The Reef Aquarium: A Challenge In Thirty Colors
The Reef Aquarium: A Challenge In Thirty Colors
The reef aquarium is a totally different animal from freshwater and saltwater aquariums. Instead of the gravel you'd normally find at the bottom of a normal aquarium, reef aquarium models are coated with various living corals, and a number of sea creatures normally found near coral reefs. These reef aquarium models are far more stylistic than most, and are only made accessible to the modern hobbyist due to vast leaps in aqua marine methodology. For example, where most aquariums would have a mechanical filter aided by constant chemical treatment, Reef Aquariums use live rock (the calcium skeleton of a long dead coral) or aqua cultured, protein supplemented rock from Florida, and other Caribbean sources. This live rock method is not, as you might think, supplemented mechanically or chemically. In fact, mechanized filters and chemical methods are bad for the mini-reef, and, in truth, not nearly as effective. Live rock provides four distinct benefits to an aquarium: it acts as a natural filter, producing beneficial bacteria that help get rid of ammonia and other potential toxins. It also helps balanced the acidity (PH) levels of the water, as well as providing food for the corals and fish to munch on, and adding to the charm and beauty of the aquarium as a whole. Lighting, a simple matter in less complicated aquariums, is truly something to ponder if you intend to make your own reef aquarium. Corals need light to live, and many species need light to vastly differing degrees. One has to make the choice between what sorts of coral they intend on keeping before deciding on all the many lighting options (bearing in mind that too much or too little light could play a disastrous role in your aquarium): everything from Very High Output lamps, to blinding metal halides. It can be a lot of dun researching and making the decision on what to buy. If you love beautiful and complex things, there is no question that you'd adore a Reef Aquarium. But the ultimate question really comes to how much time--and money--you can pour into your hobby. It can be a more expensive hobby than a simple fish aquarium.