About Us
Established in 2004 Reef Builders covers the aquatics industry for keeping saltwater tanks and has been featured by CNN, MSNBC and Wikipedia as a definite source.
Ryan Gripp, Founder
Ryan founded Reef Builders in 2004.
Jake Adams, Managing Editor
Jake Adams has been an avid marine aquarist since the mid-90s and has worked in the retail side of the marine aquarium trade for more than ten years. He has a bachelor’s degree in Marine Science and has been the managing editor of ReefBuilders.com since 2008. Jake is interested in every facet of the marine aquarium hobby from the concepts to the technology, rare fish to exotic corals, and his interests are well documented through a very prolific career of speaking to reef clubs and marine aquarium events, and writing articles for aquarium publications across the globe. His primary interest is in corals which Jake pursues in the aquarium hobby as well as diving the coral reefs of the world.
Windsor Adams, Social Media Director
Windsor manages the social media team while ensuring Reefbuilders carries on the legacy of her late husband, Jake.
Raj Shingadia, Managing Director
Raj brings 20 years-plus of industry experience in aquarium maintenance, fabrication, design, and implementation as well as industrial sales and marketing leadership skills. He hopes to honor Reef Builders’ late co-owner and managing editor Jake Adams by continuing Adams’ highly regarded enthusiasm for the hobby and implementing changes aligned with his vision.
Jeremy Gay, Senior Editor
Jeremy is an award winning author, editor, and lifelong fishkeeper, with over twenty years in the marine aquatic sector. Author of three books: The Perfect Aquarium, Choosing the right fish for your aquarium, and Aquarium Manual: The Complete Step-by-Step Guide to Keeping Fish. Jeremy writes about all things aquarium related and shares his incredible passion and knowledge to Reefbuilders readers. His experience includes retail, wholesale, publishing, distribution, marketing, manufacturing, and livestock import. He loves the biology of marine ecosystems as well as marine equipment and tech.
Evie Hale, Show Manager and Senior Field Reporter
Evie started keeping aquariums at the age of 8, learning the old-fashioned way, without the internet, and devoting countless hours to reading all the books and articles she could find in the public library on the subject. She was keeping saltwater at the age of 20. Also, she managed a small pet franchise in Kansas, before gaining more than 10 years of experience in running and owning a saltwater-only fish store, including moving the store location.
Remy Hoesly, Content Extraordinaire & Reef Therapy Host
Remy has been keeping aquariums, both fresh and saltwater, since the dial-up modem. He has been a professional radio personality for the last 20 years and has been heard on stations from St. Louis to Chicago and beyond. Remy shares – with complete transparency – his successes and failures in the hobby. His mission has always been to empower reef keepers to step outside their comfort zone and try new things.
Michael Paletta, Contributor
Mike has been keeping marine tanks since 1980 and reef tanks since the mid-1980s. During the past 40 years, he has written over 370 articles on reef tanks, marine fish, and invertebrates for both the US and Europe. His first book “The Modern Marine Aquarium” simplified marine fishkeeping for beginning hobbyists while at the same time incorporating advances that had been made due to reef keeping. His second book “Ultimate Marine Aquariums” illustrates how far the hobby had advanced during its first 15 years.
Michael has enjoyed speaking at over 300 marine societies, national conferences, and Zoom calls in North America, Canada, South America, and Europe. Michael has appeared on both local, national, and international radio shows to discuss the hobby and to help new hobbyists become successful. Michael has also done over 50 videos for American Reef and YouTube. Michael has B.S. from Dickinson College and a Master’s degree from Yale University. In 2022 Michael won the MASNA Award for his lifelong involvement in the hobby, and recently retired from the biotechnology industry.
Vincent Chalias, Contributor
Vincent is a coral passionate aquarist with extensive experience in the industry, travelling the world to learn about corals. His background is a master degree in Marine Aquaculture. He set up the first Indonesian Coral mariculture farms at the beginning of the century and spent over 20 years in Indonesia running them. He’s been extensively diving and documenting corals all over the Indo-Pacific.
To Nicole Helgason:
Good morning,
I seek permission to copy your photos for educational purposes.
Please refer to the webpage:
https://reefbuilders.com/2017/03/08/canada-protects-rare-glass-sponge-reef/
I would like to use ‘glass sponge – 17, 18 & 19’.
I will credit them with your name & webpage above.
I await your reply.
Regards
Hi Jake and Nicole, my name is Edo from Brazil and I’m conducing live interviews with the main personalities from our hobby: both Brazilian and international. I already had Julian, Mark Callahan (9th May) and Melev (13th May). Lou Ekus will take part on the 27th and Dana Riddle and Robert (BRS) hopefully on the first week of June.
Jake I would like to invite your this interview. 1-2 hours so you can share with us your trajectory. Bellow are the links with the former ones.
