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Adsorption,
(spelt correctly) The process where pollutants are
collected on the surface of a chemical filter media
such as carbon.
Aged Water,
Some fish have a strong dislike of new tap
water, (some Rainbows, Tetras when breeding) to get
round this we use aged water. This is water that has
been allowed to stand for a minimum of 4 days and
has had nothing added to it, just gently aerated
before use.
Anadromous,
maturing in saltwater but spawns in
freshwater.
Anoxic,
Lacking in Oxygen.
Anterior,
The front end.
Aufwuchs,
A German name for Algae and the small
Organisms that live on it. Used mainly to describe
the main food source of Cichlids living in Lake
Malawi. But is now starting to be used more widely.
BBS,
Baby Brine Shrimps, one the commonest fry
foods
Benthic
Bottom living.
Biological Filtration,
A process where a bacterial colony is maintained
usually on the filter sponge to facilitate the
breakdown of all biological waste into mulm and
nitrates.
Biotope, A geographical area with its own flora and
fauna.
Black water,
Water with a high level of humic acid and
tannins which colour the water.
Bleaching,
a stress response of corals where they
expel some or all of their zooxanthellae algae
resulting in a whitish colouration.
Brackish tank,
A tank that contains a combination of fresh
and salt water.
Brood,
A single clutch of eggs or fry.
Bubble Nest,
A nest of bubbles that some fish make to
house their eggs.
Buffer,
A substance that will resist changes of pH
in solution.
Calcareous,
Any material (rock work, substrate)
containing Calcium.
Carnivore,
Flesh eater.
Catadromous,
Maturing in freshwater but spawns in the
sea
Chemical Filtration,
Using a filter media that will alter the water
chemistry, i.e. to remove Nitrates.
Congeneric,
Belonging to the same Genus.
Crepuscular,
Active at Dawn and Dusk.
Culling,
Killing sick or unwanted fry or fish.
Demersal,
Eggs that sink or laid on the floor.
Dimorphism,
Two distinct types of the same species.
Diurnal,
Active during the daytime.
Electrogenic,
Electric producing Organs.
FAQ,
Frequently asked questions.
Fry,
Baby fish.
Genus,
A group of very closely related species.
Gestation Period, The length of
time for a pregnancy to last.
GPH/LPH,
Gallons per hour or litres per hour. A
system used for rating filters and power heads.
Gravid.
A female that is about to spawn or give
birth is said to be gravid.
Herbivore,
Eats mainly or solely vegetable matter.
Heterrocercal,
The tails upper lobe is bigger than the lower.
Holocercal,
The tails upper and lower lobes are the
same size.
Hybrid,
A cross between two separate species.
Hypoxic,
Oxygen depleted.
Ichthyology,
The study of fishes.
Inbreeding,
When two closely related individuals are
bred, this can lead to genetic problems.
Infusorians,
Single celled micro organisms, that are
used to feed very small baby fish.
Lacustrine,
Of lakes.
Lepidophage,
Scale eater.
Littoral,
Shallow water at the edges of lakes and
oceans.
Marine Tank,
An aquarium that contains salt water, and
saltwater creatures.
Mature Filter,
Filters contain millions of bacteria, it
takes a few weeks for the bacteria to colonize a
filter. Only then is the filter fully mature.
Mbuna,
An African word which translates as Rock
Dweller, a name almost universally used for a group
of Cichlids from Lake Malawi.
Mechanical filtration,
The removal of particles from the water.
Milt,
The sex cells of the male fish.
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Mulm,
Biologically inert and insoluble material
that is left over from decay, it collects like a
fine light dust at the bottom of the aquarium.
New Tank Syndrome,
This occurs when fish are put in an
aquarium before the filter has matured. Ammonia and
Nitrite will both be present and will harm the fish.
Nocturnal,
Active at night.
Obligate Feeder,
Refers to fish that have a very specialized
diet and can only survive on that one particular
food. Even if the animal is offered and accepts
other foods, it will still starve to death because
it can't digest or extract the nutrients it needs
from any other type of food.
Ocelli,
A pattern in the shape of a ring on the
fish.
Omnivore,
Will eat food based on animal or vegetable
in origin.
Osmoregulation,
The way fishes maintain the correct level
of salts within their bodies.
Oviparous,
Lays eggs which hatch outside the females
body.
Ovoviviparous,
The eggs are retained inside the female
until hatched, the female makes no extra
contribution to nourishing the eggs or young.
Palytoxin,
An extremely powerful neurotoxin naturally
found within the bodies of most Zoanthid and related
polyps.
Pathogen,
A disease causing organism.
Pelagic,
Open water away from the edges or bottom.
Piscivore,
Fish eater.
Poikilothermic,
Cold blooded or more precisely the body
temp is the same as the surroundings.
Polyp,
The smallest whole living unit of a coral
or cnidarian. They can live singly or colonial with
vast differences in morphology.
Pop Eye,
When a fishes Osmoregulation system is
upset due to disease or poor water quality, fluid
collects behind the eye causing it to swell.
PPM,
Parts per million. 1ppm = 1mg per litre.
Protein Skimmer,
A device that removes aquarium waste before
it is broken down by the action of bacteria. A
stream of ultra fine bubbles are passed against the
current of water in a chamber and the long protein
molecules are attracted to the bubbles because one
end of the molecule is Hydrophobic (Water hating)
and the other end is Hydroscopic (water loving), The
Hydrophobic end attaches to the bubble and is drawn
to the surface with the foam. This is then collected
in a small cup to be disposed of.
Rheophilic,
Living in running
water.
Ripe,
A female fish that is ready
to spawn, i.e. full of eggs that are ready to be
laid.
Riverine,
Lives in rivers.
R/O unit,
A device where water under pressure is
forced through a semi permeable membrane that only
allows pure water through (R/O water). All
pollutants are removed leaving 99.9% pure water.
Roe,
Fish eggs.
Runt,
An individual fish whose growth has been
stunted.
Scute,
A bony scale like structure.
SG, specific gravity,
Refers to the density of salt water to
determine how much salt is dissolved in the water.
Fresh water is exactly 1, sea water varies from
approx 1.018 to 1.027.
Stolon
Plates, Calcified stolon. Fleshy material that
connect soft certain corals used for adhering to the
substrate, asexual reproduction or inter-colonial
communications.
Smolt,
Immature Salmomoid fish.
Substrate,
The material covering the bottom of a body of water.
Taxa,
Unit of classification of animals and
plants.
TL, Total length, In fish it is from the tip of the
nose to the end of the tail.
UGF, Under gravel filter.
A filter used solely for biological filtration.
UV, Ultra Violet light
Is very high energy light, a UV unit is
used on ponds to kill any Algae or Pathogens that
are found in the water. As it is pumped through the
unit.
Vegetarian,
Eats mainly Vegetable based food.
Viviparous,
The eggs hatch inside the female and the
young receive extra nutrition from the female.
White water,
Silt laden water.
Zooplankton,
Drifting microscopic animals.
Zooxanthellae,
Single-celled microscopic marine algae or
dinoflagellate commonly found in symbiotic
relationships with corals, anemones, clams and other
photosynthetic animals
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