If you ever suffer those pesky little rust-brown flatworms the usual prescription is either a Sixline wrasse, Springer’s Damsel, or a Psychedelic mandarin, Synchiropus picturatus. These are all good choices but the species we use to best effect in my…
advice
Mature Filter Media is Still the Quickest Way to Avoid the Ugly Phase
Cycling, and dealing with Diatoms, Dinoflagellates, and Cyanobacteria are the biggest setbacks for the new reefkeeper but they can be avoided. Bottled bacteria have their place and live rock and live sand their pros and cons, but the quickest, easiest,…
Why is my Coral Dying? The Answer is Far From Simple
On social media, I often see the question, “Why is my coral dying?” In this article, I will explore how complicated it is to answer that question even from a scientific standpoint. In previous articles, I have covered the idea…
What You Need to Know about Aquariums and Electrical Safety
Electricity! We all know it’s dangerous and even more so when combined with water, yet often aquarists practice relaxed and sometimes downright dangerous approaches when combining the two. I was among the worst, having a few minor shocks and the…
Are Air fresheners Good or Bad for the Home Aquarium?
Let me tell you a story. A dentist’s office had a beautiful reef full of hammers and torches, which was healthy for years until a new employee placed a vanilla-scented candle in the office. The aquarium technician did not see…
Five Sand Sifters for a Reef Aquarium
Here are five of the best fish and invertebrates to sift the sand in your reef aquarium and keep the substrate clean Chalk Goby, Valenciennea sexguttata Chalk gobies are attractive, very peaceful bottom-dwelling fish that sift the substrate to find…
Why you should ICP test RO water
For us, one of the biggest benefits that ICP testing brought to the reefing hobby was not just the ability to test your aquarium’s saltwater, it was the ability to test the source water too, the pure, freshwater we use…
Reef Safe Angelfish: What’s the Secret?
Have you ever owned a reef-safe angelfish? A hot topic of discussion that has yet to be answered. If you peruse the forums, you will find yourself reading a multitude of different opinions. Some believe they will get lucky and…
Reef Diving FAQs
Do you own a reef tank and want to take the next leap in learning? Are you traveling to a coral reef destination on vacation? Windsor Adams answers our frequently asked questions on Learning To Dive. Do you need to…
Pros and Cons of Multiple Reef Tanks
One of the interesting observations I have made after years of being a coral hoarder is that one characteristic that I share with many of my fellow hoarders is that our hoarding has often led to us having multiple tanks.…