Reef Related Acronyms

Hey everyone. I wanted to start putting together a list of acronyms we commonly use. I think this can be a big help to the new people coming into the hobby as well as a bit of a refresher for everyone else as well. I know when I entered the hobby it was a bit overwhelming and I still come across some I don't know. I know there are plenty more than what I have listed here so feel free to PM me and I will get them added. I have the thread locked for editing so the info doesn’t get buried.

Acronyms:

A:
AEFW – Acropora Eating Flatworm
AIO – All in one
ATO – Automated top off
ATS – Algae turf scrubber

B:
BB – Bare Bottom
BNIB – Brand new in box
BR – Base Rock
BTA – Bubble tip anemone

C:
CB – Cornbred
CB – Coral Beauty Angelfish
CBB – Copper band butterfly
CBS – Coral Banded Shrimp
CC – Crushed Coral
CL – Closed loop
CUC – Clean up crew

D:
DI – De–ionization
DIY – Do it yourself
DSB – Deep sand bed
DT – Display tank

E:
EC – End Cap

F:
FO – Fish only
FOWLR – Fish only with live rock
FTS – Full tank shot
FW – Fresh water
FW – Flat worms
FWE – Flat worm exit

G:
GBTA – Green bubble tip anemone
GFCI – Ground fault circuit interrupter
GFO – Granular Ferric Oxide
GHA – Green hair algae
GPH – Gallons per hour
GPM – Gallons per minute
GSM – Gold Stripe Maroon Clownfish
GSP – Green star polyps

H:
HA – Hair algae
HITH – Hole in the head
HLLE – head and lateral line erosion
HO – High Output
HOB – Hang on back

I:
IO – Instant Ocean

L:
LE – Limited Edition
LED – Light emitting diode
LFS – local fish store
LMB – Lawnmower Blenny
LPS – Large polyp stony
LR – Live rock
LRB – Little Red Bugs
LS – Live sand
LTA – Long tentacle anemone

M:
MH – Metal Halide

N:
NIB - New in box
NO – Normal Output
NSW – Natural sea water

O:
OP – Original poster
ORA – Oceans Reefs and Aquariums
ORP – Oxygen Redox Potential

P:
PAR – Photosynthetic active radiation
PBT – Powder blue tang, pacific blue tang
PC – Power compact
PE – polyp extension
PIF – Pay It Forward
PM – Private message
PPE – Purple people eaters
PPM – Parts per million

Q:
QT – Quarantine Tank

R:
RBTA – Rose Bubble tip anemone, rainbow bubble tip anemone
RC – Reef Crystals
RO/DI – Reverse Osmosis/De–ionized
RR – Reef ready
RSS – Red Sea Salt
RTD – recent tissue degeneration
RTN – Rapid tissue necrosis

S:
SB – Sandbed
SPS – small polyp stony
SSB – Shallow Sand Bed
STN – Slow tissue necrosis
SW – Salt water

T:
TDS – Total dissolved solids
TM – Tropic Marin
TOTM – Tank of the month

U:
UV – Ultra Violet

V:
VHO – Very High Output

W:
WPG – Watts per gallon
WSM – White Stripe Maroon Clownfish
WTB – Want to buy
WTS – Want to sell
WTT – Want to trade
WYSIWYG – What you see is what you get


Abbreviations:

Acan – Acanthastrea
Alk – Alkalinity
Blasto – Blastomussa
Ca – Calcium
Cyano – Cyanobacteria
dkH – Degrees of carbonate hardness – measurement of alkalinity
Ich – infestation of Cryptocaryon irritans or other common marine parasite
Kalk – Kalkwasser – calcium hydroxide
Lobo – Lobophyllia
Lord – Acanthastrea Lordhowensis
Micro – Micromussa
Milli – Acropora millipora
Paly(s) – Palythoas
pH – Measurement of hydrogen ions
Rics – Ricordea
Shroom – Mushroom
Softies – Soft Corals
Zoas – Zoanthids
Zoos – Zoanthids