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Newsgroups: rec.aquaria.freshwater.cichlids,rec.aquaria.freshwater.goldfish,rec.aquaria.freshwater.misc,rec.aquaria.freshwater.plants,rec.aquaria.marine.misc,rec.aquaria.marine.reefs,rec.aquaria.marketplace,rec.aquaria.misc,rec.aquaria.tech,rec.answers,news.answers
Subject: AQUARIA FAQ: Newsgroup Topics and Conversion Tables
Followup-To: rec.aquaria.misc
Date: 13 Aug 1997 07:01:04 GMT
Organization: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
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Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.EDU
Distribution: world
Expires: Mon, 15 Sep 97 07:01:01 GMT
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Originator: aquaria@cco.caltech.edu
Xref: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu rec.aquaria.freshwater.cichlids:14598 rec.aquaria.freshwater.goldfish:5649 rec.aquaria.freshwater.misc:20839 rec.aquaria.freshwater.plants:7199 rec.aquaria.marine.misc:9797 rec.aquaria.marine.reefs:25283 rec.aquaria.marketplace:5249 rec.aquaria.misc:7370 rec.aquaria.tech:6718 rec.answers:33063 news.answers:109649

Archive-name: aquaria/general-faq/intro
Rec-aquaria-archive-name: general-faq/intro
Alt-aquaria-archive-name: general-faq/intro
Sci-aquaria-archive-name: general-faq/intro
Posting-Frequency: monthly

This FAQ available on the WWW via http://www.cco.caltech.edu/~aquaria/Faq/


                         FAQ: Welcome to Rec.Aquaria.*
                                       
contributed by Todd Zebert
edited by Erik Olson

   Welcome to the rec.aquaria.* newsgroups! Please read this entire
   document and whatever FAQs it may suggest before your first posting.
   We hope this will help you get the most from the newsgroups, and aid
   you in getting along with the people already here.
   
   This document will tell you about:
    1. the FAQs (answers to Frequently Asked Questions); what they are,
       and where to find them.
    2. Where to find the Archive and other good web and FTPable pages.
    3. proper etiquette for posting to rec.aquaria.*
    4. common acronyms and other terms used here.
    5. common questions (with answers) asked about the rec.aquaria
       newsgroups.
       
   There are several Usenet newsgroups collectively referred to as
   rec.aquaria. They compose an international forum for the discussion of
   almost everything related to aquaria and keeping fish. If you are new
   to the aquarium hobby, you will find them a valuable source of advice.
   If you are an advanced hobbyist but new to the Usenet forum, we
   welcome your input and hope you will find some interesting discussions
   and the new information that you need to keep current.
   
   If you have questions about Usenet, newsgroups, posting messages, the
   net in general, general netiquette, writing standards, how to FTP,
   etc., the answers can be found in the news.announce.newusers group.
   This is the single most important group for someone new to the net who
   wants to get acquainted with the system. Some of the important files
   (all written by Mark Moraes) in news.answers you should check out are:
     * Answers To Frequently Asked Questions about Usenet
     * A Primer on How To Work With the Usenet Community
     * Hints on writing style for Usenet
     * What is Usenet?
       
Just the FAQ, Ma'am

   Before posting for help, please read as much of the FAQs as you can.
   Really! They will most likely tell you everything you want to know
   about almost every beginner issue (if they don't answer your question,
   WE want to know!). Reading them should be your first order of business
   and is a simple courtesy to the readers of these newsgroups who get
   tired of reading the same questions from newcomers, over and over.
   
   The FAQs are available in three forms: World Wide Web, FTP, and
   monthly Usenet postings. The best and easiest way to read them is
   through World Wide Web at the URL
     * http://www.cco.caltech.edu/~aquaria/Faq/
       
   If you do not have web access, you can get a text-only version via FTP
   at the aquaria Archive (described in the next section) in the
   directory /pub/aquaria/FAQfiles/Usenet
   
   Finally, many of the FAQs are also posted on the aquaria groups, and
   news.answers on a monthly basis. A bit of searching through articles
   with the subject ``FAQ'' should bring up the latest copies. One word
   of caution: now that the groups have been split, not all FAQs are
   posted to all newsgroups; some may be only found on relevant groups.
   
