One of the first questions I had when I started getting serious about marine aquariums was “what can I grow”? After years of successfully keeping “okay” freshwater plants, I wanted…
When people think planted tanks, they automatically assume freshwater tanks with carpeting plants and CO2 dosing. However, there is a whole world of marine planted aquariums that I knew nothing…
I’ll admit that when I started looking into reef tanks, I spent countless hours looking at pictures of gorgeous coral reefs completely enamored. “Coral trees? Brain coral? These things look…
Keep mangroves! That’s right you vegetarians who inhale Marineland® vegetable slickcover™. I know mangroves seem intimidating, reserved for people with saltwater fishrooms and money to burn. I thought so too…
Living in San Jose means your apartments aren’t always big. After setting up my reef in just four square feet of living space, I learned to appreciate every piece of…
Many people who have spent time on saltwater aquarium forums or watching YouTube videos about marine tank setups are probably familiar with Caulerpa. Often touted as one of the best…
Building your reef tank hardscape correctly is what decides if your corals will flourish or suffer for the coming years. Do it wrong and you’ll be battling algae outbreaks for…
Marine Refugium Plants: How a Separate Growing Chamber Cleans Your Water The first time I actually watched my refugium working I was astounded by how effective it was. This thing…
While many reef keepers associate macroalgae with refugiums, not display tanks. Growing it out of sight in its own chamber and utilizing it to pull nutrients without competing with their…
Saltwater vs Freshwater Planted Aquariums (and why the approaches are completely different) I stopped dead the first time I walked past a proper reef tank display. Here were corals swaying…
# The Complete Guide to Setting Up a Planted Aquarium From Scratch > **TL;DR: Start Here** > > Set up your planted aquarium in three foundational steps: First, establish proper…
# The Complete Guide to Growing and Caring for Aquarium Plants ## TL;DR: Start Here > **The Essential Three Steps for Plant Success:** > 1. **Get the basics right first**:…
> **TL;DR: Start Here** > > Getting terrestrial plants to work in your aquarium comes down to understanding what survives partial submersion and what doesn’t. Start with pothos cuttings rooted…
# The Complete Guide to Planting Specific Aquarium Plants the Right Way > **TL;DR: Start Here** > > 1. **Remove all rockwool from store-bought plants** and trim damaged roots before…
# The Complete Guide to Dealing With Algae on Aquarium Plants > **TL;DR: Start Here** > > 1. **Prevention first**: Start new planted tanks with 4-6 hours of light daily,…
# The Complete Guide to Cleaning and Maintaining Aquarium Plants > **TL;DR: Start Here** > > **Three foundational steps:** First, establish a proper trimming routine using clean, sharp scissors to…
Saltwater Aquarium Plants: The Honest Beginner’s Guide (& What Works) TL;DR: Click Here Plant keeps turning brown in saltwater? Want marine aquarium plants that actually work? Add Chaetomorpha to your…
I’m looking at a large 55-gallon tank sitting in my garage that my friend was about to throw away and I said, “What could go wrong?” Yeah, famous last words.…
To make myself sound less like a total geek, I need to confess that I have over 300 photos of moss on my phone. This isn’t aquarium moss; this is…
You know what’s funny? Most people assume the larger the tank, the simpler the task; however, I’ve found that my five-gallon setups (a 5-gallon-betta-tank-aquascape-creating-a-perfect-micro-habitat-for-your-betta-2/”>5-gallon-masterpiece-creating-an-award-winning-nano-planted-aquascape/”>5-gallon-betta-tank-aquascape-creating-a-perfect-micro-habitat-for-your-betta-2/”>5-gallon-masterpiece-creating-an-award-winning-nano-planted-aquascape/”>5-gallon) have taught me more about aquascaping…