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Tanks

What is a Reef Ready Tank?

A reef ready tank is a pre-drilled tank with an overflow system in place. The overflow allows the tank water to return to a sump and return back to the tank via a return pump in the sump. All this keeps the water level in the tank constant. This is important to remember as the tank will still evaporate water but you will only notice this in the sump. A drilled tank is far easier to maintain and less noisy than a tank with a hang on back return system. These systems are prone to loss of siphon and can result in tank overflows if the return tubes are blocked. A drilled system will not have this problem and for no other reason than this in our opinion a drilled, reef ready system is worth the few extra dollars up front.

What Tank Size?

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It might sound like a sales pitch but it's true. When asked this question I always answer with. "Bigger is better." but why? Larger tanks have more water volume that allows for a little more room for problems. A good example is the salt or salinity level in the tank. As the day goes on your tank will evaporate water due to cooling, this is a natural and much needed process. It's also a good reason to use an auto top off system such as the Tunze osmolator. ATO or not you will need to add fresh water to your tank as it evaporates to counteract the rising salinity level. In a larger tank you can get by with this a bit longer than a smaller tank. The same goes with water chemistry as a whole, a larger tank will prove much more stable than a smaller system.

You should also take the fish you want into consideration. For example, you should never add a yellow tang to a tank smaller than a 75 gallons. Fish grow and it's important to educate yourself to how big a fish might get. The old tale about a fish only getting as large as it's tank is simply not accurate. Plan ahead and you will have far greater success with your tank with far less problems.

What about skimmers?

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Skimmers are responsible for the removal of proteins in the water through a process called foam refraction. The process is similar to what you might see at the beach following a storm. Air bubbles cause particles to cling to them where they are collected along the shore line as foam, in the case of a skimmer the foam is collected in the skimmers container. If you have a reef tank you will want a good skimmer. Try to get one rated for at least twice your tank volume, if you plan to have a heavy stocked tank go for three times the tank volume. A good skimmer is an essential piece of equipment for any saltwater system. We carry a full line of quality skimmers such as TUNZE , Deltec and Vertex. what ever your tank needs we can find a skimmer to fit it.

Aquacultured coral

Several years ago the vast majority of coral a hobbyist could find came from the ocean. Tons of coral were harvested and sent off to wholesalers where a vast majority died before reaching any local fish store much less the hobbyist. However there were a few wholesalers that dealt in aqua cultured and mari cultured corals. These were coral that were harvested responsibly and allowed to grow in order to have fragments removed from them and grown into new coral. This fragging process is how the first coral farms began. Today over half the coral on the market is aquacultured and as such it is far more healthy and adapted to tank life. In the local area Jo-Mar's was a leader in coral propagation and with it's own coral brand (TFG corals), and sponsored reef club , it introduced to the area more aquacultured coral and technique than any other venue.

Specialty Pets will continue the tradition and build upon the ground work of TFG's Project 66 as it reaches it's full potential and becomes "System 66". The vats allow the shop to produce there own tank raised coral for market without the need to purchase from other sources. This means prices are well below what you may find on competitor websites and special coral packs can be made available to the new hobbyist. We know one of the reasons you set your reef tank up was so you could enjoy it. By buying our frag packs you can quickly populate your tank with good quality affordable, healthy coral. With the number of coral reefs vanishing at an alarming rate tank raised coral may one day be the only coral left for hobbyists. To learn more about coral reefs and the dangers they are facing click below.

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Have you been searching for a serious skimmer for a great price? We now carry the full Reef Octopus line of skimmers, reactors, etc and as always you can expect unbeatable prices and free advice on choosing the equipment that you need to make your tank something you can be proud of. So what are you waiting for? Drop by or call us today to day to place your order!

GOT FLOW?

Specialty Pets has you covered

VORTECH

Vortech Intelligent power head systems create ideal conditions for your reef aquarium. With flow rates from 200 to over 6000 gallons per hour, there is a Vortech to match your reef needs.

The MP 10 Series

Designed especially for nano-reef aquariums, the MP10w ES from EcoTech Marine is a small yet powerful pump. The MP10w ES ideal for tanks from 2.5 to 50 gallons creates gentle flows of 200 to 1,575 gallons per hour, helping the tanks feel more like the ocean.

MP-20

Ideally suited for aquariums smaller than 70 gallons, the MP20 produces unmatched broad yet gentle flow while placing the motor outside the tank preserving the beauty of your aquarium and enhancing the health of your tank’s ecosystem.