   The Reefkeepers' FAQ can be found at:
     * The Archive, under /pub/aquaria/FAQfiles/Reefkeepers
     * ftp://percula.acs.uci.edu/reefkeepers/faq/ (alternate site)
       
The Archive and other Sites

   The Archive is a collection of saved Usenet postings. If you are
   looking for information not covered by the FAQ, you may find it here
   or on some of the popular Web sites.
   
   If you have World Wide Web access, the Archive, FAQs, and most other
   good aquaria-related Web pages can be found via the index
   http://www.cco.caltech.edu/~aquaria/.
   
   The Archive is also available via anonymous FTP:
     * Its home site ftp.cco.caltech.edu in the directory /pub/aquaria/
     * the South Africa mirror site ftp.sun.ac.za in the directory
       /pub/misc/aquaria/
       
   If you do not know how to FTP, read the quick guide near the end of
   this document; it will get you started.
   
Posting to rec.aquaria.*

   If the following instructions seem unclear, read the newsgroups for a
   few weeks (called ``lurking'') and you'll get the hang of the way
   things work. There are many readers of rec.aquaria.*, some are old
   pros, some newcomers, but all would appreciate it if you would follow
   a few simple requests when posting. Remember, you're asking them for
   help so you should play by their rules!
   
   1) If you've looked around for the information requested, but come up
   with contradictory information, no information, or don't understand
   the information, please say so. This will show that you've been
   actively seeking out the information yourself.
   
   Also, _PLEASE PLEASE_ do not buy a fish and _THEN_ ask the newsgroup
   how you can properly care for it. Ask questions _FIRST_ and read as
   much as you can _BEFORE_ buying the fish. Allow several days for
   people to get back to you. Most stores will hold a fish for you if you
   ask. It also does not hurt to introduce yourself, and come to know the
   owner or some of the employees at your favorite store. They will be
   more willing to do things for you if they know you are a loyal
   customer. It is poor husbandry to buy a fish not knowing if you can
   keep it healthy.
   
   2) Historically, readers have used special designators in the subject
   lines to keep order among the many posts to the aquaria newsgroups.
   Though the newsgroup split will no doubt lessen the need for many of
   these, you will still probably run into them. Some of the more popular
   designators include [M] (Marine/Saltwater), [F] (Freshwater), [P]
   (Plants) and [R] (Reef). Oddly, the symbol [Q] is all-too-often used
   to indicate a question, even though it carries through in the subject
   line of all the responses!
   
   3) Fill in the rest of the subject line with a brief description of
   the problem or a couple of words that describe the concern of the
   post. A descriptive subject line is more likely to get read and
   responded to than a vague one (``Goldfish has white spots'' is better
   than ``Help!!'').
   
   4) When asking for help, please give a complete description of your
   tank size, lighting, filtration, its inhabitants and their sizes**,
   how long you've had it running, measures of water quality such as
   ammonia, pH, temperature, etc. You can't expect much of an answer (or
   any at all!) unless you include enough information. (i.e. _not_ ``HI,
   My fish died! Why? Bye'')
   
   **Fish sizes are measured from the tip of their head to the beginning
   of their tail fin (where the tail meets the body).
   
   5) Please do not use all capital letters. IT LOOKS LIKE YOU ARE
   SHOUTING!
   
   6) Make sure your newsreader is limiting line length to a maximum of
   75 characters (or columns) otherwise it will be difficult for others
   to read your post! If you don't know how to do this, ask your network
   administrator.
   
Responding to Posts

   When responding to a post, most newsreaders will include the original
   message with some sort of character prefixed on every line, usually a
   greater-than symbol, ``>''. Please delete as much unnecessary
   information from the original post as possible, while still
   maintaining continuity of the conversation. This includes extraneous
   headers and information from the previous post that is not relevant to
   the reply.
   
