Aquarium Industry News & Education

Easily some of the most colorful saltwater fish available to aquarists are collectively known as Anthias. Sherbet orange, electric yellow, bright red, pink squares and light purple polka dots are all common colors found on these fish. Despite their popularity and availability, they do have a mixed reputation in the hobby. Some find them difficult to please while others keep dozens of them in bigger systems. They are generally thought of as a metabolically hyperactive fish that …

High phosphate levels are a recipe for disaster in saltwater aquariums. It is a nutrient for nuisance algae and also hampers the formation of calcium skeleton in corals. There are several different methods for dealing with phosphate levels but one they I like is using granulated ferric oxide (or GFO) in a media reactor. GFO is best used with a media reactor for several reasons. First, it is a very fine media and would easily escape from any bag you put it in.Second, it clumps toget …

Activated carbon is a powerful tool for achieving and maintaining good water quality. Carbon removes off-putting smells and yellowing compounds from water. Activated carbon is frangible, which means brittle or fragile. This means that you can crush it into powder easily and create dust. The carbon dust is what you don’t want inside your aquarium as it has been implicated as a possible cause for an ailment called head and lateral line erosion (HLLE) in fish. In the single study that has bee …

Below is a list of SICCE Replacement skimmer pumps and the models of skimmers across multiple brands that will fit/run their skimmers.  SICCE engineered their skimmer pumps SK & PSK from the ground up to run with maximum efficiency, low heat and reliability to produce pumps that are beyond compare. Every component of the entire pump, not just the impeller, is designed specifically for protein skimmer applications. This is what SICCE engineers call “AIR QUALITY”! Because the pu …

One of the trickiest parts of getting into any new hobby is figuring out what things you actually need and what things are luxuries or things which you can add later. The aquarium industry is like any other hobby where the number of opinions you will run into can become bewildering. Take any facet of this hobby and you can be sure there is something there that people are arguing about on the internet. By and large, having a protein skimmer on your system is something most people …

When you start detecting more chlorine in the waste water it's time to change the carbon. When pressure drops to your RO from normal, change sediment. Change the DI when your TDS rises in the good water. RO membranes should last you many years if you maintain it, flush them, and keep chlorine away from them because it will oxidize them. RO Membrane - Change when rejection rate gets down to 96%, or you experience a decrease in psi.Sediment - Change at 6 months or if psi decreases, whichever come …

bout once or twice a year a product will be released that is a game changer in the industry.  For 2019, this is it.  This device is what I've been looking for for years.  Basically it's an optical sensor that can go on virtually any bucket/trashcan/etc via magnet that will shut off your RODI when the water reaches the sensor.  That's it.  In the end it saves your floors from being flooded using a simple magnetic optical sensor & solenoid.Get Yours Here - https:/ …

One of the most common questions we get is, I would like to buy a Reefer or Waterbox.  What else do I need to get this thing setup and going?Well, that's a loaded question.  But here are the basics:You Must Have Heater - Warms the water.  Make sure it's rated to or above the total gallons including sump.  Skimmer - Takes out the fish poop.  Make sure it's rated to the load (light, medium, heavy) you plan on keeping and it will fit in the sump.Return Pump - The return pum …

How do I set up Alexa to work with APEX Fusion? A: It takes just a minute to setup the APEX Fusion skill and link your Amazon and APEX Fusion accounts. 1. Sign into your Amazon account using the applicable Alexa web app for your region (https://alexa.amazon.com, https://www.amazon.ca, https://www.amazon.co.uk, or https://alexa.amazon.com.au). You may also use the Alexa app on your smartphone or tablet.  I found it easier to just pull up the Alexa App on the phone. 2. Click "Skill …

New from Neptune Systems. The Apex EL. EL (Entry Level). A lower cost option to the Apex WFI often referred to as gold. This system will give you access to the Apex world for under $500 bucks. You get everything you need to get started with all the great expandablility options Neptune Systems has to offer.The Apex EL is missing 3 things vs it's big brother the Apex WIFI Gold ($799) The Apex EL does not have the ability to measure salinity native.  It's missing the salinity po …