Here at Saltwater Smarts, we often make the case that size matters when it comes to saltwater tanks. The bigger the tank, the better for a variety of reasons (though we can’t dispute that nano tanks offer certain advantages too).…
Equipment
The Basics of Marine Aquarium Backgrounds
When setting up a new saltwater aquarium, one of the many decisions you’ll need to make is whether you want to put a background on the tank and, if so, what kind you’d prefer to use. The choice of background…
Keep Spares of These Key Marine Aquarium Components
According to Kurtz’s Law, the likelihood of a key aquarium component breaking down and leaving you and your livestock in the lurch varies inversely with your local fish store’s business hours. Okay, so I totally fabricated that law, and I’m…
Tips for Childproofing Your Saltwater Aquarium
Kids do the darndest things—especially the little ones. From the moment they learn to crawl, they seem to have the uncanny knack to zero in on the one circumstance in their environment that presents a hazard to life and limb—even…
4 Easy Ways to Avoid Marine Aquarium Malaise
A well-functioning and properly stocked marine aquarium can be a wonderful source of interest and inspiration. However, after many months or years of looking at the same setup and livestock, even the most colorful, compelling aquarium can begin to lose…
4 Reasons Not to Knock Nano Aquariums
One of our earliest posts here at Saltwater Smarts was titled “4 Reasons to Start with a Bigger Saltwater Tank.” In it, we outlined the various benefits of starting with a larger aquarium and the potential drawbacks to downsized systems—instability…
Beware These 5 Pitfalls When Buying Used Equipment for Your Marine Aquarium
There’s no question that setting up a saltwater aquarium can be a costly proposition. One way to help defray those initial expenses is to buy used equipment and materials when possible. There’s always someone upgrading to a new system, moving…
Simple Tips for Effective Marine Aquarium Aquascaping
Since we launched Saltwater Smarts, we’ve been sprinkling the term “aquascaping” into our posts with reckless abandon. While many of you seasoned salties out there might be well acquainted with this term, others may find themselves scratching their heads each…
Marine Aquarium Acronyms: RO/DI Defined
As most marine aquarists will tell you—and as we point out frequently here at Saltwater Smarts—using purified source water for initial aquarium fill-ups, partial water changes, and freshwater top-offs is essential to maintaining the best possible water quality in a…
3 Devices That Provide Vacationing Peace of Mind for Aquarists
I recently returned from a two-week vacation to Japan and Korea. The vacation was wonderful (after all, it’s hard to go wrong with trips to such exotic destinations), but what really helped me enjoy the experience was having some peace…