MP-40 Series

The award-winning technology of the MP40w ES provides wireless operation on tanks between 50 and 500+ gallons, producing 1,000 to 3,200 gallons per hour of flow and smallest in-tank footprint for full-size reef aquariums.

Specialty Pets carries a full line of Eco Tech Marine products and can order anything from the catalog including upgrades for your older MP series pumps. Anyone wishing to see a vortech in action can drop by and view the two we use on our 150 gallon reef display tank.

TUNZE

Hobbyists need not be limited to Vortech for their reef keeping needs as Specialty Pets is the areas only "Authorized TUNZE dealer." If you need high flow with precise German engineering, TUNZE is the undisputed champ of the power head world. TUNZE pioneered powerhead technology with the introduction of Stream style pumps in the early 70s. Today hobbyists have an almost endless assortment of pumps and accessories to choose from. If you have a large tank more than likely you are going to go with TUNZE at some point. TUNZE pumps deliver flow rates from a few hundred gph all the way up to a staggering 7,925 gph boasted by the Turbelle 6305.

SEIO

We also offer a line of more economy friendly powerhead solutions for the hobbyists on a budget or anyone who is just getting started and doesn't want to make a huge initial investment. For tanks that require a bit more flow for a lot less cost we suggest SEIO Prop pumps. These pump models can deliver flow from 600 to 1,500 gph and are perfect for medium sized (40-75 gallon) systems. Before

Reactors?

So you have heard other reef hobbyist talking about reactors on their tank? Do you need one? If so what kind and what are the differences? reactors come in different sizes and shapes but all have a common function. They are a vessel where media is exposed to tank water and returned. Calcium reactors are the most common and complex of the types. A calcium reactor injects CO2 gas into the chamber where the gas causes a calcium based media to dissolve infusing the water with calcium. These reactors should only be used with a controller as potential for disaster exists without proper safety measures. The next is a Kalkwasser reactor, these are filled with Kalkwasser and are used in conjunction with an auto top off system such as a TUNZE osmolator. They contain a small pump that is hooked to a timer or controller that that is set to stir the media intermittently. When the top off pumps in tank water it flows through the Kalk reactor back into the tanks sump. This is used to increase both the tanks Calcium level and the Alkalinity. As a general rule one should purchase a Kalk reactor before a calcium reactor, the Ca reactor will be used to increase the Ca levels when and if the Kalk reactor alone will not suffice. There are other reactors such as Phosphate reactors, nitrate reactors etc. The use of reactors in a system will help maintain the stability needed to insure long term success with your tank.

Live Rock & Base Rock

What's the difference in live rock and base rock? Well it's easy, live rock comes out of a live saltwater system. It harbors beneficial bacteria's and life that will help establish a SW system faster. Base rock is dry reef rock and is far less expensive than live. Either can be used to set up a saltwater reef system but most hobbyists opt for a 50/50 mix of base and live. What ever you choose you should plan for about 1- 1.5 lbs per gallon and look for rock that is not solid, look for porous rock, this will harbor far more bacteria than a solid piece. If you are buying live rock and adding to a already cycled aquarium you must be sure that the rock is fully cured. If the rock has been out of the water for over 12 hours there will likely be a lot of die off on the rock causing the tank to undergo a cycle. This is why live rock is best for starting a new aquarium as it can quickly help to establish a bacteria bed and cycle the tank. If you are buying live rock it is strongly advised that you have a good skimmer in operation as there will allmost always be die off to some degree unless the rock is placed into the system within several hours. The live rock we sell is fully cured and is safe to add to either an established system or a new system.

Lighting solutions for any tank

Lighting is important for any tank but for a reef tank it's a necessity. Coral or more specifically the zooxanthellae, the symbiotic algae's that live within them need light for photosynthesis. What type of light is dependant upon your particular coral needs. T-5 and metal halide are the top choice in advanced reef lighting right now. T-5s promise less energy usage and more light than other conventional means where as halides produce a great deal more PAR or photosynthetic active radiation. LED technology is an upcoming force and much talked about but over larger tanks it still falls a bit short, plus the cost of these systems leaves most new hobbyists out of game. Power compacts which were the long standing solution for years are slowly giving way to T-5s and then there are Plasma and HID lights. Which of these will become the next lighting leader? That's for the future to determine, right now you should go with which ever light source is more proven for your particular tank lighting needs. We offer lights and bulbs for all your lighting needs at an affordable price.

Can we match competitors prices?

Why stop there? In some cases we can flat out beat their prices or host exclusive offers that they can't. Bring in a competitors add and see what we can do for you, what do you have to loose?