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A        UP

AC - Activated Carbon, or Alternating Current.

Acontia - White digestive filaments which are used by corals to attack neighboring corals.  Primarily noticed in SPS type corals.

Aerobic - Able to live only where oxygen is present.

ALK - Short for Alkalinity.

Alkalinity - Simply put, the alkalinity of the water is its measure of being able to resist changes in PH, sometimes referred to as the buffering capacity of the water.  Alkalinity is a critical parameter to measure and control in SPS tanks.  Alkalinity is sometimes measured in meq/L or dKH.  A meq/lL of around 2.2 to 2.5 is normal seawater level.  Reef tanks are frequently keep at higher levels than NSW.

Ammonium (NH4) -  Inorganic source of Nitrogen.

Anaerobic - Able to live where there is no oxygen present.  Usually relates to types of bacteria.

Appressed - Pressed close to or flat against the surface.  Frequently used to describe corallites.

Aragonite - A mined rock mineral which contains high levels of calcium. Often used as a reef tank substrate or as media for calcium reactors.

Arborescent - Tree-like shape.

Axial Corallite - Corallites found at the tip or end of a SPS coral branch.  Usually the growing point for the coral.

B      UP

Basal - Growing from the base

Bleaching -  The phenomenon of corals or clams expelling their symbiotic algae usually due to stress.  This usually results in a pale or white color in the specimen which may or may not recover from the result.  Most commonly seen in SPS corals due to either sudden exposure to high intensity lighting or excessive water temperatures.

BOD - Biological Oxygen Demand.  The depletion of oxygen from the tank water caused by consumption by biological processes such as fish respiration.

Bottlebrush - Having numerous short side branchlets projecting out from the main branch.  Often used to describe an SPS coral growth form.

Buffer - Is a descriptive term for a compound which is added to the tank water to increase its alkalinity.

Byssus Gland - The organ in the base of the clam that produces the fibrous strands used to attach the clam to the substrate.

C     UP

Ca - Calcium

CaCl₂ - Calcium chloride

CaCO₃ - Calcium carbonate

Caespitose - Bushy, composed of branches which interlock similarly in three dimensions.

Calcium - Is an important compound in the water which is used to form the skeletons of the corals, shells of the clams, etc.  The level of calcium should be measured and controlled to provide the following range.
    Typical range for Soft coral tanks is 350 - 450
    Typical range for SPS & clam tanks is 400-500

Ca(OH)2 - Calcium hydroxide

Cl - Chlorine

CO2 - Carbon dioxide

CO3 - Carbonate

Coelenterata - Phylum containing the stony corals, soft corals, hydroids, jellyfish and anemones.

Coenostrum - Skeletal structures between the corallites of SPS corals.  Usually sponge-like.

Columnar - forms column type shape.

Coralline Algae - A calcareous encrusting algae usually colored pink, purple or red.  Their growth requires the same basic water requirements as calcifying corals and their growth is considered a sign of a healthy tank.  They can also add considerable color to the tank.

Corallite - The structure formed by an individual polyp in a colony.  Shape of corallites is frequently used in the identification of SPS corals.

Corymbose - Broad, flat-topped growth pattern of main branches with short upright branchlets.

CTA - Cellulose Triacetate, type of RO membrane used in RO water purifiers

Cu - Copper

Cyano - Cyanobacteria, A blue-green algae/bacteria which forms mats, usually pink or rust colored, and frequently located on the sand.  These mats can smother other specimens and are a nuisance algae.  Their presence generally indicates less than optimum tank conditions such as excessive organics or inadequate water motion.

D     UP

Detritus - This is the grey mulm that accumulates in piles in the tank in crevices and under rocks.  It is the dust-bunnies of the reef tank and is made up of various cast-off particles from corals and other biological processes in the tank.

Diatoms - Golden brown nuisance algae that forms hard 'dots' on the tank glass which are hard to remove.  They also can form films on the live rock.  They utilize silicates in the water to form their 'shell', so control generally means controlling the amount silicates in the water.

DI - Deionisation, type of water purification.  Generally used to remove silicates and phosphates from RO water.

Digitate - Finger like, often used to describe SPS coral growth form.

Dinoflagellates - A single-cell organism that is common in the reef tank.  The family includes the symbiotic algae that lives in coral, but it also can be a pest that forms brown jelly like mats on living and non-living surfaces in the reef tank.

DIY - Do It Yourself.  Refers to a project that is built or assembled by the hobbyist rather than purchased.

dKH - Degrees of carbonate hardness, measure of alkalinity

DO - Dissolved Oxygen

DOC - Dissolved Organic Compounds

DSB - Deep Sand Bed, A type of filtration device based on a thick sand bed in the display tank or in an external sump.

