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…
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…
Exaqua Photometer Pro 3 & 6 Test Almost Everything
Exaqua is a new company specializing in the analysis of aquarium water using a combination of chemistry and technology in the form of their Exaqua Pro photometers. Exaqua appears to be targeting both fresh and saltwater aquariums with their Exaqua…
Calculating Actual Tank Volume Using Pre-Measured Salt Mix
Over the years the reef aquarium hobby has become increasingly analytical about many aspects of our reef tanks. We measure light levels using micromols of photosynthetically active radiation, send off water samples for ultra precise chemistry measurements using ICP testing…
Mastertronic Getting Final Touches Before Launch
It’s been almost a year since Focustronic teased some information about their newest project to compliment their alkalinity tester called the Mastertronic. Where the Alkatronic is a complete, all in one alkalinity testing and dosing machine, the Mastertronic picks up…
Triton Finally Offering Fast, US-Based ICP Testing!
It’s been over three years since Triton promised to bring their revolutionary ICP water testing to the U.S. and finally that project has at long last become realized. It was way back at MACNA in San Diego that Triton first…
Saltwater Aquarium Maintenance: Water Testing and Reef Parameters
Aquarium Maintenance Water testing can be one of the more timely aspects of maintenance, but without testing, it’s difficult to know what’s going on inside your tank. Every time you test your water is a chance to correct any imbalances in…
Symphyllia: So Stunning, Yet Success Eludes Me!
Symphyllia are some of the most colorful large-polyp stony corals out there. Their bodies resemble Lobophyllia in many ways, but unlike lobos, they have a much more diverse color arrangement. I’ve seen them come in just about every color imaginable,…
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,…
