Review of "Cebu Mactan Quality Marine Aquarium Fish" in the Philippine Islands

By Stan & Debbie Hauter, About.com Guides

As a reef aquarium hobbyist, I was of course highly interested in how water quality was maintained. Being ocean side, I had assumed that such a facility would employ an open loop system with the ocean. As Peter explained to me, such a system would cause ammonia problems as well as having planktonic life colonizing the system's surface areas and its plumbing which would eventually clog up such a high flow system. With the vast amount of detritus and plankton being brought in with an open loop, the build up and eventual decay of an array of planktonic life forms would quickly pollute the system's water and contribute greatly to the stress levels of the livestock. Something that Peter works very hard at preventing.

Of course, having hundreds, if not thousands of fish all living within a closed loop system, they themselves will generate enough waste products and require partial water changes. Peter accomplishes this by having a one thousand gallon sump which is emptied once a week and refilled with ocean water. Prior to the ocean water being allowed to circulate through the system, it is cleaned of all particulate and planktonic matter through the use of micron filters and a large bank of ultra violet sterilizers. Only when the water has met with Peter's approval is it allowed to be used. I also noted that heavy aeration is also employed at all times, which is accomplished through the use of air stones and having the individual tank's water source fall through the air into the tank, which not only provides aeration, but cools the water as well.

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• Collecting Fish in the Philippine Islands
• The Collectors
• Cebu Mactan Quality Marine Aquarium Fish
• The Holding System
• The Livestock
• Shipping

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