Feelin' Hot! Hot! Hot!

Summer is well in full swing now, and if you haven't already been battling heat, you will. Battling the heat can be difficult, and often times we must resort to expensive or drastic measures.

So what causes the temperature in your aquarium to rise? Well in the warmer times of the year (usually Summer), the ambient temperature will certainly be the main cause. The warmer weather can shoot temperatures up into the 80's or even 90's, and this can be extremely stressful (or deadly) for your reef tank. There are also other factors that contribute heat including pumps, power heads, and lighting.

So what can we do to combat this? Well, there are many angles to try. No one way is necessarily better than the other, and you may wish to combine multiple methods. (Read more after the jump)...

MD Live Sale! Save 50%!!

I'm back with another deal I had to share. Marine Depot Live (www.MarineDepotLive.com) is clearing out their current inventory and is offering 50% off their WYSIWYG coral and clams! All you need to do is enter the "SAVE50" coupon at check out. Sale is good this week only, and ends at midnight on 07/19/2013!!

I was browsing around and they have all sorts of goodies including MaxiMini Anemones, All kinds of Milles and Acroporas, and designer Zoas. If you were going to give MD Live a chance, now would be a great time to take advantage of this stellar deal!

Visit MarineDepotLive.com! Until Next Time...

Final Score

Final score:

Ecotech: 1 |  RBTA: 0

My RBTA decided to march itself into the wet side of an Ecotech Marine Vortech MP10. Guess who won.

(Picture after the jump)

Deal$ and Special$ - VOL I

While browsing the net from time to time I come across good deals, and thought I should start sharing them with you! Today I present two deals: one on live stock, and one on dry goods (and pet supplies).

Livestock:
Interested in getting some rare and unique coral? Maybe you love Zoas but are looking for some unique colors and patters? Check our Marine Depot Live! I was just cursing their webpage browsing their selection of coral and was greeted with a pleasant surprise: a 10% coupon for signing up for their mailing list. Done!

Sign up for the mailing list when prompted to save 10% on your next order.

MarineDepotLive (MDL) offers flat rate shipping for $24.99 and even Saturday delivery (for an additional charge). They guarantee their livestock for 14 days under their Arrive Alive Guarantee, so you know you're covered!

Dry Goods and Pet Supplies:

PetStore.com

Looking for dry goods for your aquarium (lighting, filtration, skimmers, media, etc...)? PetStore.com has extended their sale for 10% off. Use the coupon as much as you want to save on aquarium Supplies AND pet supplies. The code again is VIPCHRIS. This code will save you 10% off your subtotal*, and orders over $75 ship for free.

(*Some restrictions apply. This coupon is not valid on MAP pricing items such as those from Ecotech, Aqua Illumination,  Maxspect, Reef Octopus...)

Just head on over to PetStore.com and enter VIPCHRIS at checkout!

Go now and save some cash! I hope everyone has a great 3-day weekend relaxing or working on their aquariums. Until next time...

May 2013 Aquarium Update

My aquarium is filling up quicker than ever. I owe a lot of the health to simple consistent maintenance... And my good friend, Kalkwasser.

The biopellets seem to be doing a great job at keeping nutrients down. Nitrates are still 0, and I've noticed almost no algae growing on the glass. I have also completely rid the tank of hair algae and cyano, so things are sitting pretty.

My only issues seem to be the loss or bleaching of SPS at the top of my rock. I lost two separate colonies of Green Slimer, my Pink and Damicornus isn't looking great, and my bird's nest is starting to show signs of bleaching. At this time I'm attributing it to the new Maxspect Razor (lighting system), and my attempts to increase the output past 50%. I have since reduced it back to the high 30's. Fingers: crossed.

More images after the jump...

Skimmer Overflowing? Try the Rem's Reef Method!!

Collection cup fitted with ball valve.

I had a mild but persistent Cyano (red slime) problem a few months back. While water changes kept the problem somewhat at bay, there were still a few spots where the red slime was clinging on. I had some cyano remover left over from a previous treatment, so I figured I would give it a try again.

Everything went well; the cyano went away, nothing perished. Good times. I did my 20% water change, replaced carbon, and in kicked on the skimmer. The skimmer overflowed. The annoying white clear foam rose through the skimmer's collection cup like a volcano... Not a real one, more like a papermache volcano from a science fair... but sill fiercely annoying! I removed the collection cup to let it do its thing. It overflowed.

I added more carbon and did another water change. It. Well... Overflowed. I let it run for a day and night. Guess what? It just kept overflowing. BLAST! I've used the product before and it usually got better on its own. This time- my skimmer continued to overflow.