If you ask 20 different reefers why they are in this hobby, there’s a great chance that you’ll get 20 different answers in the process.
Some will tell you that they just love the way saltwater fishes and coral look. Others will tell you that they just want to have a replica of the reef that they saw when they were in Fiji. Other’s will tell you that they love messing with all the new gadgets! Certain reefers with messed up priorities will tell you that they set up their reef to impress members of the opposite sex..
For many of us, however, what got us into reefkeeping was the corals! Corals are compelling, interesting, challenging, frustrating, and most are undeniably beautiful...Some of us nut-jobs even ended up abandoning all common sense and do this stuff for a living!
There’s just something relaxing, inspiring, and just plain amazing about watching our reef tanks.
Think about this for a minute, as you ponder your deciscion wether to purchase the “Tyree Bubblegum Monster†or the “Oregon Tort.â€: How well do you really know your corals?
You’ve probably already figured out that your “Watermelon Chalice†is a pretty coral that comes from the genus Echinophyllia. You probably know it, like most “Chalice†corals, doesn’t like bright light. Yet, have you really thought about just why that is? What environment does it come from in nature? What does it eat? Does it coexist with other coral in this ecological niche? Which ones?
Maybe not, because you “know what you need to know†about the coral and are content with that. And that’s ok...
However, one of the best things we can do as hobbyists is to really get to know our corals. By “knowâ€, I’m not just talking about being aware that your Acropora millepora comes from the Indo Pacific. I’m talking about really learning about the coral and it’s needs. With a few pleasant hours of research, you can gain an amazing insight into your coral. Spending quality time on a scientific site can help take your understanding of your corals to a whole new level.
Not only can you find out more about the coral’s physiology, you can research things which can help you more accurately replicate their natural diet. You can also find data about where various type specimens were collected. Valuable information like depth, habitat, time of year, and water temperature. All of these details can really help you in your efforts to create the best possible captive situation for your corals.
Beyond simply researching the corals, you could take it to another level and actually visit them on the wild reef. Trust me, getting SCUBA certified was one of the best things this stubborn surfer ever did. Nothing I have done previously has given me a greater understanding of corals and reefs than going out and seeing them in their natural habitat!
As a dive-certified fish geek, you separate yourself from all of the other hapless masses of clueless recreational divers and have a chance to really contribute to the body of knowledge of the reefs. When everyone else is busy looking at that big dumb grouper or boring old shark, you’ll no doubt be drawn to that tiny Cespitularia poking out of the coral rubble! Alright, you might make a lousy dive buddy, but you’ll be a keen observer of nature!
Not only will you gain a greater appreciation for the delicate nature of the reef environment, you’ll be able to more accurately replicate (or in some cases decide that you can’t replicate) the environmental niche from which your coral comes.
Seeing corals in the wild give you insights, which may help you and other aquarists unlock their secrets — perhaps leading to further breakthroughs in their husbandry and captive propagation. Anything that we can do to help protect wild populations and preserve the reefs is certainly worth the time and effort.
Last, but certainly not least, you can take your hard-won knowledge and really get to help others — and ourselves — by sharing. Not just passing on a book recommendation or a thread from a R2R discussion. I’m talking about telling your fellow hobbyists just what you know and how you do it! Contribute to the body of knowledge out there in the hobby. Write a blog, attend a local reef club meeting, or start a club if none exist in your area. Travel to MACNA and spend a weekend talking corals with other fanatics. Write about your experiences or help a beginner. If you’ve totally lost it, like me, you’ll end up jetting around the country sharing your knowledge with any other crazy fish geeks who will listen.
The bottom line here is that there are lots of ways to really get to know your corals. And the best part is that pretty much every one of them will benefit ourselves, our fellow hobbyists, and most important — the corals themselves.
So next time you stare in at that hot new Acanthastrea on the uniquecorals.com site, don’t just read our two-paragraph description of the coral. Go a bit further..take the time to really get to know the coral!
