Staying on top of maintenance chores for a reef tank is very important when trying to maintain a healthy tank. These regular tasks can be time consuming and mundane (ok, let’s say boring) but some can help to keep a tank from melting down.…
ReefBum
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.
Recent Content
A UV Sterilizer For a Reef Tank?
Reef keepers have long debated whether the constant use of a UV sterlizer is helpful or harmful to a saltwater reef tank. In essence, a UV sterilizer has a UV bulb in a water tight compartment that will kill or zap undesirables in the water that pass through the unit.…
SPS Deep Dive: Tyree Icefire Echinata
The Tyree Icefire Echinata is a definite looker with its bright blue tips and creamy white branches. I typically fall for solid, brightly colored corals but the Icefire is certainly an eye catcher with its vivid contrasting color combo.…
SPS Deep Dive: Oregon Blue Tort
The Oregon Blue Tort is perhaps my favorite SPS coral. The blue color of a “true” Oregon Blue Tort is so vivid it makes you wonder whether it was injected with an artificial blue pigment. Mother nature has blessed this coral and as such it is a much sought after addition for many SPS collectors.…
SPS Deep Dive – AquaSD Rainbow Millie
Back in 2008 AquaSD in San Diego was unpacking a shipment of corals and came across a stunning Acropora millepora that created quite a buzz among SPS enthusiasts. Frags of this coral, the AquaSD Rainbow Millie, started to spread around the reef keeping community, becoming a must have coral for many SPS collectors, especially among those who craved millies, like me ?…
SPS Deep Dive – Cali Tort
There are many choices out there when it comes to selecting eye catching SPS corals for a reef tank. I tend to gravitate to solid colored pieces that contrast nicely when grouped together.
Orange?…
The Benefits of a Remote Sump
It takes a lot of equipment to run a thriving SPS reef tank and that makes it a challenge to fit everything underneath a tank stand. My first reef tank was in an apartment in New York City and I labored to squeeze everything into that confined space.…
How To Avoid a Skimming Disaster With a Float Switch
I am a big fan of preparing for the worst when it comes to keeping a reef tank and I constantly think about ways to prevent potential disasters before they happen. On several occasions in the past, my skimmer overflowed without warning and nearly dumped skimmate into my sump.…
How To Ship SPS Frags
Back in the “old” days when I purchased SPS, I did so at my Local Fish Store (LFS). It was great to swing by every so often, usually on a Saturday, pick up some corals and talk reef with the owner and fellow reef keepers.…
Switching From Neptune APEX to GHL Profilux 4
Change can be a difficult thing and over the years I have certainly had my moments of resisting it…this is true for life in general and, specifically, the reef aquarium hobby. Hey, I am still holding on to my metal halides ?…