THE 9 BIG MYTHS OF THE REEF TANK HOBBY

The decision has been made: you want to get a saltwater aquarium. Great! Now it's time to scour the internet, forums and social media for information and reports. What technology do you really need? What do hard corals need? How much light do my soft corals need? Lots of questions quickly come up and thanks to the internet you can get lots of answers. But be careful - unfortunately there are still lots of myths floating around that persist.

In this article, we have summarized and clarified nine major myths of marine aquarium keeping for you:

#1 A saltwater aquarium is expensive

Indeed, a saltwater aquarium can be a very expensive hobby. But here's the good news: you have creative freedom and don't necessarily have to spend a fortune on your tank. Even if you have a smaller budget, you can still build a beautiful reef aquarium.

You will probably quickly notice that there is an incredible amount of technology and accessories on the market from a wide range of manufacturers. Before you buy, however, here is our tip: Make a plan beforehand of what exactly you want from your aquarium. Ask yourself various questions, such as: "Does the technology have to be super quiet?" or "What animals do I want to keep and do they need a particularly large tank?" or "Do I really want to care for demanding, colorful Acropora corals and use high-quality (and usually more expensive) lighting for them?" These questions will help you to weigh up the costs and benefits appropriately.

Another tip from us is to buy second hand. You can often find good deals in social media groups or on various platforms. You can easily buy skimmers and pumps second hand; but be careful with used glass aquariums, lighting technology and heating elements - take a close look or buy new!

Once you have the necessary technology, here comes the next piece of good news: your reef can and should be built piece by piece. Decorations, fish, corals - you don't need to buy all of that at once. Stock the tank little by little and spread the costs over several months.

One last saving tip: It doesn't always have to be rare hard corals - instead, populate your tank with soft corals and only a few (or even no) fish - this not only minimizes the need for some consumables (e.g. Balling salts) but also the maintenance effort and still looks beautiful.

How expensive your saltwater aquarium will ultimately be depends entirely on your furnishing and resident wishes.

#2 For beginners, nano aquariums are more suitable than large aquariums

In recent years, smaller saltwater aquariums or so-called nano aquariums have become increasingly popular. Beginners are becoming more and more interested in them and hope that maintaining a smaller aquarium will mean less maintenance. But does a smaller tank really mean less work?

Unfortunately, this is often not the case and in fact the opposite is the case. A small tank requires just as many water changes and maintenance as a large aquarium. It is often even more difficult to stabilize important parameters (such as carbonate hardness, calcium, etc.) in these small systems. Water parameters can change more quickly and cause problems due to the smaller volume. A larger water volume gives you more time to identify and treat potential problems.

We don't want to discourage you from getting a nano aquarium. Just keep in mind that they aren't necessarily easier to maintain.

#3 The more light, the better

Corals that grow in the shallow areas of the reef near the water surface receive an extremely high amount of light. So it seems logical that the corals in your aquarium need just as much light. But is that true?

Yes and no. This myth is only half true. Of course, corals need light for growth, color formation and photosynthesis. But too much light can inhibit these processes and lead to what is known as "light stress." This is mainly due to the zooxanthellae - the small single-cell algae that are embedded in the coral's tissue. These microalgae live in symbiosis with the coral and provide it with energy, among other things. However, if the zooxanthellae receive too much light, for example from too much lighting, the photosystems quickly become saturated and the excess energy leads to the formation and release of oxygen radicals. These are oxygen-containing molecules that can cause cell damage. This phenomenon is also called "oxidative stress" or simply referred to by aquarists as "burning."

In order to prevent oxidative stress from the outset or to keep it as low as possible, many corals produce more protective pigments when exposed to high lighting intensities, which are designed to absorb or reflect the light. As a result, however, the corals have less energy for growth and other physiological processes. Particularly colorful corals are therefore not always the happiest and healthiest corals.

In nature, corals can be found even at a depth of 100 m. The lack of light can be compensated for very well by catching and ingesting plankton and detritus. Even if the light requirement is species-specific, corals can adapt to the light conditions (within a certain range).

Therefore, find out in advance about the lighting requirements of your corals. This way you can either adjust your lighting to the corals you are caring for or place the corals in your aquarium according to their requirements.

#4 Stony corals need more light than soft corals

Since we're on the subject of light, let's move on to the next myth: stony corals need more light than soft corals.

In short, there is no scientific evidence for this. In natural coral reefs, soft and hard corals grow close to the surface (i.e. in areas with a lot of light). If you dive deeper, you see the same phenomenon. Even various scientific experiments have not been able to prove this myth.

When it comes to light requirements, soft corals are in no way inferior to stony corals.

#5 Blue light is better for corals

Many saltwater aquarists love tanks flooded with blue light in which the fluorescence of the corals shines in bright colors. Although this type of lighting is undoubtedly pleasing to the eye, it does not automatically correspond to the conditions in the natural habitat.

In the sea, almost all colors of light penetrate in the range of 0 - 5 m. Only at greater depths are the red, orange and yellow color components of the light increasingly absorbed and the light spectrum shifts into the blue range.

