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Page 1 of 4 Mini Reef Aquariums
- What is a mini reef?
- Lighting
General Lighting
Reef Tank Lighting (Fish n' Chips Newsletter)
- By Kim Gross, Edited By Elizabeth M. Lukan, 9/27/99
- Temperature
- Water Movement
Filtration
- Conventional high tech
- Berlin Method
- Dr. Jauberts' Method
- Algal Turf
Choosing the Inhabitants
Maintenance, Care, Feeding
Problems in the Reef
- Hair Algae
- Brown Algae (Diatoms)
- The Red Slime (cyanobacteria)
References for Further Reading
| Marine vs. Reef |
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1. Filtered water, either reverse osmosis or de-ionized, is a must for the reef aquarium. (It is also a good idea for the marine system as well but is not absolutely necessary.)
2. Reef aquarium filtration generally includes more of an attempt at controlling nitrates either through filtration like protein skimmers and denitrification filters, through the addition of live rock, or through more constant and larger water changes. It is also desirable to limit phosphates by using filtered top-off water and resins.
3. Lighting in a reef aquarium is generally much more intense as it is trying to simulate sunlight in the tropics. The spectrum is also bluer to simulate conditions at lower ocean depths. Many of the corals require light of this intensity and color to grow and flourish.
4. Several chemicals are monitored and adequate levels are maintained in a reef aquarium. These include, calcium, strontium, iodine, carbonate hardness, and trace elements.
5. Strong water currents are necessary in a reef environment to bring nutrients to many of the 'filter feeding' organisms and to carry away their waste.
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What is a Reef Aquarium?
A Reef Aquarium is an aquarium containing many of the fish, corals and invertebrates, that can be found in the earth's coral reefs. In general these aquariums are teeming with life, (even the rock that is used is called 'live rock' because of the organisms found on it), compared to the traditional marine aquarium with fish and coral skeletons for decorations. The main differences between marine "fish only" systems and reefs are listed in the box.
The difference between a marine aquarium and a reef can be quite striking. The abundance of life in the reef aquarium provides a visual treat that makes the traditional 'fish only' marine aquarium seem almost sterile in comparison.
Mini Reefs are comparatively new to the aquarium hobby. Although people had been experimenting with keeping corals, especially in "natural" systems since the early 1960's, the 1980's and early 1990's saw the beginnings of serious efforts to import, keep and breed many of the corals and invertebrates available today in most shops that carry marine and reef animals.
General Lighting
Several years ago there was a lot of talk about whether metal halide or Very High Output (VHO) fluorescent lighting was better for a reef aquarium. Having tried both types and having good results with either, we have decided that either type can give excellent results if set up and maintained properly. A general rule of thumb is to provide 5 watts per gallon of aquarium water of either fluorescent or metal halide lighting. This is adequate for corals that need high light intensity and is more than enough for those that don't. The metal halides concentrate heat in a smaller area, so if temperature is a problem, and you don't want to buy a chiller, VHO might be a better choice.
Generally if you decide to use metal halide bulbs, the higher degree bulbs are better for the control of undesirable algae and the promotion of coral growth. 10,000K and even 20,000K bulbs are now available. The number "10,000K" refers to the temperature color equivalent i.e. 10,000K (10,000 degrees Kelvin) means the color output of the bulb is equivalent to a 10,000 degree sun (actually a 10,000 degree blackbody). The higher the temperature, the bluer the color of the bulb. When only 5500K metal halide bulbs were available, actinic (blue) fluorescent bulbs were often used as a supplement. Since water filters out red light, as you go deeper into the ocean the light gets bluer and so higher temperature bulbs simulate deeper ocean depths. You can actually simulate a deep reef without the high intensity bulbs by using regular 10 watt per foot actinic lighting. ("Actinic" lights are blue.)
The VHO fluorescent bulbs put out almost 3 times as much light (110 watts for a 4 foot bulb) as conventional fluorescent bulbs. Common VHO bulb colors are full spectrum (sunlight), actinic (blue), and half actinic, half full spectrum. It is generally recommended to use 1/2 to 3/4 actinic to full spectrum bulbs. Recently, the percentage of blue to full spectrum bulbs recommended has been going up. The bulbs will tend to turn red as they are used anyway, so it may be a good idea to go a little heavy on the blue when they are new.
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