DIY Surface Skimmer Links for the Reef Aquarium Hobbyists

A good question before starting is, what is the job of a surface skimmer? You will not find a lot of information on the web about what a surface skimmer does. But here is what I found out about them.

1. It skims dissolved proteins to suppress nutrient buildup and preserve good water quality.

2. It improves oxygen exchange.

3. It allows better light penetration by getting rid of surface film.

4. It aids in bringing new layers of water to the surface.

If you are interested in making your own surface skimmer, then here are a few DIY links.

Micro Reef Surface Skimmer

Minimum Cost DIY Surface Skimmer

DIY Surface Skimmer for HOB

DIY Surface Skimmer Box

If you have come across any cool DIY sites, let me know about, and I will put a post here on my site.

PURCHASE NEW SURFACE SKIMMERS

If you are not into making things but you are still interested in adding a surface skimmer to your aquarium, then I have provided a few links for that as well. After doing some research I found out that the cost of a skimmer is pretty cheap. It may be better to buy one.

Fluval Surface Skimmer

JBJ Nano Cube M.S.S. (Modular Surface Skimmer) for 12G & 24G

Tom Aquatics Aquarium Surface Skimmer

Aqua Clear Surface Skimmer

Aquaripure-Nitrate Removal Filter

Here is a saltwater aquarium tip-You can control algae and withdraw nitrates in your coral and marine aquariums. How? By using an Aquaripure Nitrate Filter.

The Aquaripure nitrate filter, likewise called a denitrator, is a comprehensive biological filter. It utilizes beneficial bacteria to break down inconspicuous organic matter and nitrates entirely into Nitrogen gas which then escapes into the air. The Aquaripure accomplishes this in an extremely safe and controlled environment and after the water from the Aquaripure is oxygenated there's nothing left behind but pure, clean, crystal clear H2O. This exact common procedure is even utilized by water treatment plants to make wastewater safe for human use and to clean contaminated water. In contrast, other biological filters merely change organic matter into nitrates, which then amass in the aquarium, and physical filters simply remove larger particulate and not the smaller unseeable organic stuff.

The Aquaripure denitrator can be used with all freshwater tropical fish aquariums and saltwater aquariums including coral reef tanks and freshwater-planted tanks. It's entirely harmless to all freshwater and marine aquarium fish.

Will you have to still do water changes? Yes, you will still need to do a partial water change occasionally just to ensure a proper balance of all trace elements in the aquarium. But you will not have to do them as often.

The nice thing about this product is there are no filters to change and no mess to cope with. Aquaripure's denitrators are configured to be simple to setup and maintain, and will give you a lot of years of service.

Preparing Saltwater for Your Reef Aquarium

Saltwater Preparation
When I prepare a mixture of saltwater for a water change I will fill a dark container with RO/DI water, and then I will place a heater and a powerhead into the water to thoroughly mix the salt. Maybe you do something similar. But what if you don't use all the saltwater that you have prepared? Can you keep the extra mixed saltwater for your next water change?

I have done enough water changes now to know how much to make. Usually if I have any left over it's only a small amount and so I pour it down the drain. However, sometimes I know that if am going to have a tight schedule, I probably won't have enough time to mix some new saltwater. So I'll mix enough to have ready for my next weekly water change. But I've often wondered, ‘do I risk contaminating the water doing it this way?’

I did a search on a few of the more popular reef aquarium forums and I found that this is a common question, often asked by newbie’s and beginners. Here are some of the suggestions I found:

1. Keep a heater in the water. This will keep the water at or near the temperature of your aquarium so you will not have to worry about giving your sea creatures a cold shock. Plus, you won't have to wait for the water to heat up. The water temperature will be ready when you are.

2. Place a powerhead into the water to keep it moving and aerated. This will keep the water balanced, oxygenated, and it will allow the temperature to be even throughout the entire volume of water.

3. Check your salinity. Your salt level will go up due to water evaporation, so you may need to add some salt. Keep the powerhead running and this will help mix the salt much more quickly.

4. Put a lid on the container. This is one that I didn't know in the beginning. I mixed a bucket once and left it near a window and the water turned burn from algae and I had to dump the water out. So keep your saltwater covered and away from the sun, and try and use a dark container that is made for storing food. You don’t want any chemicals leaking into your saltwater from your container.

These are some great suggestions and thankfully I've been following them all along. So the answer to the question I posed about the risk of contamination is: NO, you will not contaminate your saltwater. So, go ahead and make up some extra saltwater and give the above advice a try and you'll have continued success with your reef aquarium.

