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- A -
A - Amp
AA - Amino Acid
ABT - Atlantic Blue Tang
AC – Activated Carbon, a chemical filtration media.
AC - Alternating Current
Acan – Acanthastrea, a genus of large stony coral.
Acro - Acropora, a genus of small stony coral.
ADA - Aqua Design Amano, a line of products for live aquaria.
AEFW – Acropora (Acro) Eating Flat Worms
AFI - Aquarium Fish International, a North American monthly magazine.


AGA - All-Glass Aquarium, an aquarium manufacturer.
AIO - All In One
AS – Algae scrubber
ALK - Alkalinity, the measure of buffering capacity of water.
ATC - Automatic Temperature Control
ATO - Automatic Top-Off
ATS - Algae Turf Scrubber, a reef setup technique.

- B -
BA - Bubble Algae
BB - Bare Bottom
BB - Beneficial Bacteria
BBA - Black Beard Algae
BBS - Baby Brine Shrimp
BF - Butterfly, a Betta fin type.
BGA - Blue-Green Algae
BGK - Black Ghost Knife
BKK - Black King Kong Shrimp, Caridina cantonensis
Blasto – Blastomussa, a species of coral.
BN - Bristle Nose Pleco, Ancistrus sp, a genus of plecos.
BOD - Biological Oxygen Demand
BPS - Bubbles Per Second, a measure of the CO2 rate entering an aquarium.
BTA - Bubble Tip Anemone
BTU - British Thermal Unit

- C -
Ca - Calcium, an alkaline earth metal.
Ca(OH)2 - Calcium Hydroxide, used to make Kalkwasser
CaCl2 – Calcium Chloride
CaCO3 – Calcium Carbonate
CAE - Chinese Algae Eater
Can - Canister Filter
Cat - Any fish in the Catfish family
CBB - Copper Banded Butterfly
CBS - Crystal Black Shrimp, a variation on CRS.

CC - Cubic Centimeter
CC - Counter Current, a type of protein skimmer.
CC - Crushed Coral, typically in the 1/8"-3/16" size.
CEC - Cation-Exchange Capacity, the amount of nutrients a soil can store.
CFL - Compact Fluorescent Lamp
CFM – Cubic Feet per Minute
Cl - Chlorine
CL - Closed Loop
CMS – Cubic Meters per Second
CO2 - Carbon Dioxide, a colorless gas of one carbon and two oxygen atoms.
CO3 – Carbonate
CPD - Celestial Pearl Danio, Danio margaritatus
CPO - Cambarellus Patzcuarensis sp. "Orange", Mexican Dwarf Orange Crayfish
CPVC – Chlorinated PolyVinyl Chloride, a material used in many water lines.
CRS - Crystal Red Shrimp, Caridina cantonensis
CT - Crowntail, a Betta fin type.
CTA - Cellulose TriAcetate, a type of RO membrane.
Cu - Copper, a reddish metallic element.
CUC - Clean Up Crew, critters that remove algae and detritus.
Cuke - Sea Cucumber
CWC - Continuous Water Change
Cyano - Cyanobacteria, commonly referred to as slime algae.

- D -
DC – Direct Current
DD - DownDraft, a type of protein skimmer.
DD - Double-ray, a Betta fin type.
DDR - Double-double-ray, a Betta fin type.
DE - Double Ended
DET - Deltatail, a Betta fin type.
DFS - Drs. Foster and Smith
dGH - Degrees of General Hardness, a unit of water hardness.
DHG - Dwarf HairGrass, Eleocharis parvula
DI - DeIonized, a type of water purification
DIY - Do It Yourself
dKH - Degree Karbonate Hardness, of German origin, a measure for carbonate hardness alkalinity.
DO - Dissolved Oxygen, the amount of gaseous oxygen dissolved in water.
DOA - Dead On Arrival
DOC - Dissolved Organic Carbon
DON – Dissolved Organic Nitrogen
DSB - Deep Sand Bed, a bed of sand typically at least 3-4" or more deep
DSM - Dry Start Method
DT - Display Tank
DT - Double tail, a Betta fin type.
DTF - Double tail female, a Betta fin type.
DTM - Double tail male, a Betta fin type.

