Anyone who is maintaining a fish aquarium and wishes to have beautiful colored coral must know how to properly take care of the new addition. Coral reefs are beautiful but in fact organism which needs to be provided with specific conditions in order to exist. Whether you’re purchasing from Coral Caverns or another supplier, it’s essential to understand how to create the right environment for your corals. This blog will attempt to answer some of the most basic and frequently asked questions like how big of a tank do you need for coral? and how does one know when coral has actually died, when it is weak and needs rehabilitation so as to give you a sustainable reef tank.
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Correct Tank size for coral arrest
The size of the tank when putting up the coral aquarium determines the heath and overall successful rate of your coral. More and larger tank mean more space which is conducive for water stability something that is good for corals. Newbiew are advised to maintain a tank of at least 30 gallon capacity for the purpose of housing most types of coral. Large tanks have a better system of filtration and water circulation and with space available your corals will have the room to spread and grow.
Although, large tanks help in reducing changes in things like water temperature, its ph and salinity which will not stress your corals. What size of a tank will serve the corals well? Usually, the initial tank size should be at least 50 gallon or more which will be sufficient and with high chances of greater success in maintaining a fascinating reef aquarium. A larger tank is ideal in aspect of water change or the provision of stable environment to the marine creatures.
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What are the signs that indicate that a particular coral has passed on?
New aquarists sometimes have problems in noticing when a coral has died, but there are certain signs to look for. Coral in good health should have bright colors while the dead corals appear pale or bleached in nature. The friability of the coral is the other feature that can be used to determine a kind of coral. The hard tissue of the corals turns soaked and gelatinous when dead while the healthy corals are very hard to the touch.
Among the signs that can be detected easily is the shedding of polyps – limp structures that hang from the coral’s framework. If the coral does not respond to the changes in light and water conditions, the coral cannot be salvaged. The absence of a polyp extension together with the loss of color or texture indicates that the coral is dead. Occasionally, this will mean that a coral will look really healthy – but it is actually gradually dying as a result of the poor water quality or the insufficient lighting.
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Illumination and Water Quality
Coral require certain lighting profile depending with the type of corals that you want to grow. Soft corals are low light requiring species, while some SPS species are high light requiring species. Ensure you used the right LED lights or metal halide on the aquarium, and your water parameters of the aquarium is correct that is the water temperature, water salinity, water pH etc. All these are important fundamentals of maintaining corals health The following are some of the fundamentals of maintaining corals health;
It’s also important to know that corals like stable water parameters. Coral species are highly sensitive to abrupt changes in temperature or salinity and such conditions weaken the corals making them vulnerable to diseases or death. Being able to test the water and make changes when necessary is how you establish the best environment for the growth of your corals.
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Self-Components and Wellness over the Long Run
Reef tanks are best kept that way, which means that it should be checked and cared for regularly. Change water, control water parameters and maintain filtration are the critical procedures that should be performed for a healthy corals’ living conditions. It also recommended that you examine your corals frequently for signs that they are stressed, sick or infested by pests that might affect them. If you find something wrong you treat it before it becomes worse or affects something else.
Conclusion
Maintaining the corals can be a great experience but then it is also delicate and needs a lot of understanding. The issue that you MUST be able to answer – how big tank you need for coral is a step to follow in achieving the goal of creating a reef tank, while the knowledge of the signs that mark the coral death – is a step to succeed with it. When properly set up, properly maintained and cared for especially the water parameters, the corals will continue to thrive and add that beauty and variety into the planted aquarium for as long as you desire.