Equipment

An Introduction to Protein Skimming

A protein skimmer is a device designed to clean the water in a reef aquarium by removing dissolved organic compounds. Put even more simply, it is a controlled overflow of dirty water. Imagine a chamber that vigorously mixes air and…

Paul B’s Unique Perspective on Keeping Mandarins

Hobby pioneer Paul “Paul B” Baldassano is not your grandfather’s reefkeeper (though he is old enough to be your grandfather!). In fact, Paul B’s perspective on just about any aspect of the marine aquarium hobby is quite distinct from anyone…

Salty Confessions: Procrastination Never Pays in Reefkeeping!

Regular SWS readers know that CC and I always emphasize the importance of staying on top of routine maintenance chores so small problems don’t develop into big ones. Great advice for a hobby in which only bad things happen quickly,…

Facing a Saltwater System Downsize? Try One of These 5 Setups

Next year, our daughter will be heading off to college and our son will already be well on the way through his senior year at OSU. With two kids almost down and none to go, my wife, Melissa, and I…

The Many Benefits of the Reef Aquarium Sump

I hate clutter. Unfortunately, clutter and reef aquariums come hand in hand, especially as the devices start to pile up. Want to add a calcium reactor? Get ready to deal with power cords going to the main pump, the feed…

The 5 Most Common Mistakes Experienced Marine Aquarists Make

Ever notice that there are lots of articles and posts out there with titles like “The Top 10 Mistakes Novice Marine Aquarists Make”? Considering that newcomers are generally much more susceptible to making major errors than their experienced counterparts are,…

Salty Q&A: Can Powerheads Be Concealed in Rockwork?

Question I have a new 60-gallon reef tank, and I’m using two powerheads to provide water circulation. One is mounted in the upper right-hand corner of the tank near the back and the other is in the lower left-hand corner…

The Deep Dive on Reef Aquarium Lighting, Part 2: Lighting Technologies

I get asked fairly often what light is the best light. Unfortunately, there is no right answer. First off, there is the difference in aesthetics. That is a purely subjective decision that only hobbyists can make for themselves. Most of…

The Deep Dive on Reef Aquarium Lighting, Part 1: Zooxanthellae, Color Temperature, and Light Intensity

Lighting is important because it directly affects how we visually enjoy the hobby and, more importantly, the vast majority of the corals in our tanks are photosynthetic. In this two-part article, we will first cover some of the basics of…

Kessil A360W LEDs Don’t Disappoint!

Regular Saltwater Smarts visitors may recall that back in the spring of 2015, I closed down my 75-gallon reef tank and converted my 125-gallon (then) FOWLR tank to a reef system with the addition of some invertebrate livestock from the…