[Coral-List] Resources on building an outdoor/indoor coral reef pond (Viet Nam)

[Damien Beri]

I would suggest starting with a nano tank if you haven't tried anything just to understand proper handeling, Flow, heat, and personalities of individual corals.  You will most likely have high phosphates and nitrates plus high variability in temperature.  This is coming from the standpoint of someone who has exclusively worked with tanks. I'm sure you will receive better/more extensive advice from someone in the restoration field.  I'm also sure they will try and steer you away from the idea sadly.  Are you planning of having people swim in this? You need to make sure there are showers present and no one is wearing lotion of any kind.  Build a levy which can move at least 50% of the water in and out within 12 hours, you will also have to deal with pests.  You should stick with soft corals found in shallow depths.  I would suggest books by Bob Fenner which mostly deal with aquariums. 


Personally, wouldn't a clear viewing space provided by a acrylic aquarium be better to enlighten people, and since it's acrylic you can clean it up when people mess it up. 

-DamienBeri



Sent from my iPhone

> On Aug 8, 2017, at 5:46 AM, Binh Vuong <wangtrongbinh at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> My organization is planning to construct a small artificial coral reef pond.
> We are in Viet Nam, which experienced a man-made marine disaster in 2016
> that wiped out significant areas of marine life. We are trying to attract
> more support for local marine biodiversity, and hope to educate the locals
> on the values of local marine biodiversity through this small pond as a
> first step.
> We have no previous experience, and would like seek advice on which online
> resources or books we should read to start.
> 
> Thank you,
> Binh Vuong
> Passage to Viet Nam: Crafts Village
> binhvuongns at gmail.com
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