This article provides a brief introduction to reef aquariums. It will first provide an overview of the reef aquarium along with a short history. Then we'll discuss how reef aquariums fit into the larger category of saltwater aquariums. After that we'll go into more detail about what you might find in a reef aquarium. A lively discussion of pros and cons for keeping a reef aquarium follows that. Finally, we'll conclude this article with online reef references for you.
Overview of a Reef Aquarium
In its most basic form, the reef aquarium is a tank full of invertebrates such as corals, anemones, and other neat creatures. Instead of the fish being the focus, the focus of the tank is on the reef itself.
History
Saltwater aquarium hit it big around the 1950s due to advances in filtration systems over anything else. That and the commercial success of air transportation to help move saltwater fish from the wild to your local fish store. But actually focusing on the reef as opposed to the reef fish is a much newer explosion in the fish hobby world. The advent of the Internet over the past 10 years has really helped disseminate information to reef hobbyists around the globe.
FO, FOWLR, and Reef
Reef Aquariums are saltwater aquariums where the focus is on invertebrates that you'd find on a reef. The focus isn't on the fish the way they are in a FO or FOWLR tank. FO what?!?! Here we go:
- FO stands for "Fish Only." It refers to a saltwater tank where you only have fish. No live rock and no invertebrates.
- FOWLR stands for "Fish Only WITH Live Rock." The "Fish Only" refers to the part that there won't be any invertebrates in the tank, just fish. The Live Rock refers to bringing in rocks from the ocean that have living micro (and some macro) organisms on them that help with biological filtration.
Reef tanks usually don't have that many fish in them and if they do, the fish will be small or limited in number. Basically, you're growing your reef and you don't want to have fish in there that can damage or eat it.
Most Popular components to a Reef Aquarium
Besides your live rock and some fish for show, most everything you're going to find in a reef aquarium is an invertebrate. Invertebrates are basically animals without backbones. But here are some of the most popular invertebrates you're likely to find in a reef tank:
- soft coral
- hard coral
- anemones
- sea urchins
- starfish
- crustaceans (crabs and shrimp)
- tube worms
- mollusks (clams, snails, and octopuses).
Pros
Why keep a reef tank? Anybody who's ever stood in front of one will tell you. They are mesmerizing. You can't take your eyes off a reef tank. It's like having a little bit of the ocean, right there in front of you. Pros to keeping reef tanks include:
- Reef tanks provide a welcome challenge
- The beauty and uniqueness found in a reef tank is unparalleled
- Keeping reef tanks helps raise interest in protecting wild coral
Some people just like a challenge. You tell them "it can't be done" or "it's really hard to do," and what do they do? Turn away? No way, they're drawn towards the reef tank and make it their life's dream to successfully keep a reef tank in their home. With a reef tank, you're replicating even more of an ecosystem than a FO or FOWLR tank. You need to account for not just how fish interact with each other, but how fish, corals and invertebrates interact with each other to help support each other in a more sustainable environment. You'll learn more about the biology of organisms and how ecosystems manage themselves than you would with other set-ups.
In terms of the beauty of a reef tank, truly, there is not another experience in the world except for reef snorkeling or scuba diving that will let you appreciate up close what makes a reef tank special. Reef tanks are like none other. The beauty of the corals, anemones, and other invertebrates are unparalleled. There's simply nothing else like it. The relationship between all the different animals in a reef tank just adds to the experience.
Finally, the interest that reef tank owners have in their hobby helps protect the reef environment in the wild. It's hard to appreciate something when you never see it or have no way of understanding what is truly at stake. With reef tank hobbyists, you'll find owners who make it a life style, a life's goal even to protect their "babies" out in the wild, too.
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