Aquariums

That enjoys saltwater tanks and corals http://youtu.be/J-_jhhSqEb8

[farmboyreef]

Algae Barn Coupon codes for my Farm Hands

Algae Barn Coupon codes for my Farm Hands

15% to 25% OFF

World wide Code : America and all other countries (FarmBoy15) 15% off

Canada code (FarmBoyReef) 25% off

Hey Farm Hands,  

My 600 Gallon Hulk reef is powered by @algaebarn 💪💪. One step closer to creating a live ecosystem with biodiversity that’s full of benefits for my reef and picky fish. I used All Algae Barn products to bring my 600 to life. I started my reef will all dead sand and rock. Here are some before and after pictures of a dead reef to a thriving reef today. This is how I made my reef come to life with biodiversity I added live coralline algae in a bottle the Pink Fusion and the Purple Helix to get my rocks to start growing the coralline algae plus next I added The Ultimate Refugium Starter Pack

Everything you need to set up, start and seed a healthy refugium.

Setting up a new refugium? Looking to establish a copepod population in your tank? This hand-selected package is designed to make that simple and easy. There are two options when purchasing the Ultimate Refugium Starter Pack. The first option is receiving two shipments which is perfect for starting a new tank. The first shipment contains MarinePure Cubes and TurboStart 900 Live Nitrifying Bacteria to cycle your tank. The second shipment is sent one week later and contains our 5280 Pods three species live copepod blend, OceanMagik Live phytoplankton to keep them fed, and Live Clean macroalgae of your choice (Chaeto, Pom Pom, Red Ogo or Spike Sphere) for nutrient export. The second option contains all items in a single shipment. All Ultimate Refugium Starter Packs qualify for FREE Shipping. Here's a closer look at what's included:

Coralline Algae in a Bottle: Make Your Bare Rock Beautiful

One of the big yardsticks that reef aquarists commonly use to determine the health of a developing system (and particularly its readiness for stony coral culture) is coralline algae growth. These encrusting rhodophytes (red algae) give live rock an attractive, natural appearance and thwart the growth of ugly, less desirable hair and film algae. The easiest and surest way to get fast, early coralline algae growth is with Coralline Algae in a Bottle. Here, you get a choice of living pink (Pink Fusion®) or purple (Purple Helix®) corallines! Each product boasts several species of viable coralline algae spores. What's more, each includes live beneficial nitrifying bacteria! There is no faster way to turn your bare base rock into beautiful and vividly colored live rock.

Coralline Information:

Coralline Algae in a Bottle is a truly unique product in that it is developed in a laboratory and contains live coralline algae spores (some products are nothing more than a mixture of calcium and magnesium, purporting to merely support coralline algae growth). Though heavily inoculated with beneficial microbes, Coralline Algae in a Bottle (unlike seed material scraped from someone else's rock) poses no risk of introducing pests or parasites. There is no easier and safer way to turn your fresh base rock into a palette of bright pinks and purples--just the way healthy, natural live reef rock looks like! See below for more information.

My 600 gallon before adding Algae Barn products.

Hulk Reef after adding Algae barn products

PREMIUM LIVE FOODS

With live foods becoming more popular in the saltwater reef aquarium hobby, it is important to have a reliable source. Look no further, AlgaeBarn sells the most premium live foods. Not only are they premium, but there is a large variety of them as well. There are three different types of copepods as well as combinations such as Poseidon’s Feast and 5280 Pods. The Nano Brine is another great option for premium live food. Why is this important? Well, it significantly boosts the health of your marine fish, making them more colorful and less susceptible to disease. The live food sold at AlgaeBarn has a high nutritional value, making it an excellent choice to feed your fish. Live foods replicate what your fish would be eating in the wild. As saltwater aquarium hobbyists, we have the goal of making our aquarium as similar to the wild ocean as possible. So why not do the same with the food you feed your fish? One possible benefit of buying frozen food for your fish is that you don’t have to worry about the food dying and losing its value, except you don’t have to worry about then when buying from AlgaeBarn either. All live food has a 100% Alive On Arrival Guarantee. This makes buying dependable. If you find that the copepods or brine shrimp appear to be dead, you can make a DOA claim and receive a replacement. You can trust that AlgaeBarn has you covered in this unlikely event. Along with independent jars of live food, you can also purchase packs or kits that come with a few different kinds of food.  The Mandarin Feeder Kit, for example, comes with Nano Brine, 5280 Pods, and Can O’ Cyclops. Scroll down to see all of the great options you have to feed your fish.

600 GALLON PROGRESSION VIDEO

Virtual Meeting With The Brooklyn Aquarium Society

[farmboyreef]

When Robots Take Over The Reef

When Robots take over the reef

Good day Farm Hands,

So much has been changing in the reefing hobby it gets hard to keep up sometimes. With all the new gadgets and technology that keep evolving making the hobby easier, more successful and enjoyable. When we see new reefing gear being invented for our reef tanks it can be intimidating with all the technical aspects of it. I find the companies are making every thing pretty much plug and play for the end consumer because they know that not everyone is tech friendly. I believe it’s like anything in life we must try new things and keep learning, like a reef nothing ever stays the same the reef keeps evolving. I wanted to talk about a new piece of reefing gear that I think is changing the reefing industry Its a company called ReefKentics they have invented a robot that can test many elements in our tanks. So lets learn all about what the Reef Bot can do.