Dump Bucket -  Is a type of surge device which creates 'waves' in the tank by pumping water into an external device which periodically spills that water back into the tank in large surges.

E     UP

Elongate - Long and narrow, stretched looking.

Encrust - Cover the substrate.

Exsert - Protrude out or project.  Frequently used to describe SPS corallites

F     UP

Fe - Iron

FO - Fish Only type of marine aquarium

FOWLR - Fish Only With Live Rock type of reef aquarium

G     UP

GAC - Granular Activated Carbon

GAL - Gallon

GPH - Gallons Per Hour.  Measurement of water motion.

H     UP

HCO₃ - Hydrogen carbonate

Herbivore - An animal that eats plants.

HO - High Output fluorescent light.  

I     UP

I - Iodide

I₂ - Iodine

ID - Identity

Immersed - Embedded.  In the case of corallites, indicates the corallite is embedded into the main skeleton of the coral and does not protrude.

Incipient - Barely noticeable

Intergrade - Pass into another form by passing through a series of intermediate forms.

Invertebrates - Animals without backbones.  Describes most reef tank inhabitants other than fish.

IO₃ - Iodate

J     UP

K     UP

KALK - Kalkwasser.  German for calcium hydroxide solution or limewater.  A solution sometimes used to maintain calcium, alkalinity and pH in the reef tank.

KI - Potassium iodide

L     UP

L - Liter

LFS (Local Fish Store) - Your local pet store that sells reef supplies.

Live Rock - Is (normally) calcareous rock which comes from the ocean with some of the life forms on it still living.  These may include bacteria, coralline algae, sponges, worms, crustaceans and other invertebrates.  Live rock forms the all important biological backbone for a successful reef tank.  When live rock is referred to as 'Uncured' it means the rock still contains all the organisms that populated it in the ocean some of which may be dead or dieing.  'Cured' live rock means the rock has had those dead or dieing life forms removed through mechanical removal and/or the process of decay.

Live Sand - Live sand is a term used to describe sand which is either taken from the ocean with it's life forms intact, or sand which started as dry and lifeless, but by virtue of being in a reef tank has become populated with various life forms.  Live sand is often used to 'seed' the sand bed of a new reef tank with the organisms that normally populate a sand bed.

LPS (Large Polyp Scleractinian / Stony) - Corals which have calcareous skeletons and relatively large polyps.  Some LPS only have one or a couple of polyps.

LR - Live rock

M     UP

Macro algae - Are the true plants of the ocean.  These are the fairly large and obvious plants (actually algaes) of the reef tank.  Common types include the various forms of Caulerpa and Halimeda.  These are sometime grown in the reef tank or in external sumps, filter and refugia for decoration, food or nutrient export.

Mantle - The fleshy portion of a tridacnid clam that extends out past its shell to collect the light.

Massive - Describes coral colonies that are solid and similar in size in all dimensions.

Meq/L - Milli-equivalents per liter, measure of alkalinity

Metal Halide Lights - Are a high powered light formed by an arc drawn across two electrodes which ignite gases with a glass envelope.  Metal halide lights are the premium reef tank lights and come in a range of color temperatures (5500-20,000K) and wattages(70W - 1000W).

Mg - Magnesium

Mg/L - Milligrams per litre

MH - Metal Halide, type of lighting

Micro Algae - Very small, microscopic algae.  Most often recognized as the green slime that forms on the front glass of the tank.

MO - Mail order

N     UP

Na - Sodium

NaCO₃ - Sodium carbonate

NaOH - Sodium hydroxide

NH₃ - Ammonia

NH₄ - Ammonium

Nitrogen Cycle - The process by which animal waste products are covered from ammonia to nitrites then to nitrates through the actions of specialized bacteria. 

Nitrosomonas - The bacteria that is responsible for converting ammonia to nitrite as part of the nitrogen cycle in the tank.

Nitrobacter - The bacteria that is responsible for converting nitrites to nitrate as part of the nitrogen cycle in the tank.

NNR - Natural nitrate reduction, reef setup technique

NO - Normal Output fluorescent light

NO₂ - Nitrite

NO₃ - Nitrate

NSW - Natural Seawater

O     UP

O₂ - Oxygen

ORP - Oxidative Redox Potential

P     UP

PAR - Photosynthetically Available Radiation.  A measure of light intensity in the useful wavelength spectrum.

PC Lights (Power Compact) - are a type of high intensity fluorescent lights.  The provide more light intensity in a smaller size than regular fluorescent lamps do.  A PC light is single-ended and requires a special PC ballast to operate.  This is the same basic technology used in many of the new long-life and low power light fixtures you see at places like Home Depot.

pH - Measure of the concentration of hydrogen ions on a scale where a pH is 7.  Lower is acidic, higher is alkaline.

