If you’ve ever shopped for a marine aquarium cleanup crew, you’ve probably noticed that these packages often include so-called sand-sifting starfish—rather bland-colored, burrowing stars of the genus Astropecten that can reach about a foot in diameter. As their common name…
The Pros and Cons of a Bare-Bottomed Marine Tank
If you’re in the process of planning and setting up a new saltwater aquarium, you’ll need to give some thought to the type of substrate you’d like to use. It may seem counterintuitive, but one of your options in this…
Don’t Let the Water Flow Slow in Your Marine Aquarium
We’ve mentioned several times here at Saltwater Smarts how the output of reef aquarium lighting gradually and imperceptibly shifts away from the desired level over time. But did you know a very similar phenomenon can occur with the rate of…
Consider These 6 Points Before Buying a Marine Aquarium Cleanup Crew
Marine aquarium cleanup crews (CUC)—those combo packs of various snails, crabs, and echinoderms sold for the purpose of algae control and detritus elimination—can serve an excellent utilitarian function in a saltwater system. What’s more, in addition to the janitorial duties…
The Minimal Role of Mechanical Filtration in Marine Aquariums
Mechanical filtration—the physical straining out of suspended particulates from aquarium water—has something of a mixed reputation among marine aquarium hobbyists. This may seem odd to those with experience in the freshwater side of the hobby, where the use of hang-on-back…
Algae Mower Vac to the rescue, more than just hair algae removal
The Algae Mower Vac was released at this years MACNA, and this nifty hair algae removing tool is already gaining traction in the hobby. Although primarily designed for hair algae removal, the use of the Algae Mower Vac is not…
