For now, Hawaii has banned the collection of fish for the aquarium trade. The state believes a ban is the best course of action while they conduct further research on the health of Hawaii’s reefs. There is currently a debate about…
In an effort to save our readers some time and trouble researching the market, we take a poll of our BrainTrust from time-to-time. The latest poll asked about skimmers. “What would you buy”? Reef Octopus (OCTO) was the consensus pick. …
This piece of Poly Filter turned light brown (light brown sugar) after a few days. Basic water tests show no ammonia, no nitrates prior to use. Cross-section shows color all the way through. How long should it last? Some reports…
We have been using chaeto for many years in a refugium. For us, the finer strain mats-up, breaks-up and collects detritus, but grows quickly. Chaeto not only looks cool, but it successfully outcompetes algae for nitrates. If you plan to…
Part of the fascination and education with a mixed reef system is the behavior of the plants and animals. This system is basically a planted saltwater tank at an early stage. A large piece of Red Dragon in the background.…
A sand bed may look nice, but it can present difficulties and problems. Sand beds can be hard to clean and they allow algae and bacteria to build up. Bare bottom tanks are much easier to clean and they do…
Part of any system design and build involves gathering information. This process can be time consuming and confusing. Our latest 200 gallon build will highlight what to buy and where to buy as we see it. MarineDepot is a source…
We decided to get Aqua Illumination Hydra HD series lights and we returned the ReefBreeders LEDs. The spectrum for the ReefBreeders lights ended up being a little too royal blue. Some people may like this look, be we personally like the…
We bought two Green Chromis to put in our newly cycled tank. We will see how they fair in the water and make changes to the water as needed. When starting a tank, it may be tempting to immediately buy the…
LEDs of course. At a minimum, we want a fixture with white chips from CREE, a full spectrum of colors, integrated tank mounts (sits on the top rim of the tank). Cost is a concern but this is not a…