Tip of the Day – 7/19/2010
Remember to clean your saltwater mixing vessel every few months. Many salt mixes leave behind small amounts of different precipitates which can accumulate on containers over time. Especially with popular plastic trash barrels, the accumulation of solids is hard to see. Soak the container with an acid solution (like water and white vinegar) to loosen [...]
Tip of the Day – 7/18/2010
A clean, white sand bed can make the difference between a nice reef tank and a great reef tank. Try cleaning that small space against the aquarium glass to remove the algal films that accumulate there to really make it shine; light bounces through the aquarium glass and gives the area some luminosity. Even though [...]
Tip of the Day – 7/17/2010
Having extra equipment laying around might not be a bad thing. In fact, if your the equipment you use in your aquarium goes out, you can use the old equipment as a temporary backup until the original can be fixed or replaced.
Tip of the Day – 7/16/2010
Don’t feed your predatory fish goldfish or other freshwater feeder fish. These feeder fish lack the proper nutritional value for your saltwater predator. Instead, buy frozen enriched silversides or live saltwater feeder shrimp. These will more naturally mimic the fish’s primary food source.
Tip of the Day – 7/15/2010
Can’t decide on what wattage metal halides to run? If you use a multi-wattage or dimmable ballast, you can change out bulbs and play around with the lighting a bit until you find what you want. Additionally, 175watt, 250watt, and 400watt single ended bulbs all fit into the same size socket, so you wouldn’t have [...]
Tip of the Day – 7/14/2010
Using aquariums to divide living spaces, such as a bedroom from a living room, may not be a great idea. The tank is obviously clear, and meant to be seen from two sides. But keep in mind that people in the living room might be able to see into your bedroom. You could install a [...]
Tip of the Day – 7/13/2010
Surprisingly, clownfish will take up residence in just about anything. Clowns are usually hosted by anemones of various types, but Euphyllia corals (hammer coral, frogspawn, and torch corals), Tridacnid clams, and even pieces of aquarium equipment have been known to provide a home to clownfish. The clown is basically seeking protection in any way it [...]
Tip of the Day – 7/12/2010
It’s common for hobbyists to ventilate an aquarium canopy, but circulating air through an aquarium stand can also help increase oxygen availability and pH. It can also help dissipate heat that accumulates from refugium lights and equipment. When building a new system, consider ventilating your stand with fans. These can be installed painlessly with a [...]
Tip of the Day – 7/11/2010
Macroalgae doesn’t necessarily have to be used in a refugium. There are some excellent species of macroalgae that can go in a display reef, taking advantage of existing light and pumps. The most popular refugium algae genera, Caulerpa and Chaetomorpha sp., don’t usually belong in a display, but many red, brown, and green species can [...]
Tip of the Day – 7/10/2010
The amount of air making it into your protein skimmer can affect its performance dramatically. Salt creep, calcification, and room dust can make its way into the venturi intake and reduce the amount of air making its way into the skimmer. Keep your protein skimmer’s venturi intake clean by running very hot water through it [...]
