I like to take my time when stocking a reef tank with corals. One reason why I wait is due to the inevitable ugly phase. Most reef tanks will have some type of algae outbreak early on, whether it is diatoms, dinoflagellates or something else.…
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
Why Reef Keeping Has Become Harder
I have been tending to reef tanks for many, many years and in my view reef keeping has become harder. How is this possible? Whether you agree or disagree, just hear me out….
Rationale for Why the Hobby is Tougher
More Efficient Equipment
Information Overload
Mis-Information
More Efficient Equipment
One reason is due to better equipment.…
Peninsula Tank Build – Coral & Fish Food, Supplements and Trace Elements
Over the years I have not used coral food and amino acids too often with my reef tanks. I did use frozen Cyclopeeze and Reef Nutrition’s Oyster Feast and Roti Feast pretty consistently with my old 225 gallon tank.…
Tips For Keeping a Reef Tank Cool
It is summer and time to keep an eye on the temperature of your reef tank. I like to keep my tanks in the 78 to 79 degree F range but during the summer months my tanks push 81 degrees F on really hot days.…
Peninsula Tank Build – Maintenance & Husbandry
Maintenance and tank husbandry are really important for a reef tank and I do not always look forward to it. But I know it has to be done and in the long run it increases the chances for success.
Like past tanks, I have created a maintenance schedule for this new peninsula tank.…
Peninsula Tank Build – Adding Fish to the New Reef
When I start a new tank I like to come up with what I call a fish stocking plan. It is a list of the fish I would like to add to the tank. The first fish I add have to be hardy and inexpensive. Why roll the dice and add pricey fish to a new tank with a bacteria bed that is still maturing?…
Peninsula Tank Build – Monitoring and Controlling Tank
I have always tried to stay away from too much automation with my tanks since I don’t like to have too many moving parts. The chances of something going wrong increases, in my view, when there are more variables in play.…
Peninsula Tank Build – Circulation
Peninsula reef tanks can present challenges when it comes to providing sufficient circulation for corals, especially SPS. It can be unsightly to have pumps on a viewing panel so many folks place them on the end panel.…
Peninsula Tank Build – Calcium & Alkalinity Supplementation
Over the years I have used both two-part dosing and calcium reactors for calcium and alkalinity supplementation. Two-part is good because it allows for precise dosing of each component. And it provides important major and minor trace elements for corals.…
Peninsula Tank Build – Controlling Excess Nutrients
I like to keep a slightly “dirty” tank for SPS and to do that I rely on a high import/export system. I target 2 to 5 ppm for nitrates and .03 to .07 ppm for phosphates.
On the import side, I like to keep a good number of fish and feed them heavily.…