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          Clean Chaeto

          $40 – $125Price range: $40 through $125
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          $30 – $95Price range: $30 through $95
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          $13
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          BIOTA Green Mandarin

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          $35
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          $250
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          CADE Frag 900 S2/F

          $3,575
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Intermediate Education

So here you are. You’ve spent countless hours studying, dropped some pretty serious cash, tried a lot of the animals on your dream species list--maybe suffered some devastating and demoralizing mistakes. But where many other half-hearted hobbyists are hawking tanks on Craigslist and saying goodbye, you’re ready to move on. Sure, maybe you still exhaust the folks on your favorite online forum, or the lady at the LFS, with your burning questions. Maybe you don’t feel like an expert quite yet. But you do have some valuable experience under your belt and a healthy, stable tank to show for it. Congratulate yourself, as you’ve advanced to the rank of “intermediate aquarist.” You started out with the so-called basics. Animals have (perhaps to your surprise) survived under your care; now, you want to see them thrive. To that end, like so many other reef aquarists at this stage, you have become fascinated by (1) relatively advanced techniques such as phyto dosing and (2) somewhat specialized equipment/components such as refugia. In this section, you will learn how to beef up (if not totally replace) that first aquarium, try species beyond the short list of “beginner species,” etc. These works are not just intended to instruct, but are also meant to inspire intermediate-level aquarists to push into the less-beaten paths.

65 Posts

iodate atomic weight

Dosing Iodine in the Reef Aquarium

Reef aquarium hobbyists already have enough on their plates trying to keep levels of minerals such as calcium and magnesium levels up
Read More about Dosing Iodine in the Reef Aquarium

a beautiful and rare hellfire anemone

Six Unusual Sea Anemones

What’s not to like about sea anemones? They’re basically big, squishy, solitary polyps with no skeleton. Very often, they are graced
Read More about Six Unusual Sea Anemones

Aquariums like this are very tuned for Coral Growth

Correcting Nutrient Instability

Oh, the paradox of algae. They have ruined many tanks--even caused some frustrated aquarists to leave the hobby forever. Yet, our tanks
Read More about Correcting Nutrient Instability

A brown Macroalgae

Mixed Macros in the Planted Refugium

There are plenty of reasons to install a planted refugium into your reef aquarium system. You might culture macroalgae for numerous
Read More about Mixed Macros in the Planted Refugium

Chaeto in the wild

Chaeto for Major Tank Cleaning

Whether from a lack of experience, or an abundance of neglect, some aquarists allow their reef tanks to reach a state of utter
Read More about Chaeto for Major Tank Cleaning

A beautiful colony of sponges and feather dusters and worms.

Keeping Tube Worms

Undoubtedly, reef aquaria wouldn’t be much without corals. But sometimes it’s those odd noncoral invertebrates that really grab
Read More about Keeping Tube Worms

Understanding the Nitrogen Cycle

We are finally starting to see a surge of interest in the nitrogen cycle &  the “aquarium microbiome.” That is a very, very good
Read More about Understanding the Nitrogen Cycle

The Whole Package: Integrating AlgaeBarn’s Kits & Combos

AlgaeBarn is hardly the only aquarium hobby-centered business to produce phytoplankton and macroalgae. But we like to think that we’re
Read More about The Whole Package: Integrating AlgaeBarn’s Kits & Combos

Check for the proper pH level and maintain stability in your tank!

What Does pH/Alkalinity Actually Mean?

“Some aquarists delight in testing the water for its pH. If you must do this (and believe me it is not necessary), then use the
Read More about What Does pH/Alkalinity Actually Mean?

Pod vs Sock: Do Mechanical Filters Kill Copepods?

Considering that aquarium keeping is a mere nerdy pastime, it can be surprising that there are so many contentious issues amongst
Read More about Pod vs Sock: Do Mechanical Filters Kill Copepods?

A Beautiful Maxima Clam

3 Tips for Keeping Maxima Clams

For a couple of decades now, tridacnid or “giant” clams (genera Tridacna and Hippopus) have been regarded as the cherries on top of any
Read More about 3 Tips for Keeping Maxima Clams

The machinations of Microbes

Comparing the Metabolic Modes of Aquarium Organisms

Few, if any, of us get “into” aquarium keeping to become marine ecologists, or become experts in metabolic processes. But it does
Read More about Comparing the Metabolic Modes of Aquarium Organisms

A beautiful marine Aquarium

Organizing Your Next Saltwater Aquarium Move

An Aquarium move can be a difficult task to go at alone. In the course of months of operation, the “system” can incorporate more and
Read More about Organizing Your Next Saltwater Aquarium Move

Liquid Carbon Dosing in the Marine Aquarium

When we see the crystal-clear waters of a coral reef, some of us might think “pristine” or “pure.” A marine ecologist, however, is most
Read More about Liquid Carbon Dosing in the Marine Aquarium

A seahorse close up!

Do You Really Want Seahorses?

No doubt about it, sea horses are really weird and cool. For sure, they make great aquarium subjects. Seahorses are fairly simple to
Read More about Do You Really Want Seahorses?

Controlling phosphate in your Reef Tank

Controlling Phosphate in Saltwater Aquaria

To take on the responsibility of maintaining a marine aquarium is to take a crash course in water chemistry. By the time you’ve
Read More about Controlling Phosphate in Saltwater Aquaria

Creating a Suitable Growing Space for Your Mangrove

As of late, a few varieties of mangrove have become more available to saltwater aquarium hobbyists. With this, it will likely be a bit
Read More about Creating a Suitable Growing Space for Your Mangrove

A coral beauty marine angelfish covered with marine fish disease crypotocaryon irritans

Why You Need a Quarantine Tank

Most of us invest a lot into our aquarium systems. Not just financially, but also time, sweat, and dedication. The best means of
Read More about Why You Need a Quarantine Tank

Be Prepared for a power outage if you have a maarine aquarium!

Power Outage Preparedness

Some aspects of this hobby are often overlooked until problems actually arise. Marine aquariums require a lot of time and dedication,
Read More about Power Outage Preparedness

Quarantine and Dip Treatment Method

Anyone can agree that having a tank wiped out by disease is a terrible experience and having to treat a reef system for ich or marine
Read More about Quarantine and Dip Treatment Method

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