Fish

9 Tips for Anyone to Help Save the Ocean

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According to reports from NOAA, more than 40 percent of Earth’s oceans have been negatively impacted by humans. What some people do not realize though is that there are things we can do to change that.

Tips on Protecting the Oceans

  1. Recycle, reduce, and reuse

    The reported volume of plastic waste floating in our oceans is shocking. Recycling is helpful. It is also a good idea to reduce the number of disposable products and packaging. Use reusable grocery bags, and reusable containers as well. Finally, stop using such things as plastic utensils and straws.

  2. Reduce energy use and be aware of your carbon footprint

    Be aware of your energy use to help reduce the impact of climate change. Walk or ride a bicycle whenever possible. Use the stairs instead of an elevator. Use energy-efficient light bulbs and fixtures and unplug any appliances you do not use daily.

  3. Eat only sustainable seafood

    The FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) states that 75 percent of Earth’s fisheries are fully exploited, overexploited, recovering from overexploitation, or significantly depleted. So eat sustainable fish. The popular Monterey Bay Aquarium even offers a free app called Seafood Watch which can find restaurants and markets that offer sustainable fish to make it easy.

  4. Buy products that are ocean-friendly

    Some cleaning and cosmetic products are made via environmentally harmful and unsustainable methods. Select non-toxic cleaning products instead of harsh chemicals and bleach. Numerous chores can be handled using such things as baking soda, lemon juice, or vinegar. Choose cosmetic products that consist of organic materials.

  5. Be responsible when traveling the oceans

    Be responsible when you engage in such watersports as boating, diving, jet-skiing, kayaking, parasailing, swimming, and water-skiing. Don’t throw anything into the water. Be certain to know about marine life in the surrounding water. If you choose to take a cruise for a vacation trip, choose the option that is the most eco-friendly.

  6. Don’t purchase products made from sea life

    As a tourist in any particular coastal community, you ’ll come across souvenirs built from sea life. Avoid buying coral jewelry, sea turtle shells, shark fins or teeth, and any kind of cosmetics that include ingredients from whales. These things are connected to unsustainable fishing and even the destruction of undersea ecosystems.

  7. Clean up garbage at the beach

    Beach litter is a major portion of the plastic that’s in the ocean. A fun day at the beach shouldn’t endanger the oceans. When you go to the beach take a bag for your litter. Join a beach clean-up group. Divers can join special dives and clean the ocean’s floor.

  8. Support groups that work to protect the oceans

    Several organizations and institutes are working to protect marine life and ocean habitats. You can donate money or even join one or more of said groups. Additionally, you can volunteer to help educate others about this issue.

  9. Tell others

    Tell your friends, family, and neighbors too. Visit your local grocery store and urge them to sell only ocean-friendly and sustainable products. If you notice any threatened species at their seafood counter or dine out and see one on the menu, encourage them to make changes. Prior to voting, learn where the candidates stand on ocean policies and vote accordingly.

Protect the Oceans

Related Reading:

Saltwater Fish Tanks Are a Lot of Work
How to Care for Freshwater Fish
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How Much Work Is It to Own a Saltwater Fish Tank?

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When you were a kid, your family probably had a bowl with a couple goldfish swimming around. If you were really lucky, you had a freshwater aquarium containing such popular fish as guppies, tetras or even a gorgeous betta.

Now that you’re grown, you’re ready to take an additional step and upgrade to a saltwater fish tank. Before you “get your feet wet” in this new venture, however, you should consider some of the differences between the types to make sure a saltwater aquarium is right for you. Here are some of those differences:

Clownfish in fish tank



Cost of Setting Up

Generally, the initial cost to set up a saltwater tank is higher than for a freshwater aquarium. First, you must decide what kind of tank you need. The three main types of saltwater tanks, from lowest-priced to highest, are: (1) fish only, (2) fish only with live rock and (3) reef.

When you compare the cost to set up freshwater and saltwater tanks, the actual tank itself runs about the same, provided both hold an equal number of gallons. In order to maintain a healthy environment for your saltwater animals and plants, you’ll need a tank that holds a minimum of 50 gallons. The cost of aquarium lights is also about the same. A quarantine tank for new fish likewise costs about the same for fresh and saltwater aquariums.

The cost of the substrate on the bottom of tank will vary, as you need gravel for a freshwater tank and sand for the saltwater aquarium. You can count on sand costing about 2 1/2 times more than gravel.

The basic test kit for a freshwater tank tests pH, ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. In addition to these tests, a saltwater test kit should include tests for calcium and alkalinity. Thus, you can expect a saltwater test kit to cost around $20 more than that for freshwater.

The most expensive and time-consuming tank setup is the reef tank. Reef tanks require a more complicated lighting system, as corals need a food supply that highly depends on photosynthesis. The reef tank lighting might actually turn out to cost 5 times more than that for freshwater or regular saltwater tanks. In addition, if your tank includes anemones and certain types of corals, you might need to invest in a reverse osmosis water filter system. Considering all the extras needed for a reef tank, you can expect the initial cost of setup to run around twice that of a regular saltwater tank.




Cost of Animals

As a rule, saltwater fish are more expensive than freshwater species. Such saltwater invertebrates as starfish, shrimp, clams, snails, crabs and urchins tend to be pricey, especially if you’re not located near the ocean and need to pay high shipping and handling costs to have them delivered to your door.

Related Reading:

Freshwater Tanks
Goldfish Care
Aquatic Turtles

Maintenance

To be sure, maintaining a saltwater tank is more time consuming than taking care of a freshwater aquarium. All aquariums require periodic partial water changing. If you have a freshwater tank, you can usually get by with removing around 10 percent of the water by using an aquarium vacuum and just refilling with filtered or chlorine-free tap water. For a saltwater tank, however, you need to separately mix the salt and water in another container, such as a bucket or large tank, several days in advance of changing.

Although not essential, a protein skimmer can be extremely beneficial in a saltwater tank system. A step above a mechanical filter, a protein skimmer works on the same principle as ocean waves that crash and deposit dirty particles in sea foam on the shore. A collection cup on the skimmer removes harmful substrates contained in bubbles.

Yellow Tang

Special Biological Needs

Not essential but highly recommended for a saltwater tank is live rock. Broken off as pieces of a coral reef, live rock is so named because living organisms, such as algae, bacteria, marine worms and small crustaceans, make their homes on marine coral reef structures.

Live rock serves as an important biological filter in the tank. This type of filtration allows good bacteria to grow and convert ammonia that results from uneaten food and fish waste first into nitrites and then into nitrates. Because of its porous nature, live rock provides living and hiding spaces for saltwater animals. Some creatures even use it for food.

Live rock also contributes to the aesthetics of a saltwater aquarium, as it adds to the natural appearance of the tank and can be a home for beautifully-colored algae.

Most freshwater fish available for sale have been raised on fish farms for several generations and are used to eating man-made food or fish flakes. Because most species of saltwater fish are caught in the wild, they might need to be slowly acclimated to an aquarium diet over the course of several weeks or even months.

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