Regards,
Edo
p.s.: I make part of the advertisement team of Triton Brazil. Both Jeff and Ricardo are good friends. Anyway I just do it for the love of our hobby.
https://youtu.be/Lxa9PjpZDLk
https://youtu.be/9wY3aPnn7to
https://youtu.be/fbRGGOj8WVQ
Hi Mark, you can use the images please do not put my name as credit as they all come from this video from
CPAWS-BC also linked in the article! Enjoy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugQ0ESJuB0k
Just wondering if reefstock Australia is going to be postponed or just cancelled until August next year?
Cheers,Jared
Hi Mr Adams,
I have been thinking of moving from freshwater to marine for some time now, but have always been hesitant because of the huge filtration requirements for marine – I have very limited space. I came across you article on the Seachem Tidal 55 and was wondering if this is the only filter you are using on the tank you mentioned. What I am trying to confirm, is if one can run a small marine aquarium with less than 10 fish (mostly easy care fish like clowns/ chromis or damsels) with the Seachem Tidal filter only
warm regards
Michael Visser
To Jake Adams:
I seek permission to reproduce the photograph of the jawfish Opistognathus hopkinsi for educational purposes. The photograph in on your website and was taken by “Feel the Sea” in 2010 at Izu Marine Park, Japan but I do not know whom to contact for permission to use it. I would like to include the photograph in my monograph on Indo-West Pacific Opistognathus which will be published next year as an open-access scientific publication in Zootaxa. In the figure caption I will, of course, credit the photographer or origination.
Any advice or help you can provide will be appreciated.
Thank you
Bill
W. F. Smith-Vaniz, Ph.D.
Hi Jake,
This is a follow-up to my previous email of today. I would also like permission to publish the photograph (lateral view) of the gorgeous live Tattoo jawfish shown on your webpage in Zootaxa. Incidentally I described this jawfish (Opistognathus decorus) as a new species in the Japanese Journal of Ichthyology in 1985. To whom do I need to contact for permission and who do I acknowledge as the photographer. In the locality is known that would also be appreciated.
Thanks again for any help you can provide.
Bill
My name is xmegatron10 I’m a Pro-liberal/PRO-DEMACRAT? Im getting a pair of secret cichlids to make a hybrid call the (RED PHOENIX KING CICHLID ?) now WARNING: DO NOT THINK THAT CAUSE YOU HAVE A LINEBRED RED DEVIL CICHLID OR MIDAS OR BLACKBELT CICHLID OR ANY VIEJA CICHLID that they can mess with. This hybrid in any way number 1 they will be extremely extremely extremely extremely extremely extremely aggressive/territorial/quarrelsome and predatory. 2 the male gets 26 inches the female maybe 18 or 19 inches.
I tried to make emojis After the words demacrat and Phoenix king cichlid and it came out as question marks well at least I know you can’t make emojis on here. But like I said this hybrid cichlid is nothing to mess with AH HA HA HA HA HA HA HAAA
Have seen white string ray At Rye pier today with stumpy tail Came home to look up and see your photo – virtually the same fish Absolutely beautiful watching it glide around the pier
I know you love going around the world to see the salt water reef when you get time please watch this guy from South India he had bulit everthing in second had nad also from house left over i bet this will be intresting please watch it . He is expaling in Tamil but you can cc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvrpr-sPzzA
Hi, reef builders team!
I am looking to understand aquarium owners’ attitudes regarding environmental protection and the popularity of different aquatic measurement technologies (strips, kits, handheld meters, continuous meters). My general hypothesis is that there is a strong correlation between keeping an aquarium and environmental protection awareness and behavior. But some of the feedback I’ve received suggests relatively few aquarists take care to measure the pH in their tank regularly.
I am based at a University in Shenzhen and my team is developing a battery-free pH meter (powered using energy harvesting). We want to ensure our solution matches the needs of aquarists while helping to protect our planet.
For Jake Adam’s or intrested party, would you happen to be intrested in purchasing more seahorse Fossils I have a very large collection ? Big or small I have them all! Look forward to hearing from you on this subject and also would like to thank you for the very informative article great read.
Jake and the Gang,
I’m a former retail store and Maintenance company owner. Sadly, I was in a bad car accident that nearly took my life and to put it short… took my business.‘ it’s been a decade now
And I’m proud to
See you become a
Respected part
Of The hobby and industry. I’d love to ask you a few questions regarding the hobby in general. I’ve been approached by a few old
Friends that want to possibly compete for the dollar of each and every purchaser.
I was wondering if you could email me so we can get a chat going. All of my old
Sales
Reps
With the big wholesalers are no longer with the companies I purchased from. To give you prospective. I was the first east coast company to get any Aussie
Corals… very sad story about that one….
