E
eric b 125
Guest
The reason to keep saltwater tanks, no matter what kind, goes well beyond having a focal point in a room. Sure, having a well maintained aquarium is definitely a conversation piece but to me the passion for keeping one is a bit deeper than that.
For me, one of the most important aspects of this is sustainability. Every year we hear about a new disaster that threatens natural reefs and fish along with countless other types of marine life. As hobbyists, our desire for rare, beautiful specimens can also have a negative impact on wildlife. That is why I try to preach the importance of aquaculture and frag swaps. Aside from the money that is saved by going to frag swaps, it helps keep wild specimens where they belong- in the wild. This goes beyond the collection of fish and inverts and also includes the harvesting of live rock from underwater quarries.
Another thing that I feel responsible for is educating people. I think that we all feel passionate about this, because that is what we do on this forum everyday. For those of us that have done the research, asked the questions, and made mistakes in the past, I feel that it is our duty to explain to new hobbyists the reason behind why things can or can't be done responsibly. It is for this reason that I don't ever bash the "tang police".
Energy conservation is equally important to the future of this hobby. In my house, the aquarium is the largest source of electrical usage. I feel that the need for high powered lights is the biggest culprit in energy expenditure and energy waste. For years metal halides have been the industries standard for reef capable lighting. However, it is overlooked a lot of times how much energy these lights waste. The energy these lights use also creates a lot of heat energy, often leading to the need for a chiller which in turn requires more energy. Also, how we have our lightings installed can create a waste of energy. If the light from your aquarium lights up your entire room, then you are wasting photons that could be used toward the growth of your corals. I feel that it is our tendency to over-light our tanks, and I admit that I am guilty of this. My aquarium light is 1070 watts, though several of my reef club members have the same sized tank and only use half of the wattage I do to light their tanks with great color and growth. I can see LED lighting being a real game changer to a lot of peoples tanks down the road once the quality control over doping materials and bin lots becomes more consistent.
As years go by and legislation is passed, it will become increasingly more difficult to become involved in this great hobby. If we all do our part to help with the conservation of the natural environments of our livestock, then our hobby can have a more positive impact on the oceans than negative.
There are so many facets to setting up and maintaining saltwater aquariums. Knowledge in the areas of construction, plumbing, electrical, physics, biology, ecology, and chemistry is eventually required. To new hobbyists this can be overwhelming but starting out slow, taking advice from more experienced hobbyists and doing some research is all that is needed to start an incredible aquarium that will become the focal point of any room in your house.
For me, one of the most important aspects of this is sustainability. Every year we hear about a new disaster that threatens natural reefs and fish along with countless other types of marine life. As hobbyists, our desire for rare, beautiful specimens can also have a negative impact on wildlife. That is why I try to preach the importance of aquaculture and frag swaps. Aside from the money that is saved by going to frag swaps, it helps keep wild specimens where they belong- in the wild. This goes beyond the collection of fish and inverts and also includes the harvesting of live rock from underwater quarries.
Another thing that I feel responsible for is educating people. I think that we all feel passionate about this, because that is what we do on this forum everyday. For those of us that have done the research, asked the questions, and made mistakes in the past, I feel that it is our duty to explain to new hobbyists the reason behind why things can or can't be done responsibly. It is for this reason that I don't ever bash the "tang police".
Energy conservation is equally important to the future of this hobby. In my house, the aquarium is the largest source of electrical usage. I feel that the need for high powered lights is the biggest culprit in energy expenditure and energy waste. For years metal halides have been the industries standard for reef capable lighting. However, it is overlooked a lot of times how much energy these lights waste. The energy these lights use also creates a lot of heat energy, often leading to the need for a chiller which in turn requires more energy. Also, how we have our lightings installed can create a waste of energy. If the light from your aquarium lights up your entire room, then you are wasting photons that could be used toward the growth of your corals. I feel that it is our tendency to over-light our tanks, and I admit that I am guilty of this. My aquarium light is 1070 watts, though several of my reef club members have the same sized tank and only use half of the wattage I do to light their tanks with great color and growth. I can see LED lighting being a real game changer to a lot of peoples tanks down the road once the quality control over doping materials and bin lots becomes more consistent.
As years go by and legislation is passed, it will become increasingly more difficult to become involved in this great hobby. If we all do our part to help with the conservation of the natural environments of our livestock, then our hobby can have a more positive impact on the oceans than negative.
There are so many facets to setting up and maintaining saltwater aquariums. Knowledge in the areas of construction, plumbing, electrical, physics, biology, ecology, and chemistry is eventually required. To new hobbyists this can be overwhelming but starting out slow, taking advice from more experienced hobbyists and doing some research is all that is needed to start an incredible aquarium that will become the focal point of any room in your house.
