Does The Reef Tank Need Carbon - By The Reef Geek

There is no doubt that the biggest selling maintenance product in the aquarium industry is Activated Carbon. This long time filter media started as Bone Charcoal 150 years ago, and it’s been keeping aquarium water sparkling clear ever since. In the aquarium trade, activated carbon is sold in more products than you think. It is the key ingredient in HOB disposable filter cartridges, and is often blended with ion exchange resins, ammonia...

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Vinegar Dosing Methodology for the Marine Aquarium

Vinegar Dosing Methodology for the Marine Aquarium Written by Cliff Babcock and Dr. Randy Holmes Farley Why would you want to dose vinegar? Reduce Nitrate Proper vinegar dosing will decrease nitrate levels by increasing bacterial populations, which are then skimmed out removing the nitrate within their cells. The bacteria may also be a good food source for many organisms, including sponges, effectively taking nitrate from...

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Nitrate!

When most aquarists hear the word nitrates, what usually comes to mind is the whole “nitrogen cycle” thing. You remember this. Your fish take a poop and it breaks down into ammonia. Then the Nitrobacter and Nitrosonomas bacteria take over (which by the way, there is new evidence that proves these strains are NOT the ones responsible for the nitrogen cycle, so all those old books are now wrong). Ammonia is then converted to nitrite then finally...

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Marine Ich Epidemic - By The Reef Geek

In 1977, I set up my first marine aquarium. In those days, there was no live rock or even aragonite substrates so the method was very different from what we use today. The typical setup included crushed oyster shell or dolomite for gravel, placed over an undergravel filter (Nektonics ruled back then) using 1-inch lift tubes driven by limewood air diffusers. If you had the money, you would get a canister filter and have a really sweet setup....

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Keeping acropora – Dosing Ca, KH, Mg

Keeping you acropora and other SPS healthy and colorful Acropora is the most complicated coral in our opinion and requires more attention than LPS and Soft corals.   We will not go in to the complicated explanations and scientific terms in this blog. This is to help reef keepers start with SPS corals. We presume you have some experience with reef tanks and already have good lighting and reliable filtration in your reef...

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