Barrier Reef Research Paper

To give insight into the reefs that exist around the world, I will explain to you the complexity of the tank that exists in my living room and the process I have had to go in order to get the tank where it is today. The first step in starting a tank is to use the most pure water that is obtainable called reverse osmosis water that is nearly 100% pure. This is normal tap water that is filtered through fiber cartridge filters, activated carbon, reverse osmosis membrane and then is ran through two sets of UV sterilizers. Once the tank is full of the pure water, the levels of different minerals and trace elements must be added to make it able to accommodate different types of organisms. Then the salt must then be added to achieve a salinity of …show more content…
The actions taken so far are only a portion of the work required to keep the tank alive and hospitable for the fish. The next step in setting up the tank is the water flow. The water in the ocean is never stagnant and needs to be constantly flowing. The rule of thumb for most reef tanks is there should be a gallon per hour (gph) rate of about ten folds. That means if you have a tank that is 25 gallons, there should be 250 gallons of circulation per hour. This keeps the water moving which limits fermentation that then reduces the ammonia and toxin build up. This also keeps the water clearer by running the water through a variety of filter media that all have a function for the tank. Carbon filtration, purigen filtration, phosphate guard, bio-media, chemipure, water polisher, and just basic sponges to filter out other particles are all used in the filters and pumps that are used in the tank. Once the filter and circulation is up to par, the lighting must be addressed. Lighting is one of the most important parts of the set up process. Lighting gives protein to the algae that uses photosynthesis to create protein and cause growth and color. That growth then becomes more filtration for the tank, or food for other organisms. The metric of lighting in tanks has recently changed in measurement to the PAR rating for the tank. The PAR rating measures the amount of light that is at certain depths of the tanks. Each type of coral has its own level of PAR in order to survive or have enough light to utilize their photosynthesis ability. One example of this would be clams, which need to have about 500 PAR, while another coral like a euphyllia only need a par of 100 PAR. While having all of this to consider, you also have to have a timer that does replicate the sun rise and sun set process in order for the corals to think they are in the wild which promotes the best growth and color. Consistency is key with saltwater