The Purple Tang

The Purple Tang or Yellowfin Tang

Scientific name:    Zebrasoma Xanthurum

Care level:             Moderate to Easy

Diet:                      Herbavore

Species of the Reef Surgeon fish in the Acanthuridae family

Although the Purple Tang Originated from the red sea, they are also found in the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Aden. 

The Purple tang is often referred to as the yellowfin tang, yellow sailfish tang, yellowtail surgeon fish, or blue surgeon fish.

The Purple tang is Blue-purele in color with a yellow tail and yellow accents on the pectoral fins. With darker lateral lines. They are sometimes found by theirselves or even in schools. Like all Sailfish tangs, purple tangs have a slightly extended snout. The Purple tang has not been successfully bred in Captivity so far.

The Purple Tang can reach 10 inches in size. This Show Fish is one of the most popular tangs for a reef aquarium, because of their beauty and they are very easy to care for. But it is important to make sure that you have a large enough tank to house them, they require a lot of swimming room, they love to swim around the tank, they are not a fish that just stays in one place. Its best to have them in a tank that is at the very minimum 60 gallon for a juvenile and at the minimum 125 gallon or larger for an adult, this will give them plenty of growing and swimming room.

Its important to keep a Purple Tangs Diet and environment well maintained. If not well maintained they can develop LLD or Lateral Line Disease and color loss. Tangs do not produce as much skin mucus as other marine fish, and are more susceptible to diseases such as marine velvet or marine ich. It is always best to quarantine tangs with a dip or copper dip to ensure that any marine ich or velvet is cure before introducing them into your system.

Purple Tangs are herbivores, but they do enjoy Mysis, brine and pellets as well as their seaweed, such as nori. They also enjoy grazing on microalgae so they do well in a tank with some algae growth. It is best to feed them 3 times a day instead of 1 large amount once a day. This may seem like a lot to feed a fish, but because they are "grazers" they seem to stay hungry more than other fish, or ours does anyway. He is quite the little piggy, always first in line for a bite. They are know to be continuous grazers and benefit from eating multiple times a day to maintain their diet.

Our Christmas Giveaway!!

Merry Christmas Everyone!!

What's up fellow Reefers? We hope everyone has had a absolutely amazing Christmas, We have has such a wonderful Christmas that we thought we would share some of our Christmas spirit by giving all of you guys a chance to win a bottle of ARC Reefs Purple or Pink Helix, Coralline Algae in a Bottle!! We love this stuff, and it really works, we have used it in all of our reef tanks and always have had amazing results!! 

Purple or Pink Helix, coralline algae in a bottle is the only product developed in a laboratory that contains actual live algae spores. Other Similar products are simply a mixture of calcium and magnesium, both of which we all know have to be watched sense they are already in our salts and some of us even dose these elements. Purple or pink helix does not contain either of these so they will not throw your parameters out of whack by adding it. What you will be adding is good benefical bacteria and real live coralline algae spores!! 

So now I guess you are wondering how to get in on this giveaway??

Hey its as easy as this...

1. Watch this video

2. sub to our channel

3. share and like the video

4. comment done and something about your reef tank!!

5. watch for us to respond with your number

6. hit the notification bell so you don't miss out on any more of our videos and the live stream of us using Random.org to choose the 3 lucky numbers on 1.25.19!!

That's it!!

Good luck to all and Happy Reefing!!!

The Nero 5 Powerhead by Aqua Illuminations

Aqua Illuminations has created their very first powerhead, with a very veritile sleek design and whisper quiet technology that is sure to Please any reefer!!

The Bluetooth technology allows you to set the pump into different modes and even create a daily schedule, using the same app as you use with your AI lights.

There is no doubt about it, Aqua Illuminations Nero 5 powerhead is unlike any powerhead on the market to date. Unlike the traditional propeller designs that can irritate corals with a hard stream, the Nero 5 creates an adjustable wide pattern with its innovated propeller that pushes water with a broad flow, moving food, detritus, and other free floating particles around without blasting your corals directly. The Nero 5 has many uses around the reef tank,  But AI's main goal is to  "produce enough flow to keep low flow spots from forming in your tank and help elevate detritus to be sucked into the filtration"

Connecting the New Nero 5 is a breeze and literally only takes about 2 minutes with the Bluetooth LE. The Nero 5 uses the same interface with the MyAi app that their infamous LED lights use. The App immediately recognizes the powerhead, making it incredibly simple to choose which mode is right for your reef tank. If your rally not tech savvy and do not wish to use a phone to control your AI Nero 5 powerhead, its ok, don't worry, the included controller has one very powerful button, and by just pressing or holding the button for different lengths of time can change the speed, mode or even turn the pump off and on without having to access to any additional control interfaces.

