by Dan Rigle | Oct 1, 2013 | Opinion, Science
Whom is the most beautiful chalice of them all. While beauty is in the eye of the beholder, the undeniable attraction and unique color of this Oxypora lacera is evident. The Oxypora is a fairly fast growing coral grouped into the common named category... by Dan Rigle | Sep 25, 2013 | Corals, Opinion
Every coral reef enthusiast starts somewhere when a reef aquarium begins. Many start with soft corals and easier fleshy stoney corals with great success. However I have found a trend in long term reef aquarists with many focusing on Acropora species as they advance... by AquaNerd | Sep 18, 2013 | Equipment, Industry, Opinion
When it comes to moving water around, old salt buckets and plastic water jugs have always been the go to containers. But they have always had a significant downside. Lids would fall off, water would splash all over everything, and you might even accidentally drop one on your foot and cause some significant damage. Fortunately, Seachem has a terrific and very durable plastic container that eliminates all of those issues and then some. Called the HydroTote, this 5-gallon soft plastic jug can take all the abuse in the world and not spill a single drop of water. In fact, Seachem reps were literally dropping a HydroTote full of water from various heights, sometimes going as high as six feet or more. In each situation, we watched nervously as the HydroTote crashed to the ground. Normally, we’re not afraid of a little water by AquaNerd | Aug 16, 2013 | Equipment, Industry, Opinion, Tanks
Vertex Aquaristik recently loaded us up with a whole bunch of their products for review, and in an attempt to work methodically and at a sufficient pace to properly cover each item leading up to MACNA later this month, we are going to take things slowly and start off with a preliminary review of the Cleaner-Mag lineup. Like the rest of the Vertex product line, the visual experience (e.g. style and simplicity) are held right up there with function. Simply put, these magnets are probably the best looking ones around and they work like a charm. Currently, the Cleaner-Mags consist of four models, the Simplex, Duplex, Triplex, and Hexaplex, all of which range in size and shape from a quarter to an index card. All of them share many of the same features, which include a clear plastic housing that allows hobbyists to see the stylishly powerful magnets. by AquaNerd | Aug 15, 2013 | Equipment, Opinion, Tanks
When it comes to aquarium gear, we ofter overlook things like product manuals, packaging, and all other manner of advertising because we are far more excited about what’s in the box, than the box it came in. Companies pour so much money into each of these areas, often designing fantastic packaging, that it only makes sense for us to stop for a moment and appreciate their efforts. One such company whose product line mirrors their packaging is Vertex Aquaristik. They have some of the cleanest products we’ve seen, sporting simple designs and color schemes that jump right out of the aquarium. Their boxes share that element of simplicity, as they are clean and white with just a logo emblazoned on the front. Vertex recently sent us a whole bunch of stuff, honestly to our surprise, and one of the feedback items they requested was “how was the packaging”? by Dan Rigle | Aug 14, 2013 | Corals, Opinion, Tanks
A few weeks ago I posted a blog with two acropora corals growing peacefully together and I wanted to get a part two up for when the opposite occurs. This is somewhat unpredictable and death can occur even when very similar corals and species are...
