Dear Future Reef Keeping Enthusiast,

Welcome to our article about beginning reef keeping! We're excited to share with you the basics of this fascinating hobby, and provide you with some helpful tips to get started.

Reef keeping involves creating and maintaining a small ecosystem in your own home, complete with live corals, fish, and invertebrates. The key to success is in recreating the conditions found in natural reefs, which requires careful attention to water chemistry, lighting, and equipment.

Here are some basic requirements for getting started with reef keeping:

1. Tank - You'll need a tank that is specifically designed for saltwater, with a capacity of at least 20 gallons for beginners.

2. Filtration - You'll need a filter to keep the water clean and clear, as well as a protein skimmer to remove organic matter from the water.

3. Lighting - Corals require specific types of lighting to thrive, so you'll need to invest in high-quality lighting equipment.

4. Water - You'll need to use purified water or reverse osmosis (RO) water, and then add synthetic sea salt to create the right salinity level.

5. Substrate - Choose a sand or gravel substrate that is specifically designed for saltwater tanks.

Once you have your tank set up, you can begin to add live rock and live sand to create a healthy environment for your corals and fish. Live rock is essential for providing the right biological filtration, as it contains beneficial bacteria that break down waste products and provide essential nutrients for corals.

To care for your corals, you'll need to feed them regularly with a combination of plankton, amino acids, and other supplements. You'll also need to maintain the right water parameters, including pH, temperature, and salinity, and monitor for any signs of disease or other issues.

We hope this introduction to reef keeping has been helpful, and we encourage you to explore this exciting hobby further. Stay tuned for our next newsletter, where we'll spotlight some popular coral species and provide some care tips.

Best regards,

Aqua Cultured Reef