Vote for Your Favorite Reef Aquarium Product of 2023

50 new products crossed the Reef Builders News Desk in 2023, and looking through the list there were several major product launches from some of the biggest brands in the saltwater aquarium industry.  In 2023 we saw innovation in pumps,…

The Jekyll & Hyde Chemistry of Phaeobacter gallaeciensis Bacteria

During the Fall of 2016, I was an undergraduate studying aquaculture at the University of Rhode Island. Like other aquaculture students, I was given an opportunity to work in one of the department labs as an assistant. It so happened,…

FAQs on Roller Filters

Roller filters are super-popular mechanical filters for reef tanks, and we’re big fans. They offer hands-free water polishing and replace the need for filter socks and frequent manual cleaning. What is a roller filter? Also known as a fleece filter…

Reef Factory Launch Dosing Pumps for Top-Off and Calcium Reactors

Reef Factory continues its rapid product roll-out with the launch of two new pumps – Dosing Pump ATO, and Dosing Pump CR. As the name suggests, Dosing Pump ATO is a complete Auto Top-Off device, comprising liquid level sensors to…

Dice Pico 2 AIO is Maxspect’s Mini Bundle of Freshwater Fun

Equipment innovator Maxspect continues on its aquarium journey with the launch of a new little lifestyle aquarium called the Dice Pico 2 AIO. First impressions are that it is compact and cuboid in shape, but all other similarities with the…

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 Set Up a Nano Reef Tank

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…

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,…

The Ten Most Annoying Things About Reefkeeping

Sometimes reefing can really get on our nerves! Here are just ten of the things we really hate about our hobby right now.   When fish jump out Unfortunately, we’ve all been here, whether it’s a newly purchased tank-bred clownfish, a…

Reef Builders Top 10 new products of 2022

Over 80 new products rolled across the Reef Builders news desk this year, ranging from pumps, lights, and skimmers, to tanks, controllers, fish food, and dosers. A global shortage of microchips was still being felt throughout the first three quarters…