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The water you add to your reef tank is the most important factor for any type of success. Municipal, well, and "tap" water sources often contain copper, manganese, lead, nitrate, phosphate, disinfection chemicals and other substances that make will do harm to a reef aquarium full of fish, corals and other invertebrates. The best defense against these contaminants is a reverse osmosis filtration system or RODI. Reef enthusiasts rely on their RO system to ensure the saltwater they mix up is consistently safe for their tanks, containing zero total dissolved solids. The same goes for top-off water. Your reverse osmosis system needs periodic maintenance to keep it working properly. If not, it will allow contaminated water through the system, causing water quality problems in the short and long term. Here’s everything you need to know to maintain your RO or RO/DI system.

Sediment Pre Filter

The sediment pre-filter cartridge is designed to protect the filtration system from clogging or damage caused by fine particles such as iron oxide, sand, and mineral scale. Over time, these small particulates can clog the tiny flow restrictors and activated carbon filters. The pre-filter is made of spun polyester fibers designed to capture these fine particles. As the fibers clog with sediment they also become coated with naturally-occurring bacteria slime. Clogged pre-filters will reduce flow to the rest of the reverse osmosis system eventually. How to tell when to change the RO or RO/DI pre-filters is if the pressure gauge readings decline, otherwise, we recommend these be replaced every six months to maintain maximum water production.

Activated Carbon Cartridge

The activated carbon cartridge follows the prefilter. Your RO may use a granular carbon or a solid carbon block cartridge. The role of the activated carbon cartridge is to remove chlorine and chloramine disinfectants. Activated carbon also removes organic compounds such as pesticides, carcinogenic disinfection by-products and naturally-occurring organics.  Carbon cartridges should be changed about every six months when maintaining your RO or RO/DI system. Just like the prefilter, activated carbon will eventually become coated with slime and stop removing chlorine and chloramine.

Reverse Osmosis Membrane

The heart of the RO system is the reverse osmosis membrane also called the TFC membrane. A semi-permeable membrane is wound around the center core. As water is forced through the membrane, minerals, nitrate, phosphate and metals are stripped from the water and sent to the wastewater line.  The membrane works by “rejecting” the contaminants from the water stream. But they must be flushed away to keep the membrane working.  Over time all RO membranes become fouled with calcium carbonate, bacteria and other contaminants.  How to maintain and extend the life of the membrane is with an RO Flush Kit.  The flush kit loosens and washes away minerals and contaminants that clog the membrane.  The easiest way to monitor the status of the RO membrane is with a TDS meter. Whether hand-held or in-line, the meter will show when minerals and salts begin slipping past the membrane. This signals that the RO membrane needs to be replaced.

Deionization Cartridge

Reverse osmosis alone does not produce extra-pure water. RO removes a percentage of the contaminants. Certain substance like nitrate and silicate are hard for the RO to remove. That’s why a deionization cartridge(DI) is often the last stage in the water purification system. DI uses ion-exchange resins to scavenge out any trace of silicates, phosphate other undesirable substances. Once the resin is used up, it stops working. DI resin cartridges will cause the water to have a “fishy” odor when used too long. If your DI cartridge use color-changing resin to indicate when it needs to be changed, change it as soon as the cartridge changes color. You can also use a hand-held TDS meter to monitor the quality of your water after the DI cartridge.

The "Happy to be in 2021" LiveSale !

Update: We have our winners! Congratulations and thank you all for a great event!

1st place (Great White Skimmer)- Bill Gould
2nd place (4pc SPS)- Loc Pham
3rd place (4pc LPS)- Bill Sovay
4th place (ICP)- Roely Batista
5th place (ICP)- Paul Scoma
6th place (ICP)- Donna Martinez
7th place (ICP)- Thomas Southworth

You must purchase a shipping module in order to shop LiveSale
For every $5 coral, you must also purchase a non-$5 coral, limit of three $5 coral total per customer for both days.  ALL SALES ARE FINAL, NO SUBSTITUTIONS. 

Full Rules:

This LiveSale will be fully stocked with 2 days of fire! Great assortment of different types of euphyllias, SPS, Signature corals, new releases, and specialty collector's items, all the great finds UniqueCorals.com is known for! And of course there's be plenty of $5 corals, frags, lps, anemone, plus beautiful assortment of Zoas and Palys to fill any garden!

