The Ethics of Small Reef Keeping-- your two cents please.

[brandon4291]

ps-all of our reefs qualify as small.



Now, to clarify. I am seeking public opinon from experienced reef keepers about the ethics of keeping standard systems and nano systems. I would love to hear everyones ideas pro and con about this topic, as some feel it is very unethical and this interests me.

Some feel that it is okay to keep small reef aquariums as long as the vertebrate inhabitants are few/none. (a good point I agree with)

Some people feel that keeping a few corals in a small setup is okay, but to stock it densely is unethical because they feel crowded.

These are the main points I am focusing on in this thread:

1. What is to be inferred about the health of the inhabitants after months and months of successful living?

2. What weight does continualy polyp heath and extension have on the issue of "happiness" of the inhabitants?

3. To what degree can marine organisms distinguish a 100 gallon reef from a ten gallon from a one gallon, provided each water column displays the same parameters and tendencies?

4. Is there any difference between a carefully designed pico reef and a 180 gallon reef at the chemical and biological level?



Brandon Mason

 

[esmithiii]

IMO no one in this hobby can really judge another's "ethics" as we are all keeping living things in glass boxes for our own amusement knowing full and well that regardless of how big our aquariums are most organisms will live only a fraction as long as they would in the wild.

Ernie

 

[ereefic1]

If you want to do it, do it.

 

[Anonymous]

I have never heard any of my inhabitants complain,cry,or scream. However I have not seen anything smile or laugh either(in my tank). I have seen a 5 inch Porcupine smiling at me once and it was in a 55 gallon tank. Wait...I think I here my Coralline Algae singing Happy Happy Joy Joy...Happy Happy Joy Joy. Woweeeeeee! So cool! 8O

 

[shalegac]

It seems to me that if things are reporducing or growing well in the tank than they are happy. I've seen tanks where the inhabitants just sat and withered away even with good parameters and anything else.
I suppose this can all be left to opinion.
Shaun Legacy

 

[Sebastian]

Reefkeeping is just short of a GOD complex. How you take this responsibility is up to the individual but I feel that we(reefkeepers) are the controling factor in the life or death of our inhabitants. By no means is this a flame but a reminder of the power we have. IMHO

 

[O P Ing]

1. What is to be inferred about the health of the inhabitants after months and months of successful living?

If something is not dead after several months, then we can only say that it is better the other situation in which it was dead already. It is difficult to parameterize the quality of living of reef inhabitants. Maybe if they can talk, that mushroom coral may said that it rather die than suffering, I guess. Please read the rest of the reply before trying to infer my opinion from my last statement.

2. What weight does continualy polyp heath and extension have on the issue of "happiness" of the inhabitants?

Polyp extension is like rosy cheeks. For some peoole, it is a sign of good health. For others, it may mean that the air is too dry and hot. IMO, there are too much emphasis on polyp extension in this hobby. As I mention in a different, there are coral on the verge of dying, and still show a better than average extension.

3. To what degree can marine organisms distinguish a 100 gallon reef from a ten gallon from a one gallon, provided each water column displays the same parameters and tendencies?

If anyone answer yes, then let them know that the astrophysicists just proved that the unverse is 20 billion times bigger than we previous thought. For none swimming organism, they can't tell the difference. But for active fish like tang and damsel, it is very important that they feel "comfortable" in a space large enough for them.

4. Is there any difference between a carefully designed pico reef and a 180 gallon reef at the chemical and biological level?

Nope. However, it is more difficult to maintance homostaticity in a smaller tank than larger one.

 

[Anonymous]

I have never had a Homo Tank. How can you tell?

 

[ereefic1]

Keep a reef tank. Just don't throw your baby in a dumpster, kill anyone for a pair of shoes(or any reason), have 20 babies so you get more welfare. I think you can see where i'm going with this. Plus, I don't think there is a single person in this hobby, past or present, that hasn't had a animal die while in there care. If they say they haven't, there lying.

 

[O P Ing]

hi.
Sorry for using a word that does not in your dictionary. For most people I hope they know what I mean.

 

[Anonymous]

It isn't the size of the tank, it is how well it is taken care of. You don't have to be a slave to your tank, but keep the params in line. Keep the temperature steady. Keep the lighting level appropriate to what organisms you keep.

 

[Expos Forever]

The ethics of reef-keeping is something I think about quite often. IMO anyone starting a reef has the responsability to maintain their living conditions to the best of their ability. That being said, the two most important things we can do as reefers are

1) Do lots and lots and lots of research on organisms before we purchase (care requirements, diet, compatability with other species,space required for swimming, etc...)
2) Try,as much as possible, to buy aqua-cultured animals (tank-raised fish , propagated corals, etc...) to try to minimize our effect on real reefs.

That's how I justify reef-keeping personally anyways...