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For those who are new to the world of saltwater aquariums, one of the most common questions that arises is whether tap water can be used. While it may seem like a simple question, the answer is not as straightforward as one might think. The use of tap water in a saltwater aquarium can have…

As reef tank enthusiasts, we know that lighting plays a crucial role in maintaining a healthy and thriving environment for our marine life. However, finding the perfect balance between too little and too much light can be a delicate dance. The initial sign of too much light is coral bleaching, losing tissue, and losing color….

Reef tanks are a popular way to create a miniature underwater ecosystem in the comfort of your own home. These tanks are home to a variety of marine life, including coral, fish, and invertebrates. One important aspect of a healthy reef tank is the presence of microfauna, such as pods. Pods, short for copepods and…

Coralline algae are a type of algae that are commonly found in reef environments. These algae are important for the health of the reef ecosystem, as they provide a hard surface for other marine organisms to attach to and grow on. In addition, coralline algae are known for their beautiful pink, purple, or red colors,…

As pet owners, we must prepare ourselves to face the death of our favorite pets, no matter how devastating that must feel. Just because death is indispensable and inevitable, we can’t neglect our duty as pet owners and ignore our fish on the verge of their death. You can comfort your dying fish by keeping…

Having a reef tank is challenging for a lot of reasons. Since there is life in the water, something will always go on, requiring you to stay alert. One such thing to make you lose your sleep is red slime. If you leave it to flourish, it will coat live rock, substrate, and sessile invertebrates,…

The number of fish you can put in a reef depends on the bio-load, the bacterial and algae buildup, fish species, filtration systems, tank size, temperature management, experience, and more. For a new reef tank, you can add 1 inch of fish per 5 gallons. Tanks over 40 gallons can hold more fish than allotted…

Canister filters are considered top-of-the-line filtration systems for freshwater tanks. They are silent, have up to 3 mediums of filtration packed into a single system, and can handle large water tanks easily. These seem to be the perfect qualities for a saltwater tank, but is it safe for you to do so? A canister filter…

A refugium is an integral component in any saltwater or reef tank. It’s a self-sustaining system in your tank that balances all the minerals in the water and reduces toxin buildup. But to ensure that your refugium works as intended, you have to pick the right macroalgae for it. To get a fully functional toxin…

Evaporation is an inevitable process in an open system like a fish tank. In a freshwater tank, it isn’t a major concern, but in a reef tank, it can be lethal. Saltwater evaporates slower than freshwater, but multiple factors in a reef tank can increase the evaporation rate drastically. High temperature, water agitation, airflow, and…

I call a reef tank a tiny piece of the ocean inside glass walls. When you think of an aquascape, adding various reef animals or creatures is a part of it. But what type of animal can you have in a reef tank? You can add many creatures, such as fishes, various corals, and invertebrates…

The effects of a dirty reef tank sand bed extend beyond aesthetic issues. The reef tank sand bed may be a tremendous advantage for helpful bacteria to eliminate nitrates and phosphates when kept clean and well-maintained. A filthy sand bed may increase nitrate, phosphate, and ammonia. So, how to clean the sand bed of your…

As an aquarist, it’s imperative to know the physicochemical conditions of marine water to maintain coral reef tanks. Without calcium, proper and timely calcification can’t take place for the prolific growth of both LPS and SPS corals. Hence, if you want to breed colorful calcareous corals, you should know how often to dose calcium in…

Copepods are a natural cleaner for fish tanks. They feed on leftover fish food, algae or chaeto, and other tank matter as they feed on pretty much anything, keeping the tank water naturally clean. Nevertheless, cleaning the aquarium from time to time is essential to keep the environment healthier. But before that, you need to…

If you have been walking the lanes of an aquarist life long enough, you should know by now that most reef tank coral and fish species thrive better in relatively cold water. For consistency/longevity, chillers work wonders for reef tanks. However, it’s not a great idea to use chillers for reef tanks right away as…

Refugium has become a trending topic among hobbyist aquarists. However, it is nothing new as refugium has been around for longer than you think and benefits saltwater reef tanks in many ways. It can be convenient if you know how to set up a refugium. First, find a place inside or outside your fish tank…

If you have a refugium set up to improve your fish tank’s environment, you would want to ensure the best of everything. And one of the things that affect the refugium’s ecosystem and tank life is copepods. Cultivating copepods is highly beneficial but requires providing them with the best food to help them grow well….

