Nano reefs are a great thing.   They have made keeping reef aquariums accessible to almost everyone, no matter what their income.  However, with such a small volume of water, equipment failures can be catastrophic.

Even the best aquarium heaters are prone to sticking on or off.  In a nano reef, it doesn’t take long for a heater stuck on to wipe out the entire tank.  A temperature controller works by cutting the power to your heater when your tank temperature exceeds your set point.  More advanced aquarium controllers can sound alarms, email you, and shut down your lights to prevent over-heating.

The most inexpensive aquarium controller is the ReefKeeper Lite, which we sell for $125.  This is a video demonstration on how to quickly and easily setup the ReefKeeper as a temperature controller.

I love moonlighting. The way the colors fluoresce and being able to view your tank 24 hours a day have made LED moonlights almost essential for me. Once I got my ATI Powermodule, however…I had to reconsider. It is such a beautiful fixture, I didn’t want to tack anything cheesy onto it or make any permanent modifications. Then I discovered Ecoxotic Stunner LED strips. They fit very well onto any fixture, including high-end hanging models. They feature a very slim profile, self-adhesive backings, and cord-holders to mount neatly onto your light. If I would’ve painted it Krylon grey, I think it would be perfect. And the color under these things! “Stunner” is an appropriate name! The pictures do not do it justice, I’m afraid.