UV Clarifiers for Ponds: Do They Actually Work?

UV Clarifiers for Ponds: Do They Actually Work?

If you have battled green pond water, you have probably seen UV clarifiers recommended as the magic fix. They have a real, earned reputation, but there is also a lot of confusion about what they do and what they cannot do. Let me give you the honest version so you can...
How to Dose Calcium, Alkalinity and Magnesium

How to Dose Calcium, Alkalinity and Magnesium

If you have kept a reef for more than a few months, you have heard someone say “the big three” like it is a secret handshake. Calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium are the parameters your corals draw down as they build skeletons, and once your livestock grows...
How to Get Rid of Pest Snails in a Fish Tank

How to Get Rid of Pest Snails in a Fish Tank

A sudden bloom of tiny snails is one of the most common things aquarists panic about, and I want to start with the part that actually solves it: pest snails are a symptom, not the disease. They exploded because there is excess food in the tank. Remove the food source...
How to Protect Pond Fish From Herons and Predators

How to Protect Pond Fish From Herons and Predators

There is a specific kind of heartbreak in walking out to your pond and realizing a fish is missing, then another. Predators are patient and they learn your schedule. The good news is that no single predator is unbeatable, and a layered approach will protect your fish...
Reef Cleanup Crew Guide: Best Snails, Crabs and Inverts

Reef Cleanup Crew Guide: Best Snails, Crabs and Inverts

Everybody wants a magic list of critters that make algae disappear, and I understand the appeal after you have scrubbed the glass for the third time in a week. The honest truth is that a cleanup crew (CUC) is a maintenance tool, not a cure. It grazes film algae, turns...