Maintenance & Troubleshooting
Maintenance & Troubleshooting for reef and saltwater aquariums.
Reef Tank Algae ID Guide: What's Growing and How to Beat It
Identify the eight most common reef tank algae — from diatoms to dinoflagellates — and learn the specific cause and fix for each, so you stop treating the wrong problem.
The Complete Reef Maintenance Schedule (Daily to Yearly)
A patient reef maintenance schedule covering daily checks, weekly water changes, monthly equipment service, and the yearly tasks most reefers forget to do.
Power Outage Playbook: Keeping a Reef Alive in the Dark
Oxygen first, temperature second, light last: the order of operations that keeps a reef alive through a power outage, plus the cheap kit to buy beforehand.
How Often Should You Do Water Changes in a Reef Tank?
The 10% weekly default, when to flex it, and the math of what water changes can and cannot fix — plus the 15-minute routine that does the job properly.
Brown Algae on Your Sand? Diatoms in a New Tank, Explained
That rust-brown film on new sand is diatoms — the universal new-tank phase. What causes it, how long it lasts, and why doing less beats doing more here.
Why Is My Saltwater Tank Cloudy? (4 Causes, 4 Fixes)
White haze, green tint, or dust clouds? Diagnose cloudy saltwater by color and timing, then fix the real cause — sand, bacteria, algae, or flow issues.