The Sustainable Marine Aquarium
Our sustainable aquarium
Most ornamental coral reef fish and other organisms for tropical marine aquaria are collected directly from the reef, often as adults. This has resulted in damage to reefs, reduced populations, high by-catch mortality, the introduction of pathogens, and high post-capture mortality.
Fortunately, a few species can be bred in captivity, including some seahorses, damselfish, cardinalfish, pipefish, shrimp, zooanthiids, algae, corals and anemones.
Some organisms in our aquarium
------------Zooanthus----------Halimeda--Actinodiscus----Entacmaea
Captive-Bred Marine Life
Clownfish - Amphiprion ocellaris
- Darwin morph
Clown fish are one of the easiest marine aquarium fish to raise in captivity. Clownfish regularly spawn in aquariums. They also have relatively large eggs and larvae. This makes rearing easier as larvae can be fed on cultured foods. Ocellaris and other clownfish have several colour morphs (e.g. the Darwin morph above).
Fast Facts:
- Diet: algae and zooplankton
- Average natural life span of 6-10 years
- Grow to 11 cm
- Australian distribution: Northwest
Did you know? Ironically, the movie, “Finding Nemo", about the anguish of a captured clownfish caused demand for their use in aquaria to triple!
Spiny chromis - Acanthochromis polyacanthus
Spiny chromis are highly resilient and exhibit high reproductive rates making them suitable for captive breeding. Breeding adults form bonded pairs and are territorial. Uniquely, the spiny chormis is the only Australian coral reef fish that lacks a pelagic larval phase and the only one where the parents guard their fry throughout their development, up to 4 months.
Fast Facts:
- Diet: benthic algae, zooplankton and invertebrates
- Average natural life span of 8-15 years
- Grow to 14 cm
- Australian distribution: Northwest, Great Barrier Reef
Did you know? Due to their lack of a dispersive larval phase, several isolated morphs of spiny chromis exist on the Great Barrier Reef, offering insight into speciation and hybridisation processes.
Capturing fish larvae and rearing them in captivity is a potentially sustainable approach being investigated. This circumvents the high natural mortality of larvae during settlement, does not damage reefs and reduces disease and acclimatization problems.
---Zebrasoma scopas -------------Acanthurus grammoptilus
Did you know?
We reared these from wild larvae captured with light traps before settling on the reef.
Building a Marine Reef
Artificial reef rock is a new, more sustainable, alternative made from a cement-like mixture of calcium carbonate material, shell grit, and sand. It is highly porous, providing a surface on which coralline (purple coloured) and other algae, bacteria, and invertebrates can grow. When used in unison with live rock, it provides a base for reef growth. Its use reduces the environmental and financial costs associated with using large amounts of live rock.
Established artificial rock can then be used to establish new aquarium systems, eliminating the need for live rock.
Did you know? We used 110 kg of artificial rock and only 10 kg of natural live rock to establish our aquarium.
To increase the sustainability of marine aquaria, please ask your local aquarium specialist for information and availability of captive bred organisms.
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