TESTS

The ReefBot can perform a variety of liquid-reagent tests some of the most important in our reef ecosystem.

SalifertKH/Alkalinity Pro TestRedSeaKH/Alkalinity Pro, Magnesium Pro, Calcium (beta), Phosphate Pro TestsElosKH Wateranalysis, Cu Wateranalysis, NO2 WateranalysisGiesmann AquaristicMagnesium Professional, Phosphate Tests, Ammonia Test Professional, KH Test ProfessionalTropic MarinNitrate Pro, Nitrite ProFauna MarinAquaHome Nitrate, AquaHome Nitrite, AquaHome PhosphateAPICalcium, Alkalinity, Phosphate, Ammonia, Nitrate Tests

AUTOMATED

Test your water whenever you want or on schedule basis and receive results remotely.

ACCURATE

Accurate results without the hassle of comparing colors. The ReefBot will do everything for you.

EASY TO USE

Set up and install your ReefBot easily in less than 15 minutes.

FLEXIBLE

Access your dashboard and results from anywhere through mobile or web app.

"The Reef Bot" from Reef Kinetics. What is a "Reef Bot" exactly?

Simply put, its a robot that does all water testing for you. I have spent some time researching all about this bot, and I can't believe everything this little gadget can do!

As a fellow reefer, I am guilty of not always testing my water or staying up on tank maintenance as life can get in the way. Tools such as this makes reefing more successful and fun. Water testing may as well be a "nails on the chalk board" type of task for some - please make it stop!

This bot will help me be more successful in my future reefing adventures. 

If you know me and my reef builds, than  you know I love running new technology on my tanks. I feel "Reef Bot" is a game changer for me and my tanks, ensuring my 600 gallon Hulk will be run efficiently with less efforts and worry - as all testing will be done for me. 

I've spoken with the generous people over at Reef Kinetics and they are offering ALL of my followers $50 off USE THE CODE -(Rkfarmboyreef) at check out "Reef Bot"! I highly recommend this product to all of you. 

A big "tank you" to Reef Kinetics. Their passion is to ensure every tank is successful and every customer is happy; keeping tanks looking beautiful without added stress. 

I have added information below for all of you to learn about the Reef Bot and its amazing features. Everything below was provided by Reef Kinetics.

Hope your Reef Bot makes your hobby easier for you, as it has for me. Happy fun and happy reefing!

Ryan Nash

[farmboyreef]

PVC Meets The Reef

Hey Farm Hands,

  Today we are going to talk about a new up and comer in the reef industry, his name is Ty Gibson, owner and operator of the company named REEF PVC. Ty lives in Lethbridge, Albert, Canada. Where he works as a Iron Core Welder and he is moving up the ranks into a Forman/management position.  After I herd that, I new this guy was a hard worker, as I am in the trades as well. I am a Electrical Commercial Forman for an electrical company in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada and being in the trades gives you a great work ethic. Ty is an avid reefer and like ourselves he loves the hobby and wishes he could get more time to mess around with his tank, but like the rest of us work takes over sometimes and we get to spend less time to look after our tank. Ty had a beautiful aquarium built by the same company that build my 600 gallon Hulk reef tank by Concept Aquariums. Concept is a world renounce company that builds some of the top aquarium tanks in the world. There craftsmanship to detail and giving the customer what they want is amazing. Ty’s  tank dimensions for his main display is 60”w x 30”D x 20”H and the frag tank is 30”Wx 30”Dx 12H. It’s an awesome setup with its matching frag tank beside it. Talk about having everything you need to get fragging. It’s great to see young people with such ambition in the hobby trying to help fellow reefers get the products they need. When I interviewed Ty I asked him how he got into the hobby and what made him want to start his own business, REEF PVC he had this to say...

