by Tidal Gardens | May 16, 2017 | Reef, Supplements, Video
Any reef aquarium hobbyist that attempts a stony-coral dominated aquarium should be very familiar with calcium and alkalinity levels. We covered Calcium in our last video so this video will focus mainly on Alkalinity. by Afishionado | Jan 17, 2017 | Equipment, Technology, Video
For this video, we met up with David D’Aquin, owner of CoralVue, and Ricardo Laso, Procurement Director for Coralvue, at T.F.T. ‘s anniversary sale in Dania Beach, Florida. There, they told us everything about their most anticipated product of 2017, KH... by Saltwater Smarts | Jun 19, 2016 | Corals, Reef, Science
Maintaining stable parameters in the accepted range is much better than chasing “ideal” numbersQuestionI’m having an issue with the calcium and alkalinity levels in my reef tank. Right now, the calcium is at 380ppm, which is at the low end of the acceptable range, and the alkalinity is at 10dKH, closer to the high end of the acceptable range. I’d like to get the calcium up over 400ppm so I have a greater margin for error. But whenever I add more calcium supplement than usual, I notice that the alkalinity level drops afterward. Any idea why this is happening? Is it coincidence or cause-and-effect?” – Submitted by Ross C. Answer Thanks for your question, Ross by AquaNerd | Jun 17, 2016 | Corals, Fish, Invertebrates, Reef, Science, Tanks
Water chemistry is a complex subject, but it is also an incredibly important one. It governs every factor within your aquarium and is pivotal to the health of the animals living in it. While there are a good deal many other water parameters to bear in mind, we have selected those which we believe to be the most important in saltwater aquariums. This guide will highlight those water parameters that we feel saltwater fish keepers should most be aware of. It will also explain how to go about adjusting the levels of these parameters in your tank. pH Fluctuations in pH levels can dramatically affect the health of the fish in your tank. Moreover if you have a reef tank then your occupants are likely to by Saltwater Smarts | Dec 5, 2015 | Corals, DIY, Opinion, Reef, Science, Tanks
These SPS coral species are a beginner’s best betUpon entering the world of small polyp stony corals (or SPS), many people ask the magic question, “Which types are best for beginners?” In my opinion the most beginner-friendly choices are found in the genera Montipora, Pocillopora, Seriatopora, and Stylophora. Most of the corals I’ll discuss here are commonly available, so there should be a low cost of entry. They’ve also proven fairly hardy in my experience and can be kept in a wider range of parameters than most SPS corals. What’s more, they’re rarely susceptible to the dreaded rapid or slow tissue necrosis (RTN/STN) that you see in Acropora species. General requirements for these SPS coralsCare level: moderate Temperament: peaceful (will not try to attack neighboring corals but will most likely lose to aggressive species) Lighting: moderate to high (of the correct full spectrum) Flow: medium to high Temperature: 72-78F Alkalinity: 8-12 dKH pH: 8.1-8.4 Specific gravity: 1.023-1.025 Preparing for SPS The ultimate practice for these corals is mastering water parameter stability. Don’t chase specific numbers, but if you can keep parameters in the required ranges and stable with very little variance and spikes, you can keep practically any coral. The only other specifics to each coral are placement, which impacts lighting; flow requirements; and whether they need to be fed. These are primarily photosynthetic corals, but additions of amino acids and other elements may help with coloration and growth