Maintaining the right level of salinity is a significant task for reef aquarists since the longevity of sea corals depends on the salinity level of the aquariums. Without timely supervision & proper measurement of salinity levels, the state of an ecosystem can decline immensely. And that’s why aquarists have been opting to get refractometers to…

If you are a beginner reefer having concerns about dosing your reef tank, you are in the right place. When a hobbyist starts reef keeping, everything seems overwhelming since it is no piece of cake to maintain a reef aquarium. It is alright for you to be nervous about keeping your corals healthy. But the…

Searching for food is one of the topmost prioritized activities on the to-do list of a reef tank fish, followed by staying alive and reproducing. So, when you adopt some reef babies, it is normal to get concerned regarding how often should I feed my reef tank. More importantly, what food should I feed? You…

Your reef aquarium’s water flow has a cardinal role in maintaining the water environment. It is especially crucial if you have corals. In the case of fish, a proper flow produces lots of oxygen and gas exchange, helping move nutrients and waste into your filtration system. The flow delivers vital nutrients and food while washing…

Having a reef tank means you know the ABC of its maintenance, one of which includes the filtration system. It is of three types: mechanical, biological, and chemical. We will talk about the first one today. Mechanical filtration keeps your aquarium free of wastes and organic particles for your aquatic pets to stay healthy. You…

Since it is mandatory to keep the phosphate levels optimum in your reef tank, you have to arrange appropriate tools for that. There are a handful of options in the market, such as PhosGuard and GFO. You would be right to have concerns about which one to use. Both PhosGuard and GFO remove silicates and…

A protein skimmer is an indispensable part of setting up a reef tank. It helps keep your tank water clean, stabilize the parameters, and keep your aquatic animals healthy. But if you are a new reefer, you most probably do not know how to set a protein skimmer. That is what we will help you…

Biopellets and GFO are essential mechanisms to keep your tank environment safe and healthy for your fish friends. Both have similar tasks with some differences that new reefers may not know due to their lack of experience. So here goes an intro session for biopellets VS GFO. The prime difference between a GFO reactor and…

Having a reef tank means carrying out a continuous process of maintenance. After all, you have the responsibility to take care of the lives inside your aquarium. It is mandatory to check on all the areas to ensure their well-being. For example, the protein skimmer you have got to keep your tank clean needs tuning…

You need to have a collection of useful tools if you have a reef tank. Among them, a protein skimmer is one whose demand has been scaling up since people’s increasing interest in reefing. You can use it for all aquariums. But it may not always be that effective, depending on your tank type and…

Introducing corals to your new saltwater aquarium is undoubtedly one of the most exciting and fun steps of building a reef tank. It is rewarding to see how they look in the tank and get them the comfiest place there while they settle in the tank. It is as if all your efforts into getting…

When you begin your journey as a saltwater aquarist, you will come across different unfamiliar terminologies. You may have knowledge about freshwater tanks, but that will not be much help. The fundamental equipment in these two tanks differs from one another. A perfect example of that is a protein skimmer. A protein skimmer is a…

Having a coral reef tank requires you to have knowledge about a lot of things other than managing the reef tank and the corals. You may have or will have heard of the term zooxanthellae if you talk or have talked about reefing with experienced reefers. Zooxanthellae, a type of photosynthesis algae, are plant cells…

Before the excitement of getting the long-desired reef tank gets you, you should think of the preparation first because you cannot just buy a tank and throw some coral, fish, sand, water, and rocks in it. If that is the case, be aware because you need some learning about how to cycle a reed tank….

