jawfishray
Member
I guess there comes a point that a beginner, layperson, and even the most experienced person may find themselves being hemmed in to a particular view, opinion, or select series of choices that define their applications.
Mushroom people will state that these softies are without a doubt the best, and there for the way to go...and so forth.
The basics that have proven themselves:
1) QUALITY LIGHTS, in good condition to best offer a clean clear near daylight simulation. (anything else is a less then best situation, regardless of if the florec. are doing ok or 5yr old MH still look ok...)
2) QUALITY WATER; in the best of worlds (countries, counties, toens, etc.) the tap water would be perfectly clean and clear of impurities and heavy metals. As this is rarely the case, the issue of what kind of water you use is fundamental to the foundation of what is being built. RO and RO/DI has been proven by the majority rather then the minority to be effective and preferred.
then the fun begins...
SKIMMERS are good. It makes sense to take out your garbage. Rats, cats, dogs, and roaches will do their best to finish off your garbage, but to be honest you would rather have the garbage men come and the toilet/septic system is sure welcome. So these are a very good thing.
REACTORS/DRIPPERS/KALK SEEPERS are also quite useful in there specialized ways. Are they needed? That is part of my original question.
SAND or NO SAND, that is the question.
What makes a Reef Tank, well, Reefy?
How much coral, sponge, algae, clams, shrimp, fish, pods, crabs, and whatever else does it take?
Does the reef reference require a balance that is illusionary? Do we want to have reef looking tanks with the most pretty and flavorful pieces or do we want the fair balance found within nature...as best as can be simulated?
There are great efforts to best simulate the sun, the ocean water, and in some cases the living sand...all in an effort to create a slice of life from the ocean.
If someone has just live rock without the introduction of "on purpose" corals and such, fish, moving inverts...is this a reef tank?
If someone has a macro flora filled tank with rock, living sand, and say an octopus...is this a reef tank?
If someone has a tank full of corals, sponges, live rock, without fish or sand..is this a reef tank?
A reef tank (IMHO) at its best would be a pure mirror of the natural reef. With a perfect balance of life, water, and inerts to be a micro version of the actual reef. For our hobby I would have considered a fair balance to best meet a particular direction (fish, coral, etc.).
This is a significantly objective question but the fundamental of what a reef tank is should be an achievable answer.
So what makes a reef tank, in your opinion?
Ray Boemler
www.peanutbutterjellyfish.com
Mushroom people will state that these softies are without a doubt the best, and there for the way to go...and so forth.
The basics that have proven themselves:
1) QUALITY LIGHTS, in good condition to best offer a clean clear near daylight simulation. (anything else is a less then best situation, regardless of if the florec. are doing ok or 5yr old MH still look ok...)
2) QUALITY WATER; in the best of worlds (countries, counties, toens, etc.) the tap water would be perfectly clean and clear of impurities and heavy metals. As this is rarely the case, the issue of what kind of water you use is fundamental to the foundation of what is being built. RO and RO/DI has been proven by the majority rather then the minority to be effective and preferred.
then the fun begins...
SKIMMERS are good. It makes sense to take out your garbage. Rats, cats, dogs, and roaches will do their best to finish off your garbage, but to be honest you would rather have the garbage men come and the toilet/septic system is sure welcome. So these are a very good thing.
REACTORS/DRIPPERS/KALK SEEPERS are also quite useful in there specialized ways. Are they needed? That is part of my original question.
SAND or NO SAND, that is the question.
What makes a Reef Tank, well, Reefy?
How much coral, sponge, algae, clams, shrimp, fish, pods, crabs, and whatever else does it take?
Does the reef reference require a balance that is illusionary? Do we want to have reef looking tanks with the most pretty and flavorful pieces or do we want the fair balance found within nature...as best as can be simulated?
There are great efforts to best simulate the sun, the ocean water, and in some cases the living sand...all in an effort to create a slice of life from the ocean.
If someone has just live rock without the introduction of "on purpose" corals and such, fish, moving inverts...is this a reef tank?
If someone has a macro flora filled tank with rock, living sand, and say an octopus...is this a reef tank?
If someone has a tank full of corals, sponges, live rock, without fish or sand..is this a reef tank?
A reef tank (IMHO) at its best would be a pure mirror of the natural reef. With a perfect balance of life, water, and inerts to be a micro version of the actual reef. For our hobby I would have considered a fair balance to best meet a particular direction (fish, coral, etc.).
This is a significantly objective question but the fundamental of what a reef tank is should be an achievable answer.
So what makes a reef tank, in your opinion?
Ray Boemler
www.peanutbutterjellyfish.com