 Using the app however, unlocks a ton of fantastic features with the MyAI app there are many different flow modes available to choose what is right for your fish and corals.

You can even create a schedule, which is simple and can be done in just a few minutes, creating a full blown daily schedule that will cycle though out different modes you choose and different settings though out the day. 

You can even put the Nero 5 powerhead on its random mode which will keep your tank guessing, creating a natural flow rate though out the day creating natural water movement though out your reef tank.

The Nero 5 pulse mode can be changed to harmonize with yuour aquarium, along with the max flow rate, which is a great method for lifting settles detritus from hard to reach areas. 

The Nero 5 even has a 'set it and forget it' mode, or the Constant mode, which will keep the speed you set until you change the mode or flow. 

Having a Feed Mode is a must when Target feeding,  Just hold the driver button down for 2-5 seconds to put the Nero 5 into a feed mode for 10 minutes.

You can turn your AI Nero 5 pump off at anytime you want with full control over when they turn back on, just hold the driver button for 6 or more seconds to turn the pump off. Touching the button again will restart the pump.

Mounting the Nero 5 only takes a minute, and with the included magnetic mounting system, moving the pump around only takes a second. Giving around 15 degrees of movement, you can angle the Nero 5 to direct flow where you need it. The Mounting system incorporates a inner magnet and an outer magnet that can couple together though 1/2 inch of glass or less, and the pump sits into the beveled inner magnet for an isolated and quiet mounting system.

Specifications:

Max Flow:     3,000GPH

Max Glass Thickness:    1/2 inch

Dimensions (wetside):   2.1"x2.8"

Power Consumption:   (variable) 30W @ 120VAC Max

In The Box

1-  Nero 5 Powerhead

1-  Nero 5 controller

1-  Magnet mounting system

1-  Power supply

1-  Instruction set

We can see many possibilities for the Nero 5 Powerhead in a reef system, Mounting the powerhead at either end of your tank, the back glass, or even the sump. We choose to place our Nero 5 on the back glass helping eliminate the dead spots we had from only using the ice cap 1k Gyra. 

  

So far setting up the Nero was very simple, it connected to the MyAI app with no hesitation, We are already seeing major results from the Nero 5 Powerhead, And its only been installed for 2 days!! One huge notable mention is our very shy Australian Drendro, He has completely began showing off his beautiful yellow and orange polyps!! Many of the other Corals are already showing huge signs of happiness by the growth we are already seeing from them as well!!

Please stay tuned for another post about the AI Nero 5 pwerhead, as we will be watching its already amazing performance and letting our readers and veiwers know just how much it has really improved our YouTube Reef Tank Build Aquarium!!

Don't Forget to Check out the featured video on this post and be sure To Like, Share and Subscribe if you enjoy our videos from Eric's Marine Life YouTube Channel!! 

Thanks For Reading!!

The New YouTube Reef Tank Build

                     The YouTube Tank Build Is Underway!!

Thanks to ARC Reef, We just Received our Reef Rock to begin the Aqua scape. Our YouTube Viewers and Subscribers will be able to voice their opinions and ideas that will allow them to have a major impact on the outcome of this build!

We will be filming the progress of this build the whole way through, our viewers will not miss anything that goes on during this build!! It is so important that we teach as many people as possible about how important the reefs in the oceans are to our planet!

We owe many thanks to ARC Reef for sponsoring us and our channel. Be sure to check out their website, For every pound of live rock they sell they plant 10 pounds back into the ocean!! So by purchasing your live rock from ARC Reef, you are helping rebuild the oceans reefs!! So far they have planted over 200,000 pounds of reef material, and they have created over 43,500 sq ft. of New Coral Reefs of the Coast of Maimi Florida, Called Heart Reef!!!

Would you like to Donate to Eric's Marine Life? We have started a Go Fund Me account and all that is donated will be used to help with buying equipment and tools for the reef tanks, corals, and supplies for the reef tanks.  We will also be using money donated to help with the YouTube Tank Build!! Because the whole Tank build process will be filmed, you will get to see everything we put in to it, and you can even be a part of the build by commenting and giving your imput on our YouTube Channel, Eric's Marine Life!!

Go Here Now To Donate To Eric's Marine Life!!

Go Here to Subscribe To Our YouTube Channel!!

Copepods and Amphipods, Facts and Breeding Tips and Tricks

Copepods are extremely important to a well balanced aquarium ecosystem, not only are they extremely beneficial, but they are also an important food source required by some species to survive.

Copepods and Amphipods are a natural part of the plankton food chain, so they will naturally occur in a saltwater aquarium. If you already have a well established tank you probably see many of the little guys on the glass of your aquarium, in the substrate and even on your rocks.

