Aquarium Equipment
Feature Article: Bacterial Counts in Reef Aquarium Water: Baseline Values and Modulation by Carbon Dosing, Protein Skimming, and Granular Activated Carbon Filtration
What are the bacteria populations in the water column of reef tanks, and how does that value compare with bacterial counts in authentic reef water? Does carbon dosing indeed increase water column bacteria populations (i.e., is growth carbon limited)? Does mechanical filtration (protein skimming and/or GAC filtration) actually remove bacteria from the water column, and if so, how much? Ken, Allison, Sanjay, and Gary's in-depth article puts these questions to the test.
Equipment Review: Inexpensive Aquarium Thermometers - Bargains or Reef Killers? Plus Notes on Thermometer Calibration
It is not uncommon to see an aquarium housing hundreds (or even thousands) of dollars worth of exotic animals while using a very inexpensive thermometer to report this critical parameter. Is this practice a shrewd use of financial resources, or frugality inviting disaster?
Open Discussion: What's your thought on the state of water circulation?
How do you provide circulation for the critters under your care?
Feature Article: The Innovative Aquarium Products of InterZoo 2010
Jake highlights numerous products seen at InterZoo 2010.
Product Review: B-Ionic Seawater is Good to the Last Drop
As with trying and testing all new things, long term performance is what really counts so I was greatly looking forward to seeing if my initial impressions with the 4-part would be similar to my long term experience.
Feature Article: LED Lighting Tests: Aquaillumination, Blue Moon, Eco-Lamp KR-91, Ecoxotic Panorama
LED lighting for reef tanks is on its way to becoming a reality. Different LED fixtures address the lighting problem in several different ways, small number of high power LEDs with optics or with large numbers of low power LEDs with no optics.
Feature Article: An Affordable LED Luminaire for Reef Aquaria: Blue Moon Aquatic's 90-watt Fixture
Based on personal observations of corals' minimum and maximum light requirements using a Pulse Amplitude Modulation (PAM) fluorometer, it appears that the Blue Moon Aquatic 90-watt LED unit is capable of meeting the maximum light requirements of the most demanding corals. Read more for the details.
Feature Aquarium: EcoReef One: A New Kind of Nano Reef
The description of this tanks sounds like a list of things not to do when setting up a reef tank: it has no live rock, no live sand, minimal filtration, no additives, the water is never tested, 100% water changes and yet this 5 gallon glass box is one of the most attractive, successful and least demanding reef tanks that I have ever set up.
Aquarist Courses: Marine Aquarist Courses Online (MACO) is proud to announce the first of 2010's offerings!
Classes include Marine Reef Fish Husbandry and Aquarium Photography!
Open Discussion: Let's See Your Metal Halide Lit Aquariums!
Show off your tank! We know you want to!
Open Discussion: What's Your Take on Reef Lighting?
Let's hear what YOU have to say about lighting advances in today's hobby.
Feature Article: Quantitative Comparison of Lighting Technologies: Metal Halide, T5 Fluorescent and LED
Based on this quantitative data, is its quite obvious that the LEDs have come of age in providing a viable solution to lighting reef aquaria.
Feature Article: Elemental Analysis of Skimmate: What Does a Protein Skimmer Actually Remove from Aquarium Water?
Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802. The chemical/elemental composition of skimmate generated by an H&S 200-1260 skimmer on a 175-gallon reef tank over the course of several days or a week had some surprises.
Product Review: Reefing like it's 1999: How Reef Aquarium Flow and Lighting has Changed Over the Past Decade
Jake takes a walk down memory lane recounting how lighting and water flow has changed over the last ten years in the reef aquarium hobby.
Feature Article: Spectral Analysis of Metal Halide Lamps: AquaMaxx 14000K Series
This article presents a review of the spectral analysis and light output of these lamps when used with a wide variety of ballasts.
Feature Article: Further Studies on Protein Skimmer Performance
Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802. Many factors contribute to the 'value' of a skimmer to an aquarist, including quality of construction, size, footprint, noise level, ease of cleaning, energy efficiency of the pump, and of course, the ability to remove organic waste from aquarium water.
Feature Article: Potential Dangers of Water Changes
Here, we report the effects observed before and after two monthly water exchanges and discussion the results' implications.
Do It Yourself: A Guide to Making Gadgets for Your Aquarium, Part Two
Dana details different techniques and items you can use to make various devices for your next aquarium project.
Product Review: VorTech MP10 Propeller Pump
In a day of product hype and hyperbole, it is refreshing to find a product that delivers more than it promises. Our testing found that the MP10 maximum flow rate exceeded the manufacturer's claim, and all other advertising points were reasonable.
Beginner's Column: Filtration
Terry discusses common types of filtration found in reef tanks.
