MACNA is probably one of the most important events of the year. It is a NATIONAL event that is hosted by a different club in the US each year. Reefkeepers in the tri-state area are very lucky that this year it is in New Jersey. It's really a 2 part event, both of which can be extremely valuable to reefkeepers. You'll have manufacturers and the larger vendors from all over the US at this show in the exhibit hall. This is were you can learn about the latest and greatest equipment available for your tanks. You'll be able to talk with online vendors that you usually only deal with via email. This gives you a chance to meet the people behind the scenes.

The second part of MACNA are the speakers. By far this is where you will pick up the most info. I would recommend that you take a look at the list of speakers and topics on the MACNA site make a hit list of the speakers that you want to hear. The workshops are very special in that they are up close and personal. I would highly suggest that you visit at least one workshop each day.

MACNA is also a great way to meet others in forums across the country that you have been involved in. Many forums will have a booth at MACNA and you'll find the more active members of the forums will be hanging around the booth.

If you plan ahead, you'll have plenty of time to walk thru the exhibit hall many times, listen to some speakers and join in the workgroups, making your visit to MACNA a really enlightened experience.

Of course I can't end this without mentioning that the Ocean Gallery booth is going to be hopping!!!! We'll have C-Quest at our booth, along with Bill Addison, the father of the Onyx. He's the founder of C-Quest and has a lifetime of experience in breeding marine fish. This man knows his stuff and is willing to share his knowledge.

We'll also have the NeoNano from Deep Sea Aquatics on display stocked full of corals from ORA. The NeoNano is a very special nano, it looks hot, functions well, provides enough circulation for any type of coral and allows a top down viewing experience that is crystal clear!!!!

Last but not least, we'll have aa diverse selection of corals and clams for sale at great prices.

Cycling your Fish Tank

During the research you do before you buy, you will read a lot about the cycling process. You will read about ways to cycle, like adding damsels to your tank to speed the process. Please never, never add fish to a tank for cycling, it is not needed. There is NEVER a reason to use fish to cycle a tank. Cycling starts when ammonia is released from decaying matter, fish waste, dead creatures, and uneaten food. Sometimes fish are suggested to start a cycle, because you will be feeding the fish, there will be left over food, and the fish will defecate. All of this decaying matter will start ammonia to form in your aquarium. However, the fish is NOT required. NEVER, EVER, use fish to start the cycling process. When we get ready to cycle this tank, we will use the dead matter on your live rock to start the cycle. In other cases, you can simply throw in some shrimp from the grocery store to start a cycle. There are also bacteria you can purchase such as Dr. Tims or Bio-Spiro. FISH are NEVER required and SHOULD NEVER be used.

We are not going into detail about the 2 different type of ammonia that may be formed. But so you know, based on the pH and water temperature of the water; there are ionized (NH3 + 4) and unionized (NH3) forms. The unionized is most common in seawater and the most lethal.

The ammonia should continue to rise for about 10 days; at this time, the beneficial bacteria that convert the ammonia into nitrite start forming. When you begin to test nitrites with your test kit, you know you have reached the second stage of the cycle process. While the ammonia may continue to climb for a day or two, you will notice the nitrites starting to form. Nitrite is also a deadly poison to fish, another reason NOT to use them for cycling.

The third and final stage of cycling begins when nitrite-eating bacteria begin to form. This occurs around 2 weeks after you start to detect nitrites. These are living bacteria that require water and food (ammonia) to survive. Although you will not be able to see them, they grow on everything in your aquarium. This bacterium converts the nitrite into nitrate. You will know that they are there when you start testing positive for nitrates. The last step is when the anaerobic bacteria convert the nitrate into harmless nitrogen gas that escapes via the water surface.

This process will take about 30 days or so. During this time, do not do a water change or add any corals or fish. This is your first real test of patience. By the way, if you missed it when I first stated it, NEVER, EVER use fish to start the cycling process.

Ocean Gallery Intro

I'm Brian Griffin and work for Ocean Gallery. Instead of writing and posting on our website, I thought I'd do it here instead. Saves a lot of time and may reach a few more people. This will not be a continuous blatant advertisement for our shop. More of a place that I can just post about things on my mind, cool fish and corals that we get in and events that occur in the world of reef aquariums that excite me.