The “Reef Tank”. Ahh yes, we all are mesmerized by their beauty. The coral reef tank is an approach to aquarium keeping in which one can house living corals in a captive environment. The environment is generally made up of what is called “live rock” as opposed to the deco-corals and artificial decorations that are used for “fish only” aquariums. These aquariums are one of the most challenging types of aquariums for even the advanced aquarium keeper and will require a host of equipment that your typical “fish only” tank will not need. Corals are generally sold as “hard/stony” or “soft” corals and can be mixed in varying degrees. In the coral reef tank the corals and invertebrates are the main focus and the tropical marine fish are secondary. In the reef tank there will usually be included a variety of other invertebrates as well such as: snail, crabs, starfish, anemones, sponges, algae, tropical shrimp, and many other coral reef dwellers which are an important part of creating the coral reef ecosystem, and should not be ignored. The aquarium equipment used will need to be higher end than a fish only tank, and will most likely include: metal halide lighting or some type of VHO lighting, protein skimmers, RO filters, wet/dry filters, heaters and chillers, overflow style tanks, powerhead pumps, calcium reactors, ozonizers and many other interesting types of equipment. There are many schools of thought on the approach to keeping coral reef tanks and one should look into several of them before setting up your tank. Consult with a FSA&L aquarium professional as well. A consultation with an experienced aquarist from FSA&L can save thousands of dollars and months/years of frustration for the DIYer. Or call FULL SERVICE AQUATICS for aquarium maintenance in New Jersey and let us handle it all for you!