If you want to light your aquarium with "blue light", you should note that blue light is significantly more energetic and therefore more intense for your corals. To avoid light stress, you should therefore provide them with sufficient nutrients and trace elements. Basically, blue light provokes the production of protective pigments and makes your corals appear more colorful under blue light. The natural or near-surface light spectrum, on the other hand, has higher red and green components. These are important, among other things, for the correct running of the photosynthesis processes in the zooxanthellae and therefore ultimately for the energy supply of your corals. If you only use blue light, an additional supply of particulate food (plankton, frozen food, dust food, etc.) to the corals can help to compensate for any energy deficits that may occur.

How you ultimately light your aquarium is primarily a question of personal taste: are you more of a fan of the natural "reef roof look" or do you prefer the sight of highly fluorescent corals? But you shouldn't completely do without red and green elements in your lighting even if you want the "blue light look". A combination of daylight and blue light phases over the course of the day is ideal.

Blue light will make your corals shine, but you shouldn't completely eliminate red and green parts of the light.

#6 The more current, the better

Yes, current is a factor that cannot be neglected in coral care. It is important for gas exchange, prevents sediment deposits, supplies your corals with sufficient particulate and dissolved substances and has a positive effect on coral growth.

BUT: don't overdo it! No coral will like to be placed directly in front of a current pump. This can result in polyp or even tissue damage. While some corals can tolerate a strong current (eg Sarcophyton, Stylophora & Co), others thrive best in very weak currents (eg Plerogyra , Discosoma & Co). There are numerous current-shy corals, especially among the soft corals, the disc and encrusting anemones and the large-polyp stony corals (LPS).

#7 The addition of trace elements is absolutely necessary for healthy and colorful corals

There are now countless trace element solutions on the market. Whether you are looking for individual trace elements or combination solutions, you are sure to find what you are looking for in your research.

Trace elements can be very helpful and their effectiveness in biological systems has been scientifically proven, but the additional addition is not always absolutely necessary. Often the trace elements introduced through regular water changes, feeding and the supply of lime are sufficient to keep the values ​​in your system at a natural level. Depending on the stock and/or the stocking density, an additional addition of trace elements can quickly lead to an overdose. Trace element solutions should therefore always be used carefully and with caution. Especially at the beginning, when your aquarium is not yet densely populated with corals, it often makes no sense to add trace elements - this quickly leads to undesirable algae growth or the mass appearance of cyanobacteria. However, if your corals show signs of deficiency or growth disorders, adding trace elements could help. To be on the safe side and avoid a possible overdose or to check whether there is actually a deficiency, you should always have the concentration of trace elements determined in a laboratory before dosing them. The measurement method used for this is called ICP (Inductively Coupled Plasma) and is now offered by several laboratories specifically for reef aquariums.

#8 Shape and color are good criteria for identifying corals

Unfortunately not, because the shape and color of a colony can change depending on the environmental conditions. For example, corals that are exposed to strong currents form thicker branches and generally have a more stocky growth form. Even the skeletal structures within a colony can vary depending on position/exposure. Like the growth form, the coloring of the corals can vary greatly depending on the intensity and spectrum of lighting as well as the availability of nutrients and trace elements. In addition, there are usually always several color morphs within a species, which is mainly due to the genetic makeup of the individual.

All of this makes identifying coral species not exactly easy. In order to make a reliable identification, genetic and biogeographical information about the coral to be identified is required in addition to the skeletal structure.

Determining the species of corals is anything but easy.

#9 A reef aquarium without a skimmer doesn’t work

To be clear: No, a skimmer is not absolutely necessary! But it does make many things easier. Most saltwater aquariums today are operated with a skimmer, but there are alternatives to remove nutrients, undesirable compounds, residues and degradation products from the aquarium water or to prevent them from forming in the first place.

Good mechanical filtration (filter wool, filter socks or fleece filters) removes a lot of particulate material and prevents it from breaking down in the aquarium. The use of activated carbon can help to remove undesirable compounds from the aquarium water, such as yellow substances, stinging poisons, toxins, etc. This can be achieved by changing the water regularly (between 5 and 10% weekly).

Biological methods for water treatment can also partially take over the tasks of a skimmer. These include, for example, the so-called DSB (Deep Sand Bed) or an algae refugium.

A DSB is basically just a very high substrate (at least 10 cm) made of fine aragonite sand. The height creates areas without oxygen in which anaerobic bacteria can settle and break down nitrate.

In the case of an algae refugium, macroalgae are deliberately introduced into the aquarium system. Usually in a separate compartment in the technical tank. As the algae grow, nitrogen and phosphorus are bound into biomass and can be removed from the system by regularly harvesting the algae.

Compared to a skimmer, the effectiveness of these biological methods is difficult to control and record.

We generally recommend using a skimmer, as it generally has no negative effects on your aquarium (exception: nutrient deficiency). Especially if you keep fish, the skimmer ensures an adequate supply of vital oxygen.

And with this we have reached the end. We hope that this article has helped you a little! If you have any questions, you can of course contact us at any time. Happy Reefing!