Elos Calcium and Alkalinity Test Kits
Milk and batteries? What is this stuff?! You never thought keeping corals would require a slight knowledge of chemistry, did you? Do not worry! It does not have to be as scary as your high school chemistry class. In fact, I am going to make it as easy as possible to ensure people of all ages and educations can at least get started. With a quick idea of what these two words mean and how to manipulate their levels you can easily do it yourself and feel...
Step Away from the Tank (When is it time to quit the hobby?)
Animals are a fragile link in the chain of the immense ecosystem. Most of them were here before humans. The fact of the matter is that animals are important to the well being of the planet. Even maggots play a role in cleaning up messes. It may be disgusting, it may be raunchy, but a rotten animal will smell much worse on its own for a longer period of time than it would without a belly full of what makes us all sick to the...
SLAUGHTER HOUSE FISH – Have you ever wondered why marine fish are so expensive? Unlike a cichlid, or most other freshwater fish, marine creatures live in much harder to reach areas of the world. Some live hundreds of feet below sea level which is very out of reach to the Average Joe, thus it is more expensive to obtain these creatures. Not only are they harder to get to but they are also more difficult to capture. Yeah, people could just throw a hook and bobber over the reef but the odds of...
This is a general guide on how to turn an aquarium into the ultimate reef filtration. I am going to explain the planning stage, the materials, and the assembly. The tank I am using is a 75 gallon aquarium that has no cross brace, which is fairly uncommon around here. Luckily, this was traded to me a while back and I had to take advantage of its open top. This sump is being designed for a specific client, so the planning was a two person process to fit the needs. The size of the sump is not...
The Seneye is a line of monitors designed to make your life much easier. They come in various models to accommodate most types of aquariums and even your pond! The product that is up for review today is the Seneye Reef Monitor from Reef Radiance. Before I open the package I will first explain what exactly this is supposed to do. THIS IS NOT AN AQUARIUM CONTROLLER! It cannot flip on switches, pumps, react to certain parameters, or anything a controller can do. These are not in the same...
Are you into rare corals but also like preserving life in the ocean? The Merulina coral, also known as Lettuce, Cabbage, Ridge, or Ruffled Coral, may just be your ticket to preservation! Some species of Merulina coral fall within the Marine Protected Areas. Growing these corals in captivity to study is the only way we can help them stay on our planet and not get lost in the reef. If you have a knack for SPS and want to do your part for science you will love this coral.
image via reef2reef...
One of the least likely fish to appear in your LFS is the Dr. Seuss fish. In fact, you will not find but an extremely limited amount of information about this particular species on the internet. Scuba divers are not even lucky enough to encounter these rare creatures without exceeding dangerous depths that require special equipment. The Dr. Seuss Fish actually lives with an amazing assortment of rare fish, some not yet identified! A colorful assortment of chromis, groupers, and even the...
This Article is Sponsored by @uniquecorals
As you know, when I'm not stoking fellow reefers with cool corals, I get to travel around the country and talk about geeky reef topics. One of my most in-demand topics is "Nutrient Control and Export", which, in other words, is a nice way of saying "Getting the nasty stuff out of your aquarium."
I'm compelled to touch on this today (nutrient CONTROL) because of a (very) long phone call with a reefer yesterday about the crazy algae bloom his 225...
What is the most common reason for giving up the salt water hobby? When you search through the endless listings of reef tanks for sale on Craigslist, the majority of tanks are not exactly top of the line. Someone will label “Full Blown Reef” on a tank that is nothing more than a fraction of what the educated reefer would even consider putting animals in. The lighting is outdated, they are usually not drilled, the ones with sumps have old overflow boxes filled with algae, and the fish have...
This Article is Sponsored by @uniquecorals
Hi Everyone,
Have you ever kept a Lobophyllia? These are great "LPS" corals with terrific color patterns and shapes that look great in reefs! If you're like a lot of reefers, you may have kept one before, and either had moderate success, or perhaps had a bad experience. Was thinking about this the other day, because we work with a lot of Lobos, and seem to enjoy much success with them, as do most of our customers who purchase them. it made me...
