What to Put in a Mini Reef Aquarium

You don̵7;t have to have a tank that holds hundreds of gallons to set up a reef tank. Tanks as small as 10 to 40 gallons can be set up to display a beautiful collection of coral and small marine fish. When setting up your mini reef aquarium it̵7;s important to select varieties that will thrive in a compact space.

  1. Live Rock

    • Perhaps the most important part of setting up a reef tank is live rock. Live rock supplies your reef tank with beneficial bacteria to keep water chemistry where you want it to be. It also provides a foundation for your corals to grow on. For every gallon tank your tank holds, use 1.25 to 1.75 pounds of live rock. Because of your tank's small size, it̵7;s better to err on the lighter end to leave plenty of room for future additions. Arrange the rocks with at least 1 inch between each rock and the walls of the tank.

    Corals

    • Colorful corals are the star of the reef tank. When choosing coral it̵7;s a good idea to select an overall theme. Your theme could be to mimic a specific type of coral reef, like those found in Australia or Indonesia. Picking corals of complementary colors can also have a lovely result. Choose a variety of slow-growing corals in different shapes. A mixture of polyp, mushroom and soft corals will add visual interest to the tank. Make sure to learn the lighting requirements for the species of coral in your tank. Deepwater corals will need more blue light for proper photosynthesis.

    Other Invertebrates

    • Corals aren̵7;t the only invertebrates you can add to your reef aquarium. Small crabs, snails and shrimp will add diversity and activity to your tank. They also help keep the tank clean by munching on algae or leftover food. Skunk cleaner shrimp and blood-red fire shrimp are also helpful because they can rid fish of parasites and help clean substrate. Before bringing home any new snail, crab or shrimp, do your research. Some species could harm coral and aren̵7;t suitable for a reef tank.

    Fish

    • Once you̵7;ve created a landscape of coral and helpful shrimp or crabs, you can consider adding a few small marine fish to the tank. Consider a school of five or six peaceful gobies. They only grow to a little over 2 inches long and are easy to care for. The royal gamma is a popular fish well suited for the mini reef tank. It has a front half of a striking royal purple, and a lemon-yellow back end. Other species to consider are cardinals, clownfish, damselfish, jawfish, pseudochromis and dartfish. Choose species that are of course small, but also peaceful. A territorial fish won̵7;t do well in the small space. Also look for species that aren̵7;t going to destroy your coral by making a meal of it.