If your tank has not been going long you can easily buy them from many different online vendors. If you want to breed them like we do to ensure your population never depletes check out our YouTube video above. 

Its not to hard to breed pods, just get a 10 galloon tank, have your salinity at around 1.023, temperature around 78 Degrees F, and add chaeto, they love to breed in the stuff, we even added a small amount of substrate and rubble from our live rocks, then some pinky's filter floss from our sump, they were already breeding in it in the sump so we simply transferred it over. We add phytoplankton til the water has a green tint, when the water begins to clear after a few days you just add more, giving the little guys plenty to eat. We also added a small amount of fish flakes or pellets just to ensure we have enough for them to eat. We add fresh Chaeto to their tank and only keep the lights on the pod tank about 2-4 hrs a day. To transfer our pods we will take a small bit of the water, pick up the chaeto and shake it out giving us several hundred at a time, sometimes we will use our Pod Condo, video below, it makes transferring pods extremely easy. Water Changes are very important when breeding pods, you don't want your parameters to get to crazy, and they always breed better right after a water change. 

Be sure to check out our YouTube channel, Eric's Marine Life , Like Share and Subscribe!!

The Frogspawn Coral

The Frogspawn Coral is a LPS Coral, Euphyllia Divisa, and is sometimes called a wall coral, Grape Coral, Honey Coral, Honey Coral Wall, and even a Octopus Coral.

The Frogspawn Coral does best when placed on the bottom half of your tank, with low water flow and moderate to high lighting.  Make sure you keep some distance between this and other corals since it has sweeper tentacles and my sting nearby corals, you can have the Frogspawn coral close to his brother, the Hammer Coral, they get along pretty good and will not harm one another, but its cousin the Torch Coral needs to be a good distance from both of these guys since they will harm one another. The Branches of this coral are not connected so therefore if one branch is hurt or dead it will not affect the other branch. The frogspawn coral is not recommended for beginners as it can be quite difficult to handle for starters. 

The Frogspawn Coral produces its food via photosynthesis. It will also accept meaty foods such as raw shrimp, Mysis shrimp, brine shrimp and silverside when placed near the oral opening. The Frogspawn Coral will grow rapidly in a marine aquarium if the tank parameters are perfect.  Adding Calcium and other trace elements to the water is important to maintain this corals good health!

• SCIENTIFIC NAME:                         Euphyllia Divisa
• CARE LEVEL:                                    Moderate
• TEMPERAMENT:                            Aggressive
• DIET:                                                 Phytoplankton, Meaty foods
• LIGHTING:                                       Moderate to Intense
• WATER FLOW:                                Moderate
• PLACEMENT:                                   Bottom Half
• TEMPERATURE:                            72  -  78 Degrees F
• PH:                                                     8.2  -  8.4
• SG:                                                    1.022  -  1.025
• DKH:                                                 8  -  12
• CALCIUM:                                      350  -  420
• MAGNESIUM:                               1200  -  1350

Check out Eric's Marine Life on YouTube and be sure to subscribe to get notifications on the latest videos

The Doughnut Coral Information

The Doughnut Coral is a LPS Coral, Acanthophylia sp., and is also known as the Meat Coral. 

The Doughnut Coral does best if placed on the bottom half of your tank, with low water flow and moderate lighting. Make sure you keep some distance between this and other corals since it can double its size when it expands. The Doughnut Coral can grow up to 12" in an aquarium if properly maintained. They will be very easy to keep as long as they get enough space for it to grow. This coral would be an excellent choice for beginners to expert aquarist!

The Doughnut Coral produces food through photosynthesis but will also except meaty foods as well when it is placed near the oral opening.  Adding Calcium and other trace elements to your water is extremely important for growth of this coral. 

• SCIENTIFIC NAME:              Acanthophylia Sp.
• CARE LEVEL:                        Moderate
• TEMPERMENT:                     Semi-Aggressive
• DIET:                                        Phytoplankton, meaty foods
• LIGHTING:                          Moderate
• WATER FLOW:                   Low
• PLACEMENT:                       Bottom Half
• TEMPERATURE:                 72  -  78 Degrees F
• PH:                                          8.2  -  8.4
• SG:                                        1.022  -  1.025
• DKH:                                     8  -  12
• CALCIUM:                       350 - 420
• MAGNESIUM:                1200 - 1350

The Bubble Coral

The Bubble Coral is a LPS Coral, Physogyra sp. 

Other names include... Bubble Pearl Coral, Pearl Grape Coral, Small Bubble Coral, and Pearleye.