Water Changes for a Reef Aquarium

Reef Aquarium and Water Changes
Doing a water change in a saltwater fish aquarium or reef aquarium can be a really touchy procedure that must be done properly to prevent any of your in tank livestock from going into shock. The aquarium should mirror the natural surroundings that the fish and other saltwater creatures are used to.

If you're moving your animals to a bigger or differently shaped saltwater fish or reef aquarium, you must be extremely careful to preserve a balanced environment that isn't perceptibly different from the last one. It's crucial to use the equivalent type of saltwater that you utilized in the former aquarium, whether you prepared it from a mix, bought pre-made saltwater, or got it directly from the ocean.

The water ought to be within a few degrees of the original fish tank's water as well. This can be super significant because any drastic alteration in temperature can injure your saltwater fish and other saltwater animals. Although it is not safe when the water is overly warm, it is even worse when the water is excessively cold.

The water in your saltwater fish aquarium should be changed every few weeks or even sooner if you detect it becoming cloudy. Whenever saltwater fish and other creatures are left in polluted water, there may not be adequate oxygen for them to flourish.

You simply need to change between one third and one half of the water each time because your fish and live coral may not be able to adapt to an abundance of fresh, clean water. And when you're changing the water in your saltwater fish aquarium or reef aquarium, you'll likewise want to clean the sides of the tank to make certain the residue is gone. After changing the water in your saltwater fish aquarium or reef aquarium, be sure to measure the pH and nitrates as well, and make whatever modifications are essential.

By following these steps, the surroundings will be just right to protect the life of all the saltwater creatures that inhabit your personal underwater world.

BIO-spira, does it work?

When I first started with freshwater aquariums back in the day, people used to rave about this stuff. I utilized it a few times and it appeared to work. I was highly doubtful that it would work, but it did cycle my tank pretty much instantly. However, the thing they do not tell you is some of the times you need to dose it more than once and BIO-spira can be pretty costly for a bag that's like 90% water. Now the question is, would I recommend it for saltwater marine aquariums? No. I think it's much better to cycle your tank naturally with live rock.
This is the description that is given for this product: "Introduce fish safely within 24 hours, not weeks. Prevents ammonia and nitrite toxicity in saltwater aquariums during the initial critical period...It literally works overnight to prevent fish loss due to ammonia and nitrite toxicity...BIO-Spira is, perhaps, the most important aquarium product ever as it will make "new tank syndrome" a thing of the past. Fish can be safely introduced to new aquariums within 24 hours rather than weeks and kept alive and healthy through the initial critical period."


The thing to remember is, most local fish stores are trying to make a profit off of you. Generally, any bottled product that is designed to speed up a cycle doesn't work very effectively, as the bacteria in the product needs oxygen and often the stuff sits on the shelf forever causing the bacteria to perish. And we don't want to take any chances with our reef tank since the creatures that we will be putting in there depend on a near perfect environment.
So then, there's nothing more dependable than a naturally cycled tank. There isn't just the nitrogen cycle occurring but many other things that need time to create a stable tank. Any decent live rock will deliver more than enough to get you started. If diversity is what you are after, its improbable the bottled bacterial cultures will supply it anyways. If you think about it, there's nothing better than live rock at reanimating the bacterial cultures of a natural reef.
So load up with some live rock, take it easy, and wait for your cycle to finish naturally.

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Nano Cube Advice-Do You Need a Protein Skimmer on a 29 Gallon Tank?

If you have 29 gallon tank, do you need to have a protein skimmer?

From my research and experience protein skimmers are among the most crucial pieces of equipment in a reef tank, 3rd only to proper lighting and pumps for water flow. Their ability to help preserve highwater quality (particularly in more small-scale tanks) is priceless. The marine hobby is no place to go cutting corners. That being stated, a lite bioload and regular upkeep can help a great deal. But I'd nevertheless advise that you use a skimmer on that size of tank, whether it's a reef or fish only aquarium. I would propose a Seaclone 100 on a 29 gallon reef and while it's unquestionably not the best skimmer out there, it's better than nothing.

If you can afford a more expensive skimmer and it will fit onto your tank then go for it. My only suggestion as to which one to choose is to stay away from any that employ an airstone. The reason why is because airstones have a tendency to clog very rapidly and need to be replaced way too often.

If you don't want the skimmer because of the additional cost, then you're getting into the wrong hobby. The marine hobby isn't cheap and you can not cut corners and get away with it. Down the road it will come back to sting you, believe me, I have tried in the past. If you're going to do a marine tank then do it properly from the very outset. Even if it takes you a bit longer to save up to get the rock and livestock, spend the additional to get the skimmer for your tank.