Saltwater Smarts
  • Saltwater Smarts

    Saltwater Smarts is a unique online resource created by long-time aquarists Chris Aldrich and Jeff Kurtz to inspire and entertain a new generation of marine aquarium hobbyists while helping them acquire the reliable, authoritative knowledge base they need to succeed with a saltwater system. By clarifying key concepts, techniques, and terminology, as well as sharing expert insights from fellow enthusiasts and industry professionals, Chris and Jeff hope to promote a more accessible, sustainable, and enjoyable marine aquarium hobby. Read more about our mission and the contributors who are part of our team.

Recent Content

Salty Q & A: Can I Kickstart My Cycle with Aquarium Water?

Salty Q & A: Can I Kickstart My Cycle with Aquarium Water?

Q: I’m a newbie aquarium hobbyist and just starting to set up my first tank, which will be a 40-gallon soft coral reef system with a few small fish. A friend of mine, who is also fairly new to the hobby but already has an operating tank, explained the importance of cycling to me.…

The Most Important Takeaway for Novice Marine Aquarists

The Most Important Takeaway for Novice Marine Aquarists

I was recently perusing a popular saltwater aquarium forum and came across a post from a novice hobbyist who is considering making the switch from freshwater to saltwater aquarium keeping. He had heard that the saltwater side of the hobby can be exorbitantly expensive and wanted to know which of a list of devices other forum members would consider indispensable to success.…

Salty Q&A: Need Advice on GFO Use

Salty Q&A: Need Advice on GFO Use

Q: I’m thinking about using GFO in my reef tank, but this product is new to me, so I have a few questions before I go ahead and buy it: Does GFO really do a good job of lowering nitrate and phosphate? Can I just put this product in a media bag and place it in my tank?…

Plan for an Accessible Saltwater Aquarium

Plan for an Accessible Saltwater Aquarium

There’s a lot to consider when planning a new saltwater aquarium system—where to site the tank in your home, what sort of livestock you’d like to keep, what equipment will serve your needs best, how to gaslight your significant other into believing the system isn’t new at all but, in fact, has been there all along, etc.,…

Marine Aquarium Issue? Give the Fix Time to Take Effect

Marine Aquarium Issue? Give the Fix Time to Take Effect

There’s an oft-repeated adage in this hobby that you can take to the bank: “Only bad things happen quickly in marine aquariums” (or some variation upon that general theme). In other words, while problems in marine aquariums seem to crop up overnight, effectively solving said problems tends to be a frustratingly long, drawn-out affair.…

Salty Q&A: Water-Change-Induced Algal Bloom

Salty Q&A: Water-Change-Induced Algal Bloom

Question: I recently did a 25-percent water change in my reef aquarium, and later that same day a film of green algae appeared on the glass. I cleaned it off with an algae magnet only to have it reappear just a few hours later.…

Don’t Underestimate the Individuality of Marine Fish

Don’t Underestimate the Individuality of Marine Fish

A certain degree of behavioral variability is often seen among individual specimens of the same fish species. But what exactly do I mean by this and why does it matter to marine aquarium hobbyists?

The type of “behavioral variability” I’m referring to here is not, for example, an obligate corallivore butterflyfish (e.g.…

Diving into Underwater Cameras

Diving into Underwater Cameras

This article is a bit of a departure from the typical reef aquarium topics I cover. Photography is a big part of Tidal Gardens, and sometimes we like to take the camera underwater.

To do that, we need an underwater camera rig.…