Product Reviews

While attending MACNA in September 2010, I was excited to see the latest product by Ecotech Marine, and they didn't let me down.



The most important feature of the MP60w ES is that it can fit on a tank that is up to 1" thick. All those large tank owners finally had the option to run Vortech pumps if they wished. These pumps started shipping in early November 2010.
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Chemi-Clean has been around for years, but early in 2010 an updated version came to market in liquid form rather than its powdered predecessor. Not that there was anything wrong with mixing up the powder in a small cup of water; still Boyd Enterprises felt there was a need for an even more user-friendly version.
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Here at ReefAddicts we love our sponsors. Not only because they help us pay for things like the booth at trade shows and Crown Royal, but because we actually use and personally back each and every one. They essentially get the ReefAddicts' seal of approval on their business. Because of this, we want to give you a little background into each and every one, so you can make an informed decision for yourself about who you want to do business with.
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Since I first started as a wee young reefer I have for one reason or another always refused to set up a refugium in order to help control the nutrient levels in my aquariums. At first it was because...well I didn't know any better and all I had was a couple fish and some zoas in a tiny nano tank anyways. Then it was due to space constraints under the stand and possibly a slight pinch of defiance. Well, my disobedience did not pay off and my corals suffered. For ages I couldn't figure out why it was so dang hard to keep SPS alive. ...

When I first received my CO2 regulator from AquariumPlants.com, I thought I'd run it for about a month on my tank before doing a review. By the next day, I felt I was ready to sit down and start typing it up. The fact is, if you need a new regulator for your CO2 tank, this is the one - there's nothing to debate. (For the record, I've been using it for a month - life got in the way and the review had to wait.)
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So I got a hold of a bucket of the highly anticipated Salinity, the first of three buckets currently available on the Central Coast! Here's what Seachem says about it:
"salinity™ is a blend of salts specifically formulated for the reef aquarium that contains all essential major, minor, and trace components found in natural reef waters, but contains no toxic or non-essential components. Additionally, salinity™ is the most concentrated salt blend on the market. With a hydration level of <0.5% salinity™ will yield a greater volume of prepared saltwater at a salinity of 35‰ per unit of weight than any other salt mix currently on the market.
salinity™ is identical to the distribution of anions and cations found in Natural Sea Water (NSW). We have compiled data from all the oceans and seas on the Earth, and have targeted the midpoint of the range for each element. We guarantee to be within ± 3% of the midpoint."
First impression- this bucket is HEAVY! And huge, at least 5 gallons. Second impression, it is VERY dry, almost like powdered sugar.


Each bucket is stickered with the guaranteed values of 19 elements, including lab-certified results for each batch for the "big 4" (ph, Alk, Calcium, Magnesium) and Strontium.


There is a surprisingly detailed list of mixing instructions also, but once you cut through the excess it is straight-forward.


It is slightly more concentrated then other mixes, using slightly less then 1/2 cup per gallon (for my starting mix I used 7 cups for 15 gallons). They advise allowing it to mix for 24 hours to "achieve oxygen/carbon dioxide equilibrium", so tomorrow I will test to confirm the accuracy of their claims! ...