Salt Water Info

[Night61]

and i am looking for information that could help me get the job, paticularly about salt water aquirums i know nothing about them so if you guys can help give me hints one what to say i would love that. i really need a job, and i was honest i told them i knew nothing about salt aquariums but i would learn. please help thank you

 

[Pleccy]

Marine aquariums are completely different to freshwater aquariums and we could quite easily fill a book with information. Are you planning on applying for a job in a public aquarium or just a general aquatic store?

 

[Night61]

Marine aquariums are completely different to freshwater aquariums and we could quite easily fill a book with information. Are you planning on applying for a job in a public aquarium or just a general aquatic store?

its actually a local pet shop. i am being layed off from my old job so i need a tempory one until i land a full time job.

 

[drobbyb]

As mentioned, saltwater is a completely different animal. Post in the marine section and I am sure they would be glad to help.

 

[kj23502]

Well here's a few things....

Live Rock is the best filtration method.

A skimmer isn't always needed. I'd say only if you're keeping harder to keep animals or if stocking is on the heavy side.

Depending on the size of the tank and stocking water changes are usually done every week.

Most fish are wild caught and if not feeding in the lfs, we have to entice them to eat using life foods. Buying the aquacultured critters is better for the environment as they aren't taken from the ocean.

R/O is best especially when growing coral or having sensitive animals.

 

[GShorty1981]

Best is to do a tank yourself or you'll soon forget

I take it the pet store does Marine fish? because most pet shops just do freshwater fish like tropicals and pond fish and marines are usually in specialist stores.

 

[kj23502]

Yep, I could agree that the best is to probably do a tank yourself I'm working on my first tank.

 

[n3ont3tra]

More info that you'll probably need to know.

Clownfish do not need an anemone.

Minimum tank size for clowns are about 20g.

No tangs in tanks under 55 gallons. 'Dory' needs at least 100g.

Live rock is the best filtration method, about 1 pound per gallon.

To cycle the tank, add the live rock and wait 'till ammonia and nitrite are zero, then do a large water change to remove the nitrates.

 

[andywg]

Live Rock is the best filtration method.

Live rock is the best filtration method, about 1 pound per gallon.

The above need a rider IMO, LR is the best filtration in lightly stocked reef settings, but I wouldn't trust it in a large pred set up or a shark set up where I would much rather have a trickle tower wet dry and an algae turf scrubber.

Indeed, given the success with ATS at keeping nitrates and phosphate at zero, I don't think we can claim LR to be the best filtration any more (if it ever was).

To cycle the tank, add the live rock and wait 'till ammonia and nitrite are zero, then do a large water change to remove the nitrates.

Or, if utilising a more conventional filter, just throw in a prawn or some ammonia and await a cycle exactly as one would in FW.



And the above tells you that there is more than one way to keep a marine tank and how best to keep it is very much down to the individual and the aims they have for the tank. Almost everyone on this forum follows the Berlin method or a close variant thereof, but it is by no means the sole method.

 

[ben1987]

Best to keep them yourself first before you give advice to others imo, i know if you just lost your job then that maybe isnt possible.But in the LFS around me you can really tell the people who have experience adn those that do not

 

[CageUK]

This is really going to be dependent on what you are going to be expected to know by your potential employer.

By all means learn the basics, in fact research all you need to. If you get the job though, don't be afraid to say "that's not my area of expertise" and find a colleague that can advise accordingly. Whatever you do don't read a few books and then advise authoritatively as this is very likely to do harm to the reputation of the pet shop/lfs and put someone's tank/fish etc at risk if/when you get it wrong.

The only way you can become proficient at fishkeeping is to do it yourself. If your potential employer needs you to learn about marine then you could do this on the job.
Being in that environment will be an extremely quick way of learning (assuming other members of the team also know about the subject). The hands on approach will also help you to be able to explain the processes involved in a much more 'user friendly' way which means a lot more to customers that just throwing jargon at them that you have read in a book.

If your employer expects you to know all about marines then you could be in trouble. Your lack of knowledge will be obvious very early on and you could even do harm to the shops own livestock. I would suggest you come clean in this instance and say that you know some of the general principles but are willing to learn quickly, and the basics don't take long to pick up.

Good luck with the job