You must purchase a shipping module in order to shop LiveSale items (unless you have paid for shipping on items from our main store, or have purchased $150 or more in the main store).

For every $5 coral, you must also purchase a non-$5 coral, limit of three $5 coral total per customer for both days.  
Grab amazing deals at up to 80% off. If you have been a part of our past LiveSales, you'll know it's a fun time all around.

The Event: All corals will be posted in the R2R thread with a link to purchase. The item is not "yours" until you have completed checkout. If you have never shopped with Unique before, create an account ahead of time to save time at checkout. And don't forget to sign up for UniqueCorals.com Rewards to earn reward points every time you shop.

ALL SALES ARE FINAL, NO SUBSTITUTIONS.

Don't worry, check out as often as you like, we'll automatically combine your orders into one shipment. Please pick your arrival date at checkout (we will default to the shipping module date).

PURCHASE A SHIPPING MODULE HERE 

Win awesome prizes!
Each purchaser will automatically be entered. Names are drawn at random, no substitutions.

Dalua Great White GW-10 Skimmer $399 
4 Pc Premium SPS Frag Pack $349
4 Pc premium LPS Frag Pack $299
Triton ICP Analysis Kit - 4 pieces $49 ea
7 winners total!

While we are all staying home during this period of heightened precautions, doesn't mean we shouldn't get together and talk Reef! With the help of technology, we can enjoy a Reef Show from the comfort of our own homes. This is the idea behind ReefStock @Home.

This Saturday 12:30 PST - ReefStock at Home by ReefBuilders: hear great great speakers, at video presentation by Jake and catch a ReefStock special sale with UniqueCorals.com! Not to be missed!

CLICK HERE to join the event.

Full details:

https://reefstock.show/reefstock-home/

Aquarium heaters are one of the most essential parts of a thriving aquarium, whether you may use one year round or only for a short while. Over the years, the market has become saturated with a plethora of options in all shapes and sizes when it comes to heaters, but were here to talk about the best. While the main goal of keeping a reef tank between the temperatures of 76 and 80 degrees remains the same, the heaters which allow you to achieve those temperatures have continued to evolve. 

In this report, we want to give you the rundown on which heater will fit best with your aquarium. The main categories we will be looking at include the best budget heater, the best heater for a nano tank, and the best overall heater. 

Best Aquarium Heater on a Budget: Eheim Jager TruTemp

The Eheim Jager TruTemp Fully Submersible Heater is a heater that we have all come to know and truly love. This heater has changed very little over the past 5 years as it is still one of the most well built, reliable, and budget friendly heaters around. In addition to being fully submersible, this heater also features run-dry protection that will turn off the heater if it is no longer submersed in water. The shatterproof glass adds to the durability that you have come to expect from all Eheim products. It is nearly impossible to find a more durable, reliable, and proven heater on the market at a better price.

Best Heater for Nano Systems: Cobalt Aquatics Neo-Therm

Nano systems have been a huge trend in the aquarium industry for years, its where a lot of us got our start. These tanks are currently the most popular size range for entry level hobbyists. Space is at a premium within these small systems so finding a heater that can fit and still be reliable is often difficult. That is why the Cobalt Aquatics Neo-Therm is one of the best aquarium heaters for a nano tank. The slim profile and easy to set, “One touch” display gives the Neo-Therm the upper hand when it comes to squeezing it into tight spaces. An ultra-accurate thermostat and LED display rounds out this compact, effective, and durable heater. Even in the tightest of spaces, Cobalt has found a way to keep your tank at the proper temperature.

Best Overall Heater: Finnex HMA-S With Guard and Analog Controller 

The Finnex HMA-S series is a superior line of heaters that are built to last. This is certainly an inexpensive heater so many of the features you would come to expect in a higher budget option are prevalent. The heater includes an external analog controller that allows for quick and easy temperature adjustments without getting your hands wet. The titanium built heater is even more durable than shatter resistant glass and they can be used in freshwater, saltwater, and reef aquariums. The features and durability built into this product are elite and that is why it is one of the best aquarium heaters on the market. 

Tomorrow is Veteran's Day.
No school for the kids, and we get to teach them about honoring the veterans. We have several in our family, and we take this chance to educate the young ones about what that means.