Phosphate (PO4) - A nutrient that causes excessive plant/algae growth if it reaches excessive levels in the reef tank.

Photoperiod - The period of time that the lights over the tank are turn on (length of day).

Photosynthetic - Able to utilize light to synthesize chemical compounds needed to support life.

Phytoplankon - Composed of microscopic algae floating in the water.  It is used for food by filter feeders in the reef tank. 

PO₄ - Phosphate

Polyp - The basic living unit of a coral which has a mouth and is normally surround by tentacles.

PPM - Parts Per Million, equivalent to mg/l (milligrams per litre)

Prostrate - Laying flat, prone or supine.  Colonies sprawl over the substrate.

Protein Skimmer - Is a type of filter that uses small air bubbles passing through a cylinder to collect proteineous wastes materials from the water and deposit them in a collection cup for disposal.  Most reef tanks can benefit from inclusion of a protein skimmer.

PVC - Poly Vinyl Chloride, typical tubing used for piping/plumbing

Q     UP

R     UP

Radial Corallite - The corallites which cover the surface of the none-growing edge of SPS corals.

Refugia - Is a tank which is separate from the main tank, but shares plumbing with the main tank.  It provides refuge for the small crustaceans that normally are preyed upon in the main tank.  Water is normally pumped into the refugia and then overflows by gravity back into the main tank.  The refugia usually houses macro algae and large populations of small crustaceans which actively breed since no predators are included in the tank.  Water flowing out of the refugia and back into the main tank contains live food which live in the refugia.

RO - Reverse Osmosis, type of water purification

RO/DI - Reverse Osmosis, followed by Deionisation, type of water purification.  DI tends to remove more silicates than RO alone and gives a higher water purity.

RTN - Rapid Tissue Necrosis.  A common cause of bacterial death in SPS corals which is characterized by rapid tissue disintegration.

S     UP

Salinity - A measure of the amount of dissolved solids in the water.

Scleractinia - Order of animals belonging to the Phylum Coelenterata which include the stony corals.

SG - Specific Gravity, typically used to measure the concentration of salt in seawater.

SHO - Super High Output fluorescent light, equivalent to power compact fluorescent

Si - Silicon

SiO₂ - Silicon dioxide

Specific Gravity - The ratio of the density of the saltwater as compared to distilled water.  The reef tank saltwater should be kept in a specific gravity range of between 1.023 to 1.025.

Spinules - Small spines.

SPS (Small Polyp Scleractinian or Stoney) - Corals which have calcareous skeletons and relatively many small polyps.

Sr - Strontium

Staghorn - Consist of large upright branches.

SW - Saltwater/Seawater

Sump - A water containing device which normally sits in the stand under the main display tank.  A sump can be a converted aquarium, a plastic tub or it can be built specifically  for the purpose of being a sump.  Wet/dry filters are a form of sump.

Surge Device - Describes a mechanism, such as a dump bucket, that causes water to be slowly pumped out of the tank and then rapidly dumped back in to cause a water surge through the tank.  This method most closely duplicates wave motion on a real reef. 

T     UP

Tentacles - Any of a variety of long, slender, flexible growths found around the head or mouths of invertebrates 

TFC - Thin Film Composite, type of RO membrane

Tuberculae - Wart like protrusions

Tubular - Shaped like a tube.  Round and long.  Used to describe SPS corallites.

Turbid - Cloudy from stirred up sediments.

U     UP

UV - Ultra Violet, type of light, shorter wavelength than visible light.  Same light that causes sunburn with overexposure to the sun.

V     UP

VHO - Very High Output fluorescent light

W     UP

W - Watts

Wave Maker - This is an electrical device that alternately controls AC to one or more powerhead in the tank to provide changing water flow conditions.  This helps to simulate the turbulent, non-linear water flow conditions found on a natural reef.  This device is not usually used for small or soft coral tanks.

Wet/Dry Filter - is a filter that mounts below the tank which trickled water over various types of biomedia.  Biomedia was overpriced plastic balls or other material which was used to grow colonies of bacteria for biological filtration. This type of filter was popular in the early to mid 90's, but has lost popularity in current day reef tanks.  Most users of Wet/Dry filters have removed the biomedia from them and simply use them as expensive sumps to house their heaters and pumps.  An inexpensive aquarium tank does the same thing for a lot less money.  

X     UP

Y     UP

Z     UP

Zooplankton - Are small animals floating in the water, mainly consisting of small crustaceans or larval forms of larger organisms.  Zooplankton is an important food source on a real reef which cannot easily be duplicated in a reef tank.  Reef keepers sometime use new hatched brine shrimp to try to duplicate this food.