Tip of the Day – 11/11/2013

When setting up multiple systems, it’s often tempting to plumb them together into one giant system. While there are certainly a ton of benefits, with simplicity and a large system volume being probably the top two, there are certainly many drawbacks. For one, if the systems aren’t all reef tanks, then you’re essentially wasting things like calcium, coral foods, and other reef specific items. Another drawback is the possibility of contaminating fish or corals across multiple tanks with the same disease or parasite. The interconnectivity, what might be considered a strength from one perspective, will end up being the system’s biggest weakness. All that said, there really is no right or wrong in this situation, as both are equally viable options. The decision to go one way or another will depend on a lot of factors that are personal to your current requirements.