Stay wet.
Scott Fellman
Some will tell you that they just love the way saltwater fishes and coral look. Others will tell you that they just want to have a replica of the reef that they saw when they were in Fiji. Other’s will tell you that they love messing with all the new gadgets! Certain reefers with messed up priorities will tell you that they set up their reef to impress members of the opposite sex..
For many of us, however, what got us into reefkeeping was the corals! Corals are compelling, interesting, challenging, frustrating, and most are undeniably beautiful...Some of us nut-jobs even ended up abandoning all common sense and do this stuff for a living!
There’s just something relaxing, inspiring, and just plain amazing about watching our reef tanks.
Think about this for a minute, as you ponder your deciscion wether to purchase the “Tyree Bubblegum Monster†or the “Oregon Tort.â€: How well do you really know your corals?
You’ve probably already figured out that your “Watermelon Chalice†is a pretty coral that comes from the genus Echinophyllia. You probably know it, like most “Chalice†corals, doesn’t like bright light. Yet, have you really thought about just why that is? What environment does it come from in nature? What does it eat? Does it coexist with other coral in this ecological niche? Which ones?
Maybe not, because you “know what you need to know†about the coral and are content with that. And that’s ok...
However, one of the best things we can do as hobbyists is to really get to know our corals. By “knowâ€, I’m not just talking about being aware that your Acropora millepora comes from the Indo Pacific. I’m talking about really learning about the coral and it’s needs. With a few pleasant hours of research, you can gain an amazing insight into your coral. Spending quality time on a scientific site can help take your understanding of your corals to a whole new level.
Not only can you find out more about the coral’s physiology, you can research things which can help you more accurately replicate their natural diet. You can also find data about where various type specimens were collected. Valuable information like depth, habitat, time of year, and water temperature. All of these details can really help you in your efforts to create the best possible captive situation for your corals.
Beyond simply researching the corals, you could take it to another level and actually visit them on the wild reef. Trust me, getting SCUBA certified was one of the best things this stubborn surfer ever did. Nothing I have done previously has given me a greater understanding of corals and reefs than going out and seeing them in their natural habitat!
As a dive-certified fish geek, you separate yourself from all of the other hapless masses of clueless recreational divers and have a chance to really contribute to the body of knowledge of the reefs. When everyone else is busy looking at that big dumb grouper or boring old shark, you’ll no doubt be drawn to that tiny Cespitularia poking out of the coral rubble! Alright, you might make a lousy dive buddy, but you’ll be a keen observer of nature!
Not only will you gain a greater appreciation for the delicate nature of the reef environment, you’ll be able to more accurately replicate (or in some cases decide that you can’t replicate) the environmental niche from which your coral comes.
Seeing corals in the wild give you insights, which may help you and other aquarists unlock their secrets — perhaps leading to further breakthroughs in their husbandry and captive propagation. Anything that we can do to help protect wild populations and preserve the reefs is certainly worth the time and effort.
Last, but certainly not least, you can take your hard-won knowledge and really get to help others — and ourselves — by sharing. Not just passing on a book recommendation or a thread from a R2R discussion. I’m talking about telling your fellow hobbyists just what you know and how you do it! Contribute to the body of knowledge out there in the hobby. Write a blog, attend a local reef club meeting, or start a club if none exist in your area. Travel to MACNA and spend a weekend talking corals with other fanatics. Write about your experiences or help a beginner. If you’ve totally lost it, like me, you’ll end up jetting around the country sharing your knowledge with any other crazy fish geeks who will listen.
The bottom line here is that there are lots of ways to really get to know your corals. And the best part is that pretty much every one of them will benefit ourselves, our fellow hobbyists, and most important — the corals themselves.
So next time you stare in at that hot new Acanthastrea on the uniquecorals.com site, don’t just read our two-paragraph description of the coral. Go a bit further..take the time to really get to know the coral!
Stay wet.
Scott Fellman
