Articles by Dana Riddle

When I first utilized Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) in coral experiments in 2001, I never envisioned how these lights would revolutionize the aquarium hobby. The advantages of LEDs are many, including long life, relatively low heat generation, dimming capability, spectral tuning, potential low...

Neptune Systems has offered sophisticated SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) devices along with analyzers, pumps, ATOs, and others for many years. Although many lighting systems made by others could be controlled by the Apex, only recently has this company offered its own LED...

Product Review: AquaMaxx Puratek Reverse Osmosis/Deionization Filtration Unit By Dana Riddle Water evaporates, salts do not – this is one of the first things a marine hobbyist learns. Hence fresh water must be added to keep the aquarium water from becoming too salty. If you’re fortunate, tap...

For inspiration: a great macro anemone shot. The image above is from the Reef2Reef archives courtesy of @maidia ©2019, All Rights Reserved. Successful reef-keeping is very much a numbers game. Specific gravity, pH, temperature, calcium & magnesium concentrations are important to know. Light...

Proper lighting is one of the most important aspects of successfully maintaining a reef aquarium, yet many hobbyists leave it to chance. I’ve pondered why this is for years--perhaps it is because it can be a complicated subject with many variables involved (compare this to water chemistry where...

As all serious reef aquarium hobbyists know, light intensity is an important consideration for a successful captive reef. This short article will examine how light intensity decreases as water depth increases in an aquarium the depth often maintained by hobbyists. The Swedish researcher Nils...