Sumps are saviors for fish tanks. I realized that after I got mine. It helps to keep the tank environment stable and allows the fish to thrive. But as time passed and the tank started getting dirty, I had one thing in my mind: how to clean my reef tank sump. You can clean a…

Kalkwassar is basically Calcium Hydroxide in the German language. It is an additive for reef tanks and is not much costly compared to others. It helps you raise the levels of pH and calcium in your reef tank. For beginner and intermediate hobbyists, it is a simple and economical way to maintain the alkalinity and…

Even if you are a beginner, it should not come as a shock to you that maintaining a reef tank is not a piece of cake. There are a number of things to take care of and an important one of them is maintaining the right temperature in a reef tank. This is because the…

A canister filter is capable of handling all the filtration needs of a reef tank. It actively forces the water of a tank to enter the canister and pass through the media and makes sure that the water cannot get any chance to channel around the media. It means that a canister filter is very…

For all the aquarists out there, the most exciting part of setting up a new tank is adding the fish. But you have to be careful here. It is very important to introduce the right fish at the right time. Because the health of the fish depends a lot on how and when you put…

To maintain a fish tank properly, it is of utmost importance to have a good filtration system in your reef tank. Because the main function of a filter is to keep the water clean by removing wastes, ammonia, and nitrates so that your tank inhabitants can stay safe, healthy, and breathe well in the water….

If you are planning to set up a tank, I am sure you already have a lot of confusion about which type of tank to buy, which type of fish or invertebrate to choose for a tank, how to set up a tank, and other stuff. Because there are so many types of tanks available…

Nobody who has bought a fish for his/her reef tank has the intention of catching and removing it ever. But the truth is, sometimes an aquarist has to catch a fish and remove it for the sake of the other tank inhabitants. The problem is, catching a fish in a reef tank is a lot…

One of the main requirements of having a reef tank is to change its water on a regular basis. It means preparing the saltwater mixture for your reef tank every once in a while. It is essential for reef tanks because it removes wastes from the tank water and refills the water with elements that…

The decoration of a reef tank varies from one hobbyist to another. Regardless of which decoration pattern you follow, you should definitely consider using live rocks as a part of it. Live rocks not only enhance the beauty of a reef tank but also provides shelter for the tank inhabitants and works as the biological…

The filter of your reef tank works best when you maintain a proper water flow rate. To get a clean aquarium for an extended period and ensure a healthy environment for the tank creatures, maintaining a definite Gallon Per Hour (GPH) flow is an excellent and effective approach. If your reef tank is dominated by…

Although using vodka in a reef tank sounds a little odd, it is a widely popular and useful method. It is proven that the method of vodka dosing removes phosphates and nitrates from the tank water and thus, improves its quality. Vodka dosing reduces the levels of phosphates and nitrates from the water of a…

One of the key requirements of maintaining the quality of a reef tank is keeping its salinity level strong. But the challenging part is to keep the salinity rate stable. Although it is a little challenging to keep the salinity rate stable, it is a vital part of maintaining a reef tank. There is an…

One of the things that cause problems in a reef tank by disrupting its environment is flatworms. You can easily deal with majanos and aiptasia, but flatworms will make it really hard for you to get rid of them. But getting rid of them is an absolute requirement if you want to keep your tank…

Magnesium plays an important role in keeping the reef tank stable. It serves a variety of purposes. Corals and other invertebrates of the reef tank need magnesium to metabolize the calcium. Interacting with the tank water, magnesium also helps dissolve the calcium into the water column. If you experience low magnesium, you need to know…

When you establish a reef tank, you actually create a mini-ecosystem for the fishes, corals, and other marine organisms. If you are a new aquarist, you might not know that clean up crews are also essential components you need to nurture in your tank along with the fish and corals. However, do you know when…

Bubble Algae might look innocent and amazing to you at the beginning. You might even leave those alone on the new live rock. But, when they grow rapidly and take control of your reef tank, you have to be cruel to them for the sake of being kind to the other creatures of the tank….

