A Simple Guide to Establishing
and Maintaining a Reef Aquarium
Introduction
It probably
all started 30 some odd years ago with a goldfish in a bowl of colored
water
that I won at the fair. Many tanks and a lot of money later it is still
in my blood. I cannot pass a tank, any tank, without a careful inspection
of the contents. Except in rare cases, I am always left with just a
little more inner peace and a little bit of wonderment and awe.
I can remember
the small fish store where I eyed my first yellow tang. From that day
forward, the cichlids would just never do any more. Then, in the 80’s,
I saw a full-blown reef, and I lusted after it for years. Finally, on
a recent trip to the Gulf Coast, I visited an arcade with my children;
Morgan’s in Destin, Florida. Morgan’s has several reef tanks set up
and maintained by Kathy and David Smith of Reef
Encrustaceans. I was instantly hooked again.
With my renewed
lust for reef aquaria, I began to research heavily all of the latest
trends in reef/fish keeping. And now, unlike my other forays into fish
keeping, I have the Internet as a research tool, and what a tool it
is. The Internet allows me to talk and listen to virtually thousands
of people, and collect both scientific and anecdotal information that
has made this my most successful and enjoyable fish keeping experience
to date.
This same
Internet that allows me to consume information, also allows me to share
it. Therefore, it is here that I choose to synopsize what I have learned,
and hopefully help a few people be successful in fish/reef keeping.
This is not a purely selfless act. I have some selfless as well as selfish
reasons to motivate me.
Hopefully,
this text will serve to educate the neophyte as to what is necessary
in reef/fish keeping, and dissuade those who are not willing to do the
work. Irresponsible hobbyist and fish dealers, if left unchecked, will
ruin this hobby.
Ecological
Impact
Many things
affect the health of the reef and its inhabitants. Coral and fish collection,
when done properly, is of only minor impact to the coral reefs. The
majority of the destruction of the reefs can be attributed to commercial
mining of limestone from the reefs for construction materials and non-organic
run-off from onshore farming efforts. These things, in conjunction with
coral bleaching and mass die-offs, attributed to global warming, are
destroying reefs at an alarming rate. None of these things though, are
as visible as the brightly colored fish and corals in the local fish
store. Therefore, when the environmentalists are screaming about the
destruction of the reefs, it is the aquarium hobbyists that are blamed.
To combat
the laying of the blame, we as hobbyists must take and environmentally
friendly position, and make it visible. These are reasonably simple
steps. First, buy only net caught fish from a supplier you can trust.
The reason behind this is twofold. Net caught fish will fare better
in you tank than similar cyanide caught specimens, and no reef destruction
is affected with a hand net. These fish will live longer, and reduce
the demand on the reef to produce more animals. Along these lines, buy
tank-raised fish wherever you can. They may be a bit more expensive,
but from a longevity standpoint, quality beats quantity every time.
Also, make sure that the fish you covet has a good reputation as an
aquarium subject. Except rare cases, Orbic Bats, Moorish Idols, and
such, quickly starve in an aquarium. This is a waste of money, but more
importantly, a waste of life. If you don’t buy the fish, your store
won’t stock it, the wholesaler won’t import it, and it stays in the
reefs…less ecological impact.
Also, if
you want to keep a specimen with a special requirement, make darn sure
that you can provide that special requirement. If you cannot, it will
be a slow and certain death. More important though, is to find out about
that special requirement BEFORE you bring the specimen home.
Responsibility
Once you
get the fish or coral home, you should treat it like a child, or at
a minimum, with as much care as you would provide your cat or dog. It
is no different. You have removed an animal from the wild. Therefore,
your are responsible for the well being of same. You can’t ignore them.
They must be fed, the tank cleaned, bulbs and filters changed, and several
other tasks.
These animals,
at least in my case, represent an emotional and financial commitment.
With the price of these specimens, and the cost of equipment, a decently
stocked reef tank can easily run to $50-per-gallon. That is $2000 for
a forty-gallon tank, up front. Then there are recurring costs for chemicals,
bulbs, hardware, food, etc. This is not a cheap hobby. When I lose an
animal though, my mind does not go to the money, but to the life lost.
So I do everything I can to not lose an animal. I hope you will to.
The Plan
I am a planner.
I like to know where I am going before I leave. That way I will always
arrive at where I thought I would. Hopefully in the next few pages you
will find some inspiration to plan. It will help you be successful,
as well as minimize the loss of life, money, and patience. I must say
though, before formulating a plan you need to do three things; read,
read, and read. This web site is as good of a place to start as any,
but far from being the only thing you need to read. Also, I have included
several book reviews of texts that
I feel should be on all serious reef keepers shelves. “Plan the work
and work the plan,” I always say…sometimes.
I sincerely
hope you gain something from this, and that you deeply enjoy fish/reef
keeping as much as I do.