My question is…. I used to quarantine my fish… I adjusted for time zones, night cycles, feeding times in the wild, switching from fresh saltwater to synthetic (which is harder than most realize). I also kept all new fish away from
Any tank that could be poked. Flicked smacked…ect…
I was thinking about a fish only business selling only heavily acclimated fish, no
Corals… too many do
This.
Think, live aquarium style. Mainly wrasses…. Is there an industry? I’m not looking for an immediate return and I know
It could be a few years before a profit could be turned.
Hit me up with a few words to see
If it’s even something doable
Or worth it!
Thanks! Sorry about the spelling, the site was glitching…
Hello
I have watched a ton of your content, including the 2 plus hours shop tour. Thanks and keep it up! Could you please tell me what you and others are doing to control the room humidity? Room conditioning tends to always be overlooked, my local heating and air guys are at a loss. At one point I had 800 gallons going and humidity was basically uncontrollable. You and I would guess Jason fox must have figured something out. Please share and information you may have.
Thanks again, ted
Hello Jake and team.
I am in need of some expert advice. I have been Reef keeping for over twenty years and have dealt with every coral parasite out there, till now. I have a heavily stocked 400gal tank, all SPS with colonies over 10 years old. This summer I had a few RTN situations occur on my birds nests followed by a very gradual STN on a few of my prized SPS corals. Same species, different parts of the aquarium. At night I could see extremely small black very fast moving slugs eating what I would think was the dead tissue around the necrosed area. They had been laying egg clusters under the dead coral tissue. It would appear that I had an Acro eating flatworm situation but they do not at all look like or move like any flat worms I have ever seen. Nor have I introduced any new coral or anything for that matter in years. They seemed to enjoy eating both smooth skinned acros and bushy alike but still leaving other hole very similar species alone. I have had to break apart some of my prized corals to separate the STN from the healthy and have continued dipping the colonies that are now suspended off the rock work. These ‘detritus’ eating flat worms are still found from time to time even on other healthy colonies that have no tissue damage. I have placed test colonies back on the rock work of the same species and some are fine, thriving and growing with no issue while again others start reseeding with the fast black worms nipping at the base. It is as if a detritus worm has developed a taste for coral. ICP test came back normal except for low to no Iodine at the time of the noticed start of the RTN event. I have no idea were to go from here. Hoping you may have thoughts on what I am dealing with.
Thank you Ryan
Hi. I’m Isaac from Spain. I think your advices and tips are superb! I have a problem with my pico reef of 2.5g. It’s been cycling during a month. The last week, all parameters are stables in three times testing:
Nitrites: 0
Nitrates: 2-3
Ammonia:0
Phosphates: 0,03
Alcalinity: 11,5
I used Seachem Stability like instructions defines. But sitll not have any algae like diatoms or cyano, i don’t know if it’s a good sign. I’m really a little bit concern about this.
The problem is that my water is slightly cloudy, not too much, and i don’t know if it’s safe to get some soft corals like ricordeas and a hermit crab.
I would like some help.
Thank you so much!
Best regards.
Greetings
My name is Hassan from Saudi Arabia, and would like to know if you guys are interested in branching out to Saudi.
Kind Regards
Hi I’m starting a new marine aquarium and selling my my tropical set up
I have a 4 by 2 foot tall tank and hopefully keep moray eel as I think Thay a so interesting to watch and I had a snowflake eel years ago and he eat my blue lobster so iv been researching lots to get everything right this time and come across your website and so far really impressed with your videos and advice
Im looking forward to seeing ever video you have lol
Iv signed up with you and hopefully it’s not too late for the competition
Have you used 3789 zip ties???????
Hopefully I get text or email saying iv won a pump lol
Hello ,
I see advertising on the website https://www.reefbuilders.com and it is impressive. I was wondering if there is any content or advertising opportunities available on your website?
What is the price if we want to publish an article on your website?
Note: the article can not be text as sponsored or advertising or something like that
Cheers
william damian
Hi Reefbuilders from the UK, Any chance that you will be hosting / guesting at a UK venue anytime .
There is a large following here all over the UK. Keep up the good work.
Regards Gary : London UK
Hi there, I just watched your guide on aptaisia removal. I’m really surprised you didn’t mention Berghia nudibranchs as the ultimate natural aptaisia removal tool. Their diet consists solely of aptaisia, nothing else. I’m a reefer
for over 30 years and Berghias have hands down eradicated them whenever I had them. Anything else is just a gamble and waste of money. Please tell me you have heard of them. Sarcastically speaking.
Thanks! Freddy
Hi Jake,
I read your article regarding Plesiastrea peroni. There are some significant errors in your article and this makes the two species confusing. Can you please contact me via email and I will clarify. Would be great to have correct information.
Cheers David J
Jake, hey I replied to a youtube vid series you have on the red sea nano max you have set up. I want to know what the glass top you made for it measures. I have one and want to do the same to stop evaporation.
