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This Article is Sponsored by @uniquecorals As you might have noticed, we offer and sell a lot of coral frags here at Unique Corals. When you work a lot with frags, even the most dense reefer (hey, that might be me!) can pick up some priceless gems of information that can add to the body of...

By: Justin Leoni of Reef Savers Aquatic Services Introduction Having been around saltwater aquariums for most of my now almost forty years, I’ve seen many gizmos and gadgets. I’ve seen a hobby that one was only for the most advanced aquarist become affordable and available to the masses...

This is one of the strangest cephalapods in the sea. They resemble a squid or an octopus but also resemble a fish from another dimension. Another interesting fact about these invertebrates is that they are not native to the United States. The cuttlefish has been purely an import species until...

By definition a sump is a pit or hollow in which liquid collects, in particular. (Wiki). If you are new to the aquarium hobby, you may have heard the word sump before. In the aquarium hobby, and even in professional setups like those in zoos and public aquariums the use of a sump is by far the...

We all want waves! They look great on the beach, and they look awesome in our tanks. Some of the waves people produce in aquariums are outstandingly realistic and benefit their corals ten times more than the linear flow that most affordable companies allow us to achieve. So how do we get more...

We are a very mobile race of beings. We have access to every square inch of the planet and even the moon. Staying in one place for your whole life just is not an option to some. Jobs call for relocation. Families grow and need space to grow. Sometimes we cut in line at the zoo, only to be put on...

This is one amazingly hard to keep coral. If you are one of the few who have made it longer than a year than you are truly a supreme reefer. These are known as one of the hardest corals to keep alive…period. Generally these corals die within the first 6-12 months of captivity, but are still...

Live rock is often harvested from the ocean, which leaves a void in the once full reef. A few pounds is not going to effect the ecosystem, but when a few thousand people set up a few thousand gallons worth of water it starts to add up. That can easily be a few hundred thousand pounds of rock in...

Reverse Osmosis and Deionization is a standard in water purification for use in reef keeping. It allows for 100% H, 2, and O. There are tap water conditioners out there, but adding chemicals may not be for you. When you use RO/DI water you minimize the risk of nuisance algae or diatoms. You may...

The art of stability is an amazing ability developed as you become smarter and learn the signs of change. As we get more in tune with our tanks, technology is being developed every day to allow us to take a more hands off approach. Normally when we have to make a change in the tank we would have...

When a fish, snail, crab, copepod, shrimp, or coral eats what happens? They poop! When poop is submersed in water it dissolves and becomes detritus, or waste powder. Detritus causes ugly rocks, sand, and feeds bacteria and algae. We do not want this. We want crystal clear water, bright purple...

Photo via Gary L. Parr at Reef2Reef.com Believe it or not, there is a group of corals that does not use Photosynthesis as its main means of energy production, but these corals care requirements should not be left in the dark. Some of these corals can require more food than your cat! Some...

@joshporksandwic 125g Zoa Dominated Tank Zoanthids are one of the most diverse species of coral we see. They come in an infinite array of colors and color morphs. They are mostly compatible with each other, allowing multiple colors in one colony, sometimes even creating new colors. The zoanthid...

Periclimenes imperator (Emperor shrimp) on Bohadschia argus (Sea cucumber) via http://en.wikipedia.org One of the coolest thing about this hobby is its diversity in tank inhabitants. This is sadly its biggest problem as well. Due the the immense diversity, we have so many animals to choose from...

One of the hardest concepts to grasp is Lighting. It is also one of the most controversial topics brought up when talking to owners of pet stores and even veteran reefers. Try telling someone with 10 year old corals raised by fluorescent lighting that they need to upgrade to LED and they will...

Have you been having algae problems in your display tank? Do you feed your fish as much as you would eat? Are you sick and tired of struggling to keep your sand clean? Do you want me to stop asking you questions because the answer is “Yes?” The problems you are experiencing are centered around...

When you go to the beach and “sea” foam, pun intended, you will also smell a very familiar odor. The ocean is a gigantic system of natural filtration and chemical dosing. Today we will focus on the filtration factor. Protein Skimming! First off, what on Earth is protein skimming and why do we...

REEF SPOTLIGHT - April 2013 The Reef Aquarium of: Pedro Gomes A.K.A. "PmRg" You can also check out Pedro’s tank build here on R2R: https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/member-tanks/95851-island-reef.html Introduction I would like to start by thanking Reef2Reef for picking my tank for this...

Being a artist for fun and profession, I see things different than most people. I decided to create a article about composition, balance, color, and depth within your reef aquarium. I really hope this can help some of you out to create your dream looking reef that is pictured in your head. Once...

Oulophyllia, although available in the hobby trade, is quite often mislabeled due to its resemblance to other types of Brain corals and may therefore not be offered for sale under its proper name. Due to its overall difference in shape though identification should not be all that difficult, but...