How To: Do You Need a Skimmer? How do I pick one?

Chad's Skimmer Cup
The short answer to "Do You Need a Skimmer?" is "maybe". It really depends. We will get into that in a moment. I have a love/hate relationship with skimmers. The hate part is pretty easy to explain. They are expensive, need frequent tweaking, frequent cleaning, they take up a lot of room, they are noisy, they smell, and if they aren't working just right do next to nothing. For the cost a skimme...
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How Much Flow Do I Need?

Power Head
This topic is mostly discussed on reef tank forums but it really applies to all aquariums. Just how much flow do you need? Seems simple, but it is not an easy question to answer. More important may be the question "What kind of flow do I need?" There are actually many types of flow. Flow isn't just flow, it isn't just the movement of water. Of the at least 13 types of flow there are two that are...
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Free Coral Guide PDF

Coral Guide Page
The Western Australian Museum has put out a free coral identification guide. There are other such guides out there but I have found most of them don't have photos of good enough quality to really assist in making an identification. This guide is an exception. It won't cover 100% of the corals you might come across but I think it does a pretty good job with the major ones you are going to run into....
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Frag Gripper and Plant Gripper a Great New Invention

Frag Gripper and Plant Gripper
NOTE: this is NOT a paid endorsement or advertisement. My excitement is genuine and not paid. I really do think the product is a good one and no one has paid me to say it is. Many of you remember Bob Bittner the clownfish breeder and creator of Reef Stew. He's back with something new and pretty amazing. It's called Frag Gripper. In talking with Bob it became clear to me this product would also ...
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How to Pick Fish for Your Tank

Skunk Clowns in Anemone
The most frequently asked questions on the forums tend to be those about just which fish to purchase. This is a deceptively simple question because there is so much that goes into it. It's part about the fish, part about the environment that the fish will live in and then becomes an equation involving the other fish that will live in the tank, the desires of the aquarist, and of course, your pocke...
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