Hi kids! Do you like Hybrids? Marine Depot is back with another amazing contest for REEF2REEF members which is co-sponsored by our friends at Aquatic Life. 1 lucky participant will be randomly selected November 26 to receive an Aquatic Life Hybrid Light Fixture in the size (24”, 36”, 48”, or 61”) and color (black or wrhite) of their choice—UP TO A $469.99 VALUE! The Aquatic Life Hybrid allows you to combine two of the most popular aquarium lighting technologies—T5HO and LED—into one...
TUNZE has been a name associated with excellent quality in our hobby for over 30 years, and they're one of the great sponsors who have supported our community for years. We're excited to partner with Tunze this month to bring you one of their amazing skimmers! I personally have the Tunze 9410 DOC Skimmer on my tank, and I'm excited that we can offer one this month to you! Since this is a "Built like a Tunze" giveaway, we're focusing our entries on your reef build. Here's how you enter...
3D printing could very well take our hobby to the next level of sustainability. 3D printing may have a place in aquaculture. It could be used to mass produce various size shells for hermit crabs, even species specific shells that are hard to source. Anyone interested in aquaculturing hermit crabs for clean up crews will have to source shells that are cheap enough to be competitive with wild caught hermit crabs. 3D printing might be a solution. Some basic designs, and intricate ornamental...
Are you looking for the perfect sump that not only looks awesome, but has over the top performance? The Synergy Reef™ CL-34 model sumps are your answer. We have designed this model to meet the demands of the reefer who demands more than the average off the shelf sump. We hand build each one to meet your needs. Need slight modifications in length to be able to fit this in your stand. Want it to flow right to left or left to right? We can do that! Try that with an off the shelf sump. The CL...
The sight of bioluminescent light in an aquarium can be compared to an evening of watching lightning from a passing thunderstorm. There is so much mystery and intrigue behind this living light we call bioluminescence that it continues to capture my attention. My first observations of bioluminescence last year compelled me to write an article on bioluminescence in the reef aquarium. When I wrote that article, my 1600-gallon aquarium system was just under three months old, yet the life that...
I am absolutely serious when I say that there is a full blown "psychological journey" that I go on every time I happen upon the simplest malady in one of the pieces of my collection. More often, a small bit of exposed skeleton somewhere at the base, or somewhere on the body. Or it could be simple polyp retraction, or just a general sense that something is off. It can be a ferocious and overwhelming feeling, but this is a process I have come to fully understand, and even sometimes able to...
The emperor angelfish (Pomacanthus imperator) is the most well-known angel fish in the aquarium industry, With striking colors, bold body, combined with personality and an attitude, It is not only me but also many other hobbyist consider it the most beautiful fish. It is readily available and relatively hardy fish and will thrive in most aquariums given certain requirements of nutrition, water quality and space.
KISS, the acronym, not the band, has often been touted as a key part of being successful long-term in this hobby. This runs hand in hand with the concept that the easier something is to do, the more likely we are to do it. And with there seemingly being something to do constantly with our tanks, it makes even more sense to keep things simple. As I am preparing to tear down my old tank and set up a new tank, I couldn’t help but notice how many things I did on my old tank that were anything...
Waterbox Platinum™ Reef Aquariums provide hobbyists with a customizable foundation to design their dream aquarium. The Waterbox Platinum™ series of Reef aquariums are constructed of Starphire Ultra-Clear™ Beveled Glass on all 5 sides. The Waterbox Platinum™ series also boasts a truly beautiful rimless design which sits on a pre-seated self-leveling foam mat.
This I have noticed has been a subject of wonder or unsurity. I personally have one unit on my largest of four tanks. UV sterilizers do as they are called; they sterilize free floating algae which has to travel through the sterilizer to be sterilized. If the objects cant be sent through the UV unit, it will not get sterilized. Additionally, they will treat and eliminate protozoan parasites such as ich during the new born, free swimming life cycle and adult stage of the parasite. Just like...
After we have chosen our display aquarium and sump, it’s time to start planning the life support system (LSS). Protein skimmers are the digestive tract of our LSS. They remove waste, excess food and other organic compounds prior to breaking down into algae fuel. The pump is the heart of your protein skimmer. A quality handcrafted acrylic reaction chamber fitted with an el cheapo pump won’t get you far. Go the extra mile when it comes to budgeting for your skimmer to avoid premature failure...
Once you have chosen your display aquarium and paired it with an appropriate top, the next step is to pick out your sump. Sumps offer a space to hide equipment, and generally speaking, make keeping a reef tank significantly easier than trying to hang everything off the side of your aquarium. Oftentimes you can even perform your water changes exclusively from your sump (still have to maintain substrate – more on that in a future installment) which will help prevent stressing out your animals...
