That Fish Blog – Aquarium Advice and Information

That Fish Place is. We are proud to introduce a new line of flake foods from Pure Aquatic.  In the rapidly growing product line from Pure Aquatic, the flake foods are the latest offering to hit the shelves here at That Fish Place.  They have a flake formulas suitable for almost any aquarium application.  All Pure Aquatic foods are made in the United States, and packaged fresh, for maximum quality.  Pure Aquatic Flake foods are Marine Biologist tested and approved, and are made with high quality ingredients and are fortified with vitamins and minerals for optimal health. Read More »

In Part 1 of this article, I talked about Carbon Dosing, and the principals and some of the products on the market that are being used in this method of natural nitrate and phosphate control.  You can read the first article for all the details, but for a quick review of what carbon dosing is all about, here are the basics.

By providing (dosing) a usable carbon source, the aquarist can increase the uptake of Nitrate and Phosphate by bacteria in the aquarium, and reduce the overall level of Nitrate and Phosphate in the aquarium to desired levels.  Maintaining this low nutrient system, improves the overall health of the system, eliminates nuisance algae, and promotes brilliant coloration in corals. Another benefit to this increased bacteria population, also referred to as bacterioplankton, is that it serves as a supplemental food source for corals and filter feeding invertebrates. Carbon sources that are used for dosing have traditionally been vodka, vinegar, sugar or commercially available products like Brightwell Aquatics Reef Bio Fuel, or Red Sea’s NO4-Px.  While effective, these sources of carbon must be added on regular basis (every day in most cases) and dosage levels are achieved largely on a trial and error basis. Read More »

In the never ending fight against excess nutrients in the home aquarium, many products have come along in recent years to help aquarist win the battle.  Chief among the nutrients with which all aquarium owners struggle (especially the reef aquarium owner), are nitrates and phosphates.  These nutrients fuel algae growth, and in the case of nitrate, can jeopardize animal health as well.   In the reef aquarium, nitrates and phosphates are a serious problem, and controlling these nutrient levels are vital to the health of the living coral and invertebrates in these systems.

Phosphate absorption media, macroalgae refugiums, deep sand beds, and frequent water changes have been the methods used by most to maintain low nutrient levels in aquariums over the years.  More recently, aggressive biological methods for combating nitrates and phosphates have become increasingly popular, and several Carbon dosing methods to remove nitrates and phosphates have been developed. Read More »

This past weekend we held our annual TFP/NCPARS Winter Frag Swap Extravaganza, and I would like to thank everyone who attended the show.  Thank you to our participating manufacturers who donated time and products, which made the swap an overwhelming success.

This was our biggest frag event yet, with upwards of 400 people who registered for the NCPARS swap, and hundreds more who showed up to the store for the great sales that went on all weekend long.  Mid day Saturday, you could barely move in the swap, we made a 2500 square foot space, feel like a broom closet.  There was something for everyone, from the rare and incredible corals from Jason Fox, to the guy with easy starter frags in Tupperware containers.

Thanks to our great manufacturers, we had some very lucky folks walk away with some very nice door prizes and raffle items.  From Reef Capable Marineland LED lights to Perfecto and Current USA tank set ups, and much, much more.  If you missed this one, you really missed out on one heck of an event.  We look forward to working with NCPARS again, and growing the show into a regional event.

Felicia McCaulley was here to take some phenomenal photos and a commentary on the event. Read more about this year’s swap here.

Over the last couple years, I’ve heard much debate over the use of LED lighting for reef aquariums.  Has the technology really advanced to the point where LED is a viable option for lighting a reef aquarium, or is it just a fad that has no real substance?  Most of the opinions on the subject are heavily influenced dependent on which side you are looking at the technology from.  I have been told many times that LED cannot sustain photosynthetic corals. Some believe the light production is not of adequate quality to keep a reef tank long term.  Not surprisingly, this has mainly come from manufacturers of traditional lighting sources (T5, PC, Metal Halide), and some have been highly critical of the LED technology.  On the other hand, the manufacturers that have invested in LED technology are adamant about the quality and validity of LED lighting.  Those on each side of the fence are understandably trying to defend their own interests in the debate between traditional vs. LED lights for use on reef aquaria. Read More »