Back in August 2016 when the G4 Pro originally launched here in the UK, a flurry of reviews appeared as outlets competed to be the first to ‘spill the beans’ on this desirable new tech. Due to heavy demand, we didn’t receive our unit for review until late 2016 and given the bi-monthly run ofRead More
Reviews
Close Look : EcoTech Marine Radion G5 XR15 ‘Blue’
[originally published in issue 83, August 2020] It’s been around 3 years since the launch of EcoTech’s Radion G4 (we reviewed the XR30 G4 Pro in issue 66, October 2017). In that period, while the G4 has kept EcoTech firmly at the pinnacle of the reef aquarium lighting market, they’ve clearly continued to ‘push theRead More
Close Look Review: ReefOCTO VarioS Circulation Pump
After writing so many return pump reviews over the years, it can sometimes be challenging to get inspired to start another. Having said that, if there’s one pump that can pique our interest it’s the OCTO VarioS, indeed seeing these in the flesh at the AQUA tradeshow in Telford late last year made us determinedRead More
Close Look: Aquarium Systems L’Aquarium 2.0
Every year when we attend a trade show, we get a feel for the latest trends and general direction in which suppliers and manufacturers are moving with their various product lines. Several years ago, off-the-shelf aquarium systems themselves were the new, hot product. Since then, we’ve seen numerous refinements in the design of these systems.Read More
Close Look: D-D H2Ocean P4 Pro and P1 dosing pumps
Anyone who’s had a reef tank for more than a couple of years will know that success brings its own challenges as a healthy, growing coral population steadily begins to exert an ever-increasing demand that must be maintained. There are numerous ways to achieve mineral and/or trace element supplementation of course, and the use ofRead More
Close Look: Triton N-DOC ORGANICS Professional Seawater Analysis
One of the perhaps more subtle developments in reef-keeping over the last couple of years has been the general consensus that absolute zero levels of phosphate and nitrate can actually be a bad thing for a reef tank. While it’s always been accepted that soft corals and LPS corals like some dissolved organic nutrients inRead More
Close Look: Tunze DOC Skimmer 9430 DC
When it comes to skimmers, it can be easy to be led by the form of a product over its function. However, something that looks aesthetically pleasing doesn’t necessarily mean it will perform its primary role any more effectively. Sometimes it can be a challenge to look beyond the hype, especially when everyone else seemsRead More
Close Look: ReefTops Tank Cover
Until recently, if you wanted a neat cover for your open-topped rimless tank, options were few and far between. Even the easiest solution involved a fair amount of DIY to end-up with a usable product. Given the never-ending stories of people losing fish through them jumping out of uncovered aquaria, we probably weren’t the onlyRead More
Close Look: TUNZE Smartcontroller 7000 Aquarium Controller
For a large part of the reef-keeping community, time is probably the single largest ‘limiting factor’ when it comes to running a reef tank. For many, this means that managing time effectively becomes critical in maintaining a successful system, and automating the most repetitive and tiresome tasks has been shown to assist in this process.Read More
Close Look: Vectra Review I-Supra C+ Aquarium Filtration System
Often described in aquarium literature as a ‘place to store unsightly aquarium equipment’, sumps have something of a reputation for being objects to hide behind closed cabinet doors, being displeasing to look at and perhaps chaotic and unclean. This actually doesn’t have to be the case though, indeed many items of aquarium equipment now availableRead More
Close Look: Sicce SYNCRA SDC 7.0 multifunction circulation pump
Controllable, DC powered circulation pumps have been around for quite a while now and are often seen in either return pump or skimmer engine forms. Featuring separate wired controllers to adjust speed at the touch of a button there are a host of offerings of varying quality and cost. Pumps that can be adjusted remotelyRead More