Placement of The Bubble Coral is best on the bottom half of the tank, with low to mild water flow and moderate lighting.   Make sure you keep some distance between this and other corals because it tends to be aggressive and may sting other corals if nearby.  The Bubble Coral may sting aquarist as well if it is disturbed while its tentacles are open so be careful when handling it.  This coral requires careful handling and is only recommended for intermediate or expert aquarist.

The Bubble Coral gets most of its nutrients through photosynthesis.  It will also filter feed upon marine foods such as zooplankton, raw shrimp, Mysis shrimp and meaty bits of silverdale.  Adding Calcium and other trace elements to the water is necessary for proper growth of this coral.

• SCIENTIFIC NAME:                 Physogyra sp.
• CARE LEVEL:                            Easy
• TEMPERAMENT:                      Aggressive
• DIET:                                            Phytoplankton, zooplankton, Meaty foods
• LIGHTING:                                 Moderate
• WATER FLOW:                         Low to Moderate
• PLACEMENT:                            Bottom half
• TEMPERATURE:                       72 - 78 Degrees F
• PH                                                  8.2 - 8.4
• SG:                                                 1.022 - 1.025
• DKH:                                             8 - 12

Check out Eric's Marine Life On YouTube for educational Videos about the Saltwater Hobby!!

Brain Coral Information

The Brain Coral is relatively easy to maintain and is an excellent choice for beginner aquarists to experts!

The Brain Coral is found throughout the Indian Ocean. Other Common names may include... Closed Brain Coral, Pineapple Coral, Star Coral, Worm Coral, Moon Coral, and Honeycomb Coral.

The Brain Coral is Carnivorous in its feeding habits and will filter feed on foods such as Mysis Shrimp, copepods, zooplankton, phytoplankton, brine shrimp and other meaty foods.  Adding Calcium and Magnesium supplements is important to help this coral grow. 

The Brain Coral is best placed anywhere with mild water flow and moderate lighting. Keeping distance between the Brain Coral and Other corals is very important because it has sweeper tentacles which can sting other corals at night, causing tissue damage to neighboring corals.

• SCIENTIFIC NAME:         Favites sp.
• CARE LEVEL:                   Easy
• TEMPERAMENT:             Aggressive
• DIET:                                   Phytoplankton, Meaty foods
• LIGHTING:                        Moderate
• WATER FLOW:                Moderate
• PLACEMENT:                   Anywhere
• TEMPERATURE:             72 - 78 Degrees F
• PH:                                       8.2 - 8.4
• SG:                                       1.022- 1.025
• DKH:                                   8 - 12

Be sure to check out our YOUTUBE CHANNEL and subscribe!!

Alveopora Coral Information

The Alveopora Coral can be quite hard to maintain so its best recommended for experienced aquarist. 

The Alveopora Coral gets its nutrition through photosynthesis. It will also filter feed upon baby brine shrimp, copepods and zooplankton. 

The Alveopora Coral is best placed at the bottom half of your tank, with medium to low water flow. This coral needs moderate lighting, and the use of actinic lighting is preferred since it will highlight this corals natural beauty. The Alveopora is a territorial coral and will sting other species within its reach so be sure to leave 2-3 inches of distance between it and other corals to keep others from getting harmed.  

The Alveopora Coral is found through out the Indian Ocean. Other Common names may include Alveopora Branching Flower Pot Coral, Yoo Stone Coral, Alveopora Ball Coral, Alveopora Sunflower Coral and The Alveopora Daisy Coral.

• SCIENTIFIC NAME:       Alveopora Catalai 
• CARE LEVEL:                  Moderate
• TEMPERAMENT:            Semi-Aggressive
• DIET:                                  Phytoplankton, Brine Shrimp, Copepods
• LIGHTING:                       Moderate
• WATER FLOW:               Low
• PLACEMENT:                  Bottom
• TEMPERATURE:            72-78 Degrees F
• PH:                                      1.022-1.025
• SG:                                      8-12
• DKH:

Saltwater Clean Up Crew and the Algae they help with

Saltwater Clean up Crews and what types of Algae they help with...

Since the 1980s the phrase "clean up crew" has been used by aquarist and hobbyist, and is used to refer to various small invertebrates used in keeping a reef aquarium clear of pest algae.

The 3 most popular are blue legged hermit crabs, turinaria snails and emerald crabs. Then you have scarlet hermit crabs, limpets, peppermint shrimp, brittle stars, copepods, arthropods, astrea snails, bumble bee snails, nassarius snails, nerite snails, turbo snails, drawf snails, margarita snails, skunk shrimp, sea urchins, and other sea stars.

