Customers should be able to expect exceptional filtration when they visit a saltwater fish store. Filtration equipment at saltwater fish stores should include some means of biological filtration, mechanical filtration and either UV or a chemical means of killing fish parasites. Filtration is the most important aspect of keeping saltwater fish alive. Saltwater fish demand expceptional water quality as they chemisty of the water that they are in greatly effects the chemistry of their own body. Saltwater fish stores in Los Angeles have some of the best filtration systems that can be found in a saltwater fish store. The reason for this is the size of the Los Angeles market for saltwater fish as well as the proximity of the some the highest quality saltwater fish filtration manufacturers.
A good Saltwater fish store should have an oversized biological filter with the ability to handle at least twice the expected bioload on the sytem. The reason for this is that an influx of fish can cause a short term spike in ammonia. Spikes in ammonia, especially with newly acclimated or stressed fish, can be very harmful to saltwater fish and cause death. If they do not cause death, then the fish can be physically dammaged and in a weakend state and more prone to disease. One way of creating layers of filtration for a saltwater fish store is to have a mechanical filter and biological filter in one unit. This can be achieved if the saltwater fish store uses a bead or sand filter. Bead and sand filters are usually used for commerical aquaculture projects but larger saltwater fish stores, especially in Los Angeles, have been using bead and sand filters for some time.
Finally, a quality protein skimmer is a must at any saltwater fish store in Los Angeles or anywhere else. Protein skimmers allow for the waste from the saltwater fish to be taken out of the water before it has a chance to decompose in to ammonia and other substances toxic to saltwater fish. The best saltwater fish stores in Los Angeles use skimmers made by RK2 systems located just south of Los Angeles. These skimmers are tall and allow for an extended reaction time, greater than 2 minutes, which allows the bubbles in the skimmer to pick up the full spectrum of waste created by saltwater fish and corals. Located just south of Los Angeles, RK2 skimmers are not cheap but they do offer the best, most efficient skimmers for the commercial level reef aquarium. For saltwater fish stores in Los Angeles, RK2 skimmers are a must.
