We recently received a sizable order of Pukani Dry Eco Aquarium Live Rock from Bulk Reef Supply and wanted to share our impressions and subsequent aquascaping. But before we show off the rock and tell you why we like it, I wanted to explain why we chose dry rock in the first place. Dry rock has several advantages over regular live rock. For starters, because it has been out of the ocean for quite a wile, the rock is completely pest and nuisance algae free. Of course, this also means all of the benefical and visually appealing life forms on the rock are also missing, but those can always be added later. The other major benefit to purchasing dry rock is you get so much more. When you order 50lbs of rock, you get 50lbs of rock. The weight you order doesn’t consist of any water weight or dead organic matter.

More pictures and the rest of the review after the page break.

Getting back to the rock, we chose Bulk Reef Supply for their rock because they have a greater variety. Not only do they have Pukani, but they also have Fiji and “Reef Saver” dry rock. We specifically went with the Pukani because of it’s porosity, unique shapes, and the fact that it isn’t Fiji rock. The rock we received came in a variety of sizes and shapes, and is extremely porous. I’ve been chomping at the bit to build some rock structures, but unfortunately I don’t have all the supplies yet. However, we have started stacking the pieces together and I even drilled some holes for acrylic rods.

As for Bulk Reef Supply’s customer service, this isn’t my first order with the company, which means they’ve never disappointed me. The rock was to my door by the end of the fourth business day since the order was placed and it was extremely well packaged. I will admit that it felt a little awkward to fight packing peanuts when opening up a box of rock since I’m so used to the damp newspapers, but BRS wrapped up the rock like they were shipping a fragile protein skimmer. A few small pieces of rock did break off during shipping, but that is to be expected some. All in all though, the rock was in great shape when it arrived.

Stay tuned for more build pictures from our 90-gallon rimless A.G.E. aquarium and feel free to follow the build over on the AquaNerd Forums.

We were very recently sent an EcoTech Marine VorTech MP10w ES from our newest sponsor Aquarium Specialty for a product review. The pump was working spectacularly for a few weeks, but randomly stopped working. The EcoSmart controller was no longer powering up and the pump wasn’t spinning. Unsure of the issue, I unplugged all of the equipment and tried the setup on a different power outlet. The power supply LED was on, but the controller was still dead. After exhausting all of the possibilities imaginable, I contacted EcoTech.

EcoTech responded in less than 24-hours and suggested what the issues might be, while also directing me to the  Product Service and Repair page on their website. From that page, I was directed to fill out a Customer Support Form to expedite any repairs that were potentially needed. I filled out the form, boxed up the pump, and shipped it off. The pump arrived at EcoTech on Thursday and I have already received a brand new replacement on Tuesday.

Continue reading below for other reasons EcoTech Marine’s customer service is top notch.

EcoTech Marine Logo

In my case, I wasn’t in dire need of a replacement pump, so sending it to EcoTech Marine wouldn’t be an issue. However, many aquarium keepers need to restore water flow as soon as possible. Realizing this, EcoTech offers to send a brand new pump to your home before needing the malfunctioning pump in return. You would have to provided credit card information, which is a completely reasonable request, but as soon as EcoTech receives the original pump, your card will be refunded. Also understanding any inconvenience incurred by the aquarist, EcoTech also offers to send a pre-paid shipping sticker to help ease the process.

Despite the headache of having to deal with non-functioning pump, EcoTech handled the replacement wonderfully. Their customer support was spectacular from day one and because of this, they will continue to retain customers and make aquarium hobbyists happy to buy their products.

Stay tune for a video review of our brand new VorTech MP1ow ES. We will also be giving this pump away to one lucky AquaNerd reader, so be sure to check back for updates on the giveaway.

SPS Dominated Reef Aquarium at a Local Fish Store

Most aquarium hobbyists have their preference as to where they purchase livestock. Some have a favorite local fish store (LFS) they frequent, while others venture into the online world and browse from thousands of different stores. Regardless of your personal choice though, both the LFS and the online retailer are there to turn a buck, and both have their drawbacks and benefits.