Different types of marine animals are used for different types of algae, you can use Cerates, Nerites and blue legged hermits to help with Cyano, which is basically a red slimy mess which is long and stringy, and is brownish and sometimes a powdery mess on your aquarium glass and rocks.

You can use ceriths, nerites, astreas, turbos, limpets, chitons and amphipods to help with film algae, which is a micro algae that covers the aquarium glass like a dust.

Blue legged Hermits, Scarlet hermit crabs, turbo snails, limpets, and chitons are the kind of crew you need for long hair algae, which is pretty easy to id, Its usually caused from to much nitrates and phosphates.

Diatoms usually occur after a saltwater tank cycles and is caused from sand or rock or something plastically has recently been added to the tank, ceriths, nerites and chitins are usually the best guys for this job.

Green bubble algae looks like tiny bubbles all over your rock and grows incredibly fast, it can dominate a tank in a month if not taken care of. You will need Emerald crabs for this job. Juvenile emerald crabs are a little better, the smaller the better, so they can really grab hold of the algae without bursting the bubbles. You don't want this algae to spread all over your tank.

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL BY CLICKING HERE

Candy Cane Coral

Candy Cane Coral (LPS)

The origin of the Candy Cane Coral is Figi.  Other common names my include Bullseye Coral, Big Pipe Coral, Candy Buttons Coral, or Trumpet Coral.

The Candy Cane Coral would make an excellent addition to any reef tank as it is easy to maintain.  It's Best to place this coral anywhere is your aquarium with moderate water flow and moderate lighting.  Be sure to give 2-3 inch distance between this coral and other corals in your reef aquarium as it does have sweeper tentacles and may sting other corals if they are too close.

The Candy Cane Coral gets its nutrition though Photosynthesis, and it will also filter feed upon brine shrimp, Mysis Shrimp, and zooplankton when open. Adding Calcium and trace elements to the water as a dietary supplement is also another option. If fed properly this coral will grow quite rapidly.

• Scientific Name:     Caulastrea furcate
• Care Level:        Easy              
• Temperament:        Peaceful          
• Diet:           Phytoplankton
• Lighting:     Moderate    
• Water Flow:          Moderate         
• Placement:            Any        
• Temperature:      72-78 degrees F
• PH:               8.2-8.4      
• SG:             1.022-1.025
• DKH:          8-12         

Coralline Algea, What is it and how to make it grow

Coralline Algae, What is it and How to Make it Grow

Coralline Algae is a very important part of a reef aquarium.  In Nature, Coralline algae grows in a lot of different ways. But for a home aquarium we are more interested in crustose coralline algae, CCA for short.

In a reef aquarium crustose coralline algae can grow so well it will grow covering everything if proper maintaince is not kept up with.

Coralline Algae is usually grown in a reef tanks water parameter starting at:

Mag:  1350 or higher

Calcium:  420 or higher

Alk:  8 to 12 DKH

Temp:  78-84 degrees Fernhiet

UFO LED Grow Light By Vander

UFO LED GROW LIGHT

We use this light in our sump to help our Chaeto grow, and it works, really works. We are seeing crazy growth, so much that we have to pull 3/4 of it out of the refugeium every other day! We highly recommend this grow light to any hobbyist looking to improve their chaeto growth!! 

Please Be sure to Subscribe to Eric's Marine Life, hit the notification bell to get our latest videos.



UFO LED Grow Light by Vander
High-performance, low power advantages can replace 200W high pressure sodium lamps, saving 80% energy Input 85-265V, easy to use, safe, applicable to any county or region in the world.
Products cantain a variety of matching programs, the user can choose different lighting ratio scheme according to different plants. Power 200W Lumens 4200 lm Lifespan 50,000 hrs Color Deep red, red, blue, orange, white, uv Wavelength Deep red 660nm, 6x5w leds

Purple Helix: Coralline in a Bottle 2 Week Update

ARC Reef donated a few bottles of their new product for our tanks to do a honest review on youtube about their laboratory made Purple Helix, Coralline in a Bottle, which contains 6 different kinds of live spores of Coralline Algae. Today we did a 2 week update on their product.


All of our perimeters are spot on, and we do regular water changes weekly, we are doing the review on our 40 gallon reef tank, and we have to say that we are pretty impressed with the results so far. We are seeing Coralline Algae growing on the overflow inside the display tank that sends the water down into the sump, and in the sump we are seeing a lot of Purple and pink Coralline Algae growing all on  the baffles in the refugium. Even on some of the pieces of unused coral that we moved down to the sump!! Its so exciting to see so much Purple and pink Coralline algae growing in just 2 weeks.

