Monday, July 18, 2011

Setting up a Reef Saltwater Aquariums

Saltwater enthusiast have developed a love affair with coral reefs. There is nothing they love better then to design, stock and maintain a saltwater aquarium that is teaming with coral.

For years only the most adventurous were brave enough to tackle the challenges proposed by a reef saltwater aquarium. Until recently coral reef was notoriously hard to maintain.

Times have changed. Now there are several varieties of coral that even the most novice saltwater aquarium owner can enjoy.
The key to successfully maintaining a reef saltwater aquarium is to have your saltwater reef aquarium properly set up.

The first thing you'll want to find is a tank. Select the largest possible tank that you feel comfortable with. The greater the size of your tank, the greater the water mass encompassing the reef, and the more you will be able to duplicate the effects of the ocean. You can choose either the classic look of a glass aquarium or you can select an acrylic tank which gives you a larger variety of shapes and styles. Acrylic tanks are also more durable then glass tanks. Make sure that there is absolutely no copper anywhere in the tank. Copper has a lethal affect on coral.

Before adding the coral to your tank make sure that the temperature of your water stays consistent. The temperature should remain at 23-25 degrees Celsius (73-77 degrees Fahrenheit). Your coral will remain healthier in water that is always at the same temperature.

It is very important that your reef saltwater aquarium be properly filtered. The three types of filters are mechanical, biological, and chemical.

A mechanical filter is a filter made out of spun nylon floss. Mechanical filter trap and remove wasteful material and prevent your chemical and biological filters from becoming clogged. There are a variety of biological filters. Some use the tanks aquarium substrate as a part of the filtration system. The purpose of biological filters is to contain the biochemical properties and to break down waste products.

Chemical filters absorbs the ions of dissolved waste. Chemical filters are typically based on active carbon.

Many reef saltwater aquarium owners like to use other products such as Bioballs and Protein Skimmers to assist with their filtration system.

The PH level of a reef saltwater aquarium should hold steady at 8.2.

Coral reefs require a filtration system that circulates the tanks water. Moving water tends to be rich in oxygen and the currents carry food to the invertebrates living inside the immobile coral. A submersible pump will do wonders to increase the water flow in a saltwater aquarium.

When you decide that it is time to stock your reef saltwater aquarium with fish you need to remember a few things before rushing out to your favorite fish store.

Bear in mind that just because a variety of fish lives in the ocean does not automatically mean that it's compatible with coral. Some fish eat the invertebrates that make the coral reef their home. Some fish produce waste that is toxic to the coral. Some fish, like Blow-fish, produce a toxin when they die that can kill every living organism in your aquarium.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

The Importance of a Good Auto Sound System

If you spend a good deal of time in you car, and yes, the morning commute to work and the evening commute home each and every day definitely counts, you are probably more than slightly aware of the benefits of having a good auto sound system. Your sound system is your companion in your travels most of the time. Even those who have children often spend a great deal of time driving alone.

For those long and sometimes lonely miles your auto sound system is the voice of reason, the energetic beat, and the information that keeps you up on current events, weather forecasts, and what is going on in the world of the rich and famous. Even if you aren't all that into music there is the wide and wonderful world of talk radio that keeps many of us informed and inflamed about issues that are important to us and causes which we feel passionately about.

The proper auto sound system affects the way we hear everything that comes through our radios. It doesn't really matter if you have the latest and greatest of subscription programs, XML programming, or even digital radio if your sound system is poor the quality of your programming will never reach your ears. Your sound system is the difference in standard sounds coming through your speakers and excellence making its way to your ears.

Contrary to popular belief however, you do not have to have the loudest sound system in order to have the best sound system. The truth of the matter is that once the music is so loud it ceases to sound like music and comes across to those inside and outside of your automobile more as noise than the wonderful music it may be in other circumstances. While there are many who enjoy the throbbing and jumping sounds that come from over emphasized bass, there is something to be said for an auto sound system that is well rounded and balanced. A good sound system will make all aspects of the music sound better and not just a certain few.

The important thing about sound systems aren't the price that they command, the bass that they flaunt, or even the most minute details of the making and manufacturing of the sound system. The true beauty of a sound system lies in the fact that it should be music to your ears. You and you alone can choose the sound system that you like best as every person has different things they will listen for and enjoy in not only their music but also their sound systems. I love many different types of music and as a result will tend to listen to several different music genres as well as a stint of talk radio on several different systems and elect the one that sounds the best on the most of the music platforms and genres I prefer. I recommend a course of action similar to this to all who are interested in purchasing an auto sound system for their vehicle.

One thing that often gets overlooked is how much time we really spend in our vehicles in the course of a week. Most people pay very little time, money, or attention the particular stereos we put into our vehicles when in reality we spend nearly as much time each week listening to our auto sound systems as we do watching the televisions in our home. Music is all around us and it deeply affects and enhances our joys, our sorrows, even our romance. For those reasons, shouldn't we invest as much, if not more, time and energy in a great auto sound system as we do in a television for our homes?

By taking the time to get the perfect sound system for our vehicles when we first purchase our automobiles we will enjoy the maximum benefit our sound systems can provide. By enjoying our sound system, more people are willing to hang on to their vehicles longer which actually saves a great deal of money in the long run while also increasing your overall enjoyment of your time spent commuting to and from work each and every day.