SR Unfiltered Reviews

We commit to identifying the best of the best, not a single crown champion, but the best for specific reefing styles.

Ryan scored it a 7/10—with a caveat that could bump it to a 10. Terence went straight to 9/10 out of the gate. Time to find out why the Nyos Ion-B surprised us.

It's been around longer than either of us, yet there are surprises at every turn. How can something that contains trace elements effectively not replenish them? Today we review ESV and find out the answers together.

Red Seas CRC wasn’t our favorite among the additive systems we reviewed, and it comes with a fairly significant price tag. But would we still recommend it to Serious Reefers? Let’s find out together.

NAF is a sodium hydroxide based two part with double the pH lift of most two parts. Is the pH juice worth the squeeze? It’s not dangerous but is it safe? Do you need a monitor or controller to use NAF? Time to give an unfiltered look!

Triton 4 part. Does it live up to expectations? This one turned out to be better than both of us remembered on a variety of fronts but cost was #1.

Time for an unfiltered review of AquaForest 1+, 2+, 3+. Upfront, this wasn’t our favorite additive solution for intermediate to advanced reefers, but there is one group we would recommend it to, newer reefers.

Baseline kalkwasser is nearly free, and even the highest-quality options are only marginally more expensive. Calcium hydroxide delivers a stronger pH boost than most two-part systems, can help reduce phosphate, supports coral growth, and doesn’t alter salinity. Despite these benefits, kalkwasser is often dismissed. The reason isn’t the chemistry—it’s the outdated ways it was traditionally used.

Time for an unfiltered look at an old friend, BRS two part. True to form, Terence gives his opinions raw. And since I am the one who helped create this kit, I am about as biased as it gets. But with the unfiltered hat on, we take a fresh look at it and see how it really stacks up. Let’s find out where BRS two part lands compared to the rest..

Time for an unfiltered review of Aquaforest’s 3-in-1 calcium formate one-part reef tank additive. Spoiler alert: it’s exceptionally clean, noticeably cleaner than its main competitor, and it costs less. But is it something we’d actually use on a reef tank? Let’s find out.

Time to take an unfiltered look at Brightwell’s Reef Code Two-Part. We learned a lot in this review, not just about the additive itself, but about how bias quietly shapes every review. Come along for the ride and decide for yourself whether Reef Code is the right two-part for your reef.

This one surprised us. All-For-Reef earns a 9.3 for most reefers and still lands around a 7 for intermediate to advanced setups—making it one of the most versatile options out there. We break it down from every angle and share exactly what we learned along the way.

A dozen unfiltered additive reviews. Each one taught us something, but the real test came after seeing them all side by side. That perspective reshaped how we view reef additives and made one thing clear. There are definite winners.

Time to dig deeper into the catalog in search of tools that outperform the usual go-to options. In this case, a carbon, phosphate-media, and QT solution that many reefers have overlooked — the Sicce Shark.

Honestly, no need to hit play. Ecoscapes just strolled in, hit us with the best artificial rock we have seen, and called it a day. We loved it. Hard stop.

Tunze built the oscillating pump reefers have wanted for decades — but does it live up to the promise? Would we buy it, and would we recommend it? Let’s find out.

This is our very first SR Insider. We find out three things. What problem does the AvidAqua Insight solve, and how does it work.