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An Example of one of our Aquarium Starter Kits!

About our Aquarium Starter Kits

by greg.chernoff

Aquarium Starter Kits make it easy for you to get everything you need to begin building a happy, thriving saltwater fish tank. Instead of trying to put your refugium together piece by piece, these kits are already pre-built to include the live algae and copepods, biological filtration, and bacteria starter you will need to get it up and going.

To start, the concentrated bacterial starter will initiate your cycle by providing multiple strains and species of bacteria, each responsible for a portion of the nitrogen cycle. These bacteria will settle and begin living in your biological media. The ceramic media blocks, Marine Pure, provide a huge amount of surface area for nitrifying bacteria to colonize, which detoxifies ammonia and nitrite. In addition, they will serve as a copepod haven, where pods can live and reproduce without predation. That means you can maintain a stable population to feed finicky fish and keep the tank as consistent as possible. The copepods themselves are a mix of Tigriopus, Apocyclops, and Tisbe species so you can guarantee that you benefit from the strengths of each individual type. After all, a greater biodiversity means a healthier, more self-sufficient tank! Copepods consume detritus and phytoplankton, so each kit contains a bottle of blended phyto. Not only will your pods enjoy this live food, but all filter feeding invertebrates and corals will as well. Finally, to finish off your ultimate refugium, is your choice of macro algae. Choose from a selection of different species to suit your tastes! Macro algae actively removes nutrients and toxins from your system, and allows you to offer the cleanest, healthiest water possible to your livestock.

An Example of our Blue Maxima Clam Keeper KitOur other offering, the Clam Keeper kits, are great for aquarists who want to own a clam and don’t know where to start. Each kit contains your choice of blue or gold Maxima, assorted Derasa, or assorted Squamosa clam. Each will arrive at 5 to 6 centimeters, and is captive bred. Our signature copepod blend is included as well to ensure that your clam will stay clean. Clams will also consume any small pods that they filter out of the water column! Phytoplankton will complement copepods, and will ensure your clam is well fed with the best nutrition possible. The final item included will be a clam rock, something often overlooked but incredibly beneficial to your new addition. Clams enjoy strong current and need flow for survival. But, they are fragile and need to be allowed to attach themselves to the tank bottom or a live rock. It can be hard to find an area in a tank where flow is high enough, but that the clam won’t constantly fall over or off the rocks. Clam Rocks are specifically created from dry reef rock and offer a natural appearance, and a divot in the center to set the clam in. Here, they fit snug and can still fully extend their mantles, and can be placed in higher flow. The protection from the divot will encourage your clam to attach and acclimate quickly. No matter what species you want to keep, this starter kit is incredibly helpful to starting off on the right foot!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  5. Alex von Hochtritt says

    A starter kit like this would be awesome next time I set up a reef tank. Back in ’95, last time I did it, it was…the hard way, over months.

    Reply

  11. Tizzle Dexter says

    Im thinking of setting up a smaller tank for a reef like a 55g. My last reef tank was 150g and put out way to much heat to keep inside. im really curious to try one of the refugium kits and the clam kits.

    Reply

  45. Matt Traylor says

    This goes hand in hand with the other article. Tailoring a kit, specifically around the desired species the keeper wants to take care of, is brilliant!

    Reply

  51. Julianne Morgan says

    I love the idea of a macro algae tank. I should have started out with this kit first. Oh well. More macro algae to be bought later. ?

    Reply

  75. David Woolf says

    I’m starting my first reef tank and decided to go with a refugium in my sump. The starter kit is great and I just finished adding the copepods and macro algae this week after adding media blocks and bacteria starter last week. The starter kit makes it easy and I like knowing the macro algae has been treated, quarantined and inspected!

    Reply

  99. Frank Fodera says

    cant wait to use these products. It makes so much sense to incorporate all the life forms to create healthy coral food and an ecosystem to make all the animals happy.

    Reply

  108. dcallahan56789 says

    I REALLY WANT ONE OF YOUR CLAM KEEPER PACKS!!! BUT I WAS WONDERING IF YOU GUYS HAD SOME BIGGER CLAMS THAN 2″??

    Reply

    • Bo Heath Kinsland says

      Im so excited to get a larger tank and i will probably buy from you guys. The info is great and now i know what to do! Thanks much

      Reply

  121. Drew Rollman says

    I like the clam rocks. That has always been an issue with any clam i’ve had. Old shells have been my go to on the sandbed.

    Reply

  133. Jean Pattison says

    I just have a waterbox 5526 waiting for assembly. I will be upgrading from a 90 gal 15 years old. Once all is moved, I will be getting a refugium starter kit. Love your kits.

    Reply

  171. Rudy A Garcia says

    A) Why didn’t I know about these starter kits a year ago when I started my first reef tank
    B) Thank our lord and savior Godzilla I found this now as I am in the middle of setting up my unused 10 gallon as another nano reef.

    Reply

  175. Ashton says

    Good information, I’ve been interested in doing a salt water, I currently have 4 freshwater tanks but only one is fully stocked

    Reply

  186. David mueller says

    I like the refugium starter kit! Instead of putting everything together separately it takes the guess work out. If I ever start a new tank that’ll be the way to go!

    Reply

  242. leyerin31 says

    Starting out brand new to this hobby. So glad I found this site and all the amazing information. Can’t wait to get going on my tank!

    Reply

  262. chereecarter says

    Omg, your clam kits look awesome! Love that they come with the clam hammocks and will definitely remember if I decide to try clams!

    Reply

  264. Jonathan Dahl says

    On my next build I will spend more time cultivating a large microbiome after the initial cycle and let it mature in the tank before adding livestock. If I knew a year ago what I know now, I think I would not have had the first year battles that all come down to an unbalanced and immature reef.

    Reply

  280. Nicole says

    We are looking into bringing/breeding aquatic life in our home within the next few months. After looking over and reading the blog posts, I know where to go when we are ready!

    Reply

  282. shackelford.jim says

    I’m planning to set up a saltwater predator tank later this year, And I’m hoping to do my first refugium on with that tank. Now seriously considering buying a kit to do it.

    Reply

  296. megan_kim says

    Even if I don’t win the giveaway, it looks like Ima going to be purchasing one of these kits VERY soon!

    Reply

  312. Kameron H says

    The starter kits are honestly an awesome idea, it would be awesome to see these in my work place so I could recommend them to other hobbyists in the trade! It would save so much time and money getting everything sorted out all in one bundle!

    Reply

  315. Julian Pillans says

    Kits are great because you get everything you need in one delivery and it’s pre selected if you’re unsure what you may need!

    Reply

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