by AquaNerd | Aug 4, 2020 | Equipment, Technology
This is exciting news from Hanna Instruments. The very popular Checker line of water testing products is getting a new addition to the lineup and Aqua Nerd expects the new Low Range Nitrate Checker to be one of the most popular Checkers to date. The Low Range Nitrate (NO3) checker will work with marine water (not for use with Freshwater aquariums) and it will accurately test with an accuracy of +/- .25 PPM. Checkers have increased in popularity because of their accuracy, ease of use and overall cost-per-test affordability. The Hanna Checker is colorimeter* which is both accurate and easy to use. And perhaps best of all, it takes the guesswork away from trying to interpret different shades of a color on a titration color by Kat Dhawan | Jun 19, 2020 | Equipment, Reef, Technology
It’s been 2 years since Kevin Costa from Hanna Instruments talked to me about the possibility of a Nitrate checker on a podcast I did for Marine Depot. They announced the upcoming checker less than 24 hours ago and I bet everybody is itching to... by Saltwater Smarts | Mar 21, 2020 | DIY, Tanks
Q: I’m a newbie aquarium hobbyist and just starting to set up my first tank, which will be a 40-gallon soft-coral reef system with a few small fish. A friend of mine, who is also fairly new to the hobby but already has an operating tank, has explained the importance of cycling to me. I’m not sure I really grasp all the ins and outs of the process yet, but I do understand that I need to get certain bacteria established in the tank to convert ammonia to less harmful substances. My friend has offered to give me several gallons of water from his tank when he does his next water change in order to help me cycle my system. Will that be enough to get the cycle going in my tank? -Nathan Kranz A: First off, welcome to the marine aquarium hobby, and kudos to you for seeking advice on the vital process of cycling during the setup phase of your system rather than rushing out and buying livestock right away like so many newcomers do. With respect to your friend’s kind offer, the beneficial nitrifying bacteria that convert ammonia to nitrite and then nitrite to nitrate are not present in significant numbers in aquarium water. Rather, they colonize the rockwork, substrate, and other hard surfaces in an aquarium system. by Joe Rowlett | Dec 17, 2017 | Science
The bane of most aquarists is the slow buildup of organic wastes in the form of nitrate. This is Aquarium Keeping 101—cellular respiration creates ammonia, which gets broken down into nitrite, which gets broken down into... by Saltwater Smarts | May 31, 2016 | Corals, Fish, Reef, Science
Cycling a new saltwater aquarium isn’t simply a matter of waiting a certain amount of timeQuestionThe fish store dealer who’s helping me through the setup of my first saltwater aquarium told me I need to give the tank time to cycle before I put any fish or corals in it. As of right now, the tank has been operating for about a month. Is that long enough for it to get cycled completely? Is it safe to add live rock yet? My kids are anxious to see some critters in there! – Submitted by Josh P.
