Fish tanks are something that are seen in nearly every household. Some homes may have large fish tanks with huge rocks, large fish, and big plants. Other homes may simply have smaller tanks that only feature a few fish, and have minimal rocks, plants, and other accessories. Either way, having an aquatic tank in the home is popular.
Many people, however, do not even know what a Reef Aquarium is. A Reef Aquarium is different than a normal fish tank in the sense that it puts the focus of the tank on the live coral reef living in the tank, as well as the small fish that live in and around that coral.
What is a Reef Aquarium?
The major difference between the marine aquarium and the Reef Aquarium is the fact that the focus is completely different. While the Reef Aquarium and coral aquarium do have fish, it really focuses on the live coral itself. Fish tanks seem to work opposite, revolving around the fish instead of the surroundings. The aquariums are saltwater, which limits some of the fish that you can have in the tank itself. This is the type of water found where the coral reef lives and thrives.
The aquariums are available in multiple sizes, and have different names that depend on the size and aquarium dimensions of the actual tank itself. Nano reefs, a smaller tank, are often less than 40 gallons. Sometimes, people only consider tanks less than 20 gallons a “nano reef tank”. Pico reefs are the reefs that are even smaller than the nano reefs.
Things that are Found in a Reef Aquarium
While a Reef Aquarium does focus on the live reef itself, the coral is not the only interesting and living thing in the tank itself. While there are more than one type of coral to add to the tank (such as adding in leather coral to your tank), adding fish and other types of sea life can be beneficial to the overall look of the tank. Marine fish, maxima clams, and arrow crabs are great additions to any tank. Instead of having a seahorse aquarium, some opt to have a Reef Aquarium with the seahorses.
Taking Care of a Reef Aquarium
A Reef Aquarium requires a lot of maintenance; often, this maintenance is more intense than a normal type of marine aquarium. One thing that is required for a full functioning Reef Aquarium and aquarium ecosystem is a protein skimmer. This skimmer takes care of the organic material that can not be taken care of by a normal filtration system; the living coral, and other life in the Reef Aquarium almost make a protein skimmer a requirement.
The water in the tank is incredibly important; the coral can be sensitive to a lot of things that can change, including ph and temperature. Making sure that you correctly care for your tank means that your coral will live and thrive.
Other Aspects to Consider
There are other things that are important to a Reef Aquarium. Sand used at the bottom of the tank is very important; aragonite sand is the best type of sand to use.
Also, one thing to watch out for in terms of life is the aggressive fish that may live in the tank; these fish can tear up the other fish in the tank, and the live coral, causing issues and destruction with your Reef Aquarium.
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