Articles by Reef News
This is one amazingly hard to keep coral. If you are one of the few who have made it longer than a year than you are truly a supreme reefer. These are known as one of the hardest corals to keep alive…period. Generally these corals die within the first 6-12 months of captivity, but are still...
Live rock is often harvested from the ocean, which leaves a void in the once full reef. A few pounds is not going to effect the ecosystem, but when a few thousand people set up a few thousand gallons worth of water it starts to add up. That can easily be a few hundred thousand pounds of rock in...
Reverse Osmosis and Deionization is a standard in water purification for use in reef keeping. It allows for 100% H, 2, and O. There are tap water conditioners out there, but adding chemicals may not be for you. When you use RO/DI water you minimize the risk of nuisance algae or diatoms. You may...
The art of stability is an amazing ability developed as you become smarter and learn the signs of change. As we get more in tune with our tanks, technology is being developed every day to allow us to take a more hands off approach. Normally when we have to make a change in the tank we would have...
When a fish, snail, crab, copepod, shrimp, or coral eats what happens? They poop! When poop is submersed in water it dissolves and becomes detritus, or waste powder. Detritus causes ugly rocks, sand, and feeds bacteria and algae. We do not want this. We want crystal clear water, bright purple...
Photo via Gary L. Parr at Reef2Reef.com
Believe it or not, there is a group of corals that does not use Photosynthesis as its main means of energy production, but these corals care requirements should not be left in the dark. Some of these corals can require more food than your cat! Some...
@joshporksandwic 125g Zoa Dominated Tank
Zoanthids are one of the most diverse species of coral we see. They come in an infinite array of colors and color morphs. They are mostly compatible with each other, allowing multiple colors in one colony, sometimes even creating new colors. The zoanthid...
Periclimenes imperator (Emperor shrimp) on Bohadschia argus (Sea cucumber) via http://en.wikipedia.org
One of the coolest thing about this hobby is its diversity in tank inhabitants. This is sadly its biggest problem as well. Due the the immense diversity, we have so many animals to choose from...
One of the hardest concepts to grasp is Lighting. It is also one of the most controversial topics brought up when talking to owners of pet stores and even veteran reefers. Try telling someone with 10 year old corals raised by fluorescent lighting that they need to upgrade to LED and they will...
Have you been having algae problems in your display tank? Do you feed your fish as much as you would eat? Are you sick and tired of struggling to keep your sand clean? Do you want me to stop asking you questions because the answer is “Yes?” The problems you are experiencing are centered around...
When you go to the beach and “sea” foam, pun intended, you will also smell a very familiar odor. The ocean is a gigantic system of natural filtration and chemical dosing. Today we will focus on the filtration factor. Protein Skimming!
First off, what on Earth is protein skimming and why do we...
