Page 205 - Encyclopedia of Aquarium and Pond Fish, 3rd Edition

WHAT TO CONSIDER 203

it is much easier to ensure the stability of water composition
for the tank occupants in a greater volume of water. The tank
will also need more power, because brighter lighting is needed REEF CONSERVATION
to support marine algae and invertebrates, and power heads Nearly all marine fish seen in home aquariums originate from coral
should be used for effective biological filtration (see p.211). reef areas (below), rather than from the open seas. Up to 30 million
fish are caught for the trade every year in countries including
Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Brazil, and Sri Lanka. The
Types of marine aquariums aquarium trade, together with most national governments, is
There are two basic categories of marine aquariums: those in working hard to promote sustainable reef management and outlaw
which the fish are kept on their own and those that include practices such as the use of cyanide to catch fish and the capture
various types of invertebrate as well; the latter are often of species with low survival rates. When carefully regulated, the trade
described as reef tanks. A fish-only tank is usually in fish can provide a revenue for local people that far exceeds that
recommended for novice fishkeepers because it avoids from fishing and so can encourage care for these fascinating but
highly fragile environments.

Reef areas

Reef tanks (above), containing a
mixture of fish and invertebrates,
provide an ongoing challenge
for more experienced fishkeepers.

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