Ty Gibson at a reef show

Ty’s Reef tank

"Okay Farm Hands,     So it all started when I decided to set up one of my first aquariums. I bought the tank and sump used off Kijiji, got it home and started to piece together equipment bit by bit right away. Soon I was at the plumbing stage and I had already seen photos of sumps with colored piping online before so I knew that’s what I wanted to do. Immediately I ran into the problem of finding colored PVC in Canada. The only places I could find it were in the United States but I usually like to buy my supplies from Canadian based vendors. That’s what triggered the idea “why don’t I just bring colored PVC to Canada then?” Immediately I started working on my website and figuring out a way to get the colored PVC to us in Canada. Of course by starting Reef PVC, that became my main focus which took up most of my time and money which resulted in putting a halt to building my own personal aquarium. Over time Reef PVC has continued to grow bit by bit, mainly from word of mouth and social media. With the help of people like yourself, we are finally able to get our name out there to as many people as possible. I truly believe that your aquarium filtration should look just as stunning as the aquarium itself, which is why I decided to bring coloured PVC pipe and fittings to the Canadian market. Standard plumbing PVC pipe has a matte finish with black writing all over it, giving your aquarium a messy and dirty look. Our coloured, high-polish PVC pipe and fittings will give your aquarium plumbing the clean and professional look it deserves.   When Ty and I kept chatting I could feel his passion for the hobby. He is like me when it comes to detail and want for clean lines. I can say that The Hulk Reef will be 100% plumbed with all pipe and pluming parts from Reef PVC. I am putting my heart and soul into this build I want the best, so choosing Reef PVC to get all my materials from  to help make my Hulk a piece of art in the reef world was the perfect fit. Thanks Ty for taking the time and chatting with us all. Good luck with your business and I can’t wait to see your reef tank all setup!"  -- TY Gibson

Below are a few of Reef Pvc customers tanks plumbing

If any Farm Hands, would like to get your very own Reef Pvc hit the link below.

Thought of the Day

I believe when its comes to our reef tanks its a reflection of our self. What we put into our reef tanks is a part of us.

Ryan Nash

Farm Boy Reef.

Do what makes you happy we only live once

[farmboyreef]

Your Weekly Reef Blog Coral Deal and a Hand shake!

Hey Farm Hands, Today we are going to hit a different topic that’s right out there. I don’t know about you but have you ever had a coral deal go bad? Or any deal you have found online that didn’t go your way. Well it happens to everyone, people get taken advantage of all the time and some don’t show up to the deal or they just message you while you are waiting saying sorry an emergency just came up and all this BS so all that time just got wasted. It sure can be frustrating. Today I am going to tell you a story about the worst coral deal experience I have ever had and its a creepy one. So let’s get this story started. I was online one day looking at ads in my local town for coral frags. I am from the Ottawa area in Ontario, Canada and the coral selection around isn’t the greatest, it is actually pretty sad. It’s always the same coral frags being floated around but sometimes you can find the diamond in the rough. While I was on Kijiji looking I found a guy that was selling a few nice Zoanthid coral frags, so I said what the hell, lets message him and make a deal. We will keep his name out of the article because it’s too close to home. So let’s give him the name, Hanson The Caretaker from the movie Scream because this guy gave me the creeps, but we will get to the part in a minute.

So I talk to Hanson and he gave me his address and the time to meet. Hanson says to come to his home to pick up the zoas. I usually don’t do deals like this I always just shop at the local fish stores. So we agreed on a time, Saturday at 10 am in. So it’s Saturday I stopped and grabbed a coffee from Tim Hortons to start the day off right. I was on my way to the big coral deal. I show up at Caretakers house I knock and he doesn’t come right away, so I knock again, still nothing. Now I am thinking to myself, great just got screwed over. So I call his cell quick, he answers and says, “Shit I slept in, be down in a minute.” So I am thinking, here we go great start to this day. So finally after 15 minutes Caretaker made it to the door. He had a crazy demeanour to him and crazy look in his eyes. Now I am thinking, do I really want to go into his house? Well I am here lets get this over with. So we head down to his basement, it was dark as hell and had a really bad smell. The whole place was right upside down and I still haven’t seen the main display tank where I would be getting the frags from and I am thinking this guy is a hoarder the place was crazy. Then I heard movement on the floor but I couldn’t see what it was because there was so much garage and clutter everywhere and whatever was coming at us was under the junk moving like a shark, next thing I know boom this little dog a Jack Russell jumps out of the junk onto the couch, “Caretaker says, “Don’t mind him that’s Precious.” Of course his name is Precious, it does he have a ring to it though I thought to myself. Could this day get any weirder. So we finally make it over to the display tank, looking it all over I am like holy hell! It was just full of hair algae, and sure didn’t look like the picture. Caretaker says, “What do you think bud isn’t she a beautiful tank?” As I am thinking to my self I better go along with this. “Yes it’s awesome.” I get it we all love our tanks they are part of us and I would never knock someones tank down as I wouldn’t like that either. So Caretaker says, “Here are the zoas for sale, so do we have a deal.” I am thinking I really don’t want to add hair algae or whatever else was going on in the tank to mine but at the same time I am here and the guy seems a little off his rocker so I said, “How much?” Because at this point I just wanted out! I got the coral and I started to walk towards the stairs to get out of here. Next thing I know he is cutting me off. He says, “I know you from somewhere.” I said, “Nope I don’t think we have ever met.” He then says, “Are you that Farm Boy Reef guy?” Now I am thinking, here we go now what? Caretaker says, “Yes it is you, I follow all your social media, YouTube builds, I am a member of your Facebook club. I am a Farm Hand. I am like shit, here we go Caretaker just used my word Farm Hand lol. Sounds so much different when a follower says it lol. Then at this point he is really buddy buddy with me asking if I want to see his shrimp tank and that he is trying to breed them. I said I really need to get going, I have to get home. I try to head to the door he cuts me off again and says, “It will be really quick, I am a big fan I really want to show you all my tanks. So I am like ok let’s see them. At this point Caretaker is really getting pushy and I am thinking to myself what’s next. Is he going to trap me in here like in Silence Of The Lambs and be like Buffalo Bill and ask tell me, “It rubs the lotion on its skin or else it gets the hose again.” So we looked over his shrimp tank it was crazy like his other tank. Then he starts telling me he can’t wait for his kids to grow up and move out. Then he can spend more time with his tanks. Plus says his wife is always on him about spending too much time with his tanks. He asked me my opinion on what he should do. I am no psychiatrist but I am thinking he needs one and I said, “Buddy kids grow up fast you should spend time with them and your wife.” He looks at me and laughs and says, “Yeah right!” Ok so I really want the hell out of here, I have had enough of crazy at this point. I am like, Caretaker I am leaving I have things to do.” He says to me, “I will let you leave if I can have your signature.” Whatever if that’s what’s going to get me the hell out of this house let’s get it done. Boom! Signed the paper started to leave and he says, “Can you please come back and hangout soon?” I am thinking, hell no I am never coming back here again!

