Beyond The Reef

Adam invites Than Thein, owner of Tidal gardens, to discuss building for long-term success with your reef tank. They discuss old tank syndrome’, resetting and why/when to do it. Precautions for quarantine, the biggest liabilities in terms of equipment and much more. Than is the founder and owner of Tidal Gardens, a coral reef aquaculture business located in Copley, OH. He is also an author and con...

Part two of two episodes! Adam and Dong get together for the second time to discuss all of the input and output sources that encompass our reef aquariums. This episode covers mostly outputs: from skimming, to GFO, to water changes and many other intentional or unintentional husbandry methods. Dong has a PhD in chemistry and worked for several pharmaceutical companies in various therapeutic areas i...

Part one of two episodes! Adam and Dong get together to discuss all of the input and output sources that encompass our reef aquariums. This episode covers inputs: from feeding, trace element dosing and other external sources, whether intentional or unintentional. Dong has a PhD in chemistry and worked for several pharmaceutical companies in various therapeutic areas including anti-inflammatory, ca...

For the our first episode of 2025, we bring you a discussion with multiple guests, looking to reinventing how you run your reef and to potentially overcome plateaus. Adam Talks to Mike Paletta (author and recipient of the 2022 MASNA Award), John Yull (Reefworks Corals) Dmitry Tumanov (Treasure Corals) and Allan Vo (The Coral Reeftank) to get different perspectives on this very broad topic. They di...

Adam and Peter reflect on reef keeping in the year of 2024: the new products, techniques, lessons learned and controversies. Peter is a hardcore reefer, content creator and photographer. Be sure to follow everything he’s up to at the links below: Bayarea Reef Links: https://www.youtube.com/@bayarea_reef https://www.instagram.com/bayarea_reef/ linktr.ee/bayareareef Frag Garage Links: https://www.pa...

The quest to understanding a reef aquarium's microbiome has led hobbyist and educator Dr. Andy Bouwma down a path of discovery, via Aquabiomics microbiome testing services. Adam discusses with Andy how to interpret the test results and respectively, what he's been able to observe, learn and implement over a sizeable period of time in his home aquarium. They discuss his mixed reef, along with some...

A departure from the usual 'stickhead' conversations, Adam invites Thinh Nguyen from Coral Exotic to dive in to some of his tips and tricks for keeping healthy and colourful LPS. They discuss many species, their lighting, flow, feeding requirments and much more. Corals Exotic 20% off promotion: use code: BTR20 at checkout, during the Black Friday Sale. Please provide a screenshot after you submit...

Adam speaks with Rudy Batara of Golden Basket Reef about his extensive experience in the coral and fish industry, including the processes of growing, importing, and exporting corals. They discuss the differences in wild collection versus mari-culture, regulations involved, including CITES requirements, various costs and some of the challenges of sourcing unique coral morphs and species. Golden Bas...

Adam meets with Elliot Azhdam from Golden State Corals to dive into his methods and technics, culturing an amazingly array of colorful and unique corals. They discuss the store's display tank, his use of high par LED lighting, some tricks for the photoperiod, along with his implementation of kalkwasser and calcium reactors. Check out Golden State Coral’s website at the link below and don’t miss ou...

Adam sits down with Doug Dorrat to clear up some common misconceptions in the reef-keeping hobby. They cover topics from alkalinity, protein skimming, trace elements in salt mixes to the differences between ICP-MS and ICP-OES testing. Doug Dorrat is the owner and operator of Frag Farm UK. He contributes to product development, as well as offering his services as a certified ICP consultant for Faun...

Adam invites BTR's first ever guest, Leo Den Breejen AKA Leonard's Reef, to catch up on a year of reefkeeping secrets! Leonardo’s Reef was founded in 2009 by Leonardo den Breejen, and gradually specialized in the propagation of corals from the Acropora genus. Leonardo, better known as “Leonardo’s Reef” online, has been a reefkeeper for over 20 years. In this period, he gained recognition with seve...

A two part conversation, with Dr. Christoph Denk (Oceamo) and Salem Clemens (Reef Builders). We attempt to scratch the surface on a complex subject: dissolved oraganic carbon (DOC’s) and some of the ways in which these compounds may affect the health of our reef tanks. We break down some of the avaialbe testing methods, input and output soruces, ways to control and manage elevated levels, their re...

