If you are considering getting yourself a live reef tank, there are a few things that you should know. First, all reef tanks need live corals. You can find live corals for sale at a lot of exotic pet stores, but finding the corals is not what we are here to talk about.
We are actually going to talk about how to manage and take care of your corals once you get them for your tank.
Live corals have very vibrant colors and the way they move in the water is so aesthetically pleasing that it’s no mystery as to why people would want them in their reef tanks.
But you should know that just because these corals are very decorative, they need just as much love and care that all of the fish in the tank and plants around your home need.
Before going any further, let’s talk about how you can take care of your corals so that they stay happy and healthy and full of color for as long as possible.
Don’t worry, there isn’t really much feeding you have to do to keep these corals alive, all they really need is the right lighting and the right water temperature to keep them happy and living.
Corals are very sensitive to Ammonia and Nitrite. To keep your tank free of any ammonia or nitrite that will make your corals unhealthy and unhappy is to put nitrifying bacteria into the tank and test it to see if it stays below any levels that will be detectable.
It sounds a lot more complicated than it actually is and if you are having trouble with it you can ask someone at your local pet store and they should be able to help you find what you are looking for. But basically all that you really need is an API Reef Test Kit and all the instructions will be included in that.
Now we move on to the lighting part of the story. The lighting, I promise you, will be a lot more simple and easy to understand. Most corals get their livelihood from small organisms that live on the coral itself.
So the creature you are really trying to keep happy here with the lighting are those lighting organisms. To make sure they are happy all that you need is a standard reef tank lighting system, and then you need to make sure that it is set at the right brightness to keep everything at the right temperature for the corals.
Most corals that you are going to find are tropical corals. That means they have a certain degree they like to keep the temperature at. This is typically around 72-78°F, so as long as your tank falls between those numbers you little coral friends should remain happy and healthy for years to come.
Of course, there are many different types of coral so before buying all of the equipment you should make sure to do your research on the specific corals that you plan on getting.
Almost all coral require the same kind of care but there are a few that require something completely different and you always want to make sure you have an easy to care for coral.
If you follow along with this guide, your corals should be happy little creatures in their new home and you can enjoy their vibrant colors and aesthetic beauty for as long as you wish.