Terms and Acronyms

   As you read posts in these newsgroups, you're likely to come across
   the following terms, acronyms, and conventions commonly referred to as
   NETSPEAK:
   
   rec.aquaria, rec.aquaria.*
          Collectively refers to all groups in the rec.aquaria heirarchy.
          
   AFAIK
          As far as I know
          
   AFM, MFM, TFH, FAMA
          Four popular aquaria magazines: _Aquarium Fish Magazine_,
          _Marine Fish Magazine_, _Tropical Fish Hobbyist_, and
          _Freshwater and Marine Aquarium_.
          
   AOL, CIS
          America Online, CompuServe Information Systems; two commercial
          Internet providers.
          
   BTW
          By The Way.
          
   cut, snip
          Means part of previous post has been removed.
          
   DIY
          Do It Yourself, home made, a device or system that is built by
          the hobbyist.
          
   FAQ, FAQs
          Frequently Asked Question[s].
          
   flame
          A message which is abusive (see below)
          
   FS
          For Sale.
          
   FTP
          File Transfer Protocol, a method of transferring files, see
          below for more information.
          
   FW, SW
          Freshwater, Saltwater
          
   FWIW
          For What It's Worth.
          
   FYI
          For Your Information.
          
   HTML
          HyperText Markup Language, used for creating web pages.
          
   IMHO, IMO, IMNSHO
          In My Humble Opinion, In My Opinion, In My Not-So-Humble
          Opinion, etc.
          
   lurking
          reading a newsgroup, over a period of time, to gain knowledge
          from other people's questions and answers, without posting
          anything of your own.
          
   MO, M/O
          Mail Order
          
   MOP[S], PW, TFP, WTA
          Four M/O businesses: Mail Order Pet Shop, Pet Warehouse, That
          Fish Place, and Wet Thumb Aquatics.
          
   netiquette
          Net etiquette. _The golden rule is: RTFF!_
          
   newbie
          A beginner. Often, but not always, used in a derogatory way.
          Don't feel too bad if someone calls another a newbie.
          
   OTOH
          On The Other Hand.
          
   pl*co
          An unfortunate correlation between Plocestomus Catfish deaths
          and mention of their name on the net has led to the use of
          `pl*co' as a superstitious habit. For our protection, the
          fish's full name has been deliberately misspelled above.
          
   post[s]
          message[s] on Usenet
          
   reorg
          The rec.aquaria re-organization.
          
   ROTFL
          Rolling On The Floor Laughing.
          
   RTFM, RTFF
          Read the ``fine'' Manual, or FAQ. Usually directed at people
          who ask a question without first checking the obvious places to
          find the answer. Substitute expletives beginning with F for
          ``fine'', if you like.
          
   SAE
          Siamese Algae Eater
          
   threads
          The initial message and all the following replies to it, a
          discussion.
          
   TIA
          Thanks In Advance
          
   UGF, RUGF
          Undergravel Filter, Reverse Under Gravel Filter.
          
   WD, W/D
          Wet/Dry Filter
          
   WTB
          Wanted To Buy.
          
   WWW, W3, web
          World Wide Web
          
   YMMV
          Your Mileage May Vary, basically just because something works
          well in one situation, does not mean it will in another.
          
   Smileys :-) ;-) :-(
          (turn the page, monitor or your head to one side if you don't
          see it at first). Smileys are used to denote emotions that
          might otherwise not be understood from the text, e.g.
          explicitly point out a statement is meant to be humorous. The
          three shown here denote humor, a wink, and sadness,
          respectively.
          
Questions & Answers

  Q: What's up with all these different groups?
  
