If you haven’t seen the first look at this amazing product check it out here. 
When I first got the info on this product and started doing some research for the article I thought the goal was rather lofty.  No matter what “system” you choose in this hobby; whether it be Jaubert, canister filters, skimmers, or any of the multitude of high tech solutions the one thing almost everyone agrees on is that water changes are something you just have to do.  Nearly everyone also agrees that this is one of the most tedious maintenance tasks there is.  If a new company with a new product could be able to eliminate this task they could lower the bar for entry into the hobby and even make it easier for those already in the hobby.  Read on to find out more about this system and whether it can live up to the hype. 

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With the 11th International Coral Reef Symposium now in the books I thought it would be a good time to run through some of the highlights of what was talked about and what sort of actions are being planned.    You can find my bullet points below but for some further information take a look at the official site and get all the details.  Read on for some of the most important talking points from the International Coral Reef Symposium held in Florida.

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According to High Def Digest; BCI Home Entertainment is finally set to release the High Definition Blu-Ray installment of their Marine Aquarium DVD.  For those of you that have made the jump to HDTV and a Blu-Ray DVD player this DVD is going to be a must have.  According to High Def Digest you can expect the DVD to be available on September 2nd.  Read on for more about this stunning disc, and other options that are available now…

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Time is up for the first launch giveaway and the winners are…  bizzy421 with our first place prize pack and diverdane is taking home the second place prize pack. 

Make sure both of you check your email you should see something from us within the next day.  Also keep an eye on your spam filters and if you don’t hear from us hit the contact page and let us know. 

This is the second half of our real-tank tests on some commercial calcium supplements.  If you missed the first part you can find it here, or you can read up on why you need calcium and what sort of options you have for supplementing calcium in your aquarium.   At the bottom of the page we are also going to give a couple of you the chance to try them at home. 

On with the tests…

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Just a reminder that this is the last day to leave us a comment for Part 1 of the Launch giveaway, and the remote controlled sub is looking for a home.  After today we close the door on Part 1, but don’t worry Part 2 starts on Thursday. 

If you haven’t left a comment yet get over there and do it.

This is the third part of our roundup and in this section we are going to look at a few products on the market and put them to the test in some of our tanks to see how they perform.  If you missed either of the first two parts (Why you need to supplement calcium, and available options for supplementing calcium) hit the links and check them out. 

Choosing a Supplement

Understanding the types of supplements is only the first step.  Most people choose to go the liquid supplement route, at least in the beginning, because it is easy, consistent, and the products are readily available at their local fish store.  Another big reason is that these products have clear instructions on how much, and when to dose them for the intended results.  Until you know what your calcium needs are (we’ll talk about this later in the article) you are going to be better off using a supplement from a major vendor.  Commercial supplements also have higher quality ingredients than you can get on your own (for the same price), which will give you a good idea of what to look for in your aquarium at the beginning.  There are countless options for liquid supplements from almost every company in the industry and for the most part each company’s product is trying to be better or different from the competition.  Read on for a look at a few different products available and some test results. 

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The Orlando Sentinel has a story about a fairly common occurrence in all types of aquaria.  What to do with an aquarium inhabitant that has outgrown its home.  Most peoples first reaction for a freshwater fish is that they will just take them down to the local lake or pond and put them into a new home.  It seems like a sensible and humane way to deal with the problem, and for the aquarium owner it easily releases any personal issues for the fish as the mental picture is of the fish enjoying their larger living quarters.  Unfortunately this is rarely if ever the case.  Read on to see why this is never a good idea, and how it can seriously affect natural habitats. 

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We’ve told you about them for a little while now and the time has finally come to get started.  To celebrate our format change and relaunch we have put together some incredible prizes and some very interesting contests.  We will be running contests and giveaways for the next few weeks and you the readers are the ones who will be taking home the gifts from our celebration.  The contests are going to start small and easy; and work up to the final grand prize which is something that has to be seen to be believed. 

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This is the second part of our multi-part Roundup.  If you missed the first section about why you need to supplement calcium and what calcium does in your aquarium take a look here.  In this section we will discuss the most common ways of supplementing calcium in your aquarium.  Each of the different ways accomplish the task using very different mechanisms and the next step in maintaining calcium levels is to choose which of the different options suits your aquarium, budget and maintenance schedule best. 

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