Tag Archive
The best advice you’ll ever get
I was reading the popular Reef Builders blog the other day when I noticed this sentence in an excellent post by Scott Fellman titled Thoughts on Reef Aquarium Husbandry: “Good things done in small measures, with frequency.” : The key to ultimate long term success in the hobby is not just having the ultimate system... »
ULNS is not really L and far from UL
I’m annoyed when I see people boasting about their “ULNS” reef aquarium. Typically the “ULNS” crowd seem to think that their aquariums are at the very edge of complete dissolved inorganic nutrient elimination and that the corals they keep can barely cope with the underwater desert they’ve managed to create. All kinds of pseudoscientific... »
Weapons of Nutrient Destruction: cone and pellets with sugar on top
I have recently added two new components to my nutrient export methods, a cone shaped skimmer and a new filtration media called Biopellets. I also continue to use my old and proven CaCO3 slurry filtration and DOC (dissolved organic carbon) dosing. I’ve also experimented with another method based on microscopic clay particles. Here is... »
Let it foam: Selecting a skimmer
I have always held the opinion that foam fractioning is one of the most important ingredients for a successful reef aquarium. This is probably mostly because of my obsession with water quality, always trying to find methods to more closely imitate natural waters over the coral reefs. Probably one of the most difficult decisions... »
Sometimes half full is more than full
One common discussion between hobbyists is “how you skim? Wet or Dry?”. Most aquarists don’t have strong opinion, probably because the decision between two is not easily backed up by any data. Instead, we just use a setting we are used to – maybe because our mentor recommended one or other when we were... »
Sometimes you just sit and go “Wow, I’m stupid!”
Yesterday I decided to try to catch 4 Pomacentrus simils from my reef aquarium. Had to rearrange half of the tank afterwards. Nuff said. »
And the 2009 Nobel prize in Captive Coral Reefs goes to…
Anyone who can come up with an easy and fast product to glue larger corals underwater. Or smaller for that matter! A major importer who can drag their feet from the 80s to this century. We have had pretty much the same fish and invertebrates available for more than 20 years now, maybe it’s... »
New ideas for reef aquarium filtration
Recently I have been experimenting with some new ways to filter reef aquarium water. Here are some notes about the current situation. I will provide more thorough documentation at later time. CaCO3 Enhanced mechanical filtration Due to heavy feeding, DSB and good amount of live rock the detritus/plankton production in my tank is high.... »
Remember SeaScope?
I don’t know about you but I had forgotten all about the free flyer called SeaScope by a company called Aquarium Systems. By the way, that name doesn’t seem to be used anymore. Now they are called Instant Ocean after their most popular (by far) product, Instant Ocean salt mix (IO). It’s fun to... »
It is a sad, sad hobby
One thing that has always bothered me is the negativity among the reef aquarium hobbyists. Or, to be more precise, among some of the more visible and insistent experts, old timers and their fanboys. Hobbyists are often blamed for bad husbandry practices and lack of knowledge for the animals they keep. This habit is... »