reefspeak translated: fyi

[Sk8r]

lfs---local fish store

params. ---Parameters, as in water params. S/b something like: 8.3-9.3 alk, ph 7.9-8.3, cal 400-420, sal 1.025, temp 80. For a fish-only tank you don't need to fuss with cal too much.

alk---alkalinity.

cal---calcium [corals use this to build skeletons].

salinity, sometimes sg [specific gravity] salt level.

temp---temperature.

dose---adding certain things like dkh buffer or calcium. Dosing pump, a pump specialized in shooting small squirts into tank.

topoff, autotopoff---if you don't continually add fresh water to your tank it will get saltier and saltier with evaporation. An autotopoff pump is a system that delivers fresh ro/di water to your tank as evaporation happens.

carpet surfing---a fish jumping out: some fish are bad about this. Gutter Guard and lighting grid are good preventatives. You dont' want a closed canopy or lid on your tank: too much heat buildup; but fish jump. This is a serious problem.

ro/di---reverse osmosis/something-or-other---an extreme water filter that produces absolutely pure, 0 tds [total dissolved solids] water...so that when mixed with your ocean salt---it produces nothing but good ocean water, not some hybrid of city wellwater or worse. You can get ro/di at Walmart, from the machines. Or at your lfs. Nice if you can have your own ro/di unit and make ro/di at any hour or on holidays, in case of emergency.

display tank---your aquarium

refugium---a tank or area of your sump dedicated to weed and rock and sand---helps water quality, grows copepods.

copepod---small crustacean, sole food source for dragonets, candy for many fishes.

softies---as opposed to stonies: any coral without a skeleton: mushrooms, zoas, leathers, etc.

stonies---corals with a skeleton: includes both lps and sps. Large Polyp Stonies and Small Polyp Stonies. The sps are fussier about lighting and many of them need very intense light.

mh light---metal halide lighting; pricey, specialist stuff, and too bright to look at; good for crocea clams and some sps. If you see somebody saying he has 14000k 250 w Reeflux mh /w 2 actinic, that means he has a single metal halide bulb at 250 watts, burning at 14000 kelvin, and its brand name is Reeflux; it has 2 actinic bulbs for color correction and twilight.

T5 lighting---a little less pricey and good strong light. Visit the lighting and filtration forum before you buy lights: this is a big decision, costs a huge amount of your budget, and determines what kind of creature you can keep successfully.

FOWLR---fish-only-with-live-rock: a filterless [often] tank with marine fish, no corals.

reef---a tank that has a coral in it. It may also have fish.

LR/LS---live rock/live sand---having bacteria that breaks down fish waste and acts as a filter.

acclimation---drip acclimation: in a marine tank you don't EVER let water from the store get into your tank. You open your bag and drip water from your tank slowly into it until you've at least doubled the volume. Then you hand-carry your specimen [if not venomous] to the tank.

quarantine---keeping new fish in isolation tank [bare, plain filter, no rock or sand] for 4 weeks before introducing him to your display tank is good for your fish [who gets a chance to calm down and feed] and especially for your tank. Fish come in with parasites you really, really don't want loose in your tank. Observe a 4 week quarantine even on your first fish and you won't have mysterious fish deaths or all your fish broken out in spots. If they're going to break out, they will, in that 4 week isolation. Hint: do it while your 'cleaning crew' is getting to work: when they're through, your fish will be ready to go!

qt---quarantine.

'cleaning crew'---hermits and snails that will eat the algae that will start up as your cycle ends.

cycle---the period during which your pristine and totally dead tank turns green and skungy with life, including rock/sand-dwelling bacteria that can 'cycle' waste. Usually takes 2-4 weeks, longer if you have a lot of base rock as well as live rock.

coralline algae---the pink/purple stuff that coats rocks. A good thing. On your glass, it's a pita. A real good reason for liking glass tanks---at least it will come off glass. Never use a razor blade on an acrylic tank.


Hope that gives you a little help---there's also, on the home page, in the left column, another list of common terms.

[HPD Turbo]

Thanks a lot I even print this.

[HPD Turbo]

Sk8r,

How a QT should be set up?, with filtration?, with a Sump?, I mean is a QT need to have all the equipment like the DT.

[Sk8r]

No, a qt could be anything that will safely hold saltwater, a simple corner filter [like an elementary freshwater rig], a heater---just big enough for the fish to be comfortable, and you test the daylights out of it---you constantly monitor the salinity [a little tank can go bad ssssooooo fast.] and the ph and the nitrate/ammonia. I mean like 2x a day. You continually change out the filter, watch the conditions---nothing like a cycle: you want this tank to be clean, to take care of the fish waste, not to produce ammonia, and in general, just the barest box with water in it, no light needed: the fish are calmer without, maybe a piece of fat pvc pipe for them to hide in, no rocks, no sand---if they have brought in parasites, you don't want to infect the rock or sand. Spend your spare time googling [looking up on the internet] marine fish disease and becoming a fish medic, so if something does manifest, be it disease or parasite, you're quick and accurate with a cure.

