Joseph asks…
Thinking about starting a saltwater tank. What is the minimum size tank, and what equipment is necessary?
I have a lot of experience with freshwater but pretty much none at all with salt water. I also haven’t done much research yet but I would just wondering about the basics. What is the minimum size tank for like clown fish and other common saltwater fish? What equipment is necessary? And the amount of time needed compared to a freshwater tank. Thanks!
scottparat answers:
A 30 gallon is a common minimum for clownfish and many other similar sized common saltwater fishes (like many damsels, chromis, cardinals, blenny, etc). A 50 gallon is even better for beginners, making a more stable environment. LArger might cost more to set up, like a 100 gallon, but are more stable and more forgiving on mistakes, so you’ll often hear “larger is better” or “larger is easier” which are true. The larger the tank the more variety of animal you can house as well. Soa good rule is to get the largest aquarium you can afford and house.
Three of my favorite books, which can help with starting a saltwater aquarium are:
Ultimate Marine Aquariums goes over many different approaches to saltwater system and is full of useful examples, tips, commonalities with successful tanks, etc. It love it for any aquarium level: http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Marine-Aquariums-Saltwater-Systems/dp/1890087742
The New Marine Aquarium is genius in its simplicity. It is small and just contains the bare bones basics. It is good to “get your feet wet” and understand some basic concepts, stocking ideas, a little bit on aquascapign and disease control too!
Http://www.amazon.com/New-Marine-Aquarium-Step—Step/dp/1890087521/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1343859650&sr=1-1&keywords=new+marine
(A similar book with more depth is The Conscientious Marine Aquarist: http://www.amazon.com/Conscientious-Marine-Aquarist-Commonsense-Professional/dp/1890087998/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1343859650&sr=1-2&keywords=new+marine )
And a book I just love to look through to get an idea on stocking or just fantasize about fish, is the PocketExpert Guides. They cover a wide variety of fishes and some basics about each species.
Http://www.amazon.com/PocketExpert-Guide-Marine-Fishes-Essential-/dp/1890087386/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1343859816&sr=1-2&keywords=pocketexpert
Salwater needs more of everything: more salt, more current, more time, more money, more power, more research, etc. But a well thought system actually can get easier with time as it establishes.
Robert asks…
What are some interesting Nutrition topics to write about?
I have a research paper due next week in my college Nutrition class. I need help coming up with an interesting topic in which I can find plenty of information.
scottparat answers:
I might recommend different things depending on your grade level.
Ideas…
Diet and Blood Cholesterol
How diet can affect osteoporosis
Do school lunches contribute to childhood obesity?
Correlation between eating breakfast and academic success in college students
You can get more ideas by using a search engine like this…
Nutrition research topics site:.edu
You can also get topic ideas through a search of your local public or college library databases.
Try a variety of keywords and phrases and see what sort of sources come up. This can give you topic ideas and BONUS! You find out how much material is there at the same time.
Speak with a librarian in person or online to refine your research habits.
(Find someone near you)
http://www.butte.edu/services/library/ask-us.html
http://ask.wa.gov/
http://www.nypl.org/ask-nypl (chat now on the right side box)
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