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• Cover
• Introduction
• About This Book
• Foolish Assumptions
• Icons Used in This Book
• Where to Go from Here
• Part 1: Getting Started with Saltwater Aquarium Basics
• Chapter 1: Taking Your First Salty Steps
• Knowing about Wet Pets and Where to Buy Them
• Understanding Your Responsibilities
• Getting Started with Your First Saltwater Aquarium
• Understanding Water Chemistry and Algae
• Keeping Your Fish and Invertebrates Healthy
• Avoiding the Wrong Aquarium Pets
• Recognizing Why Aquariums Are So Great
• Chapter 2: Some Things Fishy
• Figuring Out What a Fish Is
• Understanding the Basics of Fish Anatomy
• Recognizing the Differences between Fresh and Salted
• Identifying Common Tropical Marine Fish Families
• Chapter 3: Choosing the Best Fish for You
• Considering Night and Day Fish
• Adding Schools to Your Aquarium
• Understanding How Fish Interact with Each Other
• Creating a Peaceful Habitat
• Finding Good Choices to Stock Your Aquarium
• Identifying the Wrong Fish for the Beginner
• Chapter 4: Looking Closer at Invertebrates
• Perusing inside Invertebrates
• Recognizing Common Aquarium Invertebrates
• Chapter 5: Going from the Dealer to Your Home
• Understanding Why Quarantining Your Fish Is Essential
• Working with a Reliable Dealer
• Choosing Healthy Fish: The How-To
• Going Home with Your Fishy Friends
• Taking the Plunge — Acclimating Your New Pets to Their New Surroundings
• Keeping a Sharp Eye on Things
• Part 2: Setting Up Your Aquarium
• Chapter 6: Selecting the Best Aquarium That Meets Your Needs
• Considering Tank Size
• Identifying the Different Types of Tanks
• Putting a Cap on It
• Offering More than a Little Support — Your Aquarium Stand
• Selecting the Perfect Location for Your New Aquarium
• Chapter 7: Figuring Out Filters
• Breathing and Eating
• Cleaning Your Water — The Different Types of Filtration
• Adding a Sump
• Considering Your Filter Choices
• Perusing Filters’ Helpers
• Disinfecting Water
• Knowing Which Filter System Is Best for You
• Aerating and Circulating Oxygen
• Chapter 8: Heating and Lighting Your Aquarium
• Understanding Temperature in Relation to Your Wet Pets
• Identifying Types of Heaters
• Considering Your Heater Options
• One Size Doesn’t Fit All — Knowing What Size Heater to Purchase
• Reminding You of Some Important Basic Heater Tips
• Choosing a Thermometer
• The Lowdown on Lighting
• Lighting the Way — Selecting Lighting for Your Aquarium
• Switching from Day to Night
• Chapter 9: Decorating Your Tank — Fishy Furnishings and Finishing Touches
• Aquascaping Is a Matter of Taste
• Going for the Natural Look
• Focusing on the Background
• Unraveling the Gravel
• Getting Rocked
• Keeping Coral
• Adding Invertebrates
• Providing Plants
• Offering Ornaments
• Making Sure You Add Saltwater
• Testing Your Water Chemistry
• Understanding the Purpose of a Quarantine Tank
• Handling Your Wet Pets with Nets
• Identifying the Cleaning Tools You Need
• Chapter 10: Partial to Salt — The Brackish Aquarium
• Taking a Closer Look at the Brackish Water Environment
• Identifying the Equipment You Need (or Don’t Need)
• Going Fishing for the Brackish Water Aquarium
• Recognizing Plants That Are Partial to Salt
• Chapter 11: Getting Your Aquarium Up and Running
• Placing Your Stand and Aquarium
• Adding Your Filter
• Adding the Substrate
• Including Ornamentation
• Focusing on Circulation
• Attaching the Heater
• Filling Your Aquarium with Water
• Placing the Hood
• Getting the Right Temperature with a Thermometer and Heater
• Starting Your Filters
• Turning on the Powerheads or Air Pump
• Considering Lighting
• Making Any 24-Hour Adjustments
• Adding Live Sand and Rocks
• Ensuring Your Tank Is Mature
• Adding Fish
• Part 3: Taking Proper Care of Your Aquarium
• Chapter 12: Tackling the Nitrogen Cycle
• Understanding the Nitrogen Cycle — In and Out
• Waiting for Your Aquarium to Mature
• Taking the Next Step: Just Add Bacteria
• Taking the Final Steps to Maturity
• Handling Problems When They Occur with the Nitrogen Cycle
• Chapter 13: Considering Chemistry: Salt, Acidity, and Gases
• Grasping the Importance of Water Quality
• Checking Your Salt Level
• Knowing What Acid and pH Are
• Comprehending Hardness and Alkalinity
• Monitoring How Well Your Pets Can Breathe — Water Gases
• Considering Other Chemical Factors
• Chapter 14: The Lowdown on Algae
• Knowing What Algae Are
• Algae Are Out of Control
• Identifying Your Algae
• Chapter 15: Keeping Your Aquarium Clean and Handling Issues
• Performing the Basics
• Sticking to Your Maintenance Schedule
• Taking Care of Emergencies
• Part 4: Caring for Your Fish
• Chapter 16: Feeding Your Fish
• Giving Them Their Meat and Veggies
• Knowing the Building Blocks of Fish Nutrition
• Identifying the Types of Food
• Putting Food in Their Mouths
• Feeding Your Invertebrates
• Chapter 17: Preventing Stress
• Stopping the Stressin’
• Identifying Stressful Conditions
• Recognizing Stress
• Making a Diagnosis
• Chapter 18: Playing Fish Doctor — Diseases and Treatments
• Identifying the Treatment Methods
• Getting to Know Common Medications
• Recognizing and Treating the Bad Guys
• Do Invertebrates Get Sick?
• Chapter 19: Observing Your Fish
• Seeing Is Believing: Fish Can Be Fun
• Keeping a Log
• Taking Pictures
• Part 5: The Part of Tens
• Chapter 20: Ten Fish to Avoid
• Sharks
• Skates and Rays
• Stonefish
• Moray Eels
• Lionfishes and Scorpionfishes
• Boxfishes and Trunkfishes
• Groupers and Sea Basses
• Parrotfishes
• Snappers
• Seahorses
• Chapter 21: Ten Invertebrates to Avoid
• Octopuses
• Crown of Thorns Starfish
• Bristleworms
• Mantis Shrimp
• Jellyfish
• Queen Conch
• Lobsters
• Bivalves
• Sea Cucumbers
• Fire Coral
• Chapter 22: Ten (Plus More) Simple Metric Conversions
• Temperature
• Length Conversion
• Weight Conversion
• Area Conversion
• Volume Conversions
• Chapter 23: Ten Great Public Saltwater Aquariums
• New England Aquarium
• Mystic Aquarium
• National Aquarium
• Georgia Aquarium
• SeaWorld
• Tennessee Aquarium
• Audubon Aquarium of the Americas
• Monterey Bay Aquarium
• Shedd Aquarium
• The Seas with Nemo and Friends
• Part 6: The Appendixes
• Appendix A: Additional Resources Every Saltwater Aquarist Needs
• Books
• Clubs
• Magazines
• Internet
• Appendix B: Glossary
• Index
• About the Author
• Supplemental Images
• Connect with Dummies
• End User License Agreement