by AquaNerd | Sep 30, 2016 | Corals, Opinion, Reef, Travel
Those of you who have visited us before will remember vividly your adventures in this region while those who haven’t been here yet will begin to dream about it. Raja Ampat, or ‘the Four Kings,’ is an archipelago made up of 1,500 islands in Indonesia’s West Papua province, It is situated in the center of the Coral Triangle and has some of the richest marine biodiversity on earth. Since Raja Ampat has become part of a protected marine park, a variety of animals including sharks, manta rays, dugongs and tortoises, are once again able to rule the ocean kingdom here. Of all these animals, the most curious is the Dugong. It is the last survivor of the Dugongidae family to inhabit the coral reefs of Indonesia. by Admin | Sep 9, 2016 | Fish, Opinion, Photography
The subject of keeping sharks and other large fish species in aquaria generates a lot of debate. Some folk say they should not be kept in such small enclosures – even a multi-million gallon public aquarium is small for a wide-ranging species after all, while... by Marcin Smok | Aug 22, 2016 | Equipment, Industry, Opinion, Technology
Germany’s Aquamedic is famous among reefkeepers for being the first company to popularize the automatic dosing pump. As hobbyists realized the importance of supplementing their reef tanks with calcium and alkalinity buffers, the Aquamedic Reefdoser was their... by ReefBum | Aug 12, 2016 | DIY, Equipment, Opinion, Reef, Science
It has been nearly a year since I reviewed my Royal Exclusiv Dreambox and I wanted to provide an updated review to pass along some new insights and observations. I had been using my Dreambox for about a month and a half when I did the first review so at that point my system was brand new. As a reminder, the sump is 74 US gallons and measures 59″L x 23-1/2″W x 13-3/4″T. Along with the sump I purchased a Bubble King Double Cone 250 skimmer, which included a RD3 Speedy pump, two Red Dragon 3 Speedy return pumps and two Royal Exclusiv Media Reactors, one with a 2L capacity and the other with a 5L capacity. My overall impression of the sump has not changed. You get what you by Saltwater Smarts | Aug 2, 2016 | Corals, Equipment, Opinion, Reef, Science
LED lighting is the latest addition on my reef aquariumRegular Saltwater Smarts visitors may recall that back in the spring of 2015, I closed down my 75-gallon reef tank and converted my 125-gallon (then) FOWLR tank to a reef system with the addition of some invertebrate livestock from the 75 and a Current USA metal halide/T5 combo light fixture donated by Caribbean Chris. Fast-forward to May of this year, and it was time to consider new lights. I was really pleased with the look of the lighting that the Current USA fixture produced. However, it did have a few drawbacks.For one, it was really heavy and required two people to remove for water changes and other tank maintenance. Also, the rather flimsy support legs used to mount the fixture on the tank weren’t really up to the task and broke quite easily. (Suspending the fixture from the ceiling was not an option and, according to my wife, could cost me my life.) Another issue was that the fixture—which, though new for me, was actually rather old by most people’s standards when I got it—was getting a bit buggy, with the switches failing one by one and some of the T5s working intermittently. Last but not least, running all those lamps and the fan to cool them was adding a considerable sum to our electric bill each month. by Saltwater Smarts | Jul 8, 2016 | Corals, Equipment, Fish, Opinion, Reef, Science
It’s certainly cause for celebration when a reluctant feeder starts eating in your aquariumIn discussing the myriad rewards of reefkeeping, we marine aquarium hobbyists tend, at least in my humble opinion, to exaggerate the “soothing and relaxing” nature of our systems. If I’m being perfectly honest, on balance I probably derive more tension than tranquility from this hobby—or at least both elements in equal measure. In part, this can be attributed to my characteristic pessimism. As my wife of nearly 25 years can attest, I’m rather a “glass-is-half-empty” sort of guy. When problems arise in any area of my life, it’s in my nature to fret about the outcome. Still there’s no denying that reefkeeping can be something of a “white-knuckle ride” for even the most upbeat hobbyist.My anxieties notwithstanding, there are certain simple joys I derive from marine aquarium keeping in addition to the obvious beauty the hobby brings to my life. Some of these might seem a little odd in the grand scheme of things, but they give me a sense of satisfaction and keep me coming back for more. Here are just a few examples: A completed cycle As I’ve written here many times, cycling an aquarium demands the patience of Job.
