Building a coral reef aquarium is considered by many a work of art. If done properly, it is a thing of beauty and can be enjoyed for years to come. These aquariums are much more complicated than your basic tropical or freshwater aquariums, but with a few tips, you will be able to build the aquarium of your dreams.
Selecting your Tank
Choose the largest tank possible that is in your budget and will fit in with your home without overwhelming it. A large tank doesn’t cost that much more than a small tank and you will be able to have a wider variety of corals and fish without causing them stress from overcrowding.
Location
When deciding where to put your coral reef aquarium, you need to remember to place it away from direct sunlight and away from heating and cooling vents. You also need to take weight into consideration if the tank will be located on an upper story of your home or apartment.
Filtration System
A good filtration system is essential to your coral reef aquarium. Several types you need to consider are:
1. Trickle Filters
2. Canister Filter and air operated skimmers
3. Hang-on Style Reef Filters
Substrate
The substrate is the underlying base at the bottom of your aquarium and is critical to your coral reef aquarium. The most popular is coral sand because it is clean and attractive, but shellgrit can also be used.
Create a static cavity of water below substrate by placing undergravel filter plates which will create an anaerobic environment under the coral sand. There will be no water movement here. Place the undergravel plates on the bottom of the aquarium and add saltwater to cover the plates well. Use 3 centimeters of course and medium coral rubble to put down next. Above this, you will need to place fly screen to keep the fish from burrowing down too deeply and then a 3 centimeter layer of fine and medium coral sand.
Water
RO or reverse osmosis creates the best saltwater because there are no impurities. Using a chamber or floating hydrometer, set your specific gravity between 1.022-1.025 by adding freshwater or more salt.
Connect your filtration system so that you have a highly aerated environment. There is no such thing as too much water movement in a coral reef aquarium.
Cycle Your Tank In
Use base live rock to begin building your reef. Living rock is a diverse living bacteria culture that you can seed your tank with. As your tank matures, add more live rock in small amounts for several weeks. As you do this, monitor your waste levels testing for Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, pH, and alkalinity. When your nitrite levels are low, you can begin adding your fish and corals.
Add Corals and Fish
Set up your corals so they are not touching. Some corals can sting and kill the other corals and some corals need plenty of room to open.
Different fish species live on different levels in a natural coral reef. It is best to imitate this when adding fish to your coral reef aquarium so be careful to add only one species of fish per level in your aquarium.
Maintenance
If set up properly, you only need to clean the algae from the front of the tank and feed your corals and fish.
Coral reef aquariums require a great deal when it comes to planning and setting them up, but the results are beautiful. Following this setup will result in your very own work of art that you can continue to enjoy for a long time.
