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Saltwater Aquarium
Reef Aquarium (Mixed)
A saltwater aquarium supporting soft corals, LPS, and select SPS along with reef-safe fish - the pinnacle of the aquarium hobby.
Difficulty: Advanced
Tank Size: 30g+ Recommended: 90g Budget: $2,000-$20,000 Setup Time: 90 days
📖 Overview
A reef tank recreates a slice of the coral ecosystem in your home. It's the most technically demanding and rewarding aquarium discipline - and no longer as intimidating as it once was. Modern LEDs, controllers, and reef additives have made mixed reefs achievable for dedicated intermediate hobbyists.
💧 Essential Parameters
Temperature: 76-80 F. Salinity: 1.025-1.026 SG (35 ppt). pH: 8.1-8.4. Alkalinity: 8-11 dKH. Calcium: 400-450 ppm. Magnesium: 1250-1350 ppm. Nitrate: 1-10 ppm. Phosphate: 0.02-0.1 ppm.
⚙️ Key Equipment
Sump with protein skimmer, return pump, refugium. Reef-grade LEDs with full spectrum and adjustable PAR. Wavemakers for turbulent flow. Auto top-off (ATO). RODI water filter. Test kits (alk, Ca, Mg, NO3, PO4). Doser or two-part additive system.
🔄 Cycling Process
Dry-rock cycle (3-4 weeks with ammonia dosing) or live-rock cycle (2-6 weeks). Wait for algae stages to pass (diatom, green algae, cyano) before adding corals.
🐟 Stocking Recommendations
Reef-safe fish: clownfish, chromis, cardinalfish, tangs (with size limits), gobies, wrasses (many reef-safe species), firefish. Corals: zoanthids, mushrooms, leathers (soft); frogspawn, hammer, torch, chalice (LPS); montipora, birdsnest, acropora (SPS - advanced).
⚠️ Common Mistakes
Rushing the cycle. Adding SPS corals before parameters are stable. Underskimming. Forgetting to top off evaporation with RODI (salinity rises fast). Buying incompatible fish that eat corals.