FAQs on Phytoplankton Part 1

You wanna know how Phytoplankton really works in your aquarium? We asked Phycologist Taras V Pleskun.  Which reef aquarium corals and other animals can ingest, and benefit from Phytoplankton? Microalgae are the nutritional foundation of all marine ecosystems. They are…

The History and Evolution of Live Rock

When Georg Smit and Alf Nilsen introduced live rock to American hobbyists in the 1980’s the keeping of saltwater animals changed forever. Up until this time, undergravel filters were the main means for biological filtration and most tanks were decorated…

Study Reveals How Corals Gain N and P in Darwin’s Paradox

An article published in the Journal Nature has found that photosynthetic corals not only host their symbiotic algae, they feed directly on it too, and importantly, it is how they uptake Nitrogen and Phosphorus. The paper titled “Reef-building corals farm…

Five Things That Can Get You Down About Reefkeeping 

We’re never going to throw the towel in with this hobby, but we admit that sometimes, some things do inevitably get us down. Here are just a few of the things that are getting to us this week. “Silent” equipment…

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…

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…

A Beginner’s Guide to ICP Testing

As mentioned in my last article, water testing is one of the least fun aspects of the hobby. I have discussed water testing and ICP testing with a lot of other hobbyists and one of the interesting things I have…

Why Water Testing is Important for a Reef Tank

Like equipment maintenance, water changes, quarantining animals, and cleaning the glass, water testing is an unglamorous task that nonetheless is one of the most crucial aspects for having long-term success in the hobby.  I don’t care how good your lights…

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…

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…