My husband started his Reef tank a few months ago, he's had one before but didn't have the time it takes to keep it healthy, there are a few tests that need to be taken ammonia, nitrates, etc. These can be caused by factors such as overfeeding, insufficient water changes,algae blooms and water flow. The tank needs consistent maintenance, including water changes, proper nutrient control, and addressing imbalances in salinity, alkalinity, and flow. As soon as something goes wrong in the tank you can see the changes in the Corals as they are very sensitive. We have another tank that has 6 turtles, this tank is easy to keep going, it needs water changes but nowhere near as many tests or problems.
A Reef tank is a tank where everything in it is alive the fish, corals and rock plus you may get some suprises you weren't expecting such as bristle worms. These are on live rock that hasnt been quarantined, they are scary looking things that humans should not touch, you should always use gloves or tweezers when handling them as there bristles can penetrate skin causing pain and swelling. We have a trap that catches these worms, you place some bait such as Prawn or Mussel inside the trap with a piece of rock to hold it down in the water, there are holes for the worms to slide into but no way of getting out, hubby has caught around 30 so far. Sometimes we catch a big one like in the photo before whilst other times we have caught quite a few small ones. They are hard to see as they are nocturnal, you will see them quickly nip in and out of a rock. They are handy as they eat all the uneaten decaying particles but can also eat the corals and small fish.
There are other species of Bristle worms that are predatory, Fireworms & Bobbit Worms, these are large and more Venomous. A Fireworms sting could need hospital attention and Bobbits like to eat other tank inhabitants. You can tell the difference with these as they are red or white rather than the normal tan colour plus are much bigger.
Now hubby isn't working he has the time to spend on his Reef tank plus has so many hobbies he now says he has no time to work. He has the Turtle tank, Gardening, Golf and of course his biggest job is looking after me. I have taken over the feeding of the Turtles, I'm thoroughly enjoying getting them to handfeed as well as throwing good in got them to chase. Hubby is looking for a part time job as the extra pennies would come in handy, he can't go back into construction work as its far to heavy for him so looking at being a hospital porter, he's applied a couple of times but needs to read the posts thoroughly and not apply for positions that are way out of his capabilities.
Thank you for visiting 💟💟
I tried to do aquariums, but I wasn't successful in it. Now I have only one in which decorative crucian carp live in winter. These fish are so unpretentious that even I can handle caring for them)))
You do what works for you, I couldn't look after a Reef tank, they take up to much time with so much to worry about.