Reefing Hot Takes Part One: Organic Nutrients and N-DOC Testing

I’ll discuss my “hot takes” on the reefing industry in this new series. In this first installment, I will cover N-DOC testing and the importance of measuring organic nutrients for our tanks.  What is an N-DOC test? N-DOC is a…

Why Pure Source Water is Fundamental to a Successful Reef Tank

There are so many aspects to succeeding with a reef tank but one of the first ones, and one of the most important ones, is good source water. Unless you are buying/using natural seawater (and even if you are you…

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…

Swiss Watches Feature Nudibranchs

I’m a big fan of all things fusion and this new collaboration between watchmakers Swatch and Blancpain is giving me sweet surges of serotonin and dopamine. For those of us who are embracing the aquarium lifestyle, the Swiss watch duo…

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,…

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 Basics of Minor Trace Elements in Reef Aquariums

As the hobby has continued to expand and the knowledge to be successful with it, some aspects have been found to be more important than originally thought. Foremost among these is water chemistry and specifically minor trace elements. While the…

The Reef Builders’ Big ICP Test Review, by Sanjay Joshi

Initially introduced to the hobby market by Triton, ICP tests have been around for several years now and have become a staple in the hobby. The allure of these tests has been the relatively cheap ability to get a reading of…

Paletta on Protein Skimming

Through the years I have seen marine aquarium filtration go from under gravel filters through canister filters and then trickle filters, all producing various levels of success. But the only filtration method that truly changed filtration was when the hobby…

A Day in the Life of a Coral Farmer

Going out for a drink and meeting people who ask what you do for a living is always amusing when you tell them you farm corals. It’s not often you can delve into the inner workings, hardships, and triumphs of…