When you first join the fish keeping hobby, you may notice abbreviations/acronyms that can seem confusing. Hopefully this page can help you identify common abbreviations/acronyms within the aquarium world.
| Slang | Meaning |
| ABT | Atlantic Blue Tang (Type of fish) |
| Acan | Acanthastrea (Type of coral) |
| Acro | Acropora (Type of coral) |
| AEFW | Acropora-eating Flatworms (A marine pest) |
| Alk | Alkalinity |
| ATC | Automatic Temperature Compensation |
| ATO | Auto Top-Off |
| AWC | Automatic water change |
| BA | Bubble Algae |
| BBA | Black Beard Algae |
| BB | Bare Bottom |
| BBT | Bare Bottom Tank |
| BCS | Banded Coral Shrimp |
| Blasto | Blastomussa (Type of coral) |
| BPM | Bubbles Per Minute |
| BPS | Bubbles Per Second |
| Brackish | Water that has more salinity than freshwater, but less than seawater |
| BTA | Bubble Tip Anemone |
| Ca | Calcium |
| CBB | Copper Band Butterfly (Type of fish) |
| Chaeto | Chaetomorpha |
| CUC | Clean Up Crew |
| Cycle | Nitrogen Cycle |
| DSB | Deep Sand Bed |
| DT | Display Tank |
| FO | Fish Only |
| FOWLR | Fish Only With Live Rock |
| Fuge | Refugium |
| FW | Fresh Water |
| FWD | Fresh Water Dip |
| GBP | Green Button Polyps (Type of coral) |
| GFO | Granular Ferric Oxide (a phosphate remover) |
| GH | General Hardness |
| GHA | Green Hair Algae |
| GPD | Gallons Per Day |
| GSP | Green Star Polyp (Type of coral) |
| HA | Hair Algae |
| HITH | Hole in the Head Disease |
| HLLE | Head and Lateral Line Disease |
| HOB | Hang On Back |
| Kalk | Kalkwasser |
| LFS | Local Fish Store |
| Lobo | Lobophyllia (Type of coral) |
| LPS | Large Polyp Stony Coral |
| LR | Live Rock |
| LS | Live Sand |
| MTS | Multiple Tank Syndrome |
| NH3 | Ammonia |
| NO2 | Nitrite |
| NO3 | Nitrate |
| Paly | Palythoa (Type of coral) |
| Params | Parameters |
| PO4 | Phosphate |
| Pods | Usually copepods and amphipods |
| PPM | Parts Per Million |
| QT | Quarantine Tank |
| Softey | Soft Corals |
| SPS | Small Polyp Stony Coral |
| SSB | Shallow Sand Bed |
| SW | Saltwater |
| TDS | Total Dissolved Solids |
| UGF | Under Gravel Filter |
| WC | Water Change |
| WQ | Water Quality |
If you have any suggestions for this page, please feel free to comment below and they will get added to the list.