   A: Due to the sheer volume of postings on the original newsgroups, a
   proposal was passed by Usenet readers in March of 1996 splitting
   rec.aquaria into several sub-groups. The official charter of the new
   groups can be found in our FAQ ANNEX. Meanwhile, the old group
   rec.aquaria will be phased out (effectively replaced by
   rec.aquaria.misc), so you should stop posting to it. Please avoid
   crossposting (posting to multiple newsgroups) whenever possible,
   especially to the .misc groups.
   
   rec.aquaria.misc
          A general discussion group for topics not covered by the other
          groups, and topics that are appropriate to more than one group
          (rather than crossposting). Post here if the topic doesn't fit
          neatly into the usual freshwater/marine division (notably
          brackish aquaria), but does not have a large enough following
          to warrant a separate newsgroup at this time. Post here if the
          topic is of broad interest to many types of aquarists. Also
          appropriate are such things as pointers to more specific
          newsgroups, ftp and web sites, and other ``meta-issues.'' If
          you don't know where to post it, it probably belongs here.
          
   rec.aquaria.freshwater.misc
          Topics specific to freshwater aquaria which do not fit into one
          of the more specialized newsgroups, as well as topics which fit
          into multiple specific freshwater newsgroups.
          
   rec.aquaria.marine.misc
          Topics specific to marine aquaria which do not fit into one of
          the more specialized newsgroups, as well as topics which fit
          into multiple specific marine newsgroups.
          
   rec.aquaria.marketplace
          Allows ads to be found easily without burying or being buried
          in general discussion. Ads related to aquaria and aquarium
          products and inhabitants by private individuals and businesses.
          
   rec.aquaria.tech
          While the organisms and special techniques vary, both
          freshwater and marine aquaria face a similar set of fundamental
          problems and often rely on similar devices in their solution.
          Discussion about the technology of aquarium keeping, including
          homebuilt gadgets as well as commercial devices. Discussions of
          the technical details of such devices belong here, though the
          rationale for their use may be just as appropriate in another
          newsgroup.
          
   rec.aquaria.freshwater.cichlids
          All topics related to both old- and new-world cichlids.
          
   rec.aquaria.freshwater.goldfish
          All topics related to goldfish and their kin.
          
   rec.aquaria.freshwater.plants
          Another specialized group, home to any and all discussion about
          freshwater plants. Topics may span the entire range of beginner
          to expert. Samples: ``My goldfish keeps destroying my plants,''
          ``How do you grow _Echinodorus horemanii_?''
          
   rec.aquaria.marine.reefs
          The fundamental division of the marine hobby is into reef and
          non-reef aquarists. This group provides a home for reef
          specialists while allowing non-reef aquarists to avoid the
          large number of reef related posts.
          
  Q: What about alt.aquaria and sci.aquaria?
  
   A: Alt.aquaria is a historical remnant from the original newsgroup
   creation wars back in 1989. The full story behind this is now a
   fascinating net.legend (see the ARCHIVE). We recommend that you _not_
   post to alt.aquaria now that the new rec.aquaria.* groups are in
   place. Sci.aquaria's unofficial purpose is for more serious
   `scientific' discussion. Now that the new rec.aquaria.* groups are in
   place, there is no need to crosspost to sci.aquaria.
   
  Q: Are there any other related groups? Mailing Lists? Chat Lines?
  
   A: None of these other groups are supported by this documentation or
   any of its FAQs or archives, but they do have related themes:
     * rec.ponds -- keeping outdoor ponds (usually with Koi and goldfish)
     * alt.aquaria.killies -- keeping Killifishes
       
   There are also some E-mailing lists. Here are some we know about:
List Name       Server Address                     What to Send as Message Body

Discus-L        listserv@mitvma.mit.edu            SUBSCRIBE Discus-L
BETTAS          listserv@listserv.aol.com          SUBSCRIBE BETTAS Your Name
Cichlids        listserv@listserv.uh.edu,          subscribe cichlid Your Name
Aquatic Plants  majordomo@actwin.com               subscribe aquatic-plants
Goldfish        goldfish-request@fischer.cs.umass.edu subscribe goldfish
Killies         majordomo@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us    subscribe killies

   For instance, to subscribe to the Aquatic Plants list, send e-mail to
   majordomo@actwin.com with the line "subscribe aquatic-plants" as the
   message body.
   