Thought of the Day

So the moral of this story is be careful who you deal with, and never go alone especially in someones house or make sure your family knows where you went and the address just in case. Well that’s my crazy coral deal gone bad.

Ryan Nash

Farm Boy Reef.

"Do what makes you happy we only live once "  -- Ryan Nash

[farmboyreef]

HULKS LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEMS 600 Gallon Reef

The aquarium life support system is the least seen, yet most important element of your aquarium system.When assessing the performance and overall fitness of a life support system to promote aquatic animal health, it is essential to evaluate the function of every life support component on the system. When I started designing the hulks life support system I wanted to keep it simple as possible and use high end gear that would give me max performance to keeping the Hulk happy. I will go through the Hulks gear I chose plus the fish room and how i planned it out from start finish. So lets jump right in.

What all do we need in our fish room and life support system.

** when it comes to our fish rooms they will be different. We all like different things but we will all have the basics that we will all require to have a successful reef.

Heater – A heater’s role in an aquatic life support system is fairly straightforward: heat the water so that is within the recommended parameters of the system’s inhabitants. There are several types of heaters available to aquarium keepers, which may or may not be appropriate for your system but when choosing one, make sure that the wattage can handle the volume of your system and don’t buy a cheap one.

UV sterilizer – UV sterilizers promote animal health by irradiating bacteria and parasites with ultraviolet radiation. This causes genetic mutations, essentially preventing them from multiplying and causing outbreaks and compromised animals. A side benefit is that this radiation also nukes algae, resulting in less buildup in your display.

Protein Skimmer – Also called foam fractionators, skimmers work by removing dissolved organic compounds from your water, enhancing the performance of other types of filtration on your system and keeping your water clean and healthy.

Pumps – A pump’s performance on your system needs little explanation: they keep water moving through your display and filtration. How they accomplish varies by type and build and not all may be appropriate or recommended for your system.

Sump- slows that issue and increases total water volume. The sump also skims the water's surface, giving you clear water. Sumps also work well to lower the water temperature by up to two degrees Fahrenheit. This can help your reefs thrive and grow.

Reverse Osmosis - One the basic laws of keeping a saltwater tank is to only use water from an RO/DI system for your tank. RO/DI water is very, very clean, so by using it, you won’t be introducing bad things into your system such as silicates, heavy metals and chorine that can cause a major of problems in your tank. **

THE NEW FISH ROOM

Hulks new fish room is right behind the tank. When we did our walk around the house before we purchased the home. I seen this room It would be awesome for a life support systems for a reef tank. So I had to have it. Below is some pics of the room right behind the Hulk. The room is nine feet long x six feet wide lots of room for all the gear and cabinets that we will be installing.

PAXBELLUM ARID C36 REACTOR

NUTRIENT EXPORTER AT ITS FINEST !

Pax Bellum ARID C36 Macro-algae Based Bio Filter (300-1000 gal system)

I chose to go with the Pax BellumARIDc36 because I am a big fan of trying to keep my tank as natural as possible. THe ARID c36 runs on macro-algae. I have always ran Marco algae on all my tanks with great success. The concept of using macro-algae as a method of nutrient export is not new. However, the introduction of the ARID (Algae Remediation Illuminated Device) the original, patented macroalgae reactor by Pax Bellum is a quantum leap forward. This ingenious device utilizes macroalgae (specifically Chaetomorpha) to function as a tunable nutrient export mechanism. The unique design of the ARID incorporates a coaxial LED light tube to maximize light penetration and efficiency.

The ARID is capable of Targeting Specific Nutrient(s) for Export. In the reef aquarium the main concern is balancing the nutrients N:P:K:C, with the goal of limiting phosphate (P). Usually never in short supply, Potassium (K) and carbon (C) are not dosed. However, Nitrogen (N) can become depleted rapidly by the growth of algae, causing growth to stall. To keep the algae growing, the aquarist should dose the, “Nitrogen+Molybdenum” solution that came with the ARID reactor, at a rate to maintain the ratio of NO3 to PO4 at a minimum of 20:1 and ideally at 100:1 (example; 3ppm NO3 to 0.03ppm PO4). Maintaining this ratio will allow the Chaetomorpha or macroalgae of choice to continue to grow until phosphate levels reach the minimum cut off for growth at 0.02ppm.

