What do all algae (and cyano too) need to survive? Nutrients. What are nutrients? Ammonia/ammonium, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate and urea are the major ones. Which ones cause most of the algae in your tank? These same ones. Why can’t you just remove these nutrients and eliminate all the algae in your tank? Because these nutrients are the result of the… [Read More]
Growing plant like structures in saltwater tanks is something really exciting for aquarists and the best that can help in this formation are macro algae. There are many types of macro algae that will grow into plant like structures adding color and attraction to your aquarium. Halimeda, Caulerpa, and other large celled algae are helpful additions to a saltwater aquarium… [Read More]
[google_adsense_in_post] The planting of mangroves in a reef tank is not a new idea but lately gained a lot of interest by many aquarists. It was first tried by Julian Sprung who later got it published in a German aquarium magazine from where it became practiced by many aquarists. He planted small mangroves in his own 15 gallon… [Read More]
For all reef tank enthusiasts here comes the clarification to frequently asked questions on sand bed for reef tank. The substrate part of the tank is not to left undecided when it comes to establishing a new tank. Live sand and dry sand are usually the confusing part for most newbie. The only difference between the two… [Read More]
Uninvited algae are one of the most irritating problems an aquarist can get stuck with. Not only do they make your tank look unattractive and filthy but also cause nuisance among corals and other anemones. Precaution is always better than cure so before these ugly head algae come to party in tank why not take some preventive measures and keep… [Read More]
Extra Extra!Variations on a Refugium: Installation Options By: Steven Pro I am an equipment junky. Don’t get that confused with a technology buff, though. I hate gadgets. I don’t use electronic probes to monitor my display’s pH, ORP, temperature, salinity, or anything else. A refractometer and simple colorimetric test kits work good enough for me. I don’t even use a… [Read More]
Nuisance Algae in the Reef Aquarium – Part III By: Scott Zachow Nuisance Algae in the Reef Aquarium – Part III By: Scott Zachow Well here we are, 5 months after the first article was published in this series on removing nuisance algae from my own reef aquarium. The task has not been easy, and I wasn’t expecting it… [Read More]
Nuisance Algae in the Reef Aquarium – Part II By: Scott Zachow In Part I of this series I began by talking about some of the fuels that feed nuisance algae and described the nuisance algae that is present in our 75-gallon reef tank. The problems started in early spring of 2005 with the development of the unidentified brown wafer-like… [Read More]
Nuisance Algae in the Reef Aquarium – Part 1 By: Scott Zachow At one time or another every aquarist experiences problems with nuisance algae. It’s not just a problem that plagues new hobbyist; the most seasoned aquarist can experience the dreaded hair algae or cyanobacteria outbreak. As Steven Pro points out in his “Use, Misuse and Abuse of Biological Controls”… [Read More]
Best Plants and Algae for Refugia – Part II “Vegetable Filters”By: Anthony CalfoPart I of this Series Located HereCaulerpa was the first, popular algae used in refugiums only because the availability of alternate genera of algae in the hobby was limited. The genus Caulerpa overall though is very aggressive and sometimes toxic to fishes or invertebrates. For many aquarists, the… [Read More]