A reef tank or reef aquarium is considered to be one of the most difficult aquarium setups to create and maintain. In recent years, advancements in our knowledge of the reef, coupled with more refined reef maintenance techniques, the reef tank has become much more accessible to the hobbiest. A 335,000 U.S. gallon (1. ...

From theme reefs which attempt to recreate life specific to one region of the world like the Great Barrier Reef to the more prevalent and often spectacularly colored mixed reef that blend hard and soft coral from around the world. Unlike the marine aquarium which main purpose is to house various fish, the true stars of the reef tank are the coral and other invertebrates. Satellite image of a part of the Great Barrier Reef. ... // Headline text Headline text Headline text Headline text Bold text Orders Scleractinia Corals are gastrovascular marine cnidarians (phylum Cnidaria; class Anthozoa) existing as small sea anemone-like polyps, typically forming colonies of many individuals. ... A Marine aquarium is an aquarium that keeps marine plants and animals in a contained environment. ... Groups Conodonta Hyperoartia Petromyzontidae (lampreys) Pteraspidomorphi (early jawless fish) Thelodonti Anaspida Cephalaspidomorphi (early jawless fish) Galeaspida Pituriaspida Osteostraci Gnathostomata (jawed vertebrates) Placodermi Chondrichthyes (cartilaginous fish) Acanthodii Osteichthyes (bony fish) Actinopterygii (ray-finned fish) Sarcopterygii (lobe-finned fish) Actinistia (coelacanths) Dipnoi (lungfish) A fish is a poikilothermic (cold-blooded) water-dwelling... // Headline text Headline text Headline text Headline text Bold text Orders Scleractinia Corals are gastrovascular marine cnidarians (phylum Cnidaria; class Anthozoa) existing as small sea anemone-like polyps, typically forming colonies of many individuals. ... Invertebrate is a term coined by Chevalier de Lamarck to describe any animal without a backbone or vertebra, like insects, squids and worms. ...

Methodology

The aquarium

The first step in building a successful reef aquarium is the tank itself. Most hobbyists prefer what are called Reef Ready Aquariums which are identical to regular glass or acrylic style tanks save for an internal overflow made of plastic or glass which encloses holes that have been drilled into the bottom glass to accommodate a drain or Standpipe and a return line. Water pours over the overflow into and down the standpipe, through PVC piping, into a sump, which houses various filtration and heating equipment, through a return water pump and finally back via more piping through the second hole into the aquarium. An alternative method to having a tank that is already drilled is to use a hang on tank overflow with a U-tube (via an continuous siphon). This article refers to the material. ... Structure of methyl methacrylate Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) or poly(methyl 2-methylpropanoate) is the synthetic polymer of methyl methacrylate. ... A freestanding fire standpipe at Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA A standpipe is a type of rigid water piping which is put in multi-story buildings to be used in the event of a fire. ... A freestanding fire standpipe at Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA A standpipe is a type of rigid water piping which is put in multi-story buildings to be used in the event of a fire. ... PVC may refer to the following: The chemical compound polyvinyl chloride Irregular heartbeat: premature ventricular contraction In frame relay, ATM and X.25 a permanent virtual circuit This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... A sump is a low area that collects an often-undesirable liquid(s) such as water or chemicals. ... A pump is a mechanical device used to move liquids or gases. ...

Filtration

Unlike the marine aquarium that use a combination of mechanical, chemical and biological filtration, reef aquariums primary filtration comes from the use of large amounts of live rock which come from various rubble zones around existing reefs or more recently aquacultured rock from Florida which is supplemented by powerful protein skimmers. This method first came from Germany and is aptly termed the Berlin Method. A Marine aquarium is an aquarium that keeps marine plants and animals in a contained environment. ... Live rock is a usually coralline rock with marine organisms living on or within the rock, and is a term used mainly in the aquarium trade. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... The Berlin Method of biological filtration is basically the use of ample live rock in a refugium or tank. ...

