When aquascaping their tanks, marine aquarium hobbyists have the option of using live rock or dry rock (or some combination thereof) to create the foundational reef structure. Each of these options is completely workable but, as with every aspect of…
Equipment
Failure to Launch: 5 Reasons New Marine Aquarium Hobbyists “Crash and Burn”
It’s a tale as old as the hobby itself: A novice marine aquarist sets up his or her first system, runs headlong into every conceivable obstacle and pitfall, responds with a series of misguided decisions, loses a whole tank’s worth…
Innovative Marine Launches Line of Versatile Lagoon-style Aquariums
An interesting trend in marine aquarium aquascaping is taking advantage of the space above the water surface to create more complex habitats for livestock while enhancing the system’s visual impact. With their new Fusion Lagoon aquariums, Innovative Marine taps into…
How Much Live Rock Do You Really Need?
Once hobby newcomers learn what live rock is and all the benefits it can provide in marine aquariums, the next big question they invariably ask is, “How much of it do I need for my tank?” More experienced fellow hobbyists,…
Make Sure Your Saltwater Storage Vessel Is Up to Snuff!
One of my biggest nightmares as a marine aquarist is someday having one of the panes of my glass aquarium suddenly give out and dump 125 gallons of salt water on my living room floor. What a costly, hideous mess…
Can Live Rock Be Added Directly to an Established Marine Aquarium?
“Caribbean Chris” and I are very frequently asked whether it’s okay to add new pieces of live rock directly to an established system. Ever erring on the side of caution, we generally discourage this practice. Instead, we recommend curing them…
Reefing from Afar, Part 5: Plans and Wishes for the Future
Overview: Finally we have come to the end of my series where I will set out some future desires of mine that are totally non-existent today or are very close to market. These are the wholes in my system that…
Reefing from Afar, Part 4: The Wong Solution
The last article discussed some of the quick and simple ways to take care of your reef while being away for just a short period of time. Due to my work responsibilities, which require travel around the world for two-…
How Can You Prevent Marine Fish from Jumping Out of Tanks?
Take away their trampolines, of course! Okay, being serious now, far too many marine fish are lost unnecessarily when they leap from their tank and become “carpet jerky.” While jumping is among the most common (if not the most common)…
Reefing from Afar, Part 3: The Bare-Bones Basics of Automation
In Part 2 of this series, I discussed some of the possibilities for automating your reef system based on your needs. Now that you have a few ideas of what you can automate, I’d like to offer a simple recipe…