I have a 187 gallon reef aquarium and every now and then I like to share it in real time using either Facebook Live or YouTube. The first time I tried this I used my smartphone and it fell way short in representing the true colors and vibrancy of the tank.…
Well, I learned the hard way. Last week the controller for my Royal Exclsuiv Red Dragon 3 Speedy 80W pump did not turn back on after I completed a water change. What happened? The likely culprit was a power surge, knocking out the controller. …
Me. Yes, frag plugs serve a great purpose when shipping or displaying frags for potential customers but they look like crap when placed in a display tank. I know, over time a healthy frag will encrust and cover that plug but who wants to stare at that eyesore for months on end.…
Well, I gave it the old college try. For two months I ran my 187 gallon reef tank without a skimmer. Why did I do this? The primary reason was a nine month battle I was having with cyanobacteria. Cyano prefers higher C02 and my skimmer sits in a sump in the same room as my furnace, a potential source of C02.…
Ok, I am in the middle of a self-imposed pledge…..I am not buying any corals for three months! Why am I doing this? Because it will force me to minimize the amount of time I fuss with my tank and reduce the time I have my hands in the tank, which can introduce oils from the skin and stress out both corals and fish.…
The Flame Hawkfish is one of my all time favorite fish and I have always had one in my reef tank. Their body is a striking red color and they have a black stripe going down their back. Despite their striking coloration, they do look goofy since they are not great swimmers and have these “bug” eyes that rotate independently of one another.…
I have been keeping reef tanks for 25+ years and during a good chunk of that time I tested calcium, alkalinity, nitrate, pH and salinity on a regular basis and that was about it. I hardly, if ever, tested for magnesium or phosphate and my SPS were healthy and happy.…
$500 for a frag? Well, today there are a number of frags out there fetching this price but years ago this sort of price point was not as common. An exception was the $500 Efflo.
According to reeffarmers, the original owner of this Acropora efflorescens did not want to part with the coral since it had turned a beautiful purple color under his care.…
A Butterflyfish in a reef tank? Surely you jest. You see them all the time in videos and photos of natural reefs but fish in this family are typically housed in fish only with live rock (FOWLR) tanks due to their propensity to nip at corals.…
Live rock is a great way to quickly bring a new reef tank online since it typically comes teaming with life, including beneficial nitrifying bacteria. This type of bacteria is vital and provides natural biological filtration, helping to break down organic waste from critters such as fish.…