There are many books available that give instructions on the basics and theory of reef keeping. In general, they try to be everything to everyone and in the process they keep their information so general as to be almost useless. Too much unfiltered information is almost as bad as no information at all. Worse yet, many of these books are seriously outdated in a hobby that makes new breakthroughs every year. They hype the latest fad that was in vogue at the time of publishing.  This manual takes the opposite approach. It is the filtered version. It is light on theory and heavy on specifics. Theory is explored just in as much detail as is important to keeping a successful reef tank. I have made the assumption that most individuals who are reading this manual also have at least one standard book on reef keeping which fills in any gaps in this theoretical knowledge. I will provide links to important technical documents where appropriate for those who would like more in-depth reading on particular subjects.

The other reason for the format of this manual is simple. It is meant to supplement and if necessary replace the knowledgeable pet store that sells reef supplies. Such stores are far too scarce and individuals often make the mistake of assuming that if a store sells reef supplies, the store personnel must know what they are doing! Sadly, more often than not, this is not the case.

The goal of this manual is to help you establish a thriving reef tank that suits your interests. 

For the uninitiated, a reef tank more than any other type of aquaria, is an enclosed ecosystem which depends on a carefully balance system that maintains high water quality and which permits the keeping of sensitive reef organisms in captivity. A reef tank, more so than any other pet hobby I am aware of, requires careful planning and maintenance to be successful. The upshot is that the potential rewards of the hobby are equally great. If you want a hobby where you can spend a few dollars to get it setup and then basically ignore the tank except to throw some dry flake food into it once a day and maybe clean the glass every week or two, then keep looking, because this is not it! However, if you want a hobby where you can really immerse yourself in it, are interested in learning some of the biology of a living reef and can invest a not insignificant amount of time in the hobby, you will probably become hooked like many of us do. Also be forewarned that this is not an inexpensive hobby. Although there are things that can be done to minimize costs somewhat, it will never be cheap.