Plus, a day off is always nice!
Let's rock out the tank a little bit. 15% off all livestock with code VDAY15.
Sale going on Wed to Sun.
New stock will be dropping daily, starting Wednesday.

Happy Reefing

When you buy new aquarium sand or gravel it is highly recommended that you rinse it first, unless it is live sand for your reef. Even if it says it was pre-washed, it will still carry some dirt which can cause a cloudy mess in your water. However, even after you get it in the aquarium it’s not over, the substrate will accumulate detritus, decomposing organics and more. So here are a few tips on how to clean sand or gravel to keep a pristine aquarium.

How to clean new substrate:

Cut the bag of sand open and fill a 5 gallon bucket about 1/3 full with sand. Place the bucket under the faucet and turn it on full so that it vigorously jets into the sand. Move your fingers through the sand, stirring it and lifting into the water jet as you do so. When the bucket is full, turn off the water, run your fingers through the sand some more, then pour the dirty water away (being careful not to pour the sand down the drain) and repeat. It may take 10 or more goes until the water remains clear. Pour the clean sand into the bare, new tank, and fill the bucket with the second third of sand. Repeat, and repeat again with the last third. You may also do this process outside with a garden hose. If you are rinsing sand for a reed tank I recommend doing your final rinse with RODI water.

Cleaning substrate in an established aquarium:

One of the most trusted methods is to use a gravel cleaner like an Aquaeon Siphon Vacuum or Python Pro-Clean to siphon out detritus into a bucket. You may also use a larger system such as an Aqueon Water Changer or Python No Spill Clean and Fill which connects to your faucet to siphon the water. Once a siphon is achieved, hover the wide open end of the vacuum over the substrate so that it travels a few inches up the tube and releases the detritus from within it. Slowly move the vacuum upwards and gravity should drop the sand or gravel back down, otherwise the flow may be controlled by simply pinching the soft tubing; the detritus should be all that ends up in the bucket. Repeat this, moving the gravel vacuum back to front, left to right, until a sufficient amount of the substrate has been cleaned.

If you don’t have a gravel vacuum, routinely run your fingers, a plastic rod, or a JBJ Aquascraper 4-in-1 Cleaning Kit through the gravel to dislodge debris. Let the filter remove the dirt from the water via mechanical filtration, then clean the filter or swap filter socks to export the dirt and nutrients from your system.

Lastly, use livestock to help clean the substrate. For freshwater use Corydoras catfish, Loaches or Geophagus cichlids to sift the substrate for food, cleaning it as they do so. Tanks containing Corydoras always have cleaner substrates. For nano freshwater tanks, shrimp do a great job. For a reef cleanup crew use Nassarius snails, sand sifting starfish, fighting conchs, or sand sifting gobies to clean the sand.

The Holidays Season is almost here! 

From us at Unique, we wish you and your families a successful, joyous, and prosperous Holiday Season.

We have the UniqueCorals.com Gift Card available for you, or that special reefer in your life!  $90 for a $100 gift car, $175 for a $200 gift card, $47 for a $50 card too, no restrictions or limits!

Simply checkout, we will email you an electronic gift code, you can keep for yourself, or forward the gift code confirmation email to that special reefer in your life as a gift!

Hurry before they are all gone!
Happy Reefing!

*Please allow up to 48 hours to process. Good for any product in store, including sale items. No expiration date.

There are so many new corals dropping it's scary! Enjoy your 2020 Halloween with us while trick or treating safely from the comfort of your home. 

Friday to Monday, all livestock will be 17% off with code BOO.

We will have daily uploads of new corals so you can always find something special and new.

Spooooky!

Review: Reefs.com

Reefbuilders.com

The IceCap Pod Habitat is a unique creation which combines our previous knowledge of copepods with modern design and innovation. Yes, copepods do not naturally live in neat little tower blocks, and surely your live rock or sand will do the same job... right? Not necessarily, many man made "dry rocks" are too dense for copepods to truly thrive and the more you think about it, the more something like this 3”x3”x2” cube makes sense.

