why?

[i2ik]

Hey guys, i am a real noobs in this, always been with freshwater aquarium and now i would like to start with a 20G tank. After seeing a lot of saltwater aquarium pictures, i wonder why people are putting so many reefs and corals. Is there a reason? I know its good looking but it is very expensive also... Anyways, thanks in advance for your answers.

[beachbumin]

i just try not to think about the expense part of it. i have a 26 gallon reef tank with a lot of corals, sponges,etc. im beginning to think that it is the only thing thats keeping me sane!

[reefrunner69]

to AquariumAdvice.com!!

I keep a reef tank, cause I want to keep my fish in as healthy and natuaral environment as possible. I also get as much, if not more satisfaction from everything else in the tank as I do the fish.

[i2ik]

thanks for answering
what do you mean by keeping your fish healthy? Does reef make them feel healthy? If so why?

[reefrunner69]

The VAST amjority of fish available for the marine aquarium hobby are reef fish, the reef is their home. They are ripped out of the reef to be thrown into a small glass box, anything that will make them feel more at home will reduce stress which makes for a healthier fish. It is also very common for any successful reef to have much higher water quality than a [acronym:84cfe33aa4="Fish only with live rock"]FOWLR[/acronym:84cfe33aa4] or [acronym:84cfe33aa4="Fish only"]FO[/acronym:84cfe33aa4] tank, better water quality also means healthier fish.

[Menagerie]

[center:2cfabaefc9] Welcome to AA, i2ik!! [/center:2cfabaefc9]

[Anemoneman]

I actually prefer the corals to the fish. The fish provide a little more movement - my guests like them, but for me, watching the corals grow and develop is fascinating.

[TankGirl]

I think of reef structures for [acronym:24e1999efc="Saltwater"]SW[/acronym:24e1999efc] fish as plants are for [acronym:24e1999efc="Freshwater"]FW[/acronym:24e1999efc] fish. They will live without them, but there is a bit of a symbiotic relationship between the fish and their living habitat.

[lando]

i think for a lot of us with reef tanks it was just a natural progression. I started out with a fish only to see if i could keep things alive. As my skills and confidence grew I branched out into the reef by buying a simple mushroom colony. One thing led to another and now I have a full-blown reef set-up. For me it was a chance to learn about a whole new world. It can be expensive, but not too bad if you go slow and spread things out. Good Luck and welcome to AA! Lando