| A maintenance free aquarium - no work at all! | | | | corals. The lighting cycle is controlled by |
| Just view and enjoy the coral colours and the | | | | electric timers. There is a very efficient |
| various reef fish. Many or perhaps all | | | | and properly set up protein skimmer in use. |
| aquarists would tend to call that aquatic | | | | |
| heaven - maybe. | | | | The aquarist watches carefully until he/she |
| | | | sees what type of algae appears. Snails are |
| Is it possible though? Is there a way that | | | | introduced to the aquarium to control this. |
| the aquarist can design a marine system | | | | This is successful. |
| where, once all is settled and mature, there | | | | |
| is nothing else to do? | | | | An automatic top-up system using reverse |
| | | | osmosis water is employed. Hey, we're |
| The first thing is to compare the aquarium to | | | | maintenance free! |
| the wild reef. Yes, there are the same kind | | | | |
| of inhabitants in the aquarium as on the wild | | | | No we're not. Film algae appears on the |
| reef, just fewer of them. Also, there are far | | | | viewing glasses and the snails attack it but |
| fewer species of livestock on the captive | | | | have no ability to 'keep it clean,' efficient |
| reef. So, there's the first point - the wild | | | | as they might be. The DSB needs feeding to |
| reef has far greater diversity of life. The | | | | maintain the population of minute life forms |
| different species have their own niche on the | | | | which keep it healthy. The reef rocks need to |
| wild reef, each having a food source. There | | | | be 'de-dusted' occasionally. The lighting |
| are some overlaps of course but generally it | | | | tubes need to be replaced periodically. |
| is all very well organised. Nature has | | | | Seawater quality, so important, needs to be |
| everything under control. The first problem | | | | tested routinely. |
| that the aquarist is likely to face is in | | | | |
| making sure that all potential difficulties | | | | Seawater quality brings up another question, |
| are dealt with, from dealing with different | | | | and this is aquarium water changes. The |
| forms of nuisance algae to having enough food | | | | seawater change amount varies system to |
| for fish if kept. | | | | system, aquarists knowing, after a period, |
| | | | what the system requires. All aquarists |
| So what if fish are not kept, just a reef | | | | change seawater though. There have been those |
| with corals. This immediately makes the | | | | who have experimented (or tried to save |
| question of water quality easier to deal | | | | money) without, but problems of various sorts |
| with, as the wastes from the fish are gone. | | | | have arisen. |
| In addition, there isn't any need to feed the | | | | |
| fish. So, if the aquarium filtration is | | | | So they need to be done. |
| excellent, such as live rock and a deep sand | | | | |
| bed, will that remove maintenance? | | | | No, a marine aquarium system cannot be |
| | | | maintenance free. The move towards natural |
| The corals need looking at now. The hard | | | | methods such as live rock, DSB's, algae |
| corals generally need considerable light, but | | | | filtration etc has improved things immensely. |
| that isn't a particular problem, with the | | | | Captive reefs run much closer to how Nature |
| availability of halide bulbs and the fast up | | | | intended nowadays. Add to this the use of |
| and coming LED's. They also require a | | | | highly efficient protein skimmers, calcium |
| sufficient level of calcium, magnesium etc | | | | reactors, electronically controlled seawater |
| which has to be provided. So in comes the | | | | circulation, controlled temperature, accurate |
| calcium reactor, which can supply calcium | | | | water level top-up systems, anti-nitrate |
| along with magnesium, and probably other | | | | reactors, anti- phosphate reactors, |
| minerals in traces, if the correct media is | | | | sophisticated lighting systems etc and the |
| used. That solves that. Wait a minute though, | | | | system is indeed looking after itself to a |
| the calcium reactor needs servicing on | | | | considerable extent. Correct livestock in the |
| occasion, and also the media needs renewal | | | | aquarium, not only corals but snails etc |
| periodically. | | | | enhances self support. Experimentation by |
| | | | advanced aquarists goes on and in the future |
| What about soft corals? These can exist with | | | | other innovative methods of control and |
| less light, fluorescent tubes often being | | | | aquarium maintenance may come into use. |
| employed. They also need less calcium. It is | | | | |
| argued, from anecdotal reports, that the | | | | A completely hands-off system will never |
| addition of iodine is good for soft coral | | | | materialise in my view. There is always |
| growth and health, but as this is not | | | | something there that 'needs doing,' be it a |
| scientifically proven (as far as I know) it | | | | water change, cleaning the glass free of |
| will be ignored. There isn't any absolute | | | | algae, changing media etc. Thank goodness I |
| need to feed certain soft corals, they grow | | | | say. One of the joys of this hobby is the |
| without it. So the maintenance free aquarium | | | | knowledge that actions are helping maintain |
| idea is intact at the moment. | | | | such interesting life. |
| | | | |
| The marine system is set up with a live rock | | | | Also, in the extremely unlikely event that a |
| reef, the live rock being in sufficient | | | | hands-off system did materialize, what |
| quantity. The rock filtration is backed up by | | | | aquarist could keep their hands off? |
| a DSB. The system is stocked with hardy soft | | | | |