The purpose of a protein skimmer is to remove excess nutrients from the tank. We consider a protein skimmer as a mandatory piece of equipment, I can’t think of one single successful reef tank that doesn’t run one. ![]() Reef Octopus Hang on Protein Skimmer If you don’t have a sump then this skimmer is for you. Retail Price: $35.00 Click here to purchase on Amazon. range of 0.1 degrees Celsius (or 0.3 instead of 0.5 degrees Fahrenheit). It will allow you to get an even tighter temp. Since stability is of great importance, we are delighted to have switched over all our heater controllers to the Inkbird 308.ĪRC Reef Tips: While Fahrenheit is fine and all, Celsius is where it’s at in science, and switching this controller over to Celsius will also give you a nice little reward. We tested 8 Inkbird units all at the same time, and each one was dead on accurate. With the Finnex controller, the temperature has to drop a full 1 degree below it’s set point before the unit turns on the heater, with the Inkbird unit, the temperature has to only drop just 0.5 degrees before the controller kicks on the heater, allowing for a much more stable temperature range for your aquarium. The feature that excited us the most is that it can control not just a heater but also a fan or chiller at the same time. The Inkbird ITC-308 offers much more bang for the buck. While the controller offered with the Finnex heater tube is adequate, it also leaves much to be desired. Ink bird Temperature Controller wins out above the competition (including Finnex’s own heater controller). Retail Price: $20.94 Click here to purchase on Amazon. Aquariums love stability and hate fast changes. Any abrupt changes in salinity are far worse than a stable but out of range level. If you find that your tank’s salinity is too high or low, it is essential that you bring it back in line very slowly. If you’ve been using the swing arm device until now, we bet you’ll be shocked at what your tanks true salinity level is!ĪRC Reef Tips: Remember to add back freshwater and not saltwater every week to account for evaporation. They offer unparalleled advantages in accuracy and stability testing. The refractometer is king now! These devices are now mass produced and are finally available at just a couple dollars more than a hydrometer. These devices are extremely inaccurate and unreliable if you have one of these please throw it out. Nearly every person who gets into this hobby will originally buy a little plastic contraption that has a swing arm called a hydrometer. The refractometer is the clear winner on how to measure the salinity of your tank. Retail Price: $8.99-$49.99 Click here to purchase on Amazon. 20% water-changes every other week will help keep your tank happy and healthy. Always make sure to have an extra salt mix on hand for future water changes and emergencies. Tap water can be used in a pinch but is never recommended and can cause undesirable effects such as ongoing battles with undesirable algae. We recommend using RO/DI water or distilled water. Keeping your tank at a stable salinity is very important as swings over 0.01 can stress and even kill your tanks inhabitants. The natural seawater (NSW) at our reef has a specific gravity of 1.026 or 35 ppt, all our holding tanks also match this level and we recommend this level for your tank as well. Use a refractometer to accurately measure the salinity. Available in 5 different sizes.ĪRC Reef Tips: Always mix salt first before adding it to your tank. The high availability of this salt mix and low cost also help bring it in for the win, it can be found at most fish stores, pet chain stores, and Amazon. The mix is processed to very strict tolerances so every batch will be uniform. It contains higher levels of calcium, magnesium, and trace elements which aids in coral growth and will help the formation of new coralline algae. ![]() Instant Ocean Reef Crystals Reef Salt is our recommended salt mix.
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