Use the ARID with a Calcium Reactor. Purchase the Ca injection assembly (Ca Reactor Feed and Injection Assembly) this compact manifold threads directly into the water inlet on the base of the ARID n24, c30, c36 and inline with tubing on the n18. The assembly can be installed or removed at any time by the aquarist. This optional kit sends water directly to a Ca reactor or peristaltic pump supplying the Ca reactor, and receives effluent from the Ca reactor. This is accomplished by separating the high and low pressure ports by a user preset valve. The effluent coming from the calcium reactor passes through the included drip counter, and then enters the low pressure side of the calcium injection assembly where it mixes with the bulk of the water entering the ARID, making contact with the macro-algae where it is stripped of excess CO2 and PO4 before entering the reef system. This optional kit can increase the growth rate of your macroalgae and with it the nutrient uptake rate and dissolved oxygen production.

So the next gear is the protein skimmers help maintain low nitrate levels by retarding nitrate buildup. They remove organic waste before it has a chance to break down and release nitrogen compounds. The use of a protein skimmer is essential in reef aquariums where a very low nitrate level is crucial for coral health. I went with the Deltec SC307s Internal protein Skimmer

Suitable for aquariums up to 6000 lts (1320 U.K gallons)

I will keep updating you on all the progress on the build make sure and check out my channel and subscribe www.youtube.com/c/FARMBOYREEF so you don’t miss any episodes. There is a lot more gear to come so stayed tuned.

[farmboyreef]

Your Weekly Reef Blog All about Skimmers

YOUR WEEKLY REEF REPORT

SKIM OR NOT TO SKIM

Hey Farm Hands,

Today we are going to talk about skimmers. Like most reefers in the hobby we all pretty much use a skimmer. There are pros and cons but I believe the pros out weigh the cons but we will get to that in a minute. As a hobbiest we have so many choices on brands of skimmers. You ask yourself, “What’s the right skimmer for me?” Well, let’s break it down. First: The price is always a big factor in this hobby and the old saying is, you get what you pay for. Second: Build quality, you want something that’s going to last. Having a quality pump to take the abuse of everyday flow. Thirdly: How long has the skimmer been on the market, does it have a great review in the reefing community. And that’s what I personally look for when I am buying new gear for my tank. So i did my research asked buddies and other reefers what skimmer they though was a great brand. Everyone kept telling me Deltec. So I jumped online read the reviews and watched YouTube videos on the Deltec skimmer. So I went with the internal Deltec SC 3070.

SC 3070s Internal protein Skimmer

Deltec's new and innovative SC (Single chamber) range of in sump protein skimmers featuring Deltec's brand new high performance pump featuring class leading energy to air ratio (E-T-A).

Suitable for aquariums up to 6000 lts (1320 U.K gallons)

For over 20 years Deltec GMBH have worked hard to develop the best specialist marine aquarium equipment available on the market and are known throughout the world for the high performance and quality of their protein skimmers. When their patent on the Deltec Pinwheel ran out it opened the market for other people to copy their ideas and to produce pinwheels of their own but without the 20+ years of experience and development that had gone into the Deltec products.

The next generation of Deltec protein skimmers is shortly to hit the market and this time Deltec have developed their own design of pump and spent months getting the right amount of air for the lowest possible power consumption. This has allowed Deltec to set new standards in efficiency and to illustrate the difference they have introduced a new terminology, E-T-A Ratio (energy to air ratio), to allow comparison of Deltec products against others. The new products have an E-T-A Ratio of around 60 to one and can produce 1500 lts of air per hour whilst using only 25W of power. Compare this with the current Deltec modified Eheim pumps, (already renound for their performance), which only produce 600 lts of air for 36W of power and you will understand why we are so excited.

The SC name describes the special Single Chamber design of the bubble chamber which is patented and has the benefit of pressurising the pumps for higher performance and ensures that only unskimmed water passes through he pump rather than reskimming and reprocessing water in the chamber.

The new bubble plate design allows the height of the protein skimmers to be reduced compared with the current range to allow them to fit in a greater number of installations and cabinets. The primary use of the bubble chamber is to prevent turbulence from the skimmer body and neck as turbulence can pull waste loaded bubbles back into the water column causing a reduction in efficiency. The air to water ratio is so high that there is almost immediate reaction with the waste therefore there is no requirement for the tall reaction chambers found on some low air protein skimmers thus keeping the units compact.