   Finally, there is also _Fishroom_, an interactive meeting place that
   could be likened to an electronic ``chat service'', but far classier.
   Fishroom was set up by Kevin Carpenter, and is accessible 24 hours a
   day. Specialized groups now have meeting times when you might be able
   to talk to some experts. Simply
   
   telnet kplace.monrou.com 1025
   
   and follow the directions. It is important to telnet to port 1025, or
   else you will get a normal boring unix prompt. Further help is
   available on the WWW, or via anonymous ftp from
   ftp://kplace.monrou.com/pub/fishroom/.
   
  Q: Can I post Non-commercial Advertisements?
  
   A: Yes! There is a newsgroup just for you: rec.aquaria.marketplace,
   which is open to both commercial and private advertisements. Here are
   some guidelines:
     * _Do not crosspost to the other newsgroups!_
     * Since many are suspicious of people selling things on the net, be
       sure to include why the items are for sale, especially if a profit
       motive may be suspected.
     * If selling locally, include your location in the subject line
       (``US-NY-Buffalo'', for instance). This will help your intended
       buyer find you amongst all the posts.
     * It is advisable to limit the distribution of your post when the
       item is only of interest to a local area (for instance, a glass
       tank). This is done through your newsreader while composing your
       message.
     * Finally, after the item sells, you should delete (or cancel, as
       many newsreaders call it) your original posting. Again, this is
       done through the newsreader.
       
  Q4: Can I post Commercial Advertisements?
  
   A: If you are an aquarium-related business, as of the March 1996
   re-organization, you may post to rec.aquaria.marketplace without
   guilt. Beware, though, that non-advertisement posts from companies and
   their representatives may be subject to scrutiny by wary rec.aquaria.*
   readers. General guidelines for acceptable advertising on usenet can
   be found in the ADVERTISEMENT FAQ posted to news.announce.newusers.
   Here are some tips for keeping a friendly commercial presence on the
   rec.aquaria newsgroups:
     * _Do not_ post or cross-post your advertisement to any of the
       rec.aquaria.* groups except for rec.aquaria.marketplace.
     * Retailers who are active participants of rec.aquaria.* can include
       a reference to their business in their message signature (or
       better yet, a reference to a WWW page). People can contact you or
       your web page directly if interested in your business. Netters
       generally do not get angry about this sort of advertisement.
     * If you respond to a post with a recommendation for your business,
       make sure to be clear that you are associated with that business
       (otherwise you are likely to get a bad reputation when your
       connection _is_ discovered). It also goes without saying that your
       response should be _relevant_ to the original post. :-)
     * E-mail advertising is never acceptable unless explicitly
       requested. If a reader didn't specifically ask for your
       advertisement, do not send it.
       
  Q: Why did no one answer my questions?
  
   A: This question is usually answered by _``YOU DIDN'T READ THE FAQ!''_
   The FAQs are a collection of documents that members of these
   newsgroups have written to answer questions that beginners ask ad
   nauseum. Before posting, please read the relevant FAQs to be sure what
   you wish to know has not been dealt with before. Despite the
   world-wide nature of rec.aquaria.*, there are in fact only a few dozen
   members who answer the vast majority of questions. They get tired of
   answering the same questions over and over, and more often than not
   will simply ignore questions that could have been answered by reading
   the FAQ.
   
   Sometimes you won't get a reply if you haven't waited long enough;
   many people do not read rec.aquaria.* daily, and it can take a few
   days for the article to propagate to some hosts.
   
   Another common cause of the unanswered post is a non-descriptive
   subject line or vague message content. With hundreds of messages
   posted daily to rec.aquaria.*, it is easy to ignore ``irrelevant''
   subject lines such as ``Subject: My Fish''. Likewise, it is also
   important to convey all the necessary information in the body of your
   message. See the section above on Posting to rec.aquaria.* for hints
   on improving your technique.
   
  Q5: Why did I get flamed?
  
   A5: You may get flamed if you supply an ignorant answer to someone's
   question, or just general ``bad advice''. Bad questions usually are
   ignored, but bad answers are often flamed. You might also get flamed
   when discussing controversial issues.
   