And glad the list helps---I'm glad I don't have to cope with reef slang in Spanish! We type the same thing so often we have a huge list of abbreviations and slang, but sometimes we defeat our own purpose of communication for the newcomers!

[Shagsbeard]

What's "fyi"? Sorry... just had to. Good list.
Might add words like "detrivore" and other latiny words we use like they're part of the English language.

Next can we see "Summer's a comin'... get ready for it!"

[Sk8r]

fyi? ---for your information. I've taken to tacking that on so people don't mistake it for a help!me! thread...just a time-saver. And I'll bet you knew that! ;)

detrivore--poo-eating, garbage-eating
carnivore--eats meat
herbivore--eats algae.

I think we oughta add 'pod-i-vore', for the mandarins and scooters.

[WaterKeeper]

Waterkeeper (noun waw-ta Kee-pa O.E. pain in the rear)

1) A perpetual thorn in the side of all Newbies visiting RC. See also Jerk

[Sk8r]

Lol, Waterkeeper, you and Shagsbeard are local treasures and you know it!

[aquarius77]

CUC = clean up crew, snails hermits and other alge/detrivorius types of critters!

PH can throw some newbs off too, some people will say this instead of power head. When listed with other params you can bet they are talking about the ph of the tank water.

[Snowboarda42]

should make this a sticky...

[WaterKeeper]

We do have a list of Reefkeeping Acronyms on the home page but you Newbies would never be able to find it. :eek1:

I'll stick this up for a while as that list is getting long in the tooth..

[HPD Turbo]

sk8r,

So in the QT there have to be just RO/DI and salt and some trace elemnts and that`s it?

Thanks a lot this is very instructional to me.

[WaterKeeper]

Tis supposed to be definitions HPD but this An Ounce of Prevention (http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-10/sp/feature/index.php) should help.

[fish 511]

Great thread... Have a few more common ones on the internet in general
FWIW--for what its worth
HTH--hope that helps
BTW-by the way
PC-powr compacts
Just my 2 cents!!

[rfdoc]

Good thread, I searched all over when I first joined this site to find something like this but couldn't. Didn't want to post and sound like an idiot asking these questions ...

[HPD Turbo]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10020439#post10020439 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by WaterKeeper
Tis supposed to be definitions HPD but this An Ounce of Prevention (http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-10/sp/feature/index.php) should help.

Thanks a lot!!!!

[Sk8r]

Thanks, rf doc and fish511.

I thought of a couple more:
BB---barebottom [no sand] [Some swear by this method. Ask in Reef Discussion and you may get some info.]
DSB---deep sandbed [4"]

And that article by Waterkeeper is brilliant---all newbies should bookmark that one! Thanks for dropping that link in!

[Vygis82]

good setup

[WaterKeeper]

:lol:

Plagiarism Noun--What WaterKeeper is guilty of if he takes credit for an article by Steve Pro.

:D

Steve wrote the quarantine article gang.

Keep those definitions coming. Eventually RC may use them to update the Reefkeeping Acronyms (http://www.reefcentral.com/modules.php?s=&name=Encyclopedia&op=terms&eid=2&ltr=all) dictionary.

By the way I just used the acronym ANN in a reply to a question-

ANN= Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate (most often seen on the Chemistry Forum)

[Sk8r]

gsp---green star polyps
ywg---yellow watchman goby
ot:---prefacing a post: off-topic, ie, of possible interest to members of that group but not about reefs.
fs:---'for sale'
fs/ft:---'for sale or trade'
g---as in 180g = gallons.
frag--a noun or a verb, fragging---a piece broken off a larger coral, may be glued to a 'base', a piece of live rock rubble or a 'plug', a shaped, pointy-ended concretion designed to be stuck in holes in rock: the sale or trade of frags among reefers is a way in which corals propagate through the hobby, as opposed to 'wild' corals, which are bought in 'colonies.' A 'frag' is a single, sometimes branched, piece that is a portion of the mother coral, and viable on its own.

pods---tiny crustaceans favored as food by dragonet species, who eat them almost exclusively, and by other fishes, particularly wrasses and other cruising, hunting fish. Copepods are the smallest, difficult to see; amphipods are about 1/4 inch long. Isopods, however, eg. the cirolanid isopod, are a little larger than an amphipod, and are capable of preying on fish. Cirolanid isopods look somewhat like a transparent sowbug with eyes, and you do not want one in your tank.