- E -
EI - Estimative Index, a method for providing nutrients for a planted tank.
ETA - Estimated Time of Arrival

- F -
FAFS - Far Away Fish Store, a store so good it is worth the trip.
FAMA – Freshwater And Marine Aquarium, a magazine that is no longer published.
FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions, acronym of speech
Fe - Iron
FO - Fish Only, a type of marine aquarium
FOWLR - Fish Only With Live Rock, reef aquaria with no corals but with "live rock"
Frag - Fragment of coral that grows into a new piece of coral
FTS - Full Tank Shot, a photograph of the whole aquarium tank
Fuge - Refugium
FW - Fresh Water

- G -
G - Gallon
GAC - Granular Activated Carbon, a chemical filtration media.
GAL - Gallon
GBR - German Blue Rams, Mikrogeophagus ramirezi
GBR – Great Barrier Reef
GBTA – Green Bubble Tip Anemone
GFCI - Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter, an AC plug designed to prevent electrical shock.
GFI - Ground Fault Interrupter
GFO - Granular Ferric Oxide, a chemical filtration media.
GH - General Hardness, a measure of calcium and magnesium.
GHA - Green Hair Algae
GIS – Geographic Information System
GPD - Gallons Per Day, a measurement of flow.
GPH - Gallons Per Hour, a measurement of flow.
GPM - Gallons Per Minute, a measurement of flow.
GSA - Green Spot Algae
GSM - Gold Strip Maroon Clownfish
GSP - Green Star Polyps
GSP - Green Star Polyps, an invasive soft coral.

- H -
H2S - Hydrogen Sulfide
HA - Hair Algae
HC - Hemianthus callitrichoides, Dwarf Baby Tears
HCO3 - Hydrogen Carbonate
HID - High Intensity Discharge lighting, metal halide and mercury vapor.
HLLE - Head and Line Lateral Erosion, a fish ailment.
HO - High Output fluorescent light
HM - Halfmoon, a Betta fin type.
HOB - Hang On Back filter, also a term for a type of skimmer.
HOT - Hang On Tank
HQI - Mercury (Hg) Quartz Iodide, a type of metal halide lamp.

- I -
I - Iodide
ID – Identity
IO - Instant Ocean, a brand of aquarium salt.
IO3 - Iodate
IR - Infrared, a type of light with longer wavelength than visible light.
IW - In Wall, a tank mounted in the wall.

- J -
JD - Jack Dempsey cichlid

- K -
K - Kelvin rating, color temperature of the light source.
K - Potassium
KALK- Kalkwasser, German for calcium hydroxide solution or limewater.
kg/L - kilograms per liter
KH - Carbonate Hardness, a measure of carbonates.
KI – Potassium Iodide
KMnO4 - Chemical formula for potassium permanganate.
KNO3 - Potassium Nitrate
KW - Kalkwasser
kWh - KiloWatt-Hour

- L -
L - Liters
L - Long tank, as in 20 gallon long
LA - Liveaquaria.com, a well known internet livestock retailer
LED – Light Emitting Diodes
LFS – Local Fish Store (or Shop)
LHS - Local Hardware Store
lm - Lumen, the unit for amount of light from a light source.
Lobo – Lobophyllia, a genus of large polyp stony corals
LPD – Liter Per Day, a measurement of flow (metric).
LPH Litre Per Hour, a measurement of flow (metric).
LPM - Liters Per Minute, a measurement of flow (metric).
LPS - Large Polyped Scleractinian, a stony coral, has large and soft polyps.
LPS Local Pet Store
LR - Live Rock, rock with living organisms within it
LS - Live Sand, sand with living organisms within it.
LSB - Living Sand Bed, a bed of live sand
LT - Liter
LTA - Long Tentacle Anemone
lx - Lux the amount of light per square meter (lm/m2).