The typical rule of thumb is to use from .75 to 2 pounds of live rock per gallon of aquarium water depending on the density of the rock – or filling the tank up 2/3 of the way to the top. The benefit of using live rock is three fold: First, live rock acts as a biological filter. Secondly, it introduces an abundance of marine life to the aquarium that many fish, invertebrates and corals use for food. And thirdly, it provides a natural reef appearance with ample places to locate corals. Live rock is a usually coralline rock with marine organisms living on or within the rock, and is a term used mainly in the aquarium trade. ... Live rock is a usually coralline rock with marine organisms living on or within the rock, and is a term used mainly in the aquarium trade. ... Groups Conodonta Hyperoartia Petromyzontidae (lampreys) Pteraspidomorphi (early jawless fish) Thelodonti Anaspida Cephalaspidomorphi (early jawless fish) Galeaspida Pituriaspida Osteostraci Gnathostomata (jawed vertebrates) Placodermi Chondrichthyes (cartilaginous fish) Acanthodii Osteichthyes (bony fish) Actinopterygii (ray-finned fish) Sarcopterygii (lobe-finned fish) Actinistia (coelacanths) Dipnoi (lungfish) A fish is a poikilothermic (cold-blooded) water-dwelling... Invertebrate is a term coined by Chevalier de Lamarck to describe any animal without a backbone or vertebra, like insects, squids and worms. ... A coral reef can be an oasis of marine life. ...

Mechanical filtration is often avoided because sponge filters, filter floss and filter socks trap detritus and produces nitrates which stunt the growth or even kill many delicate corals. Chemical filtration is used sparingly so to avoid discoloration of the water, to remove dissolved matter (organic or otherwise) and to help stabilize the reef system. Detritus may refer to: In geology, detritus is the name for loose fragments of rock that have been worn away by erosion. ... Nitrates are the salts of nitric acid. ... A coral reef can be an oasis of marine life. ...

Water movement

Corals are simple creatures with limited ability to feed, reproduce and rid themselves of waste (metabolites). Water movement is key to the success of the reef tank with each type of coral requiring different flow rates. At present, many hobbyists advocate the 10 X rule – 10 x aquarium capacity = required flow per ____ . This is a general rule with many exceptions. For instance, Mushroom Coral requires little flow while many species of Acropora thrive under much more turbulent conditions in the range of 30 to 40 times more flow most likely due to their proximity to wave crests in the wild. A coral reef can be an oasis of marine life. ... Metabolites are the intermediates and products of metabolism. ... Acropora is probably what most people think of when they think of coral. ...

Of the many different types of creating this needed water flow the most popular method is by using multiple power heads which are simply small submersible water pumps. The pumps are randomly switched on and off using a wave timer. Each aimed at the flow of another power head or at the aquarium glass to create a random flow in the tank. Another method gaining popularity is the closed loop by which water is siphoned from the main tank to a pump that in turn pushes the water right back into the aquarium via multiple returns to create water turbulence. ...

Lighting

Another hotly debated topic is aquarium lighting. With the advent of newer better methods, increasing intensities and a growing spectrum—the topic of[aquarium lighting can be a daunting one even for the seasoned aquarist.

Many, if not most aquarium corals contain within their tissue the symbiotic algae called zooxanthellae. And it is these zooxanthellae that require light to perform photosynthesis and in turn produce simple sugars that the corals utilize for food. Therefore, the simple answer to light is to provide enough to maintain a thriving population of zooxanthellae in a corals tissue. In practice however, this can prove to be a very complex issue. // Headline text Headline text Headline text Headline text Bold text Orders Scleractinia Corals are gastrovascular marine cnidarians (phylum Cnidaria; class Anthozoa) existing as small sea anemone-like polyps, typically forming colonies of many individuals. ... Zooxanthellae are golden-brown endosymbionts of various marine animals and protozoa. ... Leaf. ...

Some corals such as the Mushroom Coral require very little light to thrive – conversely, Acropora Coral, brain coral, Bubble Coral, Elegance Coral, Cup Coral, Sun Polyps Coral, Torch Coral, Trumpet Coral can require substantially more intensity. Brain coral Brain coral (Diploria labyrinthiformis) Brain Coral () is a collection of species of coral characterized by the spheroid shape of their colonies. ...

