HOW TO SUPPLY CALCIUM TO A CORAL AQUARIUM Method 1 From the start, i.e. when you put the first water in, use commercial salts enriched in calcium. Then, add the same salts over the course of regular partial water changes, at the rate of 10% per week. Some commercial salts are specially designed for marine […]
The accumulation of calcareous coral skeletons gradually forms reefs, of which the most famous is the Great Barrier Reef, stretching north-eastward from south Australia for almost 2,000 km. It is the biggest structure of animal origin in the world! This ecosystem, one of the richest and most diverse in existence, is also fragile and constantly […]
Darts for defense The bodies of Coelenterates, particularly the tentacles, are covered with urticant (stinging) cells, equipped with a strand that is sensitive to contact with other organisms. When a Coelenterate is touched, thousands or even millions of cells open and eject a filament with a microscopic dart at the tip which injects venom; in […]
When well acclimatized, the Coelenterates soon deploy their tentacles, which is a sign of good health. Vegetation Plants release substances that have a beneficial effect on invertebrates, although as yet we still know relatively little about the mechanism of this process. Use algae of the Caulerpa genus, but do not allow them to become too […]
These are green micro-algae which live in the skin of Anthozoa and other organisms, such as sponges or giant clams, a type of bivalve mollusk. They exchange substances with the cells of their hosts. The carbon dioxide (CO2) resulting from the metabolism of the cells - i.e. the oxidation of the foodstuffs - is collected […]
INVERTEBRATES Easy-touse tests make it possible to control water quality, which must be perfect in an invertebrate tank. LOWERING THE PH IN A MARINE INVERTEBRATE TANK The pH in a coral tank sometimes undergoes slight but regular decreases. When it drops to under 8.3, it can be raised with sodium carbonate. Dissolve 5 […]
Marine invertebrates are sometimes more difficult to keep in an aquarium: on the one hand, they are very sensitive to the quality of the water, which must be as faultless as possible, and, on the other, feeding them is complicated, particularly in the case of sponges, Coelenterates, anemones, and corals. It is also important to […]
FRESHWATER INVERTEBRATES Although freshwater invertebrates play a significant ecological role in their natural habitat, they are not popular with aquarists, and this is a great shame. They are represented by two main groups: the mollusks and the crustaceans. Ampullaria sp., like this golden variety, are one of the most effective gastropods against algae. […]