Please note, most chapters are incomplete (Feb 2007). Completed chapters  are subject to revision.

Foreword

Why another guide to setting up your aquarium?

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 of 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 the dealer you are going to order your system from and before you set down to talk to the dealer 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.

About the Author

I began with my first marine aquarium in the early seventies, and know 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, have taken an Oceanography course at final year undergraduate level and have also taken 2 courses in web design.

Disclaimer

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.

Permissions

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