We’ve really been feeling it lately for nano tanks. We run much larger tanks for surgeonfish, but while we’re waiting for our Acros to grow in those we like to have some low-cost fun and set up nano tanks as…
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The importance of pH in the reef tank
Over the years a number of different aspects of reefkeeping have either become a hot topic or have been forgotten by the hobby. When I was starting out one of the parameters that was focused on was pH, which stands…
The Importance of Calcium, Alkalinity, and Magnesium in a Reef Tank
There are many aspects of the hobby that for one reason or another are controversial. But one of the few that isn’t is the need to manage the big three: Calcium Alkalinity and Magnesium. That is everyone agrees that it…
What Ozone and UV do on a Reef Tank
When you are starting a new tank there are always a lot of lists of different things. There is a definite need to have a list that includes things like a protein skimmer, lights, etc. Then there is a list…
How to Care for Your Reef Tank while On Vacation
There are many terms that we reefers have come to fear: RTN, Montipora eating nudibranchs, wife seeing the credit card bill, and Fedex losing the box. Unfortunately, many of us have come to fear something that we should look forward…
Electricity, Safety, and Reef Tanks
I have been stung, cut, poisoned, and punctured by my tank’s inhabitants and the equipment on it. But the pain I’ve gotten in those instances pales in comparison to the countless times I have been shocked, or nearly electrocuted from…
How to keep your Reef Tank Cool in Summer Heatwaves and Hot Weather
Summertime, wildfires, and the return of El Nino mean it’s time to think not about how we heat our reef aquariums, but how we keep them cool. We need to keep our tanks at a steady 25C/77F with few exceptions,…
Reefkeeping in the Victorian Era
As the saltwater aquarium hobby celebrates over half a century of maturation, we often talk about the many reefkeeping pioneers. In his 1972 book “Tropical Fish, Freshwater, and Marine Aquaria,” Reginald Dutta talked about equipment such as an Ozonizer, an…
Mechanical and Chemical Filtration
Back when I started keeping fish, filtration consisted of angel hair or glass wool as the mechanical filtration and charcoal as the chemical filtration. Now there are a multitude of ways to perform these types of filtration, but rarely are…
Improving Carbon Dioxide and pH Management
During the early years of the hobby, some of the factors that were most intently looked at were calcium levels, pH, and salinity. Over time these have kind of faded from being thought of as critical and have been replaced…