The instructions for use say to give the product at least 4-6 weeks to see results, and in just 2 weeks we are seeing wonderful results. We give ARC Reef props for creating such and amazing product. We highly recommend Purple Helix to anyone looking to jump start their Coralline Algae growth!!

Be sure to Subscribe to our YouTube channel Eric's Marine Life, ARC Reefs has offered to give us 10 gift certificates to giveaway so that fellow hobbyist can try a bottle of their amazing product in their own tanks.!! So be sure to hit that notification bell to stay posted on all of our latest videos.

I'm going to post the instructions for use, exactly how they printed it on the paper you receive when you order their product.

CORALLINE ALGAE IN A BOTTLE VS OTHER "PURPLE ALGAE ACCELERATORS"

Purple Helix, Coralline Algae in a Bottle is the ONLY product developed in a laboratory that contains actual live algae spores.  Other similar products are simply a mixture of calcium and magnesium, both of which are already contained in all salt mixes and a rarely ever lacking in a newly setup aquarium.  If your aquarium isn't stocked up yet with corals and coralline algae then there is nothing drawing calcium and magnesium from the water yet.  If your levels are not low then using these "purple algae accelerators" provide absolutely nothing and we implore you not to fall for the marketing hype.  Coralline Algae is a calcareous algae so it does utilize both magnesium and calcium in its structure and would not be able to reproduce without them.  Once your aquarium is stocked with corals then you should start dosing with 2 part or kalkwasser.  We recommend the 2 part calcium and alkalinity kit from BRS.  It provides a more complete and controllable system than purple up or purple tech and is far less expensive over the long run.

When you receive a bottle of purple helix you will receive a letter that has instructions for use.

Purple Helix- Coralline Algae in a Bottle

Thank You ARC Reefs for providing us with the bottle of purple helix to do videos on!!

Be sure to subscribe for updates every couple of weeks on this amazing product!!

IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS FOR BEST RESULTS

Purple Helix, Coralline Algae in a bottle is a LIVE product that is bottled on the day it was shipped. Please make sure to use entire contents within 14 days from the bottling date on the label, bottle can be stored at room temperature or refrigerated but DO NOT FREEZE. Freezing point of contents is 28.4 F.

TANK REQUIREMENTS FOR OPTIMAL GROWTH:

Temperature:   Between 78-81 degrees. It is important that the temperature remains as stable as possible.

Salinity:    1.026 (Must remain stable)

PH:    Keep a stable pH level between 8.1-8.3 (always test the same time of day each day)

Alkalinity:     Keep a stable KA level of 2.8 meq/L for alkalinity or carbonate hardness (the concentration of carbonate and bicarbonate) Your level can be +/- up to 0.14 meq/L. Having a correct KA level in your tank has a stabilizing effect on you pH.

Calcium:    above 420mg/L

Ammonia:    As close to 0 ppm as possible

Phosphates:    under 0.25 ppm

Nitrates:     under 5 ppm

Lighting:    Lighting is key. the intensity, or "PAR" level, of your lighting shouldn't be too high and the duration of your photo period should be somewhat close to the natural duration of the sun. your aquarium shouldn't receive full intensity or "noon" lighting for 8 hours because that is natural and it will bleach out corals and the coralline will not grow. Coralline Algae LOVE Actinic and blue spectrum lighting. In the beginning we advise to lengthen the time that our actinic lighting stays on by an additional 1-2 hours daily.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Turn off filter, protein skimmer, and UV sterilizer if equipped. Leave powerheads on.

2. Shake bottle, as algae spores will start to adhere to the inner walls of the bottle after several days.

3. Pour entire contents of bottle into marine aquarium.

4.  Refill bottle with aquarium water then repeat steps 2 & 3, (we recommend doing this twice)

5. Wait at least 60 minutes before turning all equipment back on

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE BEFORE MY ROCKS TURN PURPLE??

Coralline Algae is a slow but steady grower. YOU WILL NOT SEE GROWTH OVERNIGHT! If all your tank parameters are in check then you will see what looks like small chickenpox on your rocks and on plastics like powerheads within 4-6 weeks CARALLINE SPORES WILL NOT GROW IN POOR WATER QUALITY.  If you have high ammonia, nitrites or have other parameters that are off then the algae spores will remain in a dormant state until the levels are corrected and then it will be 2-6 weeks after that when you will first see your chickenpox.  After this stage you will notice these small spots double in size each culture more color variations and more complex strains with accelerated growth rates.  Every bottle contains a minimum of 6 separate species of coralline. Each species has a different affinity to lighting conditions and that is how we can insure that no matter what intensity lighting your tank has, there will be a species included that is well suited for your tank. IT IS NOT RECOMMENDED TO HAVE AN URCHIN TH THE SAME TANK. SEA URCHINS MAIN DIET CONSISTS OF CORALLINE ALGAE!!