[glockcoma]

Here is a few more:

LMB ------ Lawn Mower Blenny
BHT ------ Blue Hippo Tang
IMHO ---- In My Honest Opinion
BTA ------ Bubble Tip Anemone
YGPM ---- You Got a Private Message
PH ------- Power Head

[Sk8r]

rr or r/r---'reef-ready': means that a tank is drilled to accept downflow and return hoses, and that it has a downflow box surrounding these bulkhead fittings. A proper internal downflow box has a 'weir' or grating of teeth to prevent stuff floating over the edge, and a 'double wall', which prevents water from draining from the tank any lower than the bottom of the top weir, even if there is a secondary weir near the bottom. Into the downflow box go pipes that connect to the sump hoses via the bulkhead fittings on the tank itself. Important: whether the rr rig is factory-installed or diy.

diy---as in the rest of the world, means 'do it yourself'. A diy skimmer would be a skimmer created from scratch or 'modded' by a reefer.

mod---'modified'. Or as a noun, a 'mod'. Or verb: 'modding'. To alter a pump or other device for better or more specific performance.

mj or MJ---'Maxijet': a brand of pump. mj's are often 'modded.'

HOB or hob---'hang on back'. A device, often a skimmer or downflow box, hung on the back of the tank and connected by U-tubes. A sump can be connected to a non-reef-ready tank by means of a hob downflow. A Remora is an example of a hob skimmer. There are also hob refugia, etc.

U-tube---a hard tube shaped like a U that is used to link two tanks or a tank and a device. It is started by the user sucking on an airline tubing at the apex of the U to draw water up and over the U. Then the airline is withdrawn and the U-tube will continue to draw until the water level falls below the source-side bottom of the tube. U-tubes are prone to clogs and low water stoppages. Another method of connecting to another tank or device is a 'bulkhead', a piercing of the tank wall and insertion of a 'bulkhead fitting,' which enables things to be screwed on or connected on either side of the opening. Skimmer outflows and external pumps are examples of things usually connected to a sump by bulkhead fittings.

sump---a 'second tank' divided by 'baffles', or panes of glass/acrylic that create a flow pattern of high-low, high low. Water flows by gravity from the 'downflow box' at tank level, to the 'sump inflow chamber', then goes to the next chamber, and the next, and the last, where the 'return pump' drives the water uphill again to the return pipe, which jets it into the display tank. Common things in the sump are: 1. the skimmer and skimmer pump. 2. the heater 3. a refugium, complete with light and macroalgae such as cheatomorpha. 4. the return pump. The sump adds water volume and provides a place for additives to mix more thoroughly before going to the display tank. Its immersed pumps may also contribute quite a bit of heat.

[HPD Turbo]

What is RR?

[Sk8r]

reef-ready: I think I got it somewhere above, but it means a tank with a downflow box, and bulkhead connectors drilled through [usually] the bottom so it can be connected to a sump. No HOBs needed for a rr tank.

[demonsp]

MB add

Im an idiot----------for whene you use tap water

ok ok ok i know some of you live where tap is better then purified but alot dont.

[sruiz]

T L G O- the list goes on.

[32flavors]

what does "BUMP" mean?

[Sk8r]

bump is a word you type when you wish to 'bump' a thread that has sunk to the low end of the list way up to the top---something you think needs attention or an answer. You could type "ice cream" and it would have the same effect, since any new post resets the thread to 'top' of stack, but nobody would know what you meant. "Bump" is innocuous and agreed-upon as "I have nothing to say myself but I think this thread needs to be up front."

[Gary Majchrzak]

turn your PC speakers on for this one:

http://www.reeftopics.com/

[Sk8r]

Great link! Thank you, Gary!

[Gary Majchrzak]

you betcha.
FWIW Rhodactis is spelled phonetically in that link.

Credit for that site goes to my fellow RC and URSNY member puter (Mark R.)

[Faviaphile]

Got another. FTS- Full Tank Shot. A pic of your whole tank.

[HPD Turbo]

sk8r

You may want to update the first treath with all the new stuff so people find it easyer.

And what is rk8r?

thanks.

[WaterKeeper]

Wow Gary, some of those terms are not even in my reef vocabulary. Thanks. :thumbsup:

WaterKeeper bares a wicked grin thinking, "Wow, pachyclavularia will really confuse some newbie when I use it in one of my threads"

[Sk8r]

HPDTurbo---I can't access my first post anymore: it's too old. I'll have to leave it to Waterkeeper to organize all this someday...

sk8r? that's a word-trick: it's pronounced 'skater'. As you see from my sig line, I figure-skate. Patinage, en francais. I don't know what the word is in Spanish.

