Down Sizing?
In a world of increasing costs, keeping a large aquarium just might not add up in a balanced budget. What to do when the 100 gallon plus tank drives up the electric bill, uses more salt for water changes, needs more additives to maintain parameters, and so much more. For some, the answer may be a smaller reef such as a nano or even the smaller pico reef. While the definitions of these sizing may be disputed, 5 gallons is generally accepted as the divide between nano and pico, with pico on the smaller side, the challenges in keeping a small reef tank appear to become smaller with every year with increasing knowledge in the hobby. Some of the biggest drivers may be salt composition, filtered water quality, lights, pumps, automatic controllers or any other technology that can contribute to a successful reef aquarium. Regardless, it seems it has never been easier to keep these smaller reefs.
In my mind, the aquascape in these nano and pico tanks becomes paramount as a lagging technology. How do you make the most out of limited space and compensate for all the live rock cultured in a typical larger reef and its associated sump tank? My answer to this is our Micron Rock, designed specifically for smaller reef applications, that can help maintain surface area for microbial colonization, shelter for copepods and amphipods, and efficient places to mount your corals. Like most new technologies, this is by no means a silver bullet to all the challenges. Being made of plastic, this results in no buffering capacity for pH that may be offered by other rock options for your reef aquarium. Some argue this effect is not all that significant when you consider these surfaces are typically colonized by microbes that create a barrier to this buffering effect anyway. Others can argue that the pH has to drop further than would be tolerated by the corals for this buffering to become effective. Regardless, we recommend at this time that you either include some rocks that can provide this buffering effect or utilize a substrate, such as aragonite or crushed coral, that may provide this buffering as a safety measure.
Choosing Micron Rock for your new little reef can give you the advantage if you are seeking a way to stay in the hobby and keep a piece of your favorite coral without the financial drag. Whether you seek to highlight that special coral or arrange a thriving tiny reef system, we look forward to helping your reach your goals! Sign up for our news letters on the home page to keep up with our new products and opportunities for custom designs.
