I am not an expert and do not claim to be. These are just my ideas, opinions, and interpretations of knowledge based on years of experience and research.
If you are reading this, you are an ocean ambassador. You went out of your way to learn about the marine animals we keep in captivity and how to keep them happy and healthy. The ocean is a special place, and having the privilege of keeping some of its inhabitants in captivity should not be overlooked. It is valuable to frequently take a step back and look at what it is we’re doing.
Corals are some of the most basal (simple and ancient) animals on earth, but they have prevailed through multiple mass-extinction events and millions of years for a reason. Their prevalence has created the most biodiverse habitat on earth. By keeping just one coral or fish in our tank, we are instantly tied to the magic of the ocean. This attachment enables an inherent responsibility to conserve and educate others about the importance of these habitats. If wild coral reefs were to disappear today, it would be our job to bank these animals and spread the knowledge gained after decades of experience to conserve these special animals. Keeping saltwater animals isn’t easy, and the learning curve is far greater than any other “hobby.” I say “hobby” in quotes because reef-keeping is more than just a hobby. It is a small window into one of the most important and beautiful ecosystems on earth. As a reefkeeper, you are an artist, a chemist, a biologist, a microbiologist, a physicist, a designer, a plumber, an electrician, a physiologist, and much, much more. There is no other activity or past time that involves even two of these scientific fields at once, let alone living animals. What we do is unique because what we do matters.
Zeusinc Reefs 