I have decided to go for something decidedly different for my new tank(s).
An interconnected aquarium set-up comprised of several biotope-specific tanks .
A so-called multi-gradient system.
The breakdown of the system as follows:
A 350 litre near shore shallow reef display tank.(New)
A 420 litre mangrove root biotope tank.(New)
A 900 litre FOWLRtank.(My existing tank)
There are future plans for a sea grass biotope tank.
These tanks will all be linked in a U shape running of a central 500 litre sump.Because these tanks will be connected, the total water volume will be 1670 litres minus the volume of water displaced by LIVEROCK in the display tank and FOWLR tank and the deep sand beds of the mangrove tank.The sump is where all the needed filtration equipment will reside. This will be carried over from my current system.
A bit of information about what it is I am trying to achieve:
Let's start by looking at what a biotope is:
The word biotope is derived from the Greek words bios meaning life and topos meaning place. Thus it is the living place of a specific biological community. A captive biotope, such as an aquarium ,would aim to replicate the living conditions of a specific reef community. In the case of the system I am designing this biotope is located in the Indo-Pacific. The Indo-Pacific is home to seventy-five percent of the world's coral reefs, this is also where the majority of aquarium stock is collected so makes my job of selecting inhabitants for my tanks a little easier.
Whilst a serious "Biotoper" would want to be more specific as far as this biotope is concerned I have chosen to simply recreate a generic Indo Pacific Near shore Reef. I do not want to tie myself down to a specific area. It will be difficult enough to implement the discipline required to keep to the specific biotopes.I do not want to be concerned about the species to much.
The specific biotopes represented by each tank were chosen based on the critical role that biotope plays in the overall health and stability of the display tank's biotope. In other words, mangrove-fringed shorelines, sea grass beds and open ocean are all individual biotopes intrinsically connected to the coral reef ecosystem.
Mangrove Root Biotope – Mangroves provide a filtration system and provide a nursery ground for many reef species. Mangroves play a role in helping to control the reef's exposure to damaging UVB which leads to coral bleaching and detrimental algae outbreaks. I am hoping to nurse some juvenile fish species in this biotope with apogon species being the likely candidates.
Sea grass Bed Biotope (Future tank)– Sea grasses are efficient when it comes to nutrient export and provides a haven for many food sources consumed higher in the food chain. I have not found a reliable source for sea grass so currently this tank is not being implemented yet . For now this will probably be a refugium containing a DSBand cheato.
Open Ocean – FOWLR the water volume helps to stabilize water conditions that are essential for the survival of tropical reefs. In addition, this habitat is an important source of food supply for reef species. The raw water from this tank will feed into the sea grass habitat for processing.
An interconnected aquarium set-up comprised of several biotope-specific tanks .
A so-called multi-gradient system.
The breakdown of the system as follows:
A 350 litre near shore shallow reef display tank.(New)
A 420 litre mangrove root biotope tank.(New)
A 900 litre FOWLRtank.(My existing tank)
There are future plans for a sea grass biotope tank.
These tanks will all be linked in a U shape running of a central 500 litre sump.Because these tanks will be connected, the total water volume will be 1670 litres minus the volume of water displaced by LIVEROCK in the display tank and FOWLR tank and the deep sand beds of the mangrove tank.The sump is where all the needed filtration equipment will reside. This will be carried over from my current system.
A bit of information about what it is I am trying to achieve:
Let's start by looking at what a biotope is:
The word biotope is derived from the Greek words bios meaning life and topos meaning place. Thus it is the living place of a specific biological community. A captive biotope, such as an aquarium ,would aim to replicate the living conditions of a specific reef community. In the case of the system I am designing this biotope is located in the Indo-Pacific. The Indo-Pacific is home to seventy-five percent of the world's coral reefs, this is also where the majority of aquarium stock is collected so makes my job of selecting inhabitants for my tanks a little easier.
Whilst a serious "Biotoper" would want to be more specific as far as this biotope is concerned I have chosen to simply recreate a generic Indo Pacific Near shore Reef. I do not want to tie myself down to a specific area. It will be difficult enough to implement the discipline required to keep to the specific biotopes.I do not want to be concerned about the species to much.
The specific biotopes represented by each tank were chosen based on the critical role that biotope plays in the overall health and stability of the display tank's biotope. In other words, mangrove-fringed shorelines, sea grass beds and open ocean are all individual biotopes intrinsically connected to the coral reef ecosystem.
Mangrove Root Biotope – Mangroves provide a filtration system and provide a nursery ground for many reef species. Mangroves play a role in helping to control the reef's exposure to damaging UVB which leads to coral bleaching and detrimental algae outbreaks. I am hoping to nurse some juvenile fish species in this biotope with apogon species being the likely candidates.
Sea grass Bed Biotope (Future tank)– Sea grasses are efficient when it comes to nutrient export and provides a haven for many food sources consumed higher in the food chain. I have not found a reliable source for sea grass so currently this tank is not being implemented yet . For now this will probably be a refugium containing a DSBand cheato.
Open Ocean – FOWLR the water volume helps to stabilize water conditions that are essential for the survival of tropical reefs. In addition, this habitat is an important source of food supply for reef species. The raw water from this tank will feed into the sea grass habitat for processing.
