Is Chasing Numbers Chasing Your Tail?

With ICP (ICP-OES / Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy) testing becoming commonplace for a well-kept reef aquarium, the methods for interpreting the results and putting these numbers to good use are becoming quite varied and potentially confusing.  One method…

FAQs on Phytoplankton Part 2

Phycologist Taras V Pleskun answers more of your most frequently asked questions on Phytoplankton. Is the algae I scrape off the front glass phytoplankton? Yes and No! Though this is more an exercise in wording, there is a profound difference…

Reef Microbiology Part Two: The Immune System

In this installment of the microbiology series, I will provide a more technical explanation of the coral immune response.   Introduction to Immunology Immunology is the study of the immune system. There are two broad categories of immune responses – innate…

How and Why to Dose Your Reef Tank

We’re asked more questions on dosing than virtually anything else. Here’s a Beginner’s Guide and our most Frequently Asked Questions on Reef Tank Dosing. What is dosing? Dosing is when you add buffer to your reef tank to keep water…

Reef Microbiology Part One: The Holobiont

In this series, I hope to bring a magnifying glass to the invisible world populating our tanks – the microbiome! The first installment of this series will focus on the microbes living in and on our corals. What is Microbiology,…

Reef Factory Release Dosing Pump Pro

Polish reef equipment company Reef Factory has released its second generation of dosing pumps, the Dosing Pump Pro. Available as a single-head X1, or a four-head X4, Dosing Pump Pro comes with a new design incorporating new stepper motors (this…

How to Select a Reef Salt

When someone finds out that I keep saltwater aquariums they often ask where I get the saltwater from. Obviously, since I do not live by the ocean it is not from there, so they are surprised when I tell them…

emoceans aquarium is the reef tank we most want to emulate right now

If you are looking for an inspirational aquarium that is reflective of the times, look no further than the emoceans display tank. A spectacle of both inspiration and aspiration, images and video just jump out at you from your screen…

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 Role of Nutrients in a Reef Tank

One aspect of this hobby that may help some to stay interested in it is that there is almost constant debate as to what is the best way to do anything in a reef tank. Whether it is halides versus…