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.
There are a lot of moving parts when it comes to keeping a successful captive reef tank and unfortunately a tank can go south in a hurry if one of those parts gets out of whack. Sometimes a tank crash is due to a mistake by the reef keeper while other times it is carelessness or just bad luck.…
Marine fish on natural reefs are always in feeding mode, as they hunt down food in the water column or pick for food on live rock as they swim in and around the reef. Many fish in a captive reef tank will typically not do this, as they consume most of their food in concentrated amounts when the reef keeper feeds the tank.…
Cyano is a common pest that can rear its ugly head when excess nutrients are present. It is often referred to as a form of algae but it is actually a bacteria (cyano is short for cyanobacteria).
In most instances, the best remedy is to increase flow, siphon out what you can, and abide by the rules of nutrient control by performing regular water changes, using a good skimmer, not overfeeding the tank, employing a good cleanup crew, and removing any detritus that might collect in the tank or sump.…
Bigger is better when it comes to a protein skimmer, right? Not necessarily. Using a high capacity protein skimmer on a smaller tank can be problematic. Why? Well, using an oversized skimmer will result in an inconsistent performance.…
Yes, you read that right. The IceCap REEF-Cam is supposedly the first underwater video camera capable of streaming a live feed from inside a fish tank. Now how about that! This waterproof camera has a wide angle lens, providing a 120 degree field of view, and can be mounted both inside or outside of the aquarium.…
As many of you know, DSLR cameras have a digital zoom feature that allows you to zoom in very closely to focus on the subject matter. With my Canon 5D Mark iii I am able to zoom in 5x as well as 10x. The rub is you can’t snap pictures or record video to the camera at these ultra close ranges, as macro lenses and extension tubes are the primary means to get close (I have heard of folks using a magnifying glass but I have not attempted this trick).…
Many years ago when I started in this hobby, my main mission was to keep nutrients as low as possible. But it was tougher back then since the equipment was not as efficient or advanced as what is available today.…
Reef keeping is a great hobby, and one of the biggest keys to success is knowledge. When I started, I picked up a couple of books on the topic and perused online discussion boards to gather insights from folks who had more experience than me.…
Over the last couple of months I have provided overviews for two of the three products sold by Coral Frenzy, their Ultimate Coral Food and 1mm Reef Pellet. In this article I wrap up my series on Coral Frenzy food with a look at their 0.5mm Reef Pellet.…
I was motivated to find a better Facebook Live video solution for my saltwater reef tank, since video from my smartphone was just not cutting it. One big problem is aquarium lighting and a DSLR with its sophisticated white balance features makes it much easier to dial in authentic colors. Â …