Technical Data

In Sump Version - Deltec SC 3070s - This stands for Single Chamber, body diameter 300mm and total height 650mm

The total height measurement includes around 20mm for cup removal

Significantly exceeds performance of AP1004 (2400 lts of air - 230V)

Footprint: 320mm x 320mm

Footprint incl pipework: 383mm x 320mm

Total air produced: 2x1600 to 2x1750 lts/hour

Power consumption: 2 x 35W-38W

Working water height in sump: 180-260mm

Outlet pipe size: 50mm

Tank Suitability: 5000 lts heavy stocking 6000 lts normal stocking

Remote drain of skimmer cup

Air silencers

Micro adjustable skimmer setting

High water flow through the skimmer

Optional self cleaning system

New colour scheme

No feed pump required, skimmer draws water directly from the sump

Article no 813500000

The Pro's of Skimming

 Here are some of the consistent comments about advantages of skimming:

1) helps with overall water quality

2) replicates nature, waves crash and skim the oceans leaving skim on beaches

3) water changes are periodic and skimming is constant

4) gives a margin of error in terms of overfeeding

5) skimming the bad far outweighs whatever 'good things' are skimmed

6) one can't test for skimmable products likes metabolites, intermediates, toxins, etc and there are no good data out there as to what 'good nutrients' are skimmed off

The Con's of Skimming

 Here are some of the consistent comments about going without a skimmer:

1) removes desirable nutrients

2) too large and make too much noise

3) require additional plumbing or don't fit well with certain systems

4) it's an unnecessary expense if you are consistent with water changes, light stocking and not overfeeding

5) creates microbubbles in the tank

6) possible oxidation of sensitive molecules (one poster listed iodine)

7) some ricordia/zoanthids prefer a small amount of DSO's

Here are some thoughts to help you decide on whether or not to buy a protein skimmer:

 1) What is my bioload....am I heavily stocked or do I have heavy polluters?

2) Do I have a tendency toward overfeeding or do I have no other methods for nutrient export (no refugium or macroalgae)

3) Lack of dedicated time for tank maintenance and water changes 

My though of the day:

 In my opinion Skimmers are a must why not make your reef the best it can be. Test each week and keep your reef happy and healthy. Your reef will sure tell you if its not happy so just keep your eyes open and have fun.

Ryan Nash

Farm Boy Reef.

[farmboyreef]

The Next Chapter Hulk Gets Delivered!

   Hey Farm Hands,

         Today is a very exciting day the 600 gallon reef tank called, The Hulk, was delivered to its final destination. Leading up to The Hulk delivery was stressful. This was my first time designing a reef tank from a custom aquarium company to build and make my dream come true. The company Concept Aquariums out of Calgary, Alberta, Canada took on my project. Dave Guan, the owner of Concept personally seen over the project and was very professional and easy to work with. What was great is we had a lot in common and more than just fish tanks. When I got the text from Dave that my tank was finished, he sent me pictures of my finished tank, the stand and the sump. I had Concept build me the whole package. Why not? Then it’s complete and no more headaches. Trying to find a company to build a sump can be a pain. I asked two different companies to get a price for this build. One didn’t even care to messaged me back and the other company said they would then didn’t bother getting back to me either. I won’t name drop any names because I am a little more professional then that. 

TIP: Companies if you want peoples business, you should return a customers calls or emails. If you say you’re going to do the project and you don’t then that messes with a persons time frame for there tank setup and build. You should be a little more considerate then that. 

So moving along, now that the tank is complete it’s time to ship The Hulk. Dave setup everything from his end. To ship 1550 pounds of aquarium and gear, it was $250 flat shipping rate to the closest depo to me. I thought that was a great price this tank is coming from Calgary to Ottawa! So the closest depo was in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada at 2740 Sheffield Road. From that location it is about 45 mins south to my home. So next was to get the tank from 2740 Sheffield Road to my home. I have never taken on getting that big of a tank or that much glass before, let alone a delivery to my home. I was going to rent a truck and take on the challenge myself. But the more I though about it, it was getting stressful. What if everything goes wrong? I put a lot of money into this tank, I need it home all in one piece. So sitting around with my buddy Rich Bowie I started to tell him about my tank project and how I was trying to get The Hulk home. Rich speaks up and says, his long time friend Tom has a delivery company that handles all kinds of large projects like grand panios and that he would be the guy. So I called up Tom and he said not a problem. That took off so much stress knowing everything was all lined up. So, it’s Sunday morning and Tom and his brother Steven show up to my home the delivery truck sitting at the road, I didn’t even know they where here I had just rolled out of bed. I guess I had missed there phone call. It was finally time to get The Hulk in the house. They opened the back of the truck and this was my first time actually seeing The Hulk in person. I was like holly hell thats a big tank. As I was thinking in my head, “What the hell was I thinking!?” and “How are we going to get this into the house!?” Thankfully, Tom and Steve had everything all planned out. These guys where awesome and they have such great personalities. Very smart guys. So we took the front door off to get the stand, sump and glass into the house. The only problem was the tank was just a few inches too big to get into my fish room through the front door. So we had to move the truck to the back of the house and get the tank onto my deck. The only problem was we couldn’t get the tailgate of the truck close enough. So Tom and Steve seen that my neighbour had wooden pallets and wanted to build a bridge using them as a support for the ramps. I was like, you are kidding right the tank alone is 900 pounds and there is only four of us. Nope he wasn’t kidding they though it through and made a plan. That’s what we did. We ran across the street and grabbed six skids and made a platform. And when you watch the video below you will see why it was so stressful. What I can say is The hulk is sitting in my man cave safe and sound and everything went swimmingly. A big thank you to Tom and Steve for successful delivering me my new dream tank, you guys kicked ass! I am the kind of person that tries to do everything himself and what I have learned in this hobby is sometimes you need some help, and that letting the pros take the wheel means everything will turn out right. So if you ever get a large tank make sure to have everything into place and let the pros take the wheel. You will get your dream tank delivered safe and sound. Enjoy the video Farm Hands if you haven’t already! Please subscribe and hit that like button. Thanks Farm Hands and stay tuned for next weeks article on my next adventure.

