Marine Depot

I was staring into the Thunderdome (the name my tank acquired after the gut-wrenching loss of 2) recently when I observed an orange tentacle-like creature emerging from the bottom crevices of the live rock. It looked like a monster R.L. Stine might dream up for his next horror novel. I watched transfixed as the creature […]

In the beginning, the Marketing department setup an aquarium and a light. Marketing saw the illuminating power of the SunPod and it was good. It was all good. Alas, the waters were not calm in this supposed sea of tranquility. For Current USA divided the SunPond in two; they called the light day, and the […]

This is a test of the marketing department’s new aquarium. This is only a test. A test which we—or, I guess the tank, as it were—failed (cue “wah-wah” soundbyte). I’ve never been terribly good when it comes to taking tests. And—although it may be mere coincidence—I have a sneaky suspicion it is because I never […]

For those who need my witty title explained, I was born late in the month of January. When I find myself daydreaming about fish, I like to think back to the good ‘ol days of owning a small, freshwater tank and having Goldfish or Betta. I loved the instant gratification of dumping “Goldie” into her […]

Powerhead. Live Rock. Filter Media. Up until a few weeks ago, I wouldn’t have had a clue what these words mean. A Powerhead, to me, sounds like a boat engine: “Man, our 20-foot river boat is propelled by the new Powerhead 7000 and it really hauls butt!” Live Rock could be some creature from a […]

Inches to gallons, and creating a midget fish? The full explanation… When asking about proper stocking rates for both fresh and salt water aquariums, the most often offered yet most misunderstood advice is the phrase “one inch of fish to a gallon of water” (or, in salt water circles, one inch of fish to three […]

Coralline algae is surprisingly easy to grow, and if taken good care of, can grow relatively fast in FOWLR tanks (fish only with live rock). How? Well, let’s look at the things that really effect coralline algae growth. In terms of water chemistry, coralline requires only a few things different than your fish do. Like […]

There are various forms of brown algae. Diatom algae is probably the most common source of brown algae. It shows up as a thick film on the glass, sand and rocks. It is a translucent brown/tan, and is common in almost all aquariums to a lesser or greater degree than in your tank. Diatoms, like […]

Our aquarium inhabitants rely on us for almost everything. Stable conditions including the water temperature within the tank are very important to a successful tank. With summer fast approaching we need to start watching for rising temperatures within our tanks and starting thinking about how we are going to deal with them. There are many […]

Thanks for the question! There is actually no simple answer to your question. Local beaches are often contaminated with sewage, run off, various parasites, organisms, and etc. The water chemistry in your neck of the ocean could also vary slightly from the chemistry that is preferred by the animals that you are keeping. So collecting […]