Aquatic Life Support Systems (not done)

What is an aquatic life support system?

Collection of equipment used to maintain and improve the condition of the water through managing its physical, chemical, and biological properties

What is the main form of aquatic preventative medicine?

Aquatic life support systems

What equipment do you need for your tank?

Tank, substrate, air pump/air stone, filter, thermometer, heater, lights

How do you decide what substrate to use?

Depends on the species of fish

What is a decorative substrate?

Cause no change in the system

What are examples of decorative substrate?

Sand, gravel, stones, aquasoil

What are functional substrates?

Contain minerals that influence water parameters like pH and alkalinity

What are examples of functional substrate?

Argonite, crushed coral, peat moss, vermiculite

What is oxygen exchange important for?

Animal respiration, microbial respiration (biological filtration), maintaining pH

What is required for gas exchange?

Movement of water surface

What are ways to improve gas exchange?

Air stones/pumps: create bubbles and turbulent flow driving CO2 out and O2 in

Surface agitation

Plants

What is important about the water flow within the LSS?

Promote gas exchange at the surface

Prevent anoxic or stagnant pockets of water

Promotes healthy-system bacteria in biofilms

Helps transfer nutrients and waste products

Ensures correct flow through LSS

Reduces pathogen load, especially ectoparasites

How do you measure and create flow in the LSS?

Created by air filters and air pumps

Turnover rate to measure

What is turnover rate?

Time the total water volume of the system might take to go through the system

What are the types of filtration?

Mechanical

Biological

Chemical

What is mechanical filtration do?

Traps debris

How do you get mechanical filtration?

Prefilters: screening baskets on skimmers, foam pads

Canister filters (outside), hang-on-back filers, internal filter, undergravel filter

What is biological filtration?

Converts ammonia to giving good bacteria a space to grow/work

What are types of biological filtration?

Sponge filters (+air pump) and bioballs

What does chemical filtration do?

Absorbs toxins

What are types of chemical filtration?

Granular activated carbon: absorbs heavy metals and dissolved substances

Foam fractionation

When is a granular activated carbon filter most effective?

When placed in-line after mechanical and biological filtration

Why do some fish require saltwater?

They maintain a sodium concentration lower than environmental concentrations

Fish are required to consume saltwater due to the large amount of salt lost through osmosis

What are the tank types?

Fish only

Fish only with live rock

Reef tanks

What do live rocks do in a system?

Biological filtration for a more stable and natural system

What is included in a reef tank?

Fish, corals, invertebrates

How do you decide where to place a tank?

Understand whether floor is strong enough to support desired tank size

Try to avoid direct sunlight

Try to place in a non-high-traffic area

Use a GFCI outlet to prevent electrical fires

Have a designated breaker for the system

What supplies are needed for a saltwater tank?

Aquarium stand, aquarium, return pump, protein skimmer, powerheads, rock, heater, chiller, sand, quarantine tank, buckets, fish net, test kits, reverse osmosis system, lighting, salt

What is ozone (O3)?

Effective disinfectant agent via oxidizing

What happens when ozone is exposed to saltwater?

Creates residual oxidative by-product that can kill fish

Why does ozone need to be monitored?

Fish and human health

T/F lighting is species specific?

True

What can too much light cause?

Cataracts, sunburn, and neoplasia

T/F UVB needs are controversial?

True, penetration depth varies based on water turbidity

What happens to light intensity as it travels?

Decreases

T/F lighting should follow photoperiods and match seasonal dawn and dusk cycles?

True

How do you setup a salt water tank?

1. Clean the tank

2. Add substrate (clean)

3. Add water

4. Add salt (35g/L)

5. Run cycle

6. Continue to cycle until ammonia and nitrate are 0ppm

What does water in a saltwater tank need to go through?

Reverse osmosis

Why do you need to run cycle when setting up a saltwater tank?

Builds up bacteria and controls ammonia and nitrite

How long can it take to cycle a saltwater tank?

6-8 weeks, need ammonia and nitrite levels at 0ppm

What are the types of salt you can use?

Synthetic mixes (instant ocean)

Evaporate mixes

What is the benefit of deep sand bedding (10-15cm)?

Enables anaerobic bacteria and absorbs large amounts of debris but hard to clean

What are your required water monitoring parameters in saltwater tanks?

Temperature, dissolved O2, Cl (free and total), pH, total alkalinity, salinity, total ammonia nitrogen coper

T/F dissolved oxygen is essential for animal and microbial support?

True

What does a low DO (dissolved oxygen) cause?

Mass mortality

T/F DO should be measured in one location/depth?

False