The LFS

Most towns have a local fish store. Some are great sources of livestock, drygoods, and knowledge, while others not so much. The stores can range in size from a small place with a few staff members, to a huge facility crawling with aquarium nerds. Regardless of a place’s size, the store serves many distinct functions. For one, many aquarium keepers buy their livestock and drygoods there. Additionally, the store might be a vast source of knowledge. Chatting with patrons of the store, or even employees, can help expand your aquarium knowledge. But I must warn you to take any advice with a grain of salt. Some employees may not always give out the best advice, and some may even give you advice with the intention of trying to make a sale. So be careful. Another aspect of the local fish store is that they are also a place for likeminded individuals to hang out and bounce ideas off of each other. Hobbyists are drawn to the store like moths to a light. And naturally congregating hobbyists will interact, gawk at the livestock in the store, and chat with the store’s staff. Additionally, the store itself may interact with the community. Many stores join local aquarium clubs as sponsors, hold sales, and host events. Despite the immediate benefits of the local fish store, there are numerous drawbacks. For one, they are limited in their livestock and equipment selections. The store has a limited target audience and, to keep costs down, won’t keep a lot of items in stock or order rare livestock. Additionally, the store’s expenses are typically greater than an online vendor, further limiting the in-stock equipment and livestock. The local aquarium store will also have higher prices, again this being the typical case. The operating costs of the store force owners to keep prices slightly above those of most online stores.

Online Aquarium Retailers

For those who have a limited number of “brick and mortar” fish stores in the immediate area, the online store might be the best, or only, choice available. Online stores typically have lower operating costs, since they don’t have a storefront, and can offer products at lower prices. Another benefit is the shopper has access to a huge variety of fish, corals, and invertebrates. No longer does the shopper have to drive from store to store looking for a particular fish or piece of equipment. They can click away, moving from site to site with ease.

Wild Orchid Favia from ReefExotic.net

The downside to using online retailers is the inability to see or hold what you are purchasing. This is more of a problem when purchasing livestock, as color morphs and health status are unable to be seen. Some online stores get around this with “what you see is what you get” pictures of the actual livestock being sold. This alleviates some issues, but others still persist. Another of those issues being shipping. Livestock has to be shipped overnight, which could add $20-40 to an order of a single specimen. The shipping is also quite stressful to the animal. Frags could RTN during the trip, fish could die. Though these are serious issues, they can be avoided when the retailer packages things properly. Finally, the last issue with online stores is that you cannot see the livestock’s living conditions. The seller might have great photography skills or may even enhance images, making the process worse.

Regardless of your personal choice of stores, it’s wise to select a responsible retailer. Pick a store who takes care of their livestock, provides great customer service, and gives back to aquarium communities. Don’t just shop for price, but look for quality stores.

Looks like the lagging economy has claimed another victim.

DIYReef.com has announced that it will be going out of business. They will be discounting clearance items up to 40% off, with 10% off on other products. Of course the guys at DIYReef won’t be ordering new product, so you’ll have to buy from whatever they have left in stock.

I took advantage of the discounts by purchasing a Reef Fanatic Dual Gauge CO2 Regulator, Reef Fanatic 10 lb CO2 Aluminum Tank, and some CO2 airline tubing and all for under $200.

Hate to see this happening to another aquarium products retailer.

While gathering equipment for my new tank build, I ran across a GEO 624 calcium reactor on ReefCentral. I immediately jumped on it and the buyer quickly shipped it to me. The package arrived within a few days and it was packed very well, but the bubble counter had broken off of the PVC manifold. I thought about repairing it, but before I got my hands dirty I decided to contact GEO to inquire about purchasing a replacement. George contacted me back in less than 24-hours and asked for a picture of the damage to see if it was even worth fixing. After sending him the pictures, he contacted me back and told me he would just send me a whole new PVC manifold. The bubble counter and all of the PVC pieces are glue together as one solid piece, so replacing one small piece (the bubble counter in this instance) is impracticle. I sent him a few bucks for shipping, and within 3 days I had a brand new PVC manifold.

So, for his great customer service, George at GEO gets an A+ in my book. The reactor itself is built like a tank and I can’t wait to get it up and running on my future reef aquarium.

