Because when I sit having a coffee in my favourite aquarium store (it's that kind of shop), I hear customers asking for practical advice and telling the owner about their (negative) experiences which have led me to believe that many new aquarists just haven't found the practical information they need.
I want to present neither a fixed recipe for success, nor a fixed list
of what not to do, but a guide to help you, the reader, think out what
sort of setup you want and what steps you need to take to help you
achieve your goal with a minimum number of those often expensive errors a beginner
might make.
Read through this guide, other guides, and one or two modern books
before you get serious about choosing which dealer you are going to order
your system from, and who is going to support you in the first few months, and before you set down to talk about
your requirements. If the shop just wants to take an order, shop
elsewhere, you can get better deals without advice online.
I will also mention what you should, or should not buy online, and what
equipment you might consider second hand.
I began with my first marine aquarium in the early seventies, remember
what errors I made over the years, and I think I know how, with 50-50
hindsight, I could have avoided most of them.
I have a degree in Chemistry, worked with Mass Spectrometers for some years, have taken an Oceanography course at
final year undergraduate level.
I have tried to ensure the information in the following chapters is correct. No responsibility can however be taken for a reader's use or interpretation of this information. This is a work in progress, text may be changed from time to time.
If you want to use any of this text, any scripts, or any diagrams, please ask first and then cite properly. If you have any comments, suggestions, please email me