2018 has been a stellar year for new aquarium products. Crazy Dave found choosing the best among the many entrees to be an arduous task. But in the end he was able to come up with the eight winners. Crazy Dave uses each and every one of these products and can tell you from personal experience they're all winning products!

Here they are:

BEST NEW LIGHT
The Kessil A360X
For years we've touted the Kessil LED lights as the best lights on the market for reef tanks and freshwater planted tanks. Kessil has made the best light even better with the Kessil A360X Tuna Blue and Kessil A360X Tuna Sun. There are three significant improvements. 1) It's smaller and has a lower profile. 2) It's brighter. 3) It has new colors and these colors can be individually accessed with the Spectral Controller X. For those looking to use a combo of LEDs and T5s, we recommend the Kessil with the AquaticLife Hybrid.

BEST NEW AQUARIUM
The JBJ 28 Gallon Nano Cube WiFi LED Aquarium
The JBJ 28 Gallon Nano Cube WiFi LED Aquarium is the best nano tank on the market for those wanting to do a reef setup. It's a bit pricier than some competing products, but the added features make it worth the extra money. It has two 266 gph pumps, and at this time we're throwing in the JBJ Ocean Pulse Duo Alternating Wavemaker to control these pumps for free. Most nano tanks you need to add extra pumps in the tank to get this kind of flow. With the JBJ both pumps fit in the back compartment. The lighting is WiFi controlled, reef tank appropriate and easy to use. We have several packages that include a skimmer, salt, cleaning magnet, etc.

BEST NEW FILTRATION PRODUCT
The Cobalt Aquatics E-X-T Aquarium Canister Filter
There often is not much new in the way of filtration. The Cobalt Aquatics E-X-T Aquarium Canister Filter is a rare example of filtration innovation. The unique inline pump allows complete flexibility on any aquarium setup. The pump can be placed before the filter (either in the tank or outside the tank) or connected to the water return line. The innovative valve with 5/8" hose barbs allows the pump to continue to run and keep vital circulation to your display even while the canister is disconnected for maintenance. If you ever need to replace the pump you will not need to replace the entire top, as you do with other canister filters. For increased flow you can even add a second Cobalt Aquatics E-X-T In-Line Pump.

BEST NEW SALT/ADDITIVE PRODUCT
The Two Little Fishies AccuraSea1 Artificial Saltwater Mix
As you would expect from a first rate company like Two Little Fishies, their AccuraSea1 Artifical Saltwater Mix is a very high quality salt. But what really makes it a winner is the way it's packaged. This salt is sold with individual packaging for five gallon bags. Why is this important? Because unless an entire bag of any salt is used at once, each mix you produce may not be the same (because it may not be perfectly mixed). And when a bag of salt is not used in its entirety, humidity gets in and reacts with the salts, producing insoluble residuals that fundamentally change the formulation. AccuraSea1 avoids this problem by having ten precisely measured bags that are small enough you will always mix the entire bag. It also allows us to sell portions of the 50 gallons boxes to those who have nano tanks and don't need 50 gallons of salt for top off water.

Check out our water change package: Two Little Fishies Small Saltwater Aquarium Salt Mixing & Water Change Package.

BEST NEW DECORATIONS
The BiOrb Decorations
Don't get us wrong, we love full-blown reef and freshwater planted tanks that recreate nature as realistically as possible. But there is a place for swim tanks with artificial decorations. While many aquarium decorations are cheesy looking and cheaply made, the BiOrb decorations are classy and constructed to last. They may be comparatively a bit pricey, but they're worth the extra money. Among our favorites of the new offerings is the BiOrb Submarine, a steampunk inspired decoration.

BEST NEW PUMP
The Rossmont Riser R850 Return Pump
We're been touting the merits of the Rossmont Pumps for years. In 2018 they came out with another game changer—the first controllable AC pump. Other controllable pumps are DC and much more expensive. The Rossmont Riser R850 Return Pump can be used with the Rossmont Waver Wireless 2-Channel Controller. With the Waver the Riser flow can be increased and decreased, and up to two Risers can be controlled with the Waver for a wave effect. Without the Waver, the Riser is still a powerful, quiet & energy efficient pump. Ideal for tanks up to 100 gallons.

BEST WATER PURIFICATION PRODUCT
The AquaticLife Twist-In RO & RO/DI
Changing RO & RO/DI cartridges can be a pain. This is especially true when your system is under a sink or in another hard to get to place. With the Twist-In, you don't need a special tool and you don't need to take the filter out of the canister. The filter and canister are one. A simple twist removes the old filter cartridge. A simple twist puts the new one in. The cartridges are sealed and do not make a mess.

STILL THE BEST AWARD
The Python No Spill Clean & Fill
There tends to be improvements in aquarium products every year. But when it comes to gravel vac/water changers, there is still one product that has never been improved on, the Python No Spill Clean & Fill. The Python hose and the Python fittings are top quality and made to last. The add on products, such as the Python Squeeze Stressless Siphon Starter, the Python Porter, Extended Length Gravel Tubes, Extensions and the Python Hook, give you options not available with the competing products. They even have a new line of Python Additives to help with your water changes.