Wishing that you had the chance to go around the world to see some of the greatest reef tanks? Well, here's your chance - without even leaving the comfort of your home. Check out this month's Thread of the Month winner...

Best tanks from around the world

Wondering how to set up your new calcium reactor? Look no further than this comprehensive article by Jose Dieck. Part 2 addresses all the issues surrounding the actual set up and operation of a calcium reactor, as well as its tweaking for best performance.

Calcium Reactors… In, Out and Everything in Between - Part 2

Thread of the Month is here! Here’s your chance to vote. Each month TeamRC selects three of the best threads for all Reef Central members to vote on. There will be three threads to choose from, and you are only allowed to vote once. We encourage you to follow the links provided below, to read and enjoy these threads. All three are full of information and are each equally worthy.

Thread of the Month Poll

The Marinelife Aquarium Society of Michigan is pleased to announce The MASM Breeder's Workshop! Please join us for an exciting afternoon with two of the brightest stars in the marine breeding realm: Matthew Wittenrich and Matt Pedersen.

Matthew Wittenrich is a marine biologist who has been deeply involved with the aquarium world since the age of 15. He is currently pursuing his doctorate at Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne Florida, with research projects centered in the Philippines. Matthew has successfully raised over 56 species of marine fish and shrimp. His research focuses on the development of feeding abilities in early stage larvae of coral reef fishes.

Matt Pedersen currently resides in Duluth, MN, and has been a marine aquarist for 23 years and an aquarist for 28 years. Matt's current area of interest is marine fish breeding. He has currently spawned 17 species of marine fish, successfully raising five of them, including one worldwide first (the Harlequin filefish, Oxymonacanthus longirostris). Matt Pedersen is credited with starting MOFIB and writes for multiple publications. Matt was awarded "Aquarist of the Year" honors by both IMAC West and MASNA in 2009 in recognition of his accomplishments and contributions to the marine aquarium hobby.

In an effort to support and encourage captive breeding, MASM has designed a workshop that will both inspire and assist anyone that is interested in captive breeding.

This workshop is part of the larger MASM Breeding Initiative: http://www.masm.org/mForums/tt.aspx?forumid=88

The workshop will begin with presentations relating to the captive breeding of marine organisms by both speakers. After a short break, attendees will have plenty of "one on one" time to ask questions and discuss their own, personal, breeding efforts.

The workshop will be held at the Cranbrook Institute of Science on Saturday, March 13, 2010, starting at 1pm.
Admission is free to MASM members. Non-members can purchase tickets in advance for $5, or at the door for $10

For more information please visit The MASM Breeder's Workshop.

Looking for some definitions of chemical terms that you don't understand? Randy Holmes-Farley went to the trouble of creating just such a reference work back in 2005 in a previous issue of Reefkeeping Magazine. Next time you're confused over a chemical term or unit of measure, take a look here:

The Units of Measure of Reefkeeping

Manhattan Reefs has a beautifully produced quarterly publication, Reefs Magazine, and the site has some interesting articles for reefkeepers.

Check out the latest issue:

• Diving the Reefs of Anilao, Philippines by J. Charles Delbeek
• Epic Fail – the Anatomy of a Disaster by Richard Ross
• Moving A Saltwater Aquarium by Lissa Mann
• Reef Disturbance and Resilience by Chris Jury
• Interview with Rob Toonen
• Fish Tales by Christine Williams

Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes before your local fish store or online vendor gets their livestock? In this video, provided by Jim Stines of LA Fishguys, you'll be able to take a tour of a coral/fish wholesaler in Los Angeles, CA. Jim has quite a library of interesting videos available, ranging from the basics of setting up a reef tank to following him as he makes his rounds in his professional capacity as he maintains various customers' aquariums.

Visit a Fish - Coral Wholesaler

View the rest of his video library here.

What do you tell your inquistive neighbors when they ask, "Why do you do all of this?" Well, a thread was recently started on Reef Central that includes lots of reefkeepers opinions on the subject. Check it out here:

Why do you reef?

Take a close look at what just hitchhiked into this reefkeeper's tank. Is this Santa's latest attempt to spread the word of Christmas into the reefkeeping world?

I think not! Anyhow, check out how Dr. Ron Shimek identified this unusual critter here:

Live rock hitchhikers

There's an interesting thread in the Reef Chemistry Forum showing results from a recent salt study. Twenty popular brands were tested to determine their levels of calcium, alkalinity and magnesium. Take a look and see how your particular salt faired in the comparison.

Synthetic Salt Mixes

Are you setting up a new tank and wondering how to aquascape your new toy? Do-it-yourself foam structures offer a way to build a unique, custom-designed reef. Check out this thread in the Do-it-Yourself forum:

My DIY Rock/Foam Reef

Have you ever thought of modifying your VorTech? Well, Adam Blundell has done just that. In this new article in Reefkeeping Magazine, Adam explains the process...

"I’ve been working with the EcoTech Marine VorTech pump for over a year now. I’ve burned them up, broken parts, run them dry and done all sorts of things you wouldn’t normally try on a $400 pump. Thankfully, it’s my job. Overall, I’d have to say I am very pleased and certainly impressed by these pumps. For people (like me) who are fascinated with water flow patterns, the use of sync/anti-sync technology is a playground of wonder. Additionally, the shear volume and direction of the flow creates many opportunities. Read more...