Bring Me Home! Saltwater Aquariums Make a Great Hobby (eBook)

John H. Tullock holds a master’s degree in zoology.  From 1987 to 1995, he operated a retail and mail-order aquarium business featuring saltwater fish, invertebrates and everything necessary to maintain them in the home.  He is the founder of the American Marinelife Dealer Association and served on the steering committee that created the Marine Aquarium Council. He is the author of eight previous aquarium books, including Natural Reef Aquariums (TFH) and Your First Marine Aquarium (Barron’s).

Introduction.Chapter 1: Are You Ready to Get a Saltwater Aquarium?Lifestyle Impacts.Time Commitment.Financial Commitment.Learning Commitment.Is a Saltwater Aquarium Right for Your Family?Chapter 2: Designing Your Saltwater Aquarium.Planning Basics.Philosophy of the Natural Aquarium.Minireef or Fish-Only?What You’ll Need.What You May Want.Where to Find Equipment and Supplies.How to Recognize Quality Saltwater Fish.Getting Ready.Chapter 3: Understanding How a Saltwater Aquarium Works.Physical and Chemical Cycles.Overview of the Coral Reef Environment.Let Nature Take Its Course.Chapter 4 Stocking Your Tank I: Fish.The Best Home Aquarium Fish.Getting to Know Fish.Who Lives with Whom?Saltwater Fish Families.Popular Species for Fish-Only Tanks.Reef-Compatible Fish Species.Some Fish to Avoid.Chapter 5: Stocking Your Tank II: Invertebrates.Invertebrate Groups.Invertebrate Roles in the Aquarium Community.Live Rock.Live Sand.Utilitarian Invertebrates.Photosynthetic Invertebrates.Clownfish Host Anemones.Nonphotosynthetic Invertebrates.Seaweeds.Some Invertebrates to Avoid.Chapter 6: Stocking Your Tank III: Putting It All Together.Developing a Stocking Plan.Some Examples to Get You Started.Create Your Own Stocking Plan.Chapter 7: Setting Up Your Tank.Setting Up a Quarantine Tank.Basic Setup for a Small Tank.Accommodating an Anemone.Setting Up a Larger System.Acclimating New Arrivals.Creating a Fish-Only Tank.Creating a Reef Habitat.Chapter 8: Keeping Your Aquarium Healthy.Avoiding Maintenance Headaches.Feeding Fish.Feeding Invertebrates.Water Changes.Mixing Synthetic Seawater.Water Tests.Equipment Maintenance.The “Hurricane Effect”.Record Keeping.Family Aquarium Maintenance Routine.Chapter 9: Keeping Your Fish and Invertebrates Healthy.Why Problems Happen.When Should I Medicate the Fish?Invertebrate Parasites and Diseases.Special Considerations for Reef Tanks.Frequently Asked Questions.Chapter 10: Your Aquarium as Part of the Family.Daily Care.On Vacation.Relocating.Appendix A: Useful Resources.How to Use this Appendix.Equipment and Maintenance Record.Specimen Acquisition Record.Tank Sitter Journal.Fish Hospital Record.Saltwater Aquarium Log.Appendix B: Saltwater Fish and Invertebrates Sold for Home Aquariums.Appendix C: Glossary.Appendix D: Additional Saltwater Aquarium Resources.Periodicals.Organizations.Books.Coloring Page.Index.