Do It Yourself (DIY)

Here is the video that shows you how to drill and install the Shadow Overflow on your aquarium. If you have any questions regarding this procedure just let us know in this thread.

What to do with all those spare parts... @Bulk Reef Supply and @randyBRS always add, to an extreme sometimes, every extra part you might need. What do you do with all these parts?! If you are like me, they go into a random fish stuff drawer in my "Fish room" (really the guest bathroom). What...

Have you ever been awakened in the night to the horrifying realization that you accidentally left your RODI system running? You rush groggy-eyed through your house in hopes that this nightmare somehow isn't real. SPLASH! As you step into the utility area, garage, washroom, or wherever you have...

Make your own rock When the hobby started there was no live rock for sale, as a matter of fact, there wasn’t even dead rock for sale. We used dead, white bleached pieces of coral to decorate our tanks and we bought that in a furniture store because no one yet had salt water fish so LFSs...

Foam Wall Instructable- A Full How-to, Step-by-Step Guide 26g bowfront First things first, you need to realize that you need a foam wall in your tank! They are relatively easy to make and can transform your tank into one that all of your friends are envious of. DISCLAIMER: I am responsible...

I’ll admit I jumped on the LED bandwagon pretty early on but at that time, there weren’t a lot of good fixtures IMO and none that really suited my needs. I did a ton of research and eventually decided that I would just have to build my own. I gathered all of the supplies and set out building. I...

So let's talk about why you're here and why I decided to write this. From time to time I've had low pH issues, and I suppose you have too, it can be frustrating. I for one am not the type of person to chase numbers , but when you can do something about it, why not!? This is where I decided to...

This article is sponsored by Chances are, if you are reading this article, you already know what a Bristle Worm is and why you may need to "trap" it. But in case you are not quite sure .... Bristle worms are free-living segmented worms with an elongated body that has a pair of "appendages"...

When living in the warm weather or cold weather climates, we really do not have the chance to open our windows that often. This leads to a build up of CO2 in the air inside the house and results in a drop in pH. When our pH drops down to levels that are alarming in our reef tanks, we start...

Let’s Mix it Up! There is one undeniable fact in this hobby – WE ALL NEED WATER! In fact, two types of water. Clean fresh water (FW) run through a quality RODI system and the obvious saltwater (SW). Secondly, we all know what a water change is. This is not an article on whether or not water...

Automatic mechanical filtration An automatic mechanical filter provides all the benefits of running filter socks, but removes particulates before they can break down in your tank and increase nitrates, and only needs to be changed once a month or less- depending on design. The basic design is a...

I've been working on this for a few years now. I gave up for a long time because there just wasn't the right kind of technology out there until recently. In the past I tried to use a USB camera but this required the camera to be attached to a computer and a program to always be running (slowing...

This article is sponsored by SB Reef Lights Skimmate Locker DIY: So I'm on the road 3-4 nights a week and wanted something more reliable than just a 1 gallon jug that can still overflow. So I decided to make an automated Skimmate Locker. Skimmate goes into the 2.5 gallon container (Sam's Club...

Creating 3D-printed items has become extremely popular in recent years due, primarily, to the virtually unlimited potential of the technology. Cars, houses, clothing, food, and even functional human organs are not only printable, but are likely only a few years from becoming commonplace. It...

Building an aquarium cabinet may seem like a daunting task if you have never done so before. Just the thought of turning a pile of wood into something that looks halfway decent, while at the same time withstanding hundreds or thousands of pounds of weight pushing down on it may be enough to...

A few people have asked me how I make my filter socks so I figure I'd post a thread in case this can be helpful to others. All you need is a sewing machine, very basic sewing skills and about 30-45 minutes every 2 months. I buy my polyester felt from JoAnn Fabric for about $2.50/yard (usually $5...

@SunnyX's 225 When we dream of the perfect tank we often think of having an in-wall setup for the simple fact that it looks awesome. You don’t have ANY fish stuff in the room, not even a stand. In-wall setups keep the environment much more controllable and reduces unwanted tampering. This is a...

Yes, I realize most people don't like putting phony looking stuff in their tank and I also hate things like sunken shops, sunken planes, sunken chests etc, but I do like putting natural stuff in my tank. In the 45 years since I have been diving I have seen all sorts of things under water from...

Photo via MySafetySign.com Sometimes you get to the point where your rock is not working out for you. Maybe you had a stagnant tank and everything died? Maybe you have an insane algae problem? Maybe you just got the rock for free from some fishy character on Craigslist and just don’t trust it...

This is a general guide on how to turn an aquarium into the ultimate reef filtration. I am going to explain the planning stage, the materials, and the assembly. The tank I am using is a 75 gallon aquarium that has no cross brace, which is fairly uncommon around here. Luckily, this was traded to...