Alphabetized Abbreviation List

[FelixTCat]

Lori did this list for us, extra special thanks to her!

WTH (What The Heck) I had some TOMH (Time On My Hands)

Great compilation folks!  Thanks!!

Misc. Abreviations:

AFK Away from keyboard
BA Betta anonymous
BBL be back later
BBS be back soon
BF Best Friend Or Baby Fish
BF Boyfriend
BRB Be right back
BTDT Been there done that
BTW By the way
Cap'n Clint
FAQ Frequently asked question
FG Fishkeeping God
FWIW For what it's worth
FYI for your information
GF Girlfriend
GM Good Mod
GMTA Great minds think alike
GTG or G2G got to go
HTH Hope that helps
IAW  In Another Window
IME in my experience
IMO In my opinion
IRL In real life
ISP Internet service provider
ITA I totally agree
J/K Just kidding
L8R later
LOL Laugh out loud
LYLAB love you like a brother
LYLAS love you like a sister
MTS Multiple Tank Syndrome
MFS  Multiple Fish Syndrome
ome
N2M not too much
NAF Newbies At Fishkeeping (not that there's anything wrong with that!)
NM not much
N/M nevermind
NP No problem
OIC Oh I see
OMG Oh my gosh
OT Off topic
OTOH On the other hand
ROFL Rolling on the floor laughing
SO Significant other
SOS  same old shtuff
SOSDD Same old shtuff, different day
STFU shut the flip up
STHU shut the heck up
Sup What's up
TIA Thanks in advance
TMI Too much information
TTFN Ta ta for now
TTYL Talk to you later
TY Thank you
U you
U R you're
UR your
URL Web page address
W/B Welcome back
W/O Without
WPG  watts per gallon (aquarium lighting)
WTG Way to go
WTH what the heck
WYSIWYG What you see is what you get
YW You're welcome


Fish Abbreviations:

BBS baby brine shrimp
BGA - Blue Green Algae (aka cyanobacteria)
BGK - Black Ghost Knife (I think!)
BS brine shrimp
BS betta splendens (remove head from gutter if you though of something else with BS)
BI betta imbellis
CAE - Chinese Algae Eater
CT crowntail
DT double tail
GF  goldfish
HM half moon
HOB  Hang On Back (type of filter)
MG mustard gas
MFS Multiple Fish Syndrome
MTS - Malaysian Trumpet Snail
MTS Multiple Tank Syndrome
SAE - Siamese Algae Eater
ST single tail
TT triple tail
TF tunafish
VT veiltail
WPG  watts per gallon (aquarium lighting)



Saltwater Abbreviations and Definitions

BB  Bare Bottom (the tank, not you!)
BBS  Baby Brine Shrimp
BTA  Bubble Tip Anemone
CB  this one is tough as there are several things that use the same abbreviation. Depending on the context of what is written, it can mean: Captive Bred, or Copperband Butterfly
CC  Crushed Coral
DI  Deionisation, type of water purification
DOC Dissolved Organic Compounds
DSB  Deep Sand Bed
FO  Fish Only (refers to type of tank)
FOWLR  Fish Only With Live Rock
GPH  Gallons Per Hour
HOB  Hang On Back (type of filter)
Kalkwasser/Kalk German for calcium hydroxide solution or limewater
LFS Local Fish Store
LPS Large Polyped Stoney (coral)
LR Live Rock
LS Live Sand
MH Metal Halide (lighting)
NO Normal Output (lighting, the type that comes with the hood)
PC Power Compact (lighting)
pH  the alkalinity or acidity of the water
PH Power Head
RO Reverse Osmosis (water purifying system)
RO/DI Combonation of both Reverse Osmosis and Deionisation
RR Reef ready (Tank is pre-drilled with overflows and such)
SG Specific gravity. Refers to the salinity of water
SPS Small Polyped Stoney (coral)
VHO Very High Output (lighting)
WPG Watts Per Gallon


Curing = the process of allowing LR to have a die-off period. Most LR will have this happen as many organisms cannot tolerate being out of the water for the time it takes to ship the rock. Sponges are especially notorious for dying off as they cannot be exposed to air. If your LFS has kept the rock during this process then they will often sell the rock as being "fully cured".

Cyano = cyanobacteria, a organisim that is both an algae and a bacteria. Often found in young tanks, usually the result of low flow areas and too many nutrients within the tank. Can also show up when lighting has been changed from one type to another.

Frag = a small piece of coral that has been broken off or cut off of the main colony, often on purpose. Many corals are propagated this way, and  when you do this, it is called fragging.

Kelvin rating = the rating light bulbs are given that show the spectrum of the light emitted by the bulb. Example: 10,000k. This is a white light that mimics natural daylight. Actinic bulbs which have a rating of 4400k give off a blue light. For a freshwater planted tank you would want a more yellow light, in the 6900k range.

Mariculture/Aquaculture = refers to the business of captive breeding/raising marine fishes, propagating corals and anemones in captivity, or the natural seeding of "man-made" LR in ocean waters.

Nano = a small saltwater tank usually under 20 gallons.

Nori = dried seaweed often fed to herbivores like tangs. This can be bought in your local grocery store, often in the Asian section.

Pest anemones = undesirable small anemones that are quick to reproduce and can often reach plague proportions. They are unsightly and will also sting nearby corals damaging them. The most common of these is aiptasia.

Pods = small shrimp-like creatures within the tank, most are benefical. Refers to copepods, amphipods.

Pod Piles = refers to small mounds of LR or rubble that is tightly packed in the main tank. The pods can find refuge within these mounds and breed without being eaten by the fish or inverts within the tank.

Protein Skimmer = a device used in saltwater tanks to reduce DOC's. Works something like this...DOC's have a positive and a negative side. The positive side is attracted to air and the negative side is attracted to water. Inside the main tube of a skimmer you have a mixture of tiny bubbles and water. The DOC's will attach to the air bubbles, they will then be lifted out of the water by the bubbling action and be deposited into a collection cup. The effectiveness of this is dependent on how long the air bubbles are in contact with the water. There must be enough time for the DOC's to be attracted to and attach to the air bubble. Most saltwater tanks should have a skimmer, but small ones often don't, relying instead on water changes to maintain water quality. Also known as a foam fractionator.

Reef = any size tank that contains corals.

Refugium = any area within the tank, or located outside the tank  (connected by tubing and pumps), that is seperated from the main tank where small creatures, like pods, can reproduce without predation. The offspring are then spread from the refugium into the main tank where they can be consumed by the fish/corals. The word is often shortened to "fuge".

Salt creep = the unwanted effect of residual salt ending up on hoods, the outside of filters, tubes, etc. Made worse by airstones (bubblers). Can cause damage to items if not cleaned off regularly.

Sump = another tank or container often below the main tank connected by tubing and pumps where equipment is located (filters, skimmers, heater, etc.


Posting Ranks:
Ranks:

1-49  small fry

50-149  bronze cory

150-249 silver dollar

250-499  gold gourami

500+  diamond discus