Articles

Note from the Editor: This article, Part 1 of which appears today, was originally published in Marine Fish Monthly some years ago. It is published again here with permission from the author. While some of it may feel dated, the article is as interesting now as it was then. The photos herein are...

Note from the Editor: These profiles are only possible with the help and participation of aquarists willing to talk about their tanks and practices and answer a long stream of questions. Reef2Reef thanks @4FordFamily for letting us profile him. It's always interesting for readers to get to...

Part 2 and the conclusion of Decisions, Decisions, Decisions. (You can read the first article in this series here: Part 1) Money So just how much do you think a saltwater aquarium is going to cost? When I first started I bought a used 30g tank and stand for $35 at a garage sale in my...

Hello all and welcome to another DIY penny-pinching project from yours truly.. Up today. A DIY ATO reservoir and DIY easy-refill solution for all of you out there that DON'T have in-line auto refill systems and emergency shut-offs. I have broken the steps down a little better for this build...

Part 1 So we left off in the last section (HERE) by asking these questions. So where should you start? The very first issues you need to consider are: 1. How much of your time are you willing to commit to keeping a marine aquarium? 2. How much money are you willing to spend, both up front to...

Reef aquarists frequently talk about copepods. They are generally viewed as a positive thing for a saltwater tank, and they are an important food source for many fish, most notably the mandarin fish, seahorses and some crabs. Today we'll take a deep dive into the world of copepods, no pun...

This article is my attempt to make considering getting into a saltwater marine aquarium as clear as possible, and then to try and explain what you’ll need to know to make it all work. Make no mistake, the saltwater aquarium hobby can be an expensive, annoying, time-consuming and frustrating...

I have long cited a calcium reactor (CaRx) as THE piece of equipment that got me over the hump with SPS. That was back in 1997, and the reactor was a Marine Technical Concepts ProCal. Those who may be familiar with my posts know I am an unabashed fan of MTC gear; and have used their stuff...

In November of 2018, we published an article on some of the initial questions that aquarists ask before starting a saltwater tank. In case you're one of those people still hesitating about whether you want to have a reef tank, here we're going to try to explain some of the major differences...

This is a young (1 month) and handsome 13.5-gallon reef tank. Photo is from the Reef2Reef archives courtesy of @Robg139 ©2019, All Rights Reserved. Introduction This article has been a long time coming. This question is one that is frequently asked to search engines. What do you need to...

We are delighted to announce that the Reef of the Month for May, 2019, belongs to @reef jacob. He has a build thread--which is always fun to read--but it wasn't until we started talking to him that we realized the extent of his accomplishments. There is no shortage of serious reefers here on...

Introduction Below you will find a companion article to our recent one on snails for the reef aquarium. This one is on crabs, and it is, by no means, an exhaustive treatment of the subject, but rather an introduction to the ones most commonly found in the marine aquarium trade and ones you may...

Proper lighting is one of the most important aspects of successfully maintaining a reef aquarium, yet many hobbyists leave it to chance. I’ve pondered why this is for years--perhaps it is because it can be a complicated subject with many variables involved (compare this to water chemistry where...

New article on our website: https://chaosaquaculture.com/sps-an...UCEqBER4a2HtXLdAam69_R8nnkhkdMMcz3ebLlHSZgE5w SPS and LPS Coral: Your Guide to Care and Feeding Sworls of Montipora aequituberculata, a core coral, attract fish at Jarvis Island National Wildlife Refuge in the Pacific, about...

Little in this hobby stirs up as much emotional debate as discussions on quarantining fish. Threads on prophylactic treatment, ich management, and immunity are regularly hashed out until people are burned out. Passions run high, and for good reason. Both sides of the debate feel their practices...

This week's Profile of a Reef Aquarist (#7) introduces you to @Bob Weigant, a resourceful and pragmatic gentleman, who believes in making the most of what you have and making good use of your resources, whatever they may be. Bob has almost 25 years of reef experience. The 200G. Photo is...