   Threads on rec.aquaria.* are open uncensored conversations between
   adults (and sub-adults of all ages) and so occasionally smart-ass
   replies and jabs are made. These are not strictly discouraged and to
   throw flames DOES NOT immediately cause one to be labeled a social
   pariah, but flames should be on-topic and delivered with a sense of
   humor. Neither is swearing totally unacceptable on the net but the use
   of swear words will quickly remove any semblance of humor from your
   flames. This may result in seriously hurt feelings, and so swearing is
   to be strongly discouraged. Also, a few smileys (where appropriate)
   can go a long way to save people's feelings.
   
  Q: How do I FTP, or what if I'm having problems?
  
   A: Here's a crash course that should work for most people if you are
   not completely Windows based. You will be downloading a long set of
   FTP instructions. If you are uncertain whether these instructions will
   work for you please give them a try since they are written to work on
   a large variety of computer systems. If these instructions do not work
   for you contact your sysop or a local computer guru.
   
   We denote the prompt for the local site as ``LOCAL>''.
   The prompt for the archive/foreign site is ``ftp>''.
   ALL commands are CASE SENSITIVE!!!!!!!
   (Everything that is enclosed in ` ' is what is printed on your screen
   by the computer that is relevant to future steps or to the step just
   completed. It is NOT everything that is shown on your screen as that
   will be too time consuming to type out.)



LOCAL> ftp ftp.cco.caltech.edu
        `Name (site information):' ftp
        `Password:' your email address

ftp> cd /pub/aquaria/FAQfiles/Usenet
ftp> dir
ftp> get ftpguide
ftp> quit

LOCAL>

   You now have the LONG version of the FTP guide which should answer all
   your questions.
   
  Q: What if I don't have access to FTP?
  
   A: If you are using a commercial service, contact the customer support
   or technical support department of that service. Assistance with
   questions like these is part of what you are paying for; if you can
   access the newsgroup, it is quite possible that you can FTP.
   
   Barring that, it's still possible, albeit very slow, to get ftp files
   via mail. There are three such services we know of (info courtesy of
   Dustin Laurence):
   
   Princeton ftp -> e-mail gateway
          Send mail with a body of `help' (no quotes, and nothing else)
          to bitftp@pucc.princeton.edu, bitftp@plearn.edu.pl or
          bitftp@vm.gmd.de.
          
   TRICKLE
          Through TRICKLE you can retrieve files by e-mail or have them
          ftped to your own machine or SEND to you. Send e-mail with
          '/HELP' (no quotes) in the body to trickle@hearn.nic.surfnet.nl
          or trickle@hearn.bitnet, for more info and a list of other
          trickle servers.
          
   DEC mail server
          Send mail to one of the following servers with 'help' (no
          quotes) in the body of the letter:
          
          + ftpmail@cs.uow.edu.au (Australia)
          + ftpmail@ftp.uni-stuttgart.de (Germany)
          + ftpmail@doc.ic.ac.uk (Great Britain)
          + ftpmail@ieunet.ie (Ireland)
          + ftpmail@lth.se (Sweden)
          + ftpmail@sunsite.unc.edu (USA)
          + ftpmail@decwrl.dec.com (USA, please use a different server if
            possible; decwrl is overloaded.)
          + ftpmail@ftp.uu.net (USA, message relayed to
            ftpmail@decwrl.dec.com)
            
   NOTE: Please make sure your system admin has approved the the use of a
   mail server, as files can take system resources of not only your site,
   but several sites up the stream. And please abide by the guidelines
   that the ftpmail server administrators have put in their help files.
   Most ftpmail servers default to their own site for files, so try
   retrieving things from that site first. In general, most files you
   need are already available there, so it is a waste to connect to
   another machine.
   
  Q: How do I access WWW?
  
