My goal is to help hobbyists create the reef tank of their dreams. That’s it. And to do that I focus on three main areas: Cultivation, Education and Inspiration. My blog, online course, and book are the educational tools I use to share knowledge I have accumulated over the years, providing a roadmap for success.
Most of the equipment and supplies used for a reef tank are purchased at a local fish store (LFS) or an online aquarium supply store. But what about shopping at a grocery store or hardware store? Yes, these types of stores stock plenty of handy household items for a reef tank.…
Perhaps you have heard the saying that nothing good happens fast in a reef tank. It is so true. Patience is a key ingredient for success in this hobby, on a number of fronts.
Avoid Instant Gratification
Let’s start by talking about instant gratification.…
Whether you use PVC pipe for a fish tank or another application, there are certain best practices you can follow when gluing it to achieve the best results.
Why I use PVC
When setting up a reef tank I like to hard plumb the tank to the sump with PVC pipe instead of using flexible tubing.…
These days rainbow Acropora tenuis are very popular among SPS collectors. Many of these corals are shown under blue lights to highlight their florescent colors. Furthermore, some vendors will “photoshop” their pictures to create even more unrealistic images of the corals.…
There are SO many SPS corals to choose from these days and many are being sold at ridiculously high prices. Sorry, but I can’t justify paying a few hundred dollars for a half inch frag. Unfortunately, many sellers lean on photoshop and marketing hype to drive up prices.…
You can ask successful reefkeepers what they dose for SPS in terms of supplements, additives and coral food and chances are you will get a few different answers. Some use amino acids while others may use a powder food like Reef-Roids.…
An acceptable pH for a reef tank is between 7.8 and 8.5. However, I have found my SPS corals do better when pH is in the 8.1 to 8.5 range.
There are several reasons why pH might be chronically low (7.7 to 7.9) in an aquarium.…
Sometimes it is obvious when it is necessary to reboot a reef tank but sometimes it is not. Let’s start with some obvious circumstances.
If a tank is struggling due to a parasite or problematic algae then a reefkeeper may be more prone to throw in the towel and start over.…
There is a well known saying out there that says good things come to those who wait. This saying is certainly relevant to keeping an SPS reef tank since patience is a critical component to having success.…
What is a reef tank? In simple terms, it is an attempt to re-create a slice of the ocean in a home. These captive ecosystems contain fish, corals and invertebrates from the around the world. Each tank is unique but all strive to achieve a level of harmony that can illuminate the beauty seen in nature.…