 PRO TIPS FOR FAST GROWTH!!!

 Raise your temperature. Coralline Algae grows very slowly, but its growth rate is approximately 10x's more rapid in tropical waters then in the Arctic. If your tanks temperature is below 76 F. try increasing the temperature to 78-81 F. this will increase the reproductive growth rate by nearly 15%

Aquatic Life Loves Stability and so Does Coralline Algae. Try to keep your water parameters stable through regular monitoring and water testing. Smaller more frequent water changes a re preferred over larger less often water changes, this helps eliminate any shock to your system.

More Frequent Water Changes.   you should be doing  regular water changes at least twice monthly. Nearly every problem can be fixed with a water change.  High Nitrates? Water Change!! Cloudy Water?? Water Change!! Nuisance Algae?? Water Change!! Got Ick?? Water Change!!  Corals Shriveling up?? Water Change!!  Spending all your money on Corals? Ok, well that one a water change cant fix but for nearly everything else, a partial water change will fix, or at least give you more time to find the problem. Your aquarium is a closed system and can easily be put off balance!!

Have Patience.  If you're new to the hobby this tip will save your hard earned cash from being flushed down the drain. Only bad things happen overnight in this hobby. Add livestock slowly and never change anything quickly. Its best to think of your aquarium like a very old man, it doesn't adapt well to change (and at times can smell like and old sock).

Be sure to subscribe to Eric's Marine Life to get our latest videos!!

Thanks for reading!!

Pod Condo by Barr Aquatics

The New Pod Condo from Barr Aquatic Systems

Barr Aquatics recently came out with this little 3x3 inch Pod Condo, and I just had to get one for my self, Copepods and Amphipods are hard enough to find and transfer from the sump or breeder tank to your display tank, so they created this little guy to make transferring copepods and amphipods easy. Its unique design makes living easy for copepods, giving them 5 levels of a maze like pattern to live and bread in. When you need to transfer pods from one tank to another, simply take the little condo out and place it in the other tank, let it sit for a bit and the little guys will come out and flood your tank with new copepod life!! The Pod condo's are a must have for any marine hobbyist and are sure to make a splash in the marine hobby world!!

The Pod condo is a new addition to the POD world.  It's a place where Amphipods and Copepods can safely congregate, throw parties and hang out, without having to worry about predators.  Each condo unit contains 40 individual serpentine condos, all connected to the central atrium.  A total of about two feet of linear space, or about 40 square inches (281 cm) of space is provided for our little friends.

The central atrium serves another purpose though. Cover the hole with your thumb and move the condo to the display tank, then us a baster to blast water in the central hole. all the ne'er-do-well slacker pods that are hanging around the condo will be blasted out in to the tank, to make tasty treats for your fish! Replace the condo in your sump, and let the new tenants move in.

Each unit has about 4 oz of PETG, and measures about 3x3. Available standard in translucent blue, and other colors via special request.

These cool condos are only $24 and well worth the money, and they come in translucent green, translucent blue, translucent red, black, yellow, purple and bubblegum pink!! Get yours at Barr Aquatic Systems

Don't Forget to go to Eric's Marine Life and subscribe to get all our latest videos!!

Purple Helix: Coralline Algae In A Bottle

ARC Reef sent us a couple of bottles of their new product Purple helix Coralline Algea in a Bottle, to do a honest review and let fellow hobbiest know what we thought of their laboratory developed live algae spores that contain 6 different species of Coralline Algae. Above you will see a youtube video that we uploaded showing how we applied the product.  Every couple of weeks we will be doing a new video on how ARC Reefs new product works.

CORALLINE ALGAE IN A BOTTLE VS OTHER "PURPLE ALGAE ACCELERATORS"

Purple Helix, Coralline Algae in a Bottle is the ONLY product developed in a laboratory that contains actual live algae spores.  Other similar products are simply a mixture of calcium and magnesium, both of which are already contained in all salt mixes and a rarely ever lacking in a newly setup aquarium.  If your aquarium isn't stocked up yet with corals and coralline algae then there is nothing drawing calcium and magnesium from the water yet.  If your levels are not low then using these "purple algae accelerators" provide absolutely nothing and we implore you not to fall for the marketing hype.  Coralline Algae is a calcareous algae so it does utilize both magnesium and calcium in its structure and would not be able to reproduce without them.  Once your aquarium is stocked with corals then you should start dosing with 2 part or kalkwasser.  We recommend the 2 part calcium and alkalinity kit from BRS.  It provides a more complete and controllable system than purple up or purple tech and is far less expensive over the long run.

