As long as I’ve been keeping aquariums, I’ve always wanted more than one, or two, or five assorted freshwater, fish, and reef tanks. As you’ve read in the blog and seen in our videos, I also like to travel and…
FishBit: So Easy Even I Can Use It!
Regular Saltwater Smarts visitors are well aware that I’m not exactly what you’d call “tech-savvy” or an “early adopter” when it comes to the latest gadgetry (though I am intrigued by this newfangled doohickey the kids call an “eight-track player”—it’s…
Reefing from Afar, Part 5: Plans and Wishes for the Future
Overview: Finally we have come to the end of my series where I will set out some future desires of mine that are totally non-existent today or are very close to market. These are the wholes in my system that…
Reefing from Afar, Part 4: The Wong Solution
The last article discussed some of the quick and simple ways to take care of your reef while being away for just a short period of time. Due to my work responsibilities, which require travel around the world for two-…
Reefing from Afar, Part 3: The Bare-Bones Basics of Automation
In Part 2 of this series, I discussed some of the possibilities for automating your reef system based on your needs. Now that you have a few ideas of what you can automate, I’d like to offer a simple recipe…
Reefing from Afar, Part 2: Automation Options
In Part 1 of this series, I laid down some of the expectations for success, and now we are ready to dive into the functions that we can automate. Automation can range from low-tech to high-tech and fit various budgets,…
Reefing from Afar, Part 1: The Six “Ps”
There comes a time in every reef fanatic’s life where little things like work and vacation travel get in the way of enjoying the hobby. While being away for just a week, I have gone through everything from little disasters,…
Why this may be the future of aquarium (and home) automation
Aquarium control and automation has been a hot topic for years. Before affordable aquarium controllers hit the market, we were linking together lamp timers and hacking X10 devices to do our bidding. Not that automation and control is getting more…
