Magic formula for an awesome Reef Aquarium

Reef keepers have been searching for the magic formula of keeping a colorful healthy reef aquarium for decades. 


 


Some will argue that a sucessful aquarium will need to have medal halide lights pushing 500 par at the bottom of the tank along with a super monster skimmer and enough flow to push a battleship.  Others will argue that it has to be a nutrient deficient system with LED lights and a super computer to run everything.


 


The formula I tell people to use is P+P+P 


 


Personality




Planning


 


Patience


 


Like any formula, if you don't use all the ingredients, it wont work out like you want it.


 


Personality.  Your tank has to mirror your personality.  If you are not computer & technology savvy, then having a system that is ran by controllers, and lots of different fancy gadgets is probably not for you.  On the flip side, if you love programming and technology, a tank ran by controllers using programmable lights, pumps, automatic water changes, and filters may be for you. Whatever you choose, it has to fit you!  Do you want a predator tank that houses big mean fish, or a garden tank that is a work of art?


 


Planning.  This is the most critical part of setting up your reef aquarium.  What do you want to be like?  A fish only tank?  Do you want to stock anemones, LPS corals, SPS corals?  How about Butterfly fish or trigger fish that may ear your corals or shrimp.  Depending on what you want plays a major role in how you need to set it up.
Patience.  Once you get going, have patience.  Everyone wants to do the mega store fish deal where you take home a fish tank in one hand, and a bag of fish in the other.  This will not work in reef tanks.  You will kill a lot of animals, waste a lot of money, and become frustrated very quickly.  A reef tank will typically take a year to fully mature and become its own ecosystem

 

Hey all

I am trying to generate a few articles for the store website under construction.

I would like some feedback on a few articles. You can be as harsh as you think necesary, I have thick skin.