Adam sits down with Johnny Shenn from Thirsty’s Reef to discuss the incredible colors and growth he's able to achieve at his home-based aquaculture facility in Los Angeles, California. If you're in the USA and want to get your hands on some stunning corals, head over to www.thirstysreef.com and use the coupon code ‘BTR10’ at checkout. Don’t forget to send a screenshot proving that you subscribe to...

Adam is joined by Daniel and Juno from Monsoon Aquatics, one of the largest exporters of Australian corals and fish. They discuss their sustainable methods for collecting and farming stunning corals from various regions of northern Australia and the Great Barrier Reef. Their conversation covers coral spawning research, advancements in optimizing flow and stability, fragging non-colonial corals, an...

Adam sits down with Chris Sebella for a casual conversation about the methods and techniques Chris uses to achieve his remarkable results in color, growth, and stability. As a long-time master of the reef hobby, Chris has produced many corals for Pieces Of The Ocean, a New York-based company. Check out the POTO website for some of the best corals in the game! Chris and POTO Links: https://www.inst...

Adam is joined by Dr. Samuel Nietzer and Dr. Mareen Möller: coral reproduction experts. Sam and Mareen met in 2008 during their undergraduate studies at the University of Würzburg. Their research collaboration began in 2010 with trips to Guam, USA, focusing on coral reproduction. They both earned their Masters, PhDs, and completed postdoctoral work at the University of Oldenburg under Prof. Dr. Pe...

Adam sits down for an in-depth discussion with the coral-obsessed, Corey Treadwell, AKA Coralhead. Corey is the livestock manager at the reputable coral farm, White Corals, based in Germany. Among the many hats he wears, he is also working on new products for NYOS, developing a promising and gentle dip, which even shows promise as an in-tank treatment for AEFW's and most other pests. Corey's Links...

Adam and Chris Meckley (ACI Aquaculture) create a ‘coral care guide’ for many of the common species we keep in our reef aquariums. Correct naming/classification, characteristics, lighting/par, flow/placement, special parameters, feeding/nutrients, fragging tips and ultimately, a difficulty level from 1-10. This is the first of a multi-part series, so stay tuned for more! ACI Aquaculture Links: htt...

Adam is joined by Dr. Christoph Denk who runs Oceamo Labs, based out of Austria. Oceamo provides the most comprehensive ICP (MS) and laboratory testing for your tank water. Oceamo is the suggested testing method for Reef Moonshiners users. They go over Adam’s recent ICP, looking in depth at each element, the dangers if elevated or depleted, toxicity levels and biological significance. They also di...

Adam and Chris Meckley (ACI Aquaculture) create a ‘coral care guide’ for many of the common species we keep in our reef aquariums. Correct naming/classification, characteristics, lighting/par, flow/placement, special parameters, feeding/nutrients, fragging tips and ultimately, a difficulty level from 1-10. This is the first of a multi-part series, so stay tuned for more! ACI Aquaculture Links: htt...

Adam invites back guest Allan Vo (CRT Reefs), to dig deeper into his new adaptation of the reef feeding method known as ‘the concoction’. They discuss Alan’s reasoning behind it and new adaptations he has applied to it, as well as deriving inspiration from a recent trip he made to Vietnam. They discuss tips for troubleshooting coral issues and developing your reefing intuition or ‘sixth sense’. Fr...

Kenny Lin, owner of New York based Pieces Of The Ocean, breaks down his philosophy and simple reefkeeping practices. His humble and open minded approach to the hobby keeps him striving for the best coral colour and growth. He is a passionate reef keeper and successful business owner with 15+ years experience. Check out the POTO website for some of the best corals in the game! Parameters Alkalinity...

Jamie gives us a detailed breakdown of the work done at the Coral Spawning Lab and from his home, successfully and predictably rearing corals of many different species and genus. Jamie and Adam discuss the many trials and tribulations of his decades long research. We learn about settlement challenges, the reality of ‘spliced corals’, solutions for the future health of our coral reefs and much more...

An in-depth discussion, Claude and Adam dive into bacteria and the coral microbiome, the importance and ways to maintain trace element levels, the difference in major element sources, balancing nutrient levels, and much more. Claude Schuhmacher is founder/CEO of Fauna Marin, FM ICP Lab and the FM coral farm, based out of Germany. https://www.faunamarin.de/ https://www.faunamarincorals.de/en/ https...

Adam and Mike discuss the ups and downs associated with the psychology of the hobby and why making friends and connections is so important. They cover some of Mike’s newest tips and discoveries. Mike Paletta has written hundreds of articles for online and print publications. He also received the MASNA award in 2022, one of the highest honours for contributors to the reef hobby. Make sure to check...