   A: Ask your administrator. There are too many different WWW browsers
   to explain each here, but the most popular graphical browsers for
   MS-Windows, X and Macintosh are _Mosaic_ and _Netscape_. A popular
   text browser is _Lynx_. You might try and see if these programs exist
   on your system. Also, helpful advice about getting started with WWW
   can be found by ``lurking'' in the newsgroups
   comp.infosystems.www.users and/or alt.dcom.slip-emulators.
   
Final Words

   We hope that this introductory FAQ will improve your understanding of
   the rec.aquaria community, and make your interaction with other
   netters fun and productive. A great deal of time and thought has been
   devoted to making quality answers to the Frequently Asked Questions
   available at all times. A hurried post to the newsgroups might not
   yield an answer for days (if at all), but if you read the FAQs you may
   have an answer in minutes. Please give it a try!
   
   [The FAQ Team can be reached by e-mail, but since we've been getting
   so many irrelevant requests for help with individual problems, the
   address will no longer be posted here.]
   
   
Copyright

   The FAQs owe their existence to the contributors of the net, and as
   such it belongs to the readers of rec.aquaria and alt.aquaria.
   Articles with attributions are copyrighted by their original authors.
   Copies of the FAQs can be made freely, as long as it is distributed at
   no charge, and the disclaimers and the copyright notice are included.

                                Tables of Data
                                       
Metric


Celsius (Centigrade) = (Fahrenheit - 32) * 5/9

        C       F
        15      59
        20      68
        25      77
        30      86

1 Liter = 0.264 Gallon
1 Gallon = 3.78 Liter

1 Meter = 39.4 inches
1 Inch = 2.54 cm
1 Foot = 12 inches
1 Yard = 36 inches

Chemical Concentrations


1 degree hardness (GH) = 17.8 ppm CaCO3
1 degree "carbonate hardness*" (KH) = 17.8 ppm CaCO3
1 meq/L alkalinity = 2.8 degrees KH

1 ppm = 1 mg/L

Nitrate-NO3 = 4.4 * Nitrate-N
Nitrite-NO2 = 3.3 * Nitrite-N
Ammonia-NH3 = 1.1 * Ammonia-N

   * Note that the term ``carbonate hardness'' is bit of a misnomer, and
   most amateur chemists would prefer we use the more appropriate term
   ``Alkalinity''. See the BEGINNER CHEMISTRY section for more details.
   
Tank Weight and Volume Calculations

   One foot of fresh water depth = .445 psi.
   231 cu inches (in ^ 3) = 1 gallon
   1 cu foot (ft ^ 3) = 7.48 gallons = 1728 in^3
   1 gallon H2O at 4C weighs 8.57 lbs
   (this is derived from the atmospheres/ft number, somebody with a CRC
   can go get the right number, but this is within a few percent)
   
   Example:
   
   44x16x16 tank = 11264 in^3 = 48.76 gallons.
   
   Tank will weigh 418 lbs (roughly) (+ rocks which have an SG much
   higher than 1, so you can *roughly* say " + rocks ")
   
   The pressure at the bottom of the tank will be 0.59 psi, or 85 psf,
   roughly 13% more than the standard loading for code construction, so
   catch an extra joist or three with the stand!!
   
   Along the bottom strip of the tank, you will have a total (uniformly
   spread side to side) force of ( 15.5/12*.445*44 = 25 lbs) pushing
   outwards against your joints.
   
   The total force on the long side will be ( 8/12*.445*44*16 = 208
   pounds).
   
   Note: In general, this is NOT half of the water weight. This is a
   coincidence due to the same bottom and side shape.
   
  Other useful points...
  
   Weight = psi at bottom * bottom area
   ( (44x16=704 in^2) * .445*16/12 = 418 lbs)
   Note: If this doesn't give you the same answer as the volume
   calculation SOMETHING IS WRONG!
   
   Standard (new) wood joist floor loading is 75 psf. This corresponds to
   one 14" high tank of any other dimensions. Before you build that 30"
   high tank, think about where it goes! For old houses and houses not to
   code, this may be worse (or better, who knows?).
   