As a young aquarist working in a local fish store I had a 16” lionfish launch itself out of a tank during feeding time. I quickly placed the fish back into his home, and after a couple hours, the animal returned to normal behavior. However, that event changed my views on the potential for fishes to jump forever. How often do we see threads titled, “Which fish for open top aquariums?” The truth is that every fish has the potential to jump, even the frumpy frogfish. Think of a top as a seat...
Marine Depot is back with another amazing contest for REEF2REEF members! The AMAZING ATO GIVEAWAY is co-sponsorsed by XP Aqua and Innovative Marine! Keep your tank topped off in style with equipment you can trust! Your aquarium inhabitants will benefit from more stable water chemistry and filtration equipment that is running optimally.
The Venustus Angelfish or Purple Masked Angelfish, or Paracentropyge venusta, is one of the rare fish species, but it is becoming more available recently in the aquarium fish industry. It is expert only fish, reef safe with caution. In my tank, it rarely nip on Acropora corals. But leave other corals and clams alone.
Summer may be coming to an end, but Cultivated Reef is HEATING THINGS UP with this awesome $250 giveaway!! One lucky winner will be selected to go on a coral shopping spree with a $250 gift card at [URL="http://www.cultivatedreef.com"]www.cultivatedreef.com[/URL]!! Will that be you? It MIGHT, but ONLY IF YOU ENTER, so get started!! Check out the 5 entry options below:
Did you know an unlubricated refractometer will produce funny numbers? Your refractometer has a hinged cover that goes over the angled plate of the refractometer. What happens over time is the hinges stiffen up from salt deposits, causing this cover to not sit all the way down on the angled plate. You can not see this by your own eye, but believe me, it's not fully resting on the angled plate. When this occurs, the numbers you see are no longer true. Actually this typically occurs...
Whenever you buy new livestock, you can place it in a QT (Quarantine Tank) or put it directly into your DT (Display Tank). The choice, of course, is yours, and it's important to understand that there are pros & cons no matter what you decide. We live in a day and age when everyone is looking for a "perfect answer" - although no such thing actually exists. o_O First, there is much debate on exactly how to QT in the first place: Some choose to prophylactically treat for parasites, worms,...
Marine Depot is excited to announce that they've teamed up with Brightwell Aquatics and Reef2Reef for a BRIGHTWELL AQUATICS SHOPPING SPREE! 1 participant will be randomly selected on August 31st to receive $250 to spend on ANY Brightwell Aquatics products they like! That's right: YOU get to pick your own prizes! It's super-duper easy to enter and YOU CAN ENTER UP TO 3 TIMES (or more with bonus entry options)!
WOW! It's definitely summer, and @AquaSD is bringing THE HEAT with this AWESOME DRAWING! Not 1, not 2, but 3 (yep... THREE) R2R members will WIN BIG with this $600 CORAL GRAB GIVEAWAY! Will you be one of the 3??? Only if you enter! So get started!!
Great news, everyone!! Hanna Instruments and SaltwaterAquarium.com are teaming up with Reef2Reef to bring you the Professional Water Tester Giveaway! This giveaway will take one lucky winner's water testing to a Whole New Level!!
As I wrote in my last article for ReefBuilders last December, I am planning on setting up one last tank for myself. Over the years I have set up a fair number of tanks for myself as well as assisted on over 100 more for others. As a result, I am confident that with this new tank I can achieve the many goals I want, which is more than just growing healthy colorful corals. First, unlike all of my current tanks, this tank will not be an experiment, in that for the most part tried and true...
We're excited to announce that World Wide Corals is sponsoring a fun contest where 3 winners will win a 3 Month Enthusiast Silver Coral Subscription! WWC is one of the premier places for coral and fish and have one of the best saltwater reef stores in the world! WWC is top notch in stock and customer service and now you can subscribe to a shipment of monthly corals!
We're already super stoked about the upcoming Aquashella Aquarium Festival but today it just got cranked up a notch with the release of the official floor plan! This is just the inaugural year of this highly anticipated show but the team at Aquashella is coming out with a bang! The show floor is larger than we anticipated and includes some of the biggest players in the saltwater and freshwater aquarium industry! The likes of EcoTech Marine, Planet Aquariums, Fritz Aquatics, Rod's Food,...
Crystal Reef Aquatics does AMAZING work whether it's building your custom designed reef aquarium or bringing you one of their stealth sumps (including models specifically designed for the Triton Reef System and Red Sea Reef Series) or one of their other great products. They are also a retailer for all possible aquarium equipment and can work you up an amazing package deal if you are putting together a new build! These guys know what they are doing! And now we're excited because Crystal Reef...
