Aquarium Plants

Monte Carlo Carpet Plant Review — Tested in My 20-Gallon Quarantine Tank for Isolation and Acclimation By Marina Holt — 15 years of reef and freshwater aquarium experience, freelance aquascaper, experienced hobbyist who has killed enough fish over the years to know what actually works — Portland, Oregon The Short Answer The Monte Carlo Carpet…

Anubias Barteri Review — For Premium Reef Setups (And Why It Doesn’t Fit) By Marina Holt — 15 years of reef and freshwater aquarium experience, freelance aquascaper, experienced hobbyist who has killed enough fish over the years to know what actually works — Portland, Oregon The Short Answer The Anubias Barteri is a robust tropical…

Anubias Barteri Review — For Freshwater Shrimp Tanks and Biotope Setups By Marina Holt — 15 years of reef and freshwater aquarium experience, freelance aquascaper, experienced hobbyist who has killed enough fish over the years to know what actually works — Portland, Oregon The Short Answer The Anubias Barteri is a slow-growing but incredibly durable…

Amazon Sword Echinodorus Review — Honest 2026 Review from 15 Years in the Hobby By Marina Holt — 15 years of reef and freshwater aquarium experience, freelance aquascaper, experienced hobbyist who has killed enough fish over the years to know what actually works — Portland, Oregon The Short Answer The Amazon Sword Echinodorus is a…

Dwarf Baby Tears HC Cuba Review — Tested for New Reef Keepers in 2026 By Marina Holt — 15 years of reef and freshwater aquarium experience, freelance aquascaper, experienced hobbyist who has killed enough fish over the years to know what actually works — Portland, Oregon The Short Answer After running a mixed SPS/LPS/softie coral…

Amazon Sword Echinodorus Review — Tested in High Tech CO2 Injected Planted Tanks By Marina Holt — 15 years of reef and freshwater aquarium experience, freelance aquascaper, experienced hobbyist who has killed enough fish over the years to know what actually works — Portland, Oregon The Short Answer The Amazon Sword Echinodorus is a powerhouse…

Anubias Barteri Review — Tested on My 125 Gallon Mixed Reef and Freshwater Biotope By Marina Holt — 15 years of reef and freshwater aquarium experience, freelance aquascaper, experienced hobbyist who has killed enough fish over the years to know what actually works — Portland, Oregon The Short Answer Anubias Barteri is a robust plant…

Bio-Spin Pro Algae Scrubber: Is It Worth the Hype for Reef Tanks? By Marina Holt, Senior Reef Specialist and 15-Year Tank Veteran The Short Answer The Bio-Spin Pro Algae Scrubber is a solid mid-range mechanical filtration tool that excels in removing detritus and soft algae in fish-only-with-live-rock (FOWLR) or low-light LPS setups. However, it lacks…

The Best Algae Eater for Reef Tanks: A Comprehensive Review of the Purple Dart By Marina Holt, Senior Marine Aquarist The Short Answer If you are managing a mixed reef or a fish-only-with-live-rock (FOWLR) system and need a reliable, fast-moving algae grazer, the Purple Dart is currently the standout choice. In my testing, it maintained…

Bio-Spiral Algae Scrubber for Reef Tanks Marina Holt is a senior reef aquarist with over a decade of experience managing mixed-species reef systems ranging from 20-gallon nano setups to 180-gallon SPS-dominated displays. She specializes in documenting real-world livestock health outcomes, water parameter stability, and equipment performance under varying biological loads. Her testing methodology prioritizes transparency,…