ReefExotic.net is an online retailer who primarily deal rare exotic livestock. In fact, if you take a look at their Rare Exotics collection, I guarantee you’ll be blown away. If you don’t believe me, take a look for yourself.

Browse other sections of ReefExotic.net as well, including the stunning SPS Corals, gorgeous LPS Corals, and the Invertebrates including Tridacna clams. ReefExotic.net also sells Drygoods and Supplements as well.

So, if you’re looking for stunning livestock found nowhere else, visit ReefExotic.net.

I ordered a Tunze 6105 a few months back and ran into a few issues recently. The pump had been working flawlessly for months, but out of the blue the powerhead started to randomly turn on and off while making a clicking noise at the same time. I wasn’t quite sure of the problem, but contacted Tunze to try to resolve it. Literally within minutes of sending out my intial email, Roger from Tunze USA (obviously the US Tunze distributor) replied and told me to send the pump into their facility so that they could repair or replace it. I sent the pump in and got it back in just a couple of days. I plugged it all in, but still had a problem, but a new one this time. This time the power supply was acting up and the pump was not getting power. So, I contacted Roger again, and before I had a chance to drop the malnfunctioning power supply in the mail to send in for a replacement, I received a new power supply. I tried it out, but still no luck. I’ll admit I was getting a tad frustrated, but Roger was rock solid. He told me to that the pump motor probably got fried by the bad power supply, and to send it back in. I did so, and a few days later I opened up the package I got from Tunze and it was a brand new 6105.

I have been blown away by Tunze USA’s customer service. They have a great reputation for a reason…they deliver spectacular service and back up their products 100%. Roger has been aweseome and has answered every email and question within an extremely short time frame.

So, if you are ever on the fence about purchasing a high end aquarium pump/powerhead…choose Tunze. Not only are their products well built and of good quality, but their customer service is amazing. These guys will treat you right.

Thanks For Everything Roger.

Aquarium Specialty Logo

Aquarium Specialty (www.aquariumspecialty.com) is one of my personal favorite online retailers and I’ve had an overwhelmingly positive experience with them on every single order placed. My relationship with them began much like many of you would start a relationship with a retailer…by a single test order. I was looking to purchase a ZEOvit startup kit in order to experiment with the ZEOvit system. I searched around on various websites, but found myself coming back to Aquarium Specialty because of their lower prices and very professional looking website. I was able to gather a few members from my local aquarium club (www.marshreef.com)and sent an email to Scott Groseclose (owner of Aquarium Specialty) telling him what I wanted to do. He responded to my email within minutes and even setup a checkout code for the group buyers to use when they made their orders so that he could lump them together and ship them out to one person, being me of course.

When the order arrived I was amazed at how well the items were packed. Nothing was damaged, despite some of the items being 4-foot long T5HO light bulbs. I immediately sent Scott an email and told him of the successful shipment. But not only was my initial impression a positive one, but every order I have placed with Aquarium Specialty has arrived in perfect condition and in superb time. One order I placed actually got here by the next day, despite me not selecting overnight shipping.

Another huge plus to using Aquarium Specialty is their providing of tracking numbers so you can estimate when your order will arrive. Every order I ever placed would be followed by a tracking number being sent to my email.

Overall, Aquarium Specialty is head-and-shoulders above the rest of the online retailers out there. They have superb customer service and a massive product selection at very competitive prices. I highly recommend using them for whatever you decide to order.

If you do place an order with them, tell Scott that I recommended Aquarium Specialty. I don’t get anything out of it, but I just want to show Scott how great of an impression he left on me.

Hello,

My name is Brandon Klaus and I’m the administrator for this blog. I am a marine biologist, but plan on adding other authors to the blog so that we can examine the wonderful world of aquariums through many different perspectives. If you are interested in joining the ranks, please email me and tell me more about yourself.

It is my goal to introduce and discuss several topics related to saltwater fish, corals, and equipment, as well as techniques to improve your skills in the tank.

We are here to help you further your knowledge of the saltwater aquarium hobby and to promote conservation through proper husbandry and aquaculture.