[WaterKeeper]

I'll probably see if we want to use all this in the Reef Acronym section on the home page. It has not been updated in ages so I'm sure the rest to the staff will allow the changes.

Meanwhile, keep them coming and their will be a test on all those latin genus names for corals next week. :D

[monicaswizzle]

OK, in Sk8r's original post under carpet surfing he mentions Gutter Guard and lighting grid as preventions. I assume that he means buying these products at the local hardware store and modifying them to make a breathable cover for the tank that allows light and air flow but prevents/discourages carpet surfing. However, it is possible that he is talking about some kind of product that is actually made for the purpose of covering fish tanks. If so, I have never heard of it and would be curious as to what it is and where one would get it.

Clarification anyone?

Thanks!

[Sk8r]

No, I just cut regular Lowe's Gutter Guard where it needs to be a stiff wall to prevent sideways escapes, and tape it on with duct tape, and I cut plastic needlepoint canvas [soft and flexible] where I needed to shape something to cover my pie-slice shaped downflow and several intervening pipe openings---good thing about that is that you can stitch it with fishing line if you have a real determined jumper---you can make it really snug. LIghting grid is good for a total top cover, and your light can sit on it, or hang close to it...in this case, there is a definite up and down, one direction that is friendlier to light passing through. I also saw one enterprising reefer who had string the top of his canopy like a tennis racket---he didn't want the light loss you get with grid, and he didn't want his fish on the carpet. So he made a frame and strung fishing line as a web.

[WaterKeeper]

And it keeps the leaves from clogging your sump pump.



;)

[monicaswizzle]

Thanks for the clarification. Right now I am getting plenty of light through my glass covers, but if summer heat build up becomes an issue I may construct something to allow better cooling without allowing the fish full floor access.

[HPD Turbo]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10050381#post10050381 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Sk8r
HPDTurbo---I can't access my first post anymore: it's too old. I'll have to leave it to Waterkeeper to organize all this someday...

sk8r? that's a word-trick: it's pronounced 'skater'. As you see from my sig line, I figure-skate. Patinage, en francais. I don't know what the word is in Spanish.

Patinaje artistico sobre hielo, in spanish.

Awesome!!
You are also a writer?

[HPD Turbo]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10050602#post10050602 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by WaterKeeper
I'll probably see if we want to use all this in the Reef Acronym section on the home page. It has not been updated in ages so I'm sure the rest to the staff will allow the changes.

Meanwhile, keep them coming and their will be a test on all those latin genus names for corals next week. :D

If you need help with spanish translation I will be happy to do it.

[WaterKeeper]

Who is going to do it in Chinese? :D

My Spanish is far worse than my English so I need all the help I can get.

;)

[HPD Turbo]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10063577#post10063577 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by WaterKeeper
Who is going to do it in Chinese? :D

My Spanish is far worse than my English so I need all the help I can get.

;)

Ok, you got it, when ever you want!!!

[Sk8r]

GFO---a chemical phosphate remover.

[Young Frankenstein]

hey fat cat can you post the link to the aquarium test standards page you made, with that printable chart. Thanks

[Vincerama2]

NOTE:

RO/DI = Reverse Osmosis/DeIonization Filter

DI filters are full of deionization resin. The resin basically bonds ions to them (calcium, sodium, etc, etc). There are Cation and Anion resins (ie; positive and negative ions).

Generally RO units have PREFILTERS on them, which includes carbon filters (Oh yeah GAC = Granulated Activated Carbon) basically the filters range from large to small. Filters are cheper than RO membranes, so they help lenghthen the life of the RO membrane by doing all the brute force filtering work.

Once the water is through the RO membrane, the DI filter will pick MOST of the remaining ions in the water. If the DI resins are seperate, you can actually recharge the resins with acids or bases. But if you have a MIXED BED RESIN DI filter, that means that both resin types are mixed together. The resin is in the form of little beads.

Did you mention DSB = Deep Sand Bed? (SOme people use sand beds at least 3 inches deep. The theory being that the deep sand creates anoxic (no oxygen) layers that convert Nitrates into Nitrogen or something).

V

[DaltonJames]

i like fish

[WaterKeeper]

ILF? Not to be confused with LFS.

:D

[coast2coast7390]

whats OBO

[Vincerama2]

OBO = "Or Best Offer"

If I'm selling something for $300 OBO, it means, I want $300, but I'll probably take $285 if that's the best offer. Also "I'll take $300, but if someone offers me $320, I'll take that over someone who offers me $300". I think it's supposed to mean the first thing though, as the second is more like "bidding" which you aren't supposed to do on Reef Cental (RC)

V

[coast2coast7390]

ok cool thats what i thought it ment