While it has been a great decade for reefing not so much so for IP protection. With free flow of information and public’s demand for more info on any given product, technology or item the line between IP protection and providing clear information to public has become somehow convoluted.
ELOS has teamed up with Bashsea and as usual they have taken something very simple and made it extraordinary! We're excited and thankful for Elos and this wonderful opportunity to present this awesome sump to you and give you a chance to WIN IT!
Aquashella showcases the underwater world of freshwater and saltwater aquariums in Chicago, IL on August 18-19th. You'll be greeted by the best aquarium vendors from across the country! Aquashella offers a unique experience by transforming a typical showroom floor into an alternate underwater universe. You will be surrounded by incredible visual displays of live aquatic animals in unison with art. The official lineup of over 80 vendors, and 10 artists featuring paints, sculptures and designs...
I want to start this month's article by saying that this month's feature is a bit different. Where we normally feature a particular noteworthy reef for our Reef of the Month Spotlight, this month, we have decided to spotlight an innovative reefer and show off 2 of his current systems (he has 3 going at present). @Elder1945 is an extremely creative reefer, and we are glad to share his systems with you! Be sure to follow his builds and other innovative projects as he shares them with our...
Tenji is pleased to present a series of exclusive articles for Reef2Reef members. We will be delving into the various aspects of reef keeping, focusing on tried and true methods that can be implemented by aquarists of all levels. _____________ Choosing your display aquarium is the most important equipment decision you will make. If the display fails, everything else is all for naught. The two basic material choices we have for aquariums under 500-gallons are glass or acrylic. Tenji...
It's the "CHOOSE YOUR OWN PRIZE" Giveaway from Octo Aquatics! This is your opportunity to choose your own amazing prize from Octo Aquatics' amazing line of acrylic innovations (such as the Octo Lid™, FFF™, Magnetic Heater Holders and MORE)! Click here to enter to win a $150 credit towards any products of your choice!
What is a calcium reactor? What are the advantages & disadvantages of a calcium reactor? What do you need to setup a calcium reactor? This is Part 1 of a 3-part video series dedicated to calcium reactors. Our goal at CoralVue is to help reefers like you maintain successful reef tanks by providing you with the key information that will make using a calcium reactor easy to understand and use.
Well here I am finally getting this together. By now many of you should already have seen the R2R Logo on one of your Bulk Reef Supply order boxes. A while back I told you to keep a box for a upcoming contest and here it is sponsored by BRS themselves!
Not too long ago I asked a senior reef hobbyist how he deals with long vacations and his answer shocked me. His words inspired me to create a “smart aquarium.” What I need is a hobby to enjoy and to unwind from work. Yet, does so without pressuring other family members, and still allows me to be free long (3~4 weeks) vacations. These days, ULM (Ultra Low Maintenance) tanks have become a popular topic. Click here to read more...
Fang blennies are perfect for reef tanks. They can be kept in harems, or individually. This article documents the early life stages of the Komahara blenny.
The Shadow™™ Overflow is the evolution of the Synergy Reef® overflow system. Now 100% Injection Molded! Featuring a removable weir for ease of maintenance and our molded design for fail-safe operation. Our ultra slim design has revolutionized the aquarium overflow and how aquariums get water into their filtration systems. It is a very simple to install, plug and play overflow system. Completely quiet operation when used to our specifications. Our years of testing and development are what...
With modern reefkeeping, more people are wanting to filter their tanks the same way that all natural reefs (and lakes and rivers) are filtered, which is by using algae. We are going to look at the main types of algal filtration methods you can put on your system: Algae turf scrubbers (ATS) Chaeto reactors (algae reactors) Refugiums (“fuge”) All grow macroalgae, which for our purposes is the same as “macro” or “algae” or “seaweed,” and all can be DIY’d or purchased. We at Santa Monica...
Tenji is pleased to present a series of exclusive articles for Reef2Reef members. We will be delving into the various aspects of reef keeping, focusing on tried and true methods that can be implemented by aquarists of all levels. Once you are producing 0 TDS water from your RO/DI system it’s time to create the ideal reef water by mixing in a synthetic salt. Choosing your salt...
The collection of ornamental fish in Hawaii: BANNED. The collection and sale of live rock and coral from Fiji: BANNED. The permits for shipping coral, anemones and live rock from Indonesia: HALTED and now going on its second month. Two major bleaching events in the Great Barrier Reef leading to an estimated loss of 50% or more of the coral cover during two of the last three years. Needless to say these headlines do not produce a whole lot of optimism about the long-term prospects for the...