How it works

Once placed into your AIO, sump or refugium the small holes become populated with copepods and amphipods. As the pods reproduce they will overflow into the main tank, feeding the fish just like a classic refugium. Although, unlike a traditional refugium, you can pick up the pod habitat and shake it in the main tank, releasing live pods on demand for any waiting fish. 

You can also get creative and leave a full pod habitat in the main tank for a bit to replicate a butterflyfish and pipefishes natural habitat. Watch as they go to town on the pod sanctuary, pushing their snouts into it to munch on pods just as they would in nature.

You may also “mature” a pod habitat in the filter section of an existing tank and then move it to a new tank to seed it with bacteria and tiny critters which will help bring your reef to life. 

If you do not have the luxury of a separate filter section you may also bury your Pod Habitat under the rocks and leave it there as an in-tank refugium. A secret pod fortress deep within the aquascape will give copepod populations a chance to establish and retreat when needed. You could even set up multiple pod habitats that could be shook on different days of the week, ensuring you always have a supply.

Usage of live copepods is becoming more and more mainstream, many reefers are even dosing their tanks on a weekly basis with bottles of live pods. The Oceanic Institute of Hawaii Pacific University published recently that copepods are the “key to success” in rearing many species of reef fish, so this novel marine bug hotel has true potential.

Filtration is one of the most important factors in establishing long term success as water quality is essential in both freshwater and saltwater aquariums. Almost all displays look beautiful on the first day of setup, but, as that brand new tank look wears off, we begin to rely on our filtration to keep everything looking clean and healthy. Aquarium filters come in many varieties including ones that hang on the back of the aquarium, canister filters that are plumbed externally, and multi-filters that can perform a variety of tasks in the filtration process. Building an aquarium with an excellent mode of filtration allows hobbyists to have the perfect foundation to create a successful saltwater, freshwater, planted, or reef aquarium.

While the look of these products may differ, the ways in which they operate are ultimately the same. Aquarium filters are designed to remove harmful elements from the water, create continuous water flow, and polish the water to keep it clean and clear. Within this list, we will break down some of our best aquarium filter recommendations including the hang on back, the canister filter, and the multi-filter.

Best Hang-on-Back Filter: Seachem Laboratories Tidal Power Filters

This filter is a beast, it is one of the only hang on back filters equipped with a surface skimmer, ensuring excellent function on both saltwater and freshwater aquariums. High quality and well thought out products are what we have come to expect from Seachem and their Tidal Power Filters are a perfect example. These filters come in four sizes and can be used on aquariums up to 110 gallons. One of the best features on this filter is the oversized filtration capacity that allows you to add any of Seachem’s media to the back of the unit. Another impeccable feature in this filter is the custom leveling and flow regulation that allows for a great fit on any tank. Finally, there is a maintenance monitor which will alert you when the media inside needs to either be cleaned or replaced. These features are nearly impossible to come by on any other hang on back filter which is why we have selected the Seachem Tidal Power Filter as one of the best aquarium filters on the market. 

Best Canister Filter: Eheim Classic External Canister Filters

Eheim has been producing canister filters for decades, and it shows in their product. Their excellent build quality, pricepoint, and customer care have allowed them to make this honorable list. These filters come in a variety of sizes to fit your aquarium and each includes a set of media to filter and polish your water. This canister filter features quick disconnect plumbing which allows for easier maintenance and cleaning when necessary. While Eheim filters may lack some of the special features that you can find on more modern and expensive filters, they are a reliable option that is built to last. This makes the Eheim Classic External our choice for the best aquarium filter in the canister category. 

Best All in One Filter: AquaMaxx HF-M Hang-On-Back Multi Filter

As our hobby has progressed, so have our filters, we now have options that perform more than just simple water filtration and polishing. The AquaMaxx HF-M Multi Filter is a shining example of innovation in our industry, it is equipped with a built in protein skimmer, probe holder, tubing holder, and media cartridge. All of these included features come together to make an exceptional all in one filtration unit that can perform on aquariums between 20 and 60 gallons. This filter guides water through three different stages of filtration; beginning with the protein skimmer where waste is removed from the water. The water then enters a biological filtration section where it is polished. Finally, the water flows into the third and final chamber where even more filter media can be customized to suit your system. All of these premium features packed into this single filter provide your tank with a comprehensive saltwater filtration process that cannot be topped without the use of an external sump.