When I first heard about Safety Stop by Blue Life USA, I was intrigued. A small package containing two solutions to help fish shake off external parasites sounded very practical. So I made a call to Blue Life and asked more questions.

Right off the bat, the contents are Formalin (Part A) and Methylene Blue (Part B). These active ingredients are known useful solutions to bathe fish in to remove parasites. So if it isn't new, why the write up? The fact is, the majority of hobbyists do not quarantine their new fish. Every new acquisition dumped into your tank is the equivalent of playing Russian Roulette in that you may be lucky several times, but it only takes one widespread outbreak that kills off your beautiful and expensive fish to make you realize what a risk you've taken. For years, I told hobbyists "You don't want to put AIDS in your tank." That continues to be the most clear way I can ...

Quite a few people recommended Warner Marine's EcoBak media when it comes to nitrate & phosphate reduction in the aquarium. This was one of the first brands to come to market initially, and for a period it was almost always out of stock. If you've been on the fence, unsure if it is worth the effort, let me assure you that it replaces other choices like vodka dosing... and it does so nicely.



Biopellets need to be run in a specially designed reactor. Two that I've used are by NextReef and by AquaMaxx. These reactors force water to flow strongly through the media, causing it to tumble at all times. Water shouldn't channel or flow through clumped media, ...

When I first got the AquaMaxx Biopellet Reactor, I was very interested in how it worked because the demonstration unit on display showcased something unseen by other similar devices. Unlike its counterparts, this one causes the media to spin at a strong rate -- the pellets orbiting a vertical riser tube provide one-way directional flow. It looked really neat, but I didn't know how the media would do under such conditions.

The reactor itself is made of acrylic and PVC fittings. The inlet and outlets are glued into place, ...

The final part of my PADI Open Water diver certification was Dives 3 & 4. Yesterday, Dives 1 & 2 were done in Terrell, Texas. Today's took place in Glen Rose, Texas.

The purpose of this documentation is to provide information to consider so your experience will go smoothly, and that is why I opt to share a number of details, including minor ones:

I awoke at 8 a.m. so I'd have an hour to get myself going before my drive to Glen Rose. As soon as the alarm sounded, I jumped up but wow did I feel like heck. I could see through the closed blinds that it wasn't bright outside, which meant it would feel colder than yesterday's sunny day. My body ached, my neck bothered me, my sinuses seemed a little restricted... more than likely the result of cold water dives the day before. I reset the timer on the alarm, and went back to sleep for 45 minutes. I felt better, and had just enough time to ...

To receive my PADI SCUBA certification, I have to complete four "open water" dives with a qualified instructor. This weekend is halfway over, and I was able to get two of the four done today before we ran out of daylight. Here's the link to the planning blog: http://www.reefaddicts.com/entry.php...-certification

Yesterday (Friday), I went to We B Divin' to pick up my gear. This includes the BCD, weights, 5mm wetsuit and 5mm Hooded Vest. Because the dive shop doesn't have any Large wetsuits at this time, I used the LL (large-long) and an XL hooded vest. The purpose of both is to insulate me from the colder water in our lakes during November. I picked up two air tanks, and checked both for their O-rings. One was fine while the other looked pretty rough. I asked for a spare O-ring since it ...

With a heavy schedule carrying multiple responsibilities, it has literally taken me years to get SCUBA certification, or should I say the necessary training to become qualified to dive. When I designed the logo for my company, a diver was included in the artwork as a constant reminder of what I wanted to do. It was a personal goal. No matter how I tried to map out my schedule, I never seemed to have the time to take my classes. About a year ago, due to a friend's reminder, I purchased a Groupon for classes, and even with the four month period before expiration, I couldn't mesh my schedule accordingly. Customer orders needed filling, traveling for speaking engagements or MACNA promotion, as well as club business / events, my reef tank's issues... ...