Austin Reef Club: Article 2: The Big Briny Sea - Austin Reef Club

In the last article we explored the fascinating world of clownfish. But what does it take to keep these, and other saltwater fish, in your own home? To better understand the needs to keep these creatures in a tiny glass box, we first need to understand what their natural environment is like.

Saltwater fish come from the ocean which is, well, saltwater. The ocean has very distinct zones with some being tidal, deep water, open water, and reef. And each zone has different life that lives in it. Sharks, whales, and other large fish like the wide open water to swim and hunt for food. These obviously make bad candidates for home living, as we just can not provide the needed space for them to flourish. Deep water contains the fish of nightmares: long toothed, big googly eyed creatures. These are only seem on nature programs, due to trying to bring these creatures to the surface generally results in death. They are adapted to the vast pressures the ocean puts on them at the depths they inhabit. If you scuba dive, you understand that coming from deep water requires much caution to prevent gas build up in the blood stream. Tidal areas are those near the shore line which get battered by the incoming waves. Creatures that live hear are normally really hardy, as they have to endure not only the pounding surf, but also exposure to air when the tide goes out. Some creatures here do make their way into the saltwater hobby.

The main spot in the ocean where we see the most life, and the most suit- able creatures to keep at home, are the reefs. Reefs inhabit the shallower (between 5 to 40 feet) sections of the ocean. Water is generally very clear here, thus allowing lots of sunshine to penetrate the water and sustain those organisms (corals) which depend on the light. The corals provide both shelter and food for many a fish. The diversity of life on a reef is truly staggering. In a very small section, you can find hundreds of animals living in harmony. This is why a reef is the best suited to be recreated in a smaller setting, such as an aquarium. We can easily re-create the shallow water, intensity of the light, and habitat for corals and fish.

So letʼs start with the key element: the fish tank itself. They come in all shapes and sizes, rectangular being the most common. While glass has been the old stand by in aquariums for a long time, acrylic has offered the ability to produce unique shapes such as spherical. The size and shape really boil down to personal preference. The key take away is generally to go with the biggest tank you can afford and have space for. The thought behind this is the more water you have, the more “buffering” capability the aquarium has in case some- thing goes wrong. Think of it this way. Say you pour a cup of bleach into the ocean, what is going to happen? Most likely nothing, as the bazillion gallons of water dilutes that bleach into nothingness. Now pour that same cup of bleach into a small bucket is water. The bleach stays concentrated, thus killing anything in that bucket.

Now to the second important part: water. Is it more complicated than just taking table salt and adding it to water? Very definitely yes. Creatures, such as corals, extract minerals out of the water to grow and survive. Table salt does not contain these needed minerals. You could go down to the ocean and take buckets of saltwater and add it to a tank, but this has itʼs own issues such as unwanted parasites and pollution. Thank- fully there is an easy solution. You can buy specialized salt, which you mix with water and presto!, you have saltwater that has the needed minerals in it to sustain sea life. There are many brands, all with their own merits.

And the third very key part to a saltwater tank is light. As mentioned before, reefs are located in very clear shallow water. Most are located near the equator, thus get very intense sunshine. This is important to recreate in the home if you plan on keeping corals (they contain algae inside them which uses the light to produce food for the coral). Again, manufactures have you covered with multiple options ranging from compact fluorescent to metal halide bulbs. I will save the discussion on what is needed for a later article.

So you have your three key elements: tank, water, and light. Next step is to put it all together and add fish ... but hold your seahorses! You didnʼt think it would be that easy did you? In the next article we will look into what it takes to go from brand new tank to ready for life. Till then, keep an eye out for sharks.

James has been keeping saltwater fish on and off for over 15 years. He has worked at various pet stores along the way, fueling his love of fish.