Here are some pics from the big move. What a stressful but fun day.

"Always remember we only live once, do what makes you happy Ryan Nash "

[farmboyreef]

The World Of Reef Art -UREEFOGRAPHY

 Hey Farm Hands,

Since being in the hobby there has been so many trends that come and some that go. The newest trend that has been popping up in the reef industry is reef related art. There is a few names in the industry that take on reef art. They all have there different styles and personality to make there work original. With reef related art whats is great about it is we intend to hang or mount it around our main display tanks or fish rooms. Like myself I enjoy the art with florescent glow so when you have your tanks main reef lights on it makes it look like live coral and the Algae Zooxanthellae come to life making it pop off the canvas.

There is one artist that has all the talent in the world and that can paint pretty much anything he looks at. This man has a true passion for art, the oceans and reef-keeping. When you meet him in person he is one of the nicest, trust worthy guys you will ever meet.

This being said lets learn about Uri, he goes by UREEFOGRAPHY in the reef industry. Uri Garduno, a Chicago based Artist who specializes in custom canvas paintings of saltwater fish and coral. He first grew a passion for urban art when he was 14 years old. Inspired by Gustavo Martinez, his After School Matter Art Instructor. Uri has since widened his range of art styles. He was invited to shows Cmas frag show and Aquashella Chicago. Clientele have described Uri and his Art as, “Genuinely, a great person, amazing artwork, and second to none” Uri chose to make reef art his main focus to not only raise awareness of the beauty in our ocean that are dying, but to encourage others to preserve it and appreciate its wonders.

Uri is a fellow reefer that has been in the hobby for years and has worked at a local fish store in his community. Uri has all the same values about the reef and that’s why he has become a Farm Boy Reef hero. Uri quoted this in his own words, “To use art to encourage people around the world to protect OUR Marine Life and heritage for future generations to come.“ -Uri.

Uri will do custom art. If you have an idea, he will make your vision come to life on canvas. If you would like any of his original art, you just have to shoot him a message and he will hook you up. Links will be below. So lets jump in and check out some Reef art.

Check out Uri hand drawing and painting a 8x10 canvas with a Blotchy Antias all the art is sealed to allow you to display near your reef tanks with out worry about saltwater damage.

Uri - below with some of his art at the shows

Thanks you Farm hands, for checking out this weeks article. See you all next week.

Ryan Nash

Farm Boy Reef

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[farmboyreef]

A reefers wallet 😂😂😂😂no money after buy all that coral. •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••🐠Follow us on YouTube • instagram• Facebook. twitter for all the updates #coral #reefrank #coralreeftank #reefpack #reef2reef #reefcandy #reefersdaily #coralreef #coraladdict #reefaholics #reefjunkie #reeflife #instareef #allmymoneygoestocoral #tankdank #reefpackworldwide #ilovemyreef #marinedepot #reefing #exoticcorals #reefers4reefers #coralporn #reefapoolaz #aquarium #coral #farmboyreef #eatsleepreef #reefbuilders #reefapalooza #plantedtanks #reefheros https://www.instagram.com/p/B4TYUUnJVgs/?igshid=1300s6xrets4f

[farmboyreef]

Happy Halloween farm hands 🎃 . Everyone play safe tonight gang. I got my gang we are hitting the road. •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••🐠Follow us on YouTube • instagram• Facebook. twitter for all the updates #coral #reefrank #coralreeftank #reefpack #reef2reef #reefcandy #reefersdaily #coralreef #coraladdict #reefaholics #reefjunkie #reeflife #instareef #allmymoneygoestocoral #tankdank #reefpackworldwide #ilovemyreef #marinedepot #reefing #exoticcorals #reefers4reefers #coralporn #reefapoolaz #aquarium #coral #farmboyreef #eatsleepreef #reefbuilders #reefapalooza #plantedtanks #reefheros https://www.instagram.com/p/B4TQN3MJwVQ/?igshid=iev1x68mh5w4

[farmboyreef]

