Articles in Guides
ReefDock: Search Reef Supplies Across BRS, Amazon, Saltwaterfish, and Petco in One Place
Need a 200-watt return pump or Hanna alkalinity reagent? ReefDock searches BRS, Amazon, Saltwaterfish, Petco, and direct-from-hobbyist listings all at once. Launched May 2026, built into Reef Trak, also at reefdock.com.
Read article →Best Reef Tank Apps in 2026: Reef Trak vs AquaticLog, ReefBay, Aquarimate, and Reefability
Anyone with an AI subscription can ship a reef tank app this weekend. The harder question is which reef app will still be supported, still innovating, and still here when your tank turns five. Five real apps, compared honestly.
Read article →Reef Trak vs Reefability: Reef Tank App Comparison (2026)
Reefability is the AI-first reef app, with a chatbot inside and a $5.99 per month subscription wrapped around it. Reef Trak lets you export your whole tank and paste it into ChatGPT, Claude, or whatever AI you trust, and it unlocks once for $9.99. Here is how they stack up.
Read article →Reef Trak vs AquaticLog: Reef Tank App Comparison (2026)
AquaticLog has been logging reef tanks for 13 years. Deep parameters, solid ICP integrations, real history. Reef Trak shows up with a wider toolbox (PAR Map, ReefDock, TrakAI, controller imports) and a single $9.99 payment instead of a subscription that keeps billing for as long as you keep reefing. Here is how they actually stack up.
Read article →Reef Trak vs ReefBay: Reef Tank App Comparison (2026)
You are picking between two reef apps that solve different problems. ReefBay is built around a peer-to-peer marketplace and active forums. Reef Trak is built around the whole tank. PAR Map, ReefDock retail-aggregator marketplace, TrakAI bring-your-own-AI exports, controller imports from five vendors. Here is the head-to-head.
Read article →Reef Trak vs Aquarimate: Reef Tank App Comparison (2026)
Aquarimate is the only reef app on this list with real Mac and Windows desktop apps. Reef Trak ships everything else. TrakAI exports, controller imports, ICP from 7 labs, PAR Map, ReefDock, and a one-time $9.99 lifetime. Here is how they stack up.
Read article →HYDROS Alternative: How Reef Trak Pairs With Coralvue HYDROS for Reef Tracking
HYDROS is a reef-tank control system. Reef Trak is a record system. They pair. Reef Trak imports HYDROS probe data and combines it with everything else you log.
Read article →Apex Fusion Alternative: Why Reef Trak Pairs With Apex Instead of Replacing It
Apex Fusion is a control system. Reef Trak is a record system. They pair instead of competing. Reef Trak reads Apex data and combines it with everything else you log for one connected reef history.
Read article →First Reef Tank Livestock: What to Add First and Why
After the cycle, what goes in first? A single snail to test the bioload, then a hardy fish, then a beginner coral. Here is the order and the waiting time between each.
Read article →The Reef Tank Ugly Phase: Why Your New Tank Looks Awful at Weeks 4–10
Every new reef tank goes through an ugly phase between weeks 4 and 10. Diatoms, cyano, dinos, hair algae. Beginner reefers panic and crash their tanks trying to fight it. Here is how to wait it out.
Read article →How to Cycle a Reef Tank: Complete Cycling Guide (Dry Rock, Live Rock, Bottled Bacteria)
Cycling a reef tank means growing the bacteria that convert ammonia to nitrite to nitrate. It takes 2 to 6 weeks and cannot be rushed. Here is exactly how to do it.
Read article →How to Set Up a Reef Tank: Complete Beginner Setup Guide (2026)
Setting up a reef tank takes more decisions in the first week than most hobbies take in a year. Here is the full beginner-friendly walkthrough from buying the tank to the first coral.
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