Define “Reef Tank”.

[Mr_Knightley]

A "Reef tank", in my opinion, is any aquarium that places the main emphasis on the care of coral and less so on the fish/inverts. A tank with a couple of softies and big ' pet fish' like eels and triggers is a "saltwater tank", crossing into FOWLR territory.

 

[Faurek]

Technically every saltwater tank is a reef tank as long as it has live rock, there are coral reefs on the pacific but I live near a seaweed reef in the atlantic, for example Nazaré Reef, reefs here have macro and different types of branching, plating and encrusting coralline. So to me the only way is not a reef tank is Fowlr with dead rock and sand, pure white. My favorite type of reef tank is SPS dominated.

 

[Reefering1]

So to me the only way is not a reef tank is Fowlr with dead rock and sand, pure white.

So what happens when the rocks, in that fowlr, matures and becomes colored- is it then a reef?

 

[thamnasteroid]

For me, it has to have live rock and coral. Those are my only requirements.

 

[CoastalTownLayabout]

So what happens when the rocks, in that fowlr, matures and becomes colored- is it then a reef?

No, you remove those green tinged decorative staghorns and bleach them whilst replacing with your alternate pre bleached set. This is known as the JBVT method or James Bond Villian Tank method.

 

[Fish Styx]

A good mix of LR, fish, coral, and inverts. Though, as soon as someone adds a single coral they are no longer FOWLR. That's when we've hooked them (pun intended) and lured (see what I did there?) them over to the dark side.

 

[KrisReef]

Not bad actually
Small note, coral reefs are TYPICALLY found in oceans

“The tank is typically filled with saltwater.”

Brilliant.
With a lime on the rim and a little umbrella.

 

[Crabs McJones]

“The tank is typically filled with saltwater.”

Brilliant.
With a lime on the rim and a little umbrella.

Don't forget the bitters!

 

[JayM]

In my humble opinion, any saltwater aquarium that houses life found on a reef is a “reef tank”.

 

[Faurek]

So what happens when the rocks, in that fowlr, matures and becomes colored- is it then a reef?

Basically yes. For some parts of the year that's how I see it when I go there, a lot of branching coralline, plating coralline under the rocks, encrusting coralline everywhere and inverts.
I think on the hobby we are too focused in one season while if you go rock pooling in different stages of the year it looks different, even from June to august it looks different, goes from red macro dominated to green macro.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

I think of it being a mini part of the ocean. Rock, coral, fish, and inverts. The “ocean at home” is what I would call it

 

[Dburr1014]

At minimum, coral in a natural looking* setting. Most likely with live rock, fish and inverts but not necessarily.