It has been long held that silica in reef tanks is bad, very, very bad. We avoid beach and play sand like it’s poison because it is believed that silica will cause an undesirable diatom bloom: brown glass, brown gook on rock and substrates, and unhappy reefkeepers. But what if we could control this system and use it to our advantage…say, to increase nutrient export? Let’s take a look at some old data, some new data, and a controversial hypothesis: that dosing silica may increase nutrient export efficiency.
Breed Banggai cardinals already!
Current is known for making good products. With smash hits like the Nova Extreme, satellite lighting, and soon to be Solana aquarium, we are used to getting quality products from this beast. However, what needs to be yanked off the market is the Fission Nano Skimmer. The design of this skimmer is poor, and thus [...]
Neptune Systems introduced the Aqua Controller Jr to a lot of fan fare. After all, it was one of the first controllers on the market that the average reef keeper could afford. However it wasn’t until later that Neptune Systems realized that customers preferred the “coolness” of the Reef keepers 2 in order for them [...]
Soon oil will probably break $100/barrel, the economy seems to be slowing. Is the reef industry in peril because of this? After all it is a hobby right? One of the first things to go after eating out is hobbies or is that a bit harsh?
Don Robinette used to sell aquariums from his store in Duluth. But last March, he closed up shop to run the business from home and turn his attention to clients who want elaborate, custom-made aquariums. “It’s better to focus on high-end clients,” he said.
Fish tanks, blue and entrancing, have long been decorative staples in doctors’ [...]
By: RICHARD HARKER
The November 1997 issue of Aquarium Frontiers Online included an article entitled, “What are Natural Reef Salinities and Temperatures…Really…and Does It Matter?†(Shimek 1997). In the article, the author argued that hobbyists maintain reef tanks at artificially low temperatures and, “forcing animals to ’live on the edge’ of physiological disaster is doubtless [...]
By: CRAIG BINGMAN, Ph.D.
For some aquarists, one of the advantages to having a reef aquarium is that one gets to play the role of a minor god. The fate of a mesocosm of organisms is in your hands, as you control how the system is constructed and populated. All inputs and outputs of the system [...]
Andy over at Elder Reef can’t seem to get his aquascaping right, or at least he thinks so. Aquascaping is by far one of the most challenging things in running a saltwater aquarium. We all want that perfect look, and depending on our live rock shipments we receive or our LFS collection that can vary. [...]
If you love tropical fish, then finding quality livestock for your aquarium is important. Most pet stores buy their fish from wholesalers, who get their fish and other animals from fish farms around the world. The world of a wholesale fish dealer is fascinating, and in very large scale.
