by Marcin Smok | May 7, 2020 | Equipment, Opinion, Technology
“You get what you pay for”. We know that sentence all too well and our emotional response to the phrase is universally a negative one. But is it really fair to dismiss something just because its price seems “too good to be... by Afishionado | Apr 26, 2020 | Opinion, Video
We have a lot more time on our hands during this quarantine. I am sure many of us are tinkering with our aquariums and following up on our favorite content providers. Speaking of content providers, this is my list of top 4 content providers that I would like to... by Marcin Smok | Apr 23, 2020 | Equipment, Featured Article, Industry, Opinion, Technology
The light I am about to review showed up on the radar sometime last year and I had an opportunity to see it in person while attending 2019 ReefAPalooza in New York. New Jersey to be accurate, but only a short kayak trip across the Hudson River from New... by Marcin Smok | Apr 3, 2020 | Equipment, Opinion
It’s April 3, 2020 and I am currently in Brooklyn, NY. Some day in the future, when you read this and follow that timestamp and location on the map you’ll probably deduce that I had a lot of free time on my... by Saltwater Smarts | Feb 29, 2020 | Equipment, Opinion
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. Among the devices in question were UV sterilizers, ozonizers, biopellet reactors, GFO reactors, ATO systems, and various and sundry other gadgets. As you might imagine, responses varied considerably depending on the individual’s unique circumstances, experiences, and preferences. It was clear that everyone who offered a recommendation meant well and genuinely wanted to help this person get started on the right foot—and most did indicate the devices they consider worthwhile investments. However, a few offered a different sort of advice that can be paraphrased thusly: “Don’t worry about all the gadgets right now; focus on the fundamentals first.” Jeff’s new Coral Vue Reef Octopus protein skimmer This viewpoint definitely got my upvote because, despite our hobby being necessarily equipment-intensive (all saltwater systems need certain core equipment to provide proper water circulation, heating, lighting, etc.), no ancillary device on the market can replace good aquarium-maintenance and livestock-husbandry practices or compensate for poor ones. But that’s not my only concern when it comes to focusing on equipment before fundamentals. Having been in the aquarium hobby nearly 40 years (initially freshwater and then saltwater), I’ve noticed that opinions on the utility of the latest, greatest ancillary devices can change quite dramatically with the passage of time by Admin | Aug 27, 2019 | Corals, Opinion
I’ve often wondered just how many people have ever become ill from exposure to palytoxins. We’ve all read the warnings of course, but how few of us have ever taken it seriously? Well, a UK family appears to have had a near...
