Marine Aquariums, Setup and Maintenance
Although it is important to choose an aquarium that you think will look good in your living room, there are other equally important considerations that affect the ongoing expense as well as the health of the inhabitants.
One of the first choices you will face is whether to purchase a glass or acrylic aquarium .
Acrylic is a better insulator than glass so a smaller heater will work for the same sized aquarium and temperature fluctuations happen slower.
Acrylic aquariums commonly have rounded corners (rather than seams) and usually have a more 'contemporary' look.
Acrylic coffee tables and even bubble tanks (like Captain Picard's aquarium on Star Trek)..
NEVER use a brillo pad or a green pot scrubber on an acrylic aquarium..
Usually an acrylic aquarium will cost 2 to 3 times what a similar sized glass aquarium would..
A lot of material has been written about the ideal environment for various species of fish, which should be considered if you are planning on a species tank or know which fish you want to stock the aquarium with.
The first consideration in general though, when choosing the equipment and the aquarium itself is the stabilitiy of the environment.
Marine Aquarium Fish
We also recommend you to take a look in one of our other library sections: “Marine Aquariums”.
In that section you will find information that is not only valid for marine aquarium fish keeping, but for the keeping of all marine species, including anemones and other invertebrates.
In “Marine Aquariums” you will also find information about how to set up a marine aquarium..
Saltwater fish is found in all of the three basic types of saltwater aquariums: Fish Only saltwater aquariums (FO), Fish Only with Live Rock saltwater aquariums (ROWLR) and Reef Aquariums.
The first types of saltwater aquariums were however not fish aquariums.
Keeping fish in saltwater aquariums didn’t become popular until the 1950s, even though a handful of scientists and saltwater enthusiasts attempted to keep saltwater species earlier..
Keeping saltwater aquarium fish will typically involve more work, time and equipment compared to the standard freshwater aquarium.
There are also saltwater fish species that are quite sturdy and once you have understood how to correctly maintain your saltwater aquarium and established a routine they will not require a lot of additional pampering to do well..
.

Photo by free-zg.htnet.hr
Macduff Marine Aquarium: north east of scotland, visitor attractions, aquarium, macduff, marine life, living kelp reef, coastal habitats, rocky shore and shallow waters, deep reef and sea floor, sea lab,
The aquarium’s fish and invertebrates are fed regularly through the week, although not every day as it is actually unhealthy to overfeed them.
Contact the aquarium or check at Reception when you arrive, to find out which tanks are getting fed on the day you visit..
Diving in the aquarium’s kelp reef exhibit takes place three times a week.
Divers hand-feed the fish while guides give a talk about the marine life in the aquarium’s main theatre and visitors watch from the main window.
Divers also have to clean the windows of any algae that grows on them and, from time to time, they even have to hoover the tank! .
Please Note – Diving operations at the aquarium are strictly regulated by the Health and Safety Executive, the aquarium reserves the right to remain flexible about dive times and frequency and a dive is not guaranteed to go ahead until the day, even a diver with a cold could mean that a dive has to be cancelled..
Please note these feeding times may be subject to change.
Macduff Marine Aquarium: north east of scotland, visitor attractions, aquarium, macduff, marine life, living kelp reef, coastal habitats, rocky shore and shallow waters, deep reef and sea floor, sea lab,
The aquarium is situated on the High Shore of Macduff, just east of the Harbour.
Turn off for Macduff and follow the signs past the harbour to the aquarium.
Turn off at the Plough Inn, before you reach the harbour, and follow the signs for the aquarium.
Pass the harbour and turn left, following the signs for the aquarium.
Call Traveline on 0870 6082608 for times..