Category Archives: Maintenance

Salinity meters, whether hand-held or mounted inside the filter sump, are an easy way to measure salinity in your reef aquarium. Here’s what you need to know about a salinity probe and meter, their calibration and how to care for one.

Welcome to Part 4 of this four-part series, Chasing Colors, Not Numbers, where we learn about the importance of proper filtration and its affect on your corals.

As a beginner, it can be confusing with the different types of protein skimmers available. In this article we discuss each type of skimmer, installation basics, and troubleshooting.

Spring has sprung! And there is no better way to celebrate than to get your reef aquarium clean and prepared for sustained success. Within this article we will break down five steps to take with your reef tank to have it in perfect shape for all of your beloved livestock. It is common for us […]

A refractometer is considered by many to be a more accurate way to measure salinity. In this article we discuss what they are, how to use and calibrate them, with some extra useful tips.

At some point of keeping our aquariums we may have overheard someone from the reefing community talk about carbon dosing. They may say they’re adding vinegar to their tank or even vodka. Yes, vodka! You may have reacted to yourself “Um, what??” and under breath say “Like… one shot for me… and one shot for […]

One of the most abundant elements on earth, silicon in its soluble form (silicate) can contribute to diatom outbreaks. So before it gets out of hand, here is what you need to know about it to gain control.

Evaporation occurs at the surface of the water, lost to the air in the room, but never returns to the aquarium. How does this happen? What are the causes? And how can we control it?

Cloudy freshwater is most common in newly set-up tanks, but can happen, anytime. Here we discuss some of the top reasons cloudy water happens, and what can be done to combat it.

Maintaining your RO or RO/DI system periodically will help you avoid short and long term water quality problems. Here are some tips and suggested filter swap schedule to keep your water pure and tank happy.