Flatworms are common microorganisms found in freshwater and saltwater aquariums. Planaria is just another name to describe the flatworms. According to their effect in the aquarium, flatworms can be either benign or problematic. If you are having nuisance flatworms, you should take steps to get rid of them. To remove flatworms you can adopt natural,…

Powerheads are essential for the reef tanks to ensure a good and healthy water movement inside the tank. Placing the powerheads at the right place can be a real dilemma if you are a new reef aquarist. If you are one of them, you must know where to place powerheads in reef tanks to let…

When it comes to calcium level, both high and low calcium can affect the reef tank negatively. The ideal calcium level in a reef tank should be between 380-450 ppm.  So, what if the calcium in your tank goes beyond 450? How do you lower the calcium level in your reef tank? There are three…

Are you confused about the duration of lighting hours for your reef tank? You are not alone. Many reef aquarists, especially the beginners, get confused about how many hours of LED light they need to supply for their reef tanks. It is recommended to ensure a photoperiod of 9 hours where 7 hours will be…

Is your reef tank covered with unwanted algae? Do you want to know how to get rid of them and bring back the balance? Well, I know how disturbing it is to find your reef tank aquarium with excessive amounts of troublesome algae. There are a variety of nuisance algae such as green hair algae,…

Are you worried about cyanobacteria growing underwater in your reef tank? The small, slimy, and stringy substance in the live rock called cyanobacteria can invade the tank and make it dirty. Though it is not very easy to deal with it with one single method, it is not very difficult to get rid of them…

You might be asking “how many watts of LED lighting do I need for a reef tank?”. Well, this might seem to be a fair question to ask, but unfortunately asking this question this way is a category mistake and thus a wrong question. It is because LED lighting differs from the fluorescent or metal…

Calcium is one of the essential elements in our body. It helps to form our bones and teeth. However, apart from human beings, many other living creatures need calcium too. Corals are no exception to this. They need a steady level of calcium to grow and keep their colors away from fading away. If the…

An increased level of phosphate is a nuisance many aquarists fight against in their reef tanks.  Due to the higher level of phosphates, several kinds of hair algae grow up in a tank and make the tank ugly. Moreover, it creates some other annoying problems. You can lower the level of phosphates by changing water,…

Many aquarists are confused about how to treat ich in their reef tank. If you have a reef tank, you must know how sensitive the corals and invertebrates are. If you want to take very drastic measures to control ich in your tank, you might end up harming them. So, how do you deal with…

If you own a reef tank at your home, then you are well acquainted with the hair algae. These filthy algae make your reef tank much messy and ugly. So, to keep your tank clean, you have to know how to get rid of these hair algae from your reef tank. Initially, to get rid…

Chaeto (Chaetomorpha Algae) is one of the macroalgae or saltwater plants commonly planted in the reef tank aquarium. It has multiple benefits and functions. If you do not know what does Chaeto algae actually do in a reef tank, you should read this post. Chaeto works as a natural filter to remove excess nitrates and…

When the alkalinity level goes higher than required in the reef tank, the fishes and the tank equipment may get damaged. It is important to lower alkalinity in the reef tank gradually so that the adverse effects do not affect the tank inhabitants badly. In this article, I will explore the steps you should follow…

If your reef tank does not have the right amount of alkalinity, that’s not good for the overall health of the inhabitants in the tank. When the alkalinity is low, you need to raise it using several chemicals and commercial premixes. In this article, we are going to share how you can raise alkalinity in…

The correct level of pH plays an important role in keeping the water critters healthy. If your reef tank has a low pH level than required, and you want to raise the pH level in the tank, this is the post you need to read. There are different ways to raise the pH level in…