Many marine fish can survive in captivity for decades, and many corals and other sessile invertebrates can hang in there, well, who knows how long. In any case, maintaining a marine aquarium “for the long term” can mean an awfully long time. Hiscurrent tank启动并运行了同样的生活stock since somewhere around the Second Battle of Bull Run (being a New Yorker, Paul presumably wouldn’t have called it Second Manassas).
My style of aquarium keeping also leans toward the long-term, so I thought I’d dedicate today’s post to what I consider the pros and cons of this approach (versus keeping specimens for relatively brief periods and frequently changing up your livestock) for those whose hobby experience doesn’t yet span decades:
Pros:
- You gain a new respect for the growth potential of specimens—and thus the benefits of spacious housing. For example, reading that fish species X can reach Y inches/centimeters in maximum length doesn’t compare to actually seeing the genuine article fully grown and swimming around in your tank alongside a bunch of other fully grown specimens. The same applies to the growth potential of coral colonies. Those little frags can end up consuming a heck of a lot of space in your tank when left to their own devices for years and years.
- Maintenanceand husbandry become second nature. I would never say you can put a long-term aquarium on “autopilot” and abandonwater testing, but it becomes such a known quantity over time and your livestock becomes so familiar that you eventually develop the ability to catch certain problems in their earliest stages simply byobserving subtle changesin the behavior/demeanor of your animals and trusting what your senses are telling you.
- Many marine fish can outlive the family dog or cat, so despite the fact that you can’t really pet them, they tend to “grow on you” and become more pet-like the longer they’re in your care. I’ve had the same percula clownfish since my son was a baby (he’s a sophomore in college now), and I’m determined to provide a home for that little clown untilthe end of its natural lifespan.
- You’re putting minimal pressure on wild populations. Despite exciting advances in captive-breeding programs, most of the marine fish in the aquarium trade are still wild-collected. If your focus is keeping the same assortment of livestock for the long term, you probably aren’t buying new specimens on a regular basis.
- There’s just a certain sense of reward you get when you’re able to strike that balance of aquarium suitability and compatibility that allows you to keep a particular assemblage of fish and invertebrates together and thriving for many years.
Cons:
- When keeping the same group of animals for a long time, you can’t necessarily experiment with a variety of different species without setting up multiple tanks (This may lead directly toMSAS!), which may or may not be problematic depending on your living arrangements.
- There’s a risk that seeing the same fish and corals for many years will become monotonous, leading to “Boring Tank Syndrome” and possibly loss of interest in the hobby.
- In the rare instances that you do try to introduce a new specimen, the established group, having shared the same tank for a long time, formed a solid pecking order, and become accustomed to each other’s presence, may be particularly unwelcoming toward the newcomer.
What have I overlooked?
As always, I’m sure I’ve overlooked some salient points here. If any of you longtime salties can think of anything you’d like to add, please share it in the comment section below.