more acronyms than the military...no, lol.
- Coral & Livestock Acronyms
- SPS: Small Polyp Stony. These corals (like Acropora and Montipora) have a hard, calcium carbonate skeleton and small polyps. They are often considered the most difficult corals to keep due to their need for very stable water parameters, high light, and strong water flow.
- LPS: Large Polyp Stony. These are also hard corals with a calcium carbonate skeleton, but as the name suggests, they have larger, fleshier polyps (e.g., Euphyllia and Trachyphyllia). They are generally considered more forgiving than SPS corals.
- NPS: Non-Photosynthetic. Corals that do not rely on light for food. They must be fed regularly.
- CUC: Clean Up Crew. This refers to the invertebrates in a tank (snails, hermit crabs, etc.) that help eat algae and clean up detritus.
- FOWLR: Fish Only With Live Rock. This is a type of saltwater tank setup that contains fish and live rock for biological filtration, but no corals.
- FO: Fish Only. A tank with only fish, without live rock or corals.
- BTA: Bubble Tip Anemone.
- WC: Wild Caught.
- CB: Captive Bred.
- Equipment & Water Acronyms
- ATO: Auto Top-Off. A system that automatically adds fresh water to the tank to replace water lost to evaporation.
- RO/DI: Reverse Osmosis/Deionization. A water filtration process that removes nearly all dissolved solids and contaminants, creating very pure water for mixing salt or topping off the tank.
- GPH: Gallons Per Hour. A measure of a pump's flow rate.
- LFS: Local Fish Store.
- QT: Quarantine Tank. A separate tank used to hold new or sick fish to prevent the introduction of disease to the main display tank.
- BB: Bare Bottom. An aquarium setup with no sand or substrate.
- DSB: Deep Sand Bed.
- HOB: Hang On Back. Refers to a piece of equipment, such as a filter or protein skimmer, that hangs on the back of the tank.
- LED: Light Emitting Diode. A common type of aquarium lighting.
- PS: Protein Skimmer. A piece of filtration equipment that removes dissolved organic waste from the water.
- TDS: Total Dissolved Solids. A measure of all organic and inorganic substances dissolved in a liquid.
- Kalk: Kalkwasser. A solution of calcium hydroxide used to add calcium and alkalinity to the water.
- DIY: Do It Yourself.
- Water Parameter & Chemistry Acronyms
- ALK: Alkalinity. The water's ability to resist pH changes. Measured in dKH.
- dKH: Degrees of Carbonate Hardness. A unit of measurement for alkalinity.
- CA: Calcium.
- MG: Magnesium.
- NO3: Nitrate.
- NO2: Nitrite.
- PO4: Phosphate.
- PAR: Photosynthetically Active Radiation. A measure of the light available to corals for photosynthesis.
- SG: Specific Gravity. A measure of salinity.
Hobbyist & Forum Acronyms
- FTS: Full Tank Shot. A photo of the entire aquarium.
- WYSIWYG: What You See Is What You Get. A term used by online coral vendors to indicate the exact coral in the photo is the one for sale.
- RTN: Rapid Tissue Necrosis. A condition where a coral's tissue dies very quickly, often within hours.
- BSD- Brown Slime Disease
- STN: Slow Tissue Necrosis. A condition where a coral's tissue dies slowly over time.
- IME: In My Experience.
- IMHO: In My Humble Opinion.
- FWIW: For What It's Worth.
- Karen - You know her, she hates you and anything you say. If you speak, Karen will be triggered.
- Troll - See above + add in predatory conversation style.
- Newb - the poor new visitor or hobbiest visiting the site and asking a question. Typically seems to 100% ignort the search function built into every forum. Also see: How many fish can I have in my -x, Do I need to add vodka, is it cool to use sand/water/livestock from the ocean, etc type of questions.
