by ReefBum | May 21, 2016 | DIY, Equipment, Reef, Science, Tanks
There are a lot of variables that can impact the health of a reef tank and temperature is something that should be watched carefully during the warm summer months. A chiller is the best way to keep things cool but they are high ticket items. Budget conscious reef keepers do have options such as using a fan across the top of the tank to promote evaporation, which cools the water. This is exactly what I did when I first entered the hobby fresh out of college with minimal coin. The fans certainly worked but I needed more punch and pondered other cheap alternatives. I came up with what I thought was a bright idea at the time…..find an old water cooler and turn it into a by Marcin Smok | May 19, 2016 | Home Decor, Industry, Tanks
All images by author Nano tanks established their position in hobbyists’ homes some time ago, though they were considered difficult to maintain, due to their small size and, in turn, narrow margin for aquarist... by Marcin Smok | May 10, 2016 | Corals, DIY, Equipment, Eye Candy, Fish, Funny, Opinion, Photography, Reef, Tanks, Too Cute
All images by author It seems that everyone and everything on Earth follows the same principle- to survive, evolve, and finally morph into something better, more sophisticated, far superior. A cloud of galactic dust that aligned, through a nearly-impossible... by Marcin Smok | May 5, 2016 | Equipment, Industry, Opinion, Reef, Tanks, Technology
All photographs by author Every year, dozens of new LED panels are introduced to the aquarium markets, many of which never reach the American soil. Especially saturated is the “budget” LED lights segment; I’ve reviewed many such lights over the years and... by Saltwater Smarts | Apr 23, 2016 | Corals, Equipment, Fish, Invertebrates, Reef, Science, Tanks
Don’t forget the leak test – it’s an important part of setting up your new aquarium.Marine aquarium hobbyists can make any number of mistakes when setting up a new system, but some of these errors aren’t as easy as others to rectify after the fact. What follows is a list of five setup errors that are difficult or complicated to correct by the time their consequences become evident: 1. Situating the tank too far from utilitiesIt should come as no surprise that efficient long-term operation of any aquarium system depends on convenient access to water and electricity. Try to choose a location for your tank that is in reasonable proximity to a water tap, waste drain, and GFCI-protected electrical outlets. Otherwise you’ll end up lugging heavy buckets of water over considerable distances and/or up and down flights of stairs as well as running unsightly extension cords all over the place. 2. Failing to level Yes, I know that every book or article ever written about setting up an aquarium states that the tank should be leveled before it’s filled with water by ReefBum | Apr 15, 2016 | Equipment, Fish, Reef, Science, Tanks
When I initially planned out my new reef tank setup my mind was essentially made up to purchase a custom glass display tank and an acrylic frag tank. My thought was to spend the extra $$ for a high quality display and be economical with the frag tank. All of that changed once I took delivery of my display from Coast To Coast Custom Aquariums. This aquarium, a 187 gallon low iron tank with euro bracing and an external overflow, was a piece of art as the quality and craftsmanship were top notch. It was the Porsche of fish tanks! Yes, it was time to rethink my frag tank setup. For my prior setup I went with an acrylic frag tank since it was much cheaper and lighter