead of individual life forms thrown into a contained salt water environment.
- Not feeling like you need to rearrange coral placement/rock work every time you look at tank.
- If you do need to do (above), it is after long and careful study.
- When happy with color, "balance" and harmony of complete system.
- Inviting mailman, UPS delivery man, or anyone else walking down the street, to come in house so you can showoff tank.
- And most importantly - spouse, girl/boy friend not complaining about, noise, space used, electricity consumption, $$ invested, mess of "tank stuff" around aquarium, etc.....

Getting yourself to this point is much more then just doing daily checking and maintenance, it is continuous observation, curiosity and study and sharing experiences with others. Participation on a good web forum is a must. (3Reef - ) Both from the learning aspect as will as providing "lessons learned" and other tips to fellow hobbyists and less experienced aquarists.

Sensing and identifying an imbalance in the aquarium becomes an innate skill. Not just from testing, but from noticing changes bases on past observations. Such events, become not a reason to get upset or have a panic attack, they become just routine events that usually are easily and simple to overcome or adjust to.

Not all change is bad, nor is all change good. Knowing the difference is something that is learned by experience or getting information about from others. Change can then be dealt with in the most efficient means possible, resulting in minimal disruption to your system and inhabitants.

Truly comprehending the statement, "...nothing good ever happens fast in a reef tank, only bad things happen fast..." - MIKE PALLETTA is a giant leap forward. Reef tank "time" should be measured/managed in months/years. Not just in a few days or weeks. Taking time and patience are critical.

It is so important to both your sanity, pocketbook and life of new inhabitants to realize what Adam Blundell states is so true.

"...As surprising as it may seem your tank will look ugly at first. This happens to all new marine aquariums as they cycle through their initial filtration phase. Your tank may go brown, and then green, and then red, and then just look junky. It happens. Consequently the one coral you really want to keep may not live. You may struggle to raise the prize fish you originally intended to acquire. It's okay; just learn to love whatever is working for you. Remember, not only is this a hobby, but we are keeping living ecosystems. Special efforts should be put forth to enjoy and appreciate what we are keeping, whatever it may be. It takes time and patience to turn a glass box full of rock into a beautiful, thriving reef tank..." (Adam Blundell M.S. )

Just "cleaning" a tank may get you by with a freshwater system. A saltwater system takes much much more. It requires a much more balanced ecosystem for its inhabitants to live and thrive. Much more attention must be given to temperature, chemical balance, adequate food, frequency of feeding and waste status and removal with a SW tank. Daily checking on all becomes habit. Anything outside normal ranges is noticed immediately first by observation of tank conditions and abnormal creature habits then by testing.

When an imbalance does occur, you will instantly know probable reason and cause. If not, you will immediately relay specific abnormal parameters or conditions to those you recognize as experienced hobbyists to help identify and isolate the problem. With time, events such as this are minimal.

Keeping the tank and water clean is not just a matter of scrubbing algae off the glass as in a fresh water aquarium. SW creatures are much more sensitive and delicate. Knowing, or getting a feel, for how much water to change and how often is important. Some are comfortable with doing no water changes. They are usually hobbyists with very large tanks, or have elaborate water cleaning systems such as a refugium. Those of us with smaller tanks, depending on LR and skimmer cleaning, are much better served by frequent small water changes. Too little or too much can have a negative impact on water quality and condition. The last thing you want to do is upset the ecological imbalance in the tank.

Getting to know the habits and normal behavior of tank inhabitants is important. (and fun to learn) -- It takes many hours of observation and study to learn the habits of each. What they like, what they don’t like, where they like to hide, if they like to play and where? What is their favorite food, and how do they act when it’s time to eat? How do they interact with other inhabitants? Do they have periods when they act differently then normal. The more you know about these activities/habits, the easier it is to identify and rectify any emerging problems.

How you deal with and prepare for emergencies has much to do with your individual and SW system "equilibrium." In time, what you used to consider an emergency becomes just an "event" and not "Panic Time." --- The key is being prepared for unlikely but potential catastrophic events. Do you have a backup system in the event of power failure? If you have a generator, is it fully operational/maintained with plenty of gas on hand. Do you have plenty of salt mix standing by if, for some reason, major water changes are required. Are spare pumps/parts available for untimely failures? When away, do you have a reliable person to oversee and do basic maintenance for you? Is your aquarium "kid proof?" --- Insuring all of these bases are covered will go a long way in providing peace of mind and restful sleep. (Unless you really don't care...then you have no business being in this hobby.

Wonderful events and mysteries can be seen with careful tank observation. Not by just a few minutes now and then, but enjoyable close study over hours of viewing. Ongoing aquarium events can be just as interesting/satisfying as any of those observed on television. At some point in time, if the aquarium and television are in close proximity, you will find yourself spending much more time viewing activity in your created SW world then what is happening on the boob-tube.

(Additions/Recommendations/Advice Welcome!)


Scott L. Davis
"OmarD"

[omard]

(That elusive goal! )