High nitrates can be one of the biggest causes of algae in marine tanks, but there’s plenty of ways to reduce them. Read our helpful guide to find out how.

Here’s the scenario. You look in your tank and find that one of your fish is dead. But is it dead or is it sleeping? How do you tell if a fish is dead? And how do you dispose of it?

The pH of the ocean is approximately 8.3 and if you can pH up to 8.3 and hold it there, great, but most salt mixes mix to about pH 8.1.

High pH can be good for some fish that naturally inhabit hard, alkaline waters like Lake Tanganyika cichlids, Malawi cichlids and Sailfin mollies.

Alkalinity, also known as KH, dKH or Carbonate Hardness is one of the most important parameters in a reef tank. Control KH and you will be well on the way to success.

Corals need Calcium just like we do, and if they aren’t doing well, after addressing light and water flow, Calcium is usually the thing we think we need to raise first.

Phosphates are a big problem for the reefkeeper. High phosphate levels fuel nuisance algae and retard coral growth.

Without proper maintenance, your pond is vulnerable to green water, bad odours, and chemical imbalances, but how do you fix them?

Mastering water chemistry in a reef tank is just as key to success as using the right lighting. Maybe even more so. So where do you start?