Thanks,
Chilled
Hell Jake Adams,
I been watching your video on the Mangrove Cube Lagoon and the nano tank. I noticed the mangroves and also when you were picking the corals for the Nano you guys had a mangrove doing well in a pot. I got a few Mangroves with small leaves and tried to give them same light LEDs Full spectrum as i give to my other displays that are thriving under those lights. Mangroves are not moving or doing anything and i am afraid going backwards. I put them in a glass with some sand and potting soil according to some advice from some mangrove growers.
Any suggestions? What kind of soil and lighting, PAR values are you using for the mangroves. Any advice would be appreciated.
Best regards,
Emanuel
RIH Jake Adams. You will truly be missed
RIP Jake
RIP Jake. You were my biggest inspiration. You’ll be missed a lot.
I am truly saddened by the tragic news regarding jakes death. We lost a mentor, a friend and an inspiration. Thank you for everything Jake.
Is Jake Adam’s alive and well?
Rest in Peace Jake. I think we can all safely say that this man and ReefBuilders made so many people around the globe get into the saltwater aquarium hobby. We learned so much through all the videos he made and he was such a genuine person. All he wanted was to document and study the ocean. Unfortunately his story ends too fast. I can’t describe how sad i was when i first heard the news. I didn’t know him personnaly but it felt like i did. I felt like i lost someone i really loved and who was really close and dear to my heart. He was part of my life and his videos and passion got me through some hard times. I can’t even imagine how his wife and family are feeling. But the reefing community will never forget him. He’s in our hearts and we’ll make him live through our passion for our aquariums at home. Love you jake. You’ll be deeply missed.
Alves Ryan, Luxembourg.
Dear people from Reef Builders
My deepest condolences for Jake.
Best,
Ricardo
SO SO SORRY TO HEAR THE VERY SAD NEWS ABOUT JAKE ADAMS . I HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING
HIM ON THE REEF BUILDERS SITE FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS NOW FROM THE U.K.
HE WAS THE PERFECT MAN FOR THE JOB AND HE WILL BE VERY MUCHED MISSED I KNOW.
IM SURE I WILL NOT BE THE LAST ONE TO SAY THAT WE WILL BE THINKING ABOUT HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS
AT THIS VERY SAD TIME. . GARY FROM THE UK
I just authored an article on the blog section of my company website that I think might be of interest to you guy’s. Here is the URL: https://aquacustomfishtanks.com/conserving-our-reefs-is-it-a-black-and-white-issue/
Please let me know your thoughts….
Rgrds,
-Sol
Hello Reef builders, I am in search of the infamous weeping willow toad stool (long polyp) that the late and great jake adams have talked about in his videos. Can you please point me in the right direction?
Thanks,
-Lee
Hello Reef builders, I am in search of the infamous weeping willow toad stool (long polyp) that the late and great jake adams have talked about in his videos. Can you please point me in the right direction?
Thanks
I found reef therapy by accident recently on YouTube and subsequently the reef builder site, I find the content and points of view intriguing and more in line with how my thinking tends to meander.
I was wondering, if Mark Van Der Wal was to provide 2-3 other voices to follow who he thinks are worth listening to or following on you tube, blogs sites or podcasts ? I feel much of what I find is more promotional and/or lacks a big picture view point.
I was an early adopter of keeping reef tanks, and was heavily involved from 1988-1998 when I sold everything to move across country. Life got in the way until recently when the “bug” started taking control again and I started planning a new system.
I am looking for a copy of an article Jake wrote in 2006 “water flow is more important than lighting part 3”. I have located parts 1, 2 & 4, 5 but have struck out on part 3. Does anyone know where I can find a copy of part 3 of this article series?
My name is Kelly Hardison and I work in the Prepared Microscope Slides department at Carolina Biological Supply Company in Burlington, NC. Our company provides science teaching materials to schools and universities worldwide. I am currently looking for a source for tiny sea stars to be used in slide-making. We have used Asterina in the past, but any small sea stars around 5mm or 1/8 inch in size would be fine. Do you have access to/would you be able to provide anything like this? If not, can you suggest where I might be able to find this material? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you very much for your time, and I hope to hear from you.
To Greg: I think I photographed ‘cheddar’ while snorkeling off the coast of the big island Hawaii – northwestern side. I’m interested in comparing photos!
Hi ?
This is Kevin from SMACO Company, the manufacturer of professional portable scuba tank.
We have a program going on kickstarter about a lightweight backpack-style BCD scuba tank, launching on this month, we will invite you to report about it.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/smaco/smaco-s700max-2-in-1-backpack-bcd-scuba-tank-for-underwater?ref=discovery
Best regards
Kevin
Hallo.
I hope your week is going well,
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