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…
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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…
Water Chemistry Part 1: Salinity and Temperature
There are a lot of sexy aspects of having a reef tank including planning and setting it up, aquascaping it, and then selecting the fish and corals to go in it. And you can also get excited about choosing the…
Water changes: Are you Pro, or No?
We’re sitting here while mixing up a batch of saltwater for our new 120-gallon tank. Nothing terrible has happened, our last ICP test was okay… but we like to do regular partial water changes with our reef tanks, just as…
MBARI Periodic Table of Elements in the Ocean is a Super Useful Website
Ever wonder what the “right” concentration of a particular element in your aquarium is? With ICP tests becoming more and more popular you may be wondering exactly what a “normal” concentration of some trace element should be, like manganese or zinc,…
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…
What you need to know about Refugia
A reef tank is different from other types of tanks in a lot of ways, with one of the biggest being that most reef tanks utilize a sump to hold the equipment and to add volume to the system. An…
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…
How do I know if my tank’s too clean?
Stand in your LFS and about one in ten reefers will say their tank is too clean. Compared to temperate and cold waters, the tropical waters that our corals inhabit are nutrient-poor, hence the symbiosis between photosynthetic corals and zooxanthellae,…