  Common tank sizes (courtesy of All-Glass Aquariums)
  
   These match the table on the back of Catalog AA693, but are sorted by
   the tank's "footprint".


Tank Size       Exact Outside Dimensions        Weight  Weight  Tempered
                (inches) (L x W x H)            Empty   Full    Bottom
                (Including frame)               (lbs)   (lbs)

10 Leader       20 1/4  x 10 1/2  x 12 9/16     11      111
15 High         20 1/4  x 10 1/2  x 18 3/4      22      170
20 X-High       20 1/4  x 10 1/2  x 23 3/4      32      232

10 Long         24 1/4  x  8 1/2  x 12 5/8      16      116
15 Show         24 1/4  x  8 1/2  x 16 5/8      22      170

15 Gallon       24 1/4  x 12 1/2  x 12 3/4      21      170
20 High         24 1/4  x 12 1/2  x 16 3/4      25      225
25 Gallon       24 1/4  x 12 1/2  x 20 3/4      32      282
30 X-High       24 1/4  x 12 1/2  x 24 3/4      41      340

20 Long         30 1/4  x 12 1/2  x 12 3/4      25      225
29 Gallon       30 1/4  x 12 1/2  x 18 3/4      40      330
37 Gallon       30 1/4  x 12 1/2  x 22 3/4      45      415     X

26 Flatback     36 1/4  x 12 1/2  x 16 5/8      42      300     X
23 Long         36 1/4  x 12 5/8  x 13          32      253
30 Gallon       36 1/4  x 12 5/8  x 16 3/4      43      343
38 Gallon       36 1/4  x 12 5/8  x 19 3/4      47      427
45 Gallon       36 1/4  x 12 5/8  x 23 3/4      66      515     X

30 Breeder      36 3/16 x 18 1/4  x 12 15/16    48      348
40 Breeder      36 3/16 x 18 1/4  x 16 15/16    58      458

50 Gallon       36 7/8  x 19      x 19 5/8      100     600
65 Gallon       36 7/8  x 19      x 24 5/8      126     775

33 Long         48 1/4  x 12 3/4  x 12 7/8      52      382     X
40 Long         48 1/4  x 12 3/4  x 16 7/8      55      455     X
45 Long         48 1/4  x 12 3/4  x 19          60      510     X
55 Gallon       48 1/4  x 12 3/4  x 21          78      625     X
60 Gallon       48 3/8  x 12 7/8  x 23 7/8      111     710     X

80 X-High       48 7/8  x 14      x 30 3/4      200     990

75 Gallon       48 1/2  x 18 1/2  x 21 3/8      140     850
90 Gallon       48 1/2  x 18 1/2  x 25 3/8      160     1050
110 X-High      48 7/8  x 19      x 30 3/4      228     1320

120 Gallon      48 1/2  x 24 1/4  x 25 1/2      215     1400

100 Gallon      72 1/2  x 18 1/2  x 19 3/8      182     1150
125 Gallon      72 1/2  x 18 1/2  x 23 3/8      206     1400
150 Gallon      72 1/2  x 18 1/2  x 28 1/2      338     1800

180 Gallon      72 1/2  x 24 1/2  x 25 5/8      338     2100

2 1/2 Mini      12 3/16 x  6 1/8  x  8 1/8      2.6     27
5 1/2 Gallon    16 3/16 x  8 3/8  x 10 1/2      7       62

4 Designer       8 1/4  x  8 1/4  x 18 7/8      9       49
6 Designer       8 1/4  x  8 1/4  x 24 7/8      10.5    70
10 Designer     13 5/8  x 13 5/8  x 19          18.5    115
15 Designer     13 5/8  x 13 5/8  x 25          25.5    175

10 Hexagon      14 1/2  x 12 9/16 x 18 3/4      12      110
20 Hexagon      18 3/4  x 16 1/4  x 20 5/8      23      220     X
35 Hexagon      23 1/4  x 20 3/16 x 24 3/4      43      390     X
60 Hexagon      27 1/4  x 24 1/8  x 29 1/2      110     750     X

