Best Methods to Remove Cyanobacteria from a Reef Tank: A Buyer’s Guide 1. THE SHORT ANSWER If you are staring at a sticky, orange-red slime mat on the rocks of my 90-gallon mixed reef, the most immediate mechanical solution is a targeted UV sterilizer paired with a manual scrub, but that only buys you time. […]
Marina Holt
Best Fish For 20 Gallon Community Tank
Best Fish for 20 Gallon Community Tank in the Aquarium Stocking Guide Category THE SHORT ANSWER If you are looking to populate a 20-gallon community tank, the immediate answer depends entirely on your water chemistry and whether you prioritize stability over novelty. For the hard tap water typical of my location in Portland, Oregon, where […]
Who Should Buy the LED Photography Light for Aquarium
LED Photography Light for Aquarium Review WHO SHOULD NOT BUY THE LED PHOTOGRAPHY LIGHT FOR AQUARIUM If you are relying on this device to stabilize your water chemistry or power a live food export system, look elsewhere. Specifically, do not purchase this unit if you are running a low-light, high-nitrate system like my 40-gallon breeder […]
Best Fish For 75 Gallon Community Tank
Best Fish for 75 Gallon Community Tank in the 75 Gallon Tank Setup Category THE SHORT ANSWER If you are setting up a 75-gallon community tank in the Pacific Northwest, your top pick is a stable, biological filtration system paired with a temperature-regulating heater that doesn’t overheat in our hard water. Based on my experience […]
Best Uv Sterilizer For Green Water
Best UV Sterilizer for Green Water in the Aquarium Algae Control Category THE SHORT ANSWER If you are battling a sudden bloom of green water in a reef or freshwater system, the Seachem Excel Algae Control is the most immediate, chemical solution for dissolved organic compounds (DOCs) that fuel these blooms, though it requires strict […]
Best RO DI Systems: Most Efficient Ro Di System
The Short Answer If you are running high-output lighting in a reef tank or dealing with our notoriously hard tap water in Portland, the LiquaGen 5 Stage RO DI System is the most efficient choice. In my 90-gallon mixed reef, where I maintain a salinity of 1.025 and a pH of 8.2, the LiquaGen’s five-stage […]
Who Should Buy the Brightwell Aquatics CoralAmino
Brightwell Aquatics CoralAmino Review: Portland Hobbyist’s Take WHO SHOULD NOT BUY THE BRIGHTWELL AQUATICS CORALAMINO If you are running a low-flow, fully rocked 20-gallon neocaridina shrimp colony or a 10-gallon betta display, skip this product entirely. I tested the CoralAmino in my 20-gallon shrimp tank under these conditions: pH 7.8, temperature 78°F, 0 ppm salinity, […]
Best corydoras species for beginners
Best Corydoras Species for Beginners: A Practical Guide from the Pacific Northwest 1. THE SHORT ANSWER If you are stocking a planted community tank in hard water, start with Corydoras aeneus (Bronze Cory) or Corydoras paleatus (Pleco Cory). These species are robust enough to handle the specific water chemistry of Portland, Oregon, where my tap […]
Best overflow box for 75 gallon tank
Best Overflow Box for a 75-Gallon Tank 1. THE SHORT ANSWER If you are upgrading a 75-gallon freshwater or mixed reef system in the Pacific Northwest, your immediate need is an overflow box that handles our notoriously hard tap water without clogging quickly. For a standard 75-gallon sump build, the Lifereef External Overflow Box offers […]
Most stable bacteria supplement for reef
The Most Stable Bacteria Supplement for Reef: A Portland Perspective 1. THE SHORT ANSWER If you are running a live rock system, Seachem Stability is the only choice that will not introduce wild, uncharacterized strains of cyanobacteria into your water column, which is critical for my 90-gallon mixed reef in Portland. For pure nitrification kickstarts […]