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Index
Title
Contents
Introduction
About This Book
Who I Am
What I Assume about You
Why a Dummies Book?
How This Book Is Organized
Icons Used in This Book
Where to Go from Here
Part I : Getting to Know Your Fish and Invertebrates
Chapter 1: Your First Salty Steps
What’s So Great About Aquariums?
Knowing About Wet Pets
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
Taking the Next Step
Chapter 2: Some Things Fishy
What Is a “Fish”?
Basics of Fish Anatomy
Is It Fresh and Salted?
Common Tropical Marine Fish Families
Chapter 3: Choosing the Best Fish for You
Like Night and Day
Advanced Schooling
Trouble in Paradise
Habitat for Serenity
Finding Good Choices
Identifying the Wrong Fish for the Beginner
Chapter 4: About Invertebrates
Inside Invertebrates
Recognizing Common Aquarium Invertebrates
Chapter 5: From the Dealer to Your Home
Stress and Quarantine
How to Choose Healthy Fish
Going Home
Taking the Plunge
Keep a Sharp Eye on Things
Part II : Setting Up Your Aquarium
Chapter 6: Choosing the Best Aquarium
Placing Your New Aquarium
Tank Size
Types of Tanks
Cap It
More Than a Little Support
Chapter 7: Figuring Out Filters
Respiration and Digestion
Cleaning Your Water
Filter Choices
Filters’ Helpers
Water Disinfection
Which Filter System Is Best for You?
Aeration and Circulation
Chapter 8: Heating and Lighting Your Aquarium
Tropical Heat
The Right Temperature
Hot Parts
Types of Heaters
Warm Options
One Size Doesn’t Fit All
Choosing a Thermo Meter
Let There Be Lighting
Fishy Fixtures
Lighting the Way
Switching from Day to Night
Chapter 9: Fishy Furnishings and Finishing Touches
Aqua-Décor Is a Matter of Taste
The Natural Look
Some Background Material
Unravel the Gravel
Getting Rocked
Keeping Coral
Adding Inverts
Providing Plants
Offering Ornaments
Salt Water
Water Exams
Quarantine Tank
Nets
Cleaning Tools
Chapter 10: Partial to Salt: The Brackish Aquarium
The Brackish Water Environment
Equipment You Need (or Don’t Need)
Fishes for the Brackish Water Aquarium
Plants That Are Partial to Salt
Chapter 11: Getting Your Aquarium Up and Running
Stand and Aquarium Placement
Filters
Substrate
Ornamentation
Aeration
Heater
Water
Water Conditioner and Salt
Hood
Thermometer and Heater
Filters, Again
Aeration, Again
Lighting
24-Hour Adjustments
Live Sand and Rocks
Maturity
Adding Fish
Part III : Taking Proper Care of Your Aquarium
Chapter 12: The Nitrogen Cycle
Nitrogen In and Out
Understanding the Cycle
Waiting for Your Aquarium to Mature
Taking the Next Step: Just Add Bacteria
Taking the Final Steps to Maturity
What About Problems?
Chapter 13: More Chemistry: Salt, Acidity, and Gases
The Importance of Water Quality
Checking Your Salt Level
What Are Acid and pH?
Hardness and Alkalinity
Water Gases
Considering Other Chemical Factors
Chapter 14: All About Algae
What Are Algae?
Algae Are Out of Control
Knowing Your Algae
Chapter 15: Keeping Your Aquarium Clean
Performing the Basics
Sticking to Your Maintenance Schedule
Taking Care of Emergencies
Part IV : Taking Proper Care of 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
Stop the Stressin’
Stressful Conditions
Recognizing Stress
Making a Diagnosis
Chapter 18: Diseases and Treatments
Reviewing the Treatment Methods
Getting to Know Common Medications
Recognizing the Bad Guys
Why Invertebrates Don’t Get Sick
Chapter 19: Observing Your Fish
Seeing Is Believing: Fish Can Be Fun
Keeping a Log
Taking Pictures
Part V : 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: Five 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
Sea World
Tennessee Aquarium
Audubon Aquarium of the Americas
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Part VI : Appendixes
Appendix A: Resources
Books
Clubs
Magazines
Internet
Appendix B: Glossary
: Further Reading
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