Frogfish Friend

 Hi friends! I get asked a lot of questions every week about my reef tank. One of the more common questions I get asked is along the lines of: "How do I get to the next level in reef keeping?".  I LOVE vague questions like that. Everyone's reef tank experience is different and everyone learns at different paces. So this is a hard question to blindly answer for everyone. But if I were to give a general blanket statement, I would recommend everyone brush up on their biology and chemistry. Learning the basics of these two sciences can greatly expand what you know and connect all of the dots.    There is a lot of overlap for the two, so it helps to know a little of everything. First, if you have not checked out my posts about cycling a tank, check them out here:  Cycling a tank  Ways to cycle a tank Its the nitrogen cycle! These links will help you understand a little more about the biology process going on inside of the tank and why things such as live rock are so important

 Hi friends! I would like to talk about filtration in the reef tank hobby. These are the main three: 1. Mechanical 2. Chemical 3. Biological Mechanical filtration in this hobby is typically a filter sock, sponge, and filter floss . There is also more advance equipment such as roller mats. The idea behind mechanical filtration is to strain matter from the water. So as water flows through a sock, larger particles (typically 100-200 microns) stay inside. It is best to change and wash these every 3-7 days depending on how much is being fed to the tank. Mechanical filtration is typically easy to use, easy to clean and maintain, and very efficient if changed regularly. Chemical filtration is typically GFO (granular ferric oxide) or activated carbon. GFO is used to control phosphates and silicates. This may seem tempting to many new reefers that have an algae outbreak. But chances are this will mask a problem until it "explodes". Carbon, on the other hand, is safe to use. It hel