Hey, everybody!! CHECK THIS OUT!!! It's the AquaSD ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS GIVEAWAY!!! And what we all want for Christmas is MORE CORALS...which probably shouldn't be left under the tree for me to find on Christmas morning... Well, that's ok because @AquaSD is giving away FIVE (5) $100 gift cards!!
Here's a terrific article from one of our forum members, redfishbluefish, on preparing at home a mollusk recipe for fish food.
In this profile, we talk to R.L, an aquarist with 15 years of experience. Read about his background, his interests and his husbandry practices.
Every brand new aquarium goes through a cycle complete with separate and specific stages. In this article, David Hammontree explains to you how it works.
A guide to understanding what kinds of rock you can put in your saltwater aquarium. Part 2 is devoted to dead (dry) rock.
We gently offer some advice on which fish to avoid if you're stocking your first tank for the first time.
Welcome to our first cartoon caption contest, where we will show you a cartoon, and you write the caption. There will be three winners: a first, second, and third place.
It's that time of year for giving and our members at [URL="http://www.reef2reef.com"]www.reef2reef.com[/URL] love to give! If you are a seasoned veteran of REEF2REEF then you know we help unfortunate children get gifts, clothing and food at Christmas time. Every Christmas for the past 10 years we have had a toy donation drive and every year the members of R2R and the reefing community step up and give to make Christmas dreams come true! Last year alone we raised over $10,000 and bought gifts for over 100 KIDS!
Here's an updated list of acronyms and abbreviations for the beginner reef aquarist, who needs a little help starting out in the forums.
Here is a profile of a reef aquarist. Hear about his journey to reefkeeping and his views on his tanks today.
Information about starting your first reef aquarium. We're going to address some of the most common concerns about moving ahead with your first saltwater tank when you've never done it before.
Here is a short list of Do's and Don'ts for the beginner reef aquarist. We want you to be successful with your reef tank, so we're offering some things to think about when you're planning or setting up your first tank.
Here is the conclusion of our discussion on marine aquarium flatworms and what to do or not do when you have them.
Learn about marine aquarium flatworms, what types there are, how to manage them, and the risks associated with them--risks to your livestock and to you, the aquarist.
Learn all about working in aquaculture, how to find these jobs, where to look, and what qualifications you need.
Here is the last of 3 articles on how to keep your fish healthy. Information is provided on which medicines and chemicals should be kept on hand and how to use them safely.
Here is the beginning of a discussion of medicines to have on hand for your saltwater fish and why they are useful. There is information about the pros of cons of different treatments and information on how to use medications safely.
Keeping your fish healthy is everything for the marine aquarist. Separating your fish in quarantine and sterilizing all your tools is the first step to keeping your fish disease-free. Here is information on how and why to separate your fish and how to sterilize equipment.
Here is advice from our experienced reef aquarium experts on what to expect when you start a saltwater aquarium.
Beginner Topic: Aquarists often worry if their reef aquarium becomes cloudy. Here are some common reasons why this happens and some quick and easy suggestions for fixing it.
What is a saltwater aquarium sump? Who needs one? Why? Beginner reef aquarists need some background and clear information to decide if they want or need one.
Moving an entire tank of fish and corals from one tank to a larger tank has been one of the essential aspects of the hobby for as long as I can remember for many of us. Face it we all want bigger. Over the years I have done this transition a number of times, so you would think I would have it down to a science. While I did better than I have in the past, I still made some mistakes that I will point out that will hopefully reduce the likelihood of you from making them should you take on a...
Nano reef tanks are my favorite, so I decided to start from there. As a novice, some easy LPS were my first choices. At the same time, I put some SPS frags in, and my plan was remove the LPS gradually after the frags becoming bigger. Luckily, it worked. I finally had a nano reef tank with SPS mainly.
So your DI resin hits the dreaded 1ppm reading.. For most reefers, this is likely something they see every 6 to 12 months. They then dig through their supply closet or garage for the bag of spare DI resin to empty and refill their cartridge or order a replacement from their favorite site. You folks can likely ignore this thread!!! For others, this activity is every month or two... So why do we throw away DI resin that is capturing all but 1ppm TDS?
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!
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.
I have noticed that UV sterilization is often a subject of wonder or uncertainty. I personally have one unit on my largest of four tanks. UV sterilizers do what their name suggests; they sterilize free-floating algae which has to travel through the sterilizer to be sterilized. If the microorganisms can't be sent through the UV unit, they will not get sterilized. Additionally, they will treat and eliminate protozoan parasites such as ich during the new born, free swimming life cycle and...
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...
