Guides, Articles and Presentations
Dr Tim’s Library of Resources for all things Aquatic
Dr. Tim is a well-known author of magazine articles and columns, conference presentations and scientific papers, and was the editor of SeaScope for 5 years. Dr. Tim is also a popular speaker at local and national fish clubs and at scientific conferences around the World. Many of his works, in different formats, are available in this library. Please note that all the material is copyrighted and may not be used without express written permission of the author.
Aquarium Hobby
Dr Tim’s Aquarium Hobby Articles and Presentations
Instructions: Choose from the three categories below and then view the article by clicking on the View Article button
General Articles
100 Years of Fishkeeping: Good Advice Never Grows Old
This article discusses 100 years of aquarium keeping techniques and how some things don’t change.
100 Years of Fishkeeping: Good Advice Never Grows OldView Article
Activated Carbon
This article discusses activated carbon in the home aquarium.
A Glossary of 50 Basic Aquarium Technical Terms
This article provides definitions for 50 common terms used in aquarium chemistry and biology.
Aquarium Carrying Capacity: When “One More Fish” is One too Many
This article discusses just how many fish can one put in an aquarium.
Aquarium Carrying Capacity: When “One More Fish” is One too ManyView Article
Water Quality: A Holistic Approach
This article defines what water quality means to the aquarium keeper and discusses taking a boarder view of water quality instead of focusing on a particular chemical.
What to Expect During the First 30 Days
An article about what to expect during the first 30 days after you set up your aquarium.
Freshwater Articles
Aquatic Plants and the Nitrogen Cycle
This article reviews the benefits of aquatic plants and the role they can play in nitrification.
Saltwater Articles
Protein Skimming
An article on protein skimmers basics, the principals behind them and how they work.
Algae Blooms in Reef Tanks
The article discusses the causes of algae blooms in reef tanks and how to get algae under control.
Are Saltwater Aquaria Really Harder?
This article discusses the reasons many people falsely claim saltwater aquaria are harder to keep than freshwater aquaria.
Public Aquarium and Aquaculture
Papers, presentations and articles in this section are geared for the professional aquarist and aquaculturist. Therefore, these articles are generally more technical in nature than the articles found in the Aquarium Hobby section. However, everyone with an interest in aquaria and fishkeeping can find some value in them. Good fishkeeping.
Nitrification in Marine Aquaria
Timothy A. Hovanec, Ph.D. 2023.
A Chemical Analysis of Select Trace Elements in Synthetic Sea Salts and Natural Seawater
Timothy A. Hovanec, Ph.D. and Jennifer L. Coshland. 2004.
A Chemical Analysis of Select Trace Elements in Synthetic Sea Salts and Natural SeawaterRead More
Scientific Papers
On this page are reprints of two general categories of papers written by Dr Timothy A. Hovanec.
- This includes peer-reviewed research papers written or co-authored by Dr. Timothy A. Hovanec. Peer-reviewed means that before the paper was published in a scientific journal it was first anonymously reviewed by other researchers not connected with the research. These reviewers judged the paper for content and scientific worthiness. Only papers determined to meet sufficient scientific criteria are accepted for publication. This is part of the self-policing of scientists.
- Research papers dealing with a specific topic or subject of research. These papers would have been published in the proceedings of a special conference or workshop, a manual or other type of technical report.
The abstract of each paper is presented to give you a quick review of the paper. All the articles are copyrighted and may not be reprinted or copied in any fashion without the written consent of the copyright holder.
A Chemical Analysis of Select Trace Elements in Synthetic Sea Salts and Natural Seawater
Timothy A. Hovanec, Ph.D. and Jennifer L. Coshland. 2004.
A Chemical Analysis of Select Trace Elements in Synthetic Sea Salts and Natural SeawaterRead More
Nitrospira- Like Bacteria Associated with Nitrite Oxidation in Freshwater Aquaria. Applied and Environmental Microbiology Vol. 64, No. 1: 258-264.
Hovanec, T. A., L. T. Taylor, A. Blakis and E. F. DeLong. 1998.
Identification of Bacteria Responsible for Ammonia Oxidation in Freshwater Aquaria. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, Dec. 2001, p. 5791-5800
Paul C. Burrell, Carol M. Phalen, and Timothy A. Hovanec.
Presentations
On this page are presentations of talks, interviews, videos and other educational material developed by Dr Tim.
PetFishTalk radio interview with Dr Tim discussing One and Only Nitrifying Bacteria with Tom and Nevin Bailey. A 2 minute video featuring DrTim about using our products to successfully start your new aquarium featuring One & Only Live Nitrifying Bacteria.
Yes, there really is a Dr. Tim. It all started with 2 goldfish won at a school fair at age 6 that didn’t survive their first night in his care. DrTim’s gotten better at fish keeping since then! Read Our Story.