Of the various types most popular aquarium lighting comes from metal halide, very high output or VHO, compact fluorescent and T5 high output with many aquarists abandoning T12 and T8 fluorescent lamps due to their poor intensity and mercury vapor due to a limited light spectrum. Metal halide lamps are similar to mercury vapor lamps, but instead of just mercury, they also contain all metals in the halide group of the periodic table (Hence the name). ... Spiral compact fluorescent light bulb A compact fluorescent lamp (CFL), also known as a compact fluorescent light bulb, is a type of fluorescent lamp which screws into a regular light bulb socket, or plugs into a small lighting fixture. ... T5 can mean: T5 is the IATA code for Turkmenistan airline Turkmenistan Airlines Terminal 5 at London Heathrow Airport, due to open in 2008. ... A Mercury Vapor Lamp is a gas discharge lamp which uses mercury in an excited state to produce light. ... The noun spectrum (plural: spectra) has a variety of meanings. ...

The next issue with aquarium lighting is the various terminology used in the hobby, such as color temperature measured in kelvins, color rendering index (CRI), photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and lumens. Then the various power ratings available from a meager 9 W fluorescent lamp to a blinding 1000 W metal halide. The penetration of light by each bulb type (listed in order of weakest to strongest they would be: T8/12 or normal output lamps, VHO, compact fluorescent, T5 high output and the deepest penetrating bulb the metal halide). And to further complicate matters, the various types of ballasts available (electric ballast, magnetic ballast, and pulse start ballast). White light is commonly described by its color temperature. ... The kelvin (symbol: K) is the SI unit of temperature, and is one of the seven SI base units. ... Colour rendering index, or CRI, is a measure of the quality of colour light, devised by the International Commission on Illumination (CIE). ... PAR is the range of light, 400-700nm that can be photosynthesized by plants. ... In anatomy, the lumen is the cavity or channel within a tube or tubular structure, such as the vascular lumen of a blood vessel, along which blood flows. ... Fluorescence induced by exposure to ultraviolet light in vials containing various sized cadmium selenide (CdSe) quantum dots. ... Ballast may mean : Something that improves stability Track ballast (gravel or cinders) forms the railroad or railway track-bed on which sleepers (ties) and track is laid. ...

Luckily the choice of which lights would be most appropriate for a new reef tank is to first choose what types of corals they plan on keeping. From that point the list shrinks considerably.

Heating & cooling

Most hobbyists agree that a reef tank should be kept at a temperature between 78 degrees and 83 degrees Fahrenheit (26 to 28 °C). Radical temperature shifts should be avoided as these can be particularly harmful to reef invertebrates. Depending on the location of the tank and the conditions therein (i.e. heat/air conditioning), you may need to install a heater and/or a chiller for the tank. Heaters are relatively inexpensive and readily available at any local fish store. Chillers, on the other hand can run well over $400 USD and are more difficult to locate. For many aquarists, installing surface fans and running home air conditioning suffice in the place of a chiller.

External links

• The Reef Tank Interactive Discussion Forum - Our mission is to provide a supportive, flame-free environment for beginning and experienced aquarists to share ideas, ask questions, and learn about the marine and reef keeping hobby. We also aim to educate ourselves and others about responsible animal husbandry, promoting captive-raised livestock and aquacultured corals when possible.
• Aquarium Pros - AP is dedicated to the Canadian reefkeeping community, but contains a wealth of information for any interested.
• Advanced Aquarist's Online Magazine - An online marine aquarist magazine covering all topics relating to marine aquarium husbandry. Established in 2002.
• Marine Aquarist Courses Online - Online courses for marine aquarist teaching such subjects as DIY projects (skimmers, calcium reactors, etc), animal husbandry, and equipment selection. Established in 2000.
• Artificial Corals and Reefs - Can be used in freshwater and saltwater aquariums. Environment friendly. Helps to save natural reefs.
• Reef Aquarium Index - Saltwater & reef aquarium reference guide contains links to over 1500 articles on set-up, maintenance, and care of fish & coral species.
• Reef aquarium care articles and coral identification guide with reef tank hobby community forum.
• Reef Aquarium Wiki - MediaWiki-powered encyclopedia of reefkeeping.

See also: Nano reef A nano reef is a reef tank of less than 20 gallons. ...