Just in case 😂 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••🐠Follow us on YouTube • instagram• Facebook. twitter for all the updates #coral #reefrank #coralreeftank #reefpack #reef2reef #reefcandy #reefersdaily #coralreef #coraladdict #reefaholics #reefjunkie #reeflife #instareef #allmymoneygoestocoral #tankdank #reefpackworldwide #ilovemyreef #marinedepot #reefing #exoticcorals #reefers4reefers #coralporn #reefapoolaz #aquarium #coral #farmboyreef #eatsleepreef #reefbuilders #reefapalooza #plantedtanks #reefheros https://www.instagram.com/p/B4R0q4PpVDa/?igshid=1j3c5taqucidq

[farmboyreef]

Who will be going to the New York show in 2020. I am really looking forward to it. Been a couple years. https://www.instagram.com/p/B4Q5CHnh5vs/?igshid=1igio434to3e8

[farmboyreef]

Do you want to make your reef thank A piece of art 🖼. There’s quite a few colours to choose from. What colour would you pick? Have you already pimped out your pluming ? I am using coloured PVC for my new build. Can anyone guess what colours ? 😉 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••🐠Follow us on YouTube • instagram• Facebook. twitter for all the updates #coral #reefrank #coralreeftank #reefpack #reef2reef #reefcandy #reefersdaily #coralreef #coraladdict #reefaholics #reefjunkie #reeflife #instareef #allmymoneygoestocoral #tankdank #reefpackworldwide #ilovemyreef #marinedepot #reefing #exoticcorals #reefers4reefers #coralporn #reefapoolaz #aquarium #coral #farmboyreef #eatsleepreef #reefbuilders #koi #plantedtanks #reefheros https://www.instagram.com/p/B4OWEzypyYR/?igshid=1hguv2xvwsu7n

[farmboyreef]

Hey gang hope everyone is have a great night. I wanted to chat about aquarium filtration room. The fish room . What are the pros and cons. Do you have a basement setup ? Or is right behind your tank. Would there anything you would charge or add to your setup.I want to hear your input on what you would do to your fish room. let’s see some pics and gear 😎👍. •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••🐠Follow us on YouTube • instagram• Facebook. twitter for all the updates #coral #reefrank #coralreeftank #reefpack #reef2reef #reefcandy #reefersdaily #coralreef #coraladdict #reefaholics #reefjunkie #reeflife #instareef #allmymoneygoestocoral #tankdank #reefpackworldwide #ilovemyreef #marinedepot #reefing #exoticcorals #reefers4reefers #coralporn #reefapoolaz #aquarium #coral #farmboyreef #eatsleepreef #reefbuilders #koi #plantedtanks #reefheros https://www.instagram.com/p/B4OSx6KJWCw/?igshid=p88lanxlkuu

[farmboyreef]

Got the Deltec calcium reactor cleaned up 🧼 ready for the new fish room. What regular think I should run ? •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••🐠Follow us on YouTube • instagram• Facebook. twitter for all the updates #coral #reefrank #coralreeftank #reefpack #reef2reef #reefcandy #reefersdaily #coralreef #coraladdict #reefaholics #reefjunkie #reeflife #instareef #allmymoneygoestocoral #tankdank #reefpackworldwide #ilovemyreef #marinedepot #reefing #exoticcorals #reefers4reefers #coralporn #reefapoolaz #aquarium #coral #farmboyreef #eatsleepreef #reefbuilders #plantedtanks #reefheros #AI52HD https://www.instagram.com/p/B4N8BJ8JLGS/?igshid=1buc9oc7wk2fu

[farmboyreef]

Good morning Reef Hero’s 😎. Topic of the day. What’s everyone feeding their corals these days and why? Do you feed at night ? During the day ? A little info -Corals Are Adaptable •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••🐠Follow us on YouTube • instagram• Facebook. twitter for all the updates #coral #reefrank #coralreeftank #reefpack #reef2reef #reefcandy #reefersdaily #coralreef #coraladdict #reefaholics #reefjunkie #reeflife #instareef #allmymoneygoestocoral #tankdank #reefpackworldwide #ilovemyreef #marinedepot #reefing #exoticcorals #reefers4reefers #coralporn #reefapoolaz #aquarium #coral #farmboyreef #eatsleepreef #reefbuilders #koi #plantedtanks #reefheros https://www.instagram.com/p/B4KQe7pJhG4/?igshid=1jwri969hso32

[farmboyreef]

Getting my 6 AI 52 HD all cleaned up and new software downloaded . Happy I didn’t sell them :) •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••🐠Follow us on YouTube • instagram• Facebook. twitter for all the updates #coral #reefrank #coralreeftank #reefpack #reef2reef #reefcandy #reefersdaily #coralreef #coraladdict #reefaholics #reefjunkie #reeflife #instareef #allmymoneygoestocoral #tankdank #reefpackworldwide #ilovemyreef #marinedepot #reefing #exoticcorals #reefers4reefers #coralporn #reefapoolaz #aquarium #coral #farmboyreef #eatsleepreef #reefbuilders #plantedtanks #reefheros #ai52hd https://www.instagram.com/p/B4IloyEJDlu/?igshid=vtz7iyq62qp3