When you receive a bottle of purple helix you will receive a letter that has instructions for use.

Purple Helix- Coralline Algae in a Bottle

Thank You ARC Reefs for providing us with the bottle of purple helix to do videos on!!

Be sure to subscribe for updates every couple of weeks on this amazing product!!

IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS FOR BEST RESULTS

Purple Helix, Coralline Algae in a bottle is a LIVE product that is bottled on the day it was shipped. Please make sure to use entire contents within 14 days from the bottling date on the label, bottle can be stored at room temperature or refrigerated but DO NOT FREEZE. Freezing point of contents is 28.4 F.

TANK REQUIREMENTS FOR OPTIMAL GROWTH:

Temperature:   Between 78-81 degrees. It is important that the temperature remains as stable as possible.

Salinity:    1.026 (Must remain stable)

PH:    Keep a stable pH level between 8.1-8.3 (always test the same time of day each day)

Alkalinity:     Keep a stable KA level of 2.8 meq/L for alkalinity or carbonate hardness (the concentration of carbonate and bicarbonate) Your level can be +/- up to 0.14 meq/L. Having a correct KA level in your tank has a stabilizing effect on you pH.

Calcium:    above 420mg/L

Ammonia:    As close to 0 ppm as possible

Phosphates:    under 0.25 ppm

Nitrates:     under 5 ppm

Lighting:    Lighting is key. the intensity, or "PAR" level, of your lighting shouldn't be too high and the duration of your photo period should be somewhat close to the natural duration of the sun. your aquarium shouldn't receive full intensity or "noon" lighting for 8 hours because that is natural and it will bleach out corals and the coralline will not grow. Coralline Algae LOVE Actinic and blue spectrum lighting. In the beginning we advise to lengthen the time that our actinic lighting stays on by an additional 1-2 hours daily.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Turn off filter, protein skimmer, and UV sterilizer if equipped. Leave powerheads on.

2. Shake bottle, as algae spores will start to adhere to the inner walls of the bottle after several days.

3. Pour entire contents of bottle into marine aquarium.

4.  Refill bottle with aquarium water then repeat steps 2 & 3, (we recommend doing this twice)

5. Wait at least 60 minutes before turning all equipment back on

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE BEFORE MY ROCKS TURN PURPLE??

Coralline Algae is a slow but steady grower. YOU WILL NOT SEE GROWTH OVERNIGHT! If all your tank parameters are in check then you will see what looks like small chickenpox on your rocks and on plastics like powerheads within 4-6 weeks CARALLINE SPORES WILL NOT GROW IN POOR WATER QUALITY.  If you have high ammonia, nitrites or have other parameters that are off then the algae spores will remain in a dormant state until the levels are corrected and then it will be 2-6 weeks after that when you will first see your chickenpox.  After this stage you will notice these small spots double in size each culture more color variations and more complex strains with accelerated growth rates.  Every bottle contains a minimum of 6 separate species of coralline. Each species has a different affinity to lighting conditions and that is how we can insure that no matter what intensity lighting your tank has, there will be a species included that is well suited for your tank. IT IS NOT RECOMMENDED TO HAVE AN URCHIN TH THE SAME TANK. SEA URCHINS MAIN DIET CONSISTS OF CORALLINE ALGAE!!

 PRO TIPS FOR FAST GROWTH!!!

 Raise your temperature. Coralline Algae grows very slowly, but its growth rate is approximately 10x's more rapid in tropical waters then in the Arctic. If your tanks temperature is below 76 F. try increasing the temperature to 78-81 F. this will increase the reproductive growth rate by nearly 15%

Aquatic Life Loves Stability and so Does Coralline Algae. Try to keep your water parameters stable through regular monitoring and water testing. Smaller more frequent water changes a re preferred over larger less often water changes, this helps eliminate any shock to your system.

More Frequent Water Changes.   you should be doing  regular water changes at least twice monthly. Nearly every problem can be fixed with a water change.  High Nitrates? Water Change!! Cloudy Water?? Water Change!! Nuisance Algae?? Water Change!! Got Ick?? Water Change!!  Corals Shriveling up?? Water Change!!  Spending all your money on Corals? Ok, well that one a water change cant fix but for nearly everything else, a partial water change will fix, or at least give you more time to find the problem. Your aquarium is a closed system and can easily be put off balance!!

Have Patience.  If you're new to the hobby this tip will save your hard earned cash from being flushed down the drain. Only bad things happen overnight in this hobby. Add livestock slowly and never change anything quickly. Its best to think of your aquarium like a very old man, it doesn't adapt well to change (and at times can smell like and old sock).

Be sure to subscribe to Eric's Marine Life to get our latest videos!!

Thanks for reading!!