Opinion

In Search of The Perfect Reef Tank

Sir Galahad searched for the Holy Grail, Ponce de Leon the Fountain of Youth, and Indiana Jones for the Arc of the Covenant, like them, we hobbyists search for something that at times seems just as unobtainable: the perfect reef…

Your Corals aren’t special (and That’s a Good Thing)

“Collectible coral, for the purposes of reef keeping, are corals worth talking about and observing.” This helpful and profoundly simple definition isn’t from Jake Adams, but from you, the reader. Many have tried to follow it, and have certainly found…

Phage Therapy: A Possible Alternative to Antibiotics?

The first use of phage therapy traces back almost a century ago, being discovered in the early 1900s, which is earlier than the application of antibiotics. Phage therapy has received relatively little attention due to the powerful antibacterial effects of…

Jake Adams Everlasting Enthusiasm

Like many distressed aquarists, I’ve found solace in times of anguish. During those times when you can’t even look at your aquarium. Think of it as, “reef depression”. When it seems as if all inspiration is gone. Then you finally…

To Truly Understand Coral Disease, We Must Shift Our Perception

In my time in the reef aquarium industry, I have seen much misinformation contradicting published peer-reviewed data. Some of these ideas stem from ignorance – many people haven’t been exposed to contradictory ideas to those pushed by mainstream media and…

Is it Okay to Name Living Creatures after People?

It’s human nature to name things. It’s part of how we label and describe items, communicate, and even differentiate one another. But nomenclature stretches to living things too, like plants, animals, and fish, and we want to know if it’s…

What does the Future Hold for Reefkeeping?

For many of us, 2023 was a rough year. But as I typically do during a tough year I start looking at the future and hopefully better times. 2024 will mark the fortieth year I have been in reefkeeping. The…

Are Fish Necessary in a Reef Tank?

After keeping reef tanks for almost forty years, and having viewed literally thousands of successful tanks, including a few recently sans fish, it got me to thinking are fish necessary in a reef tank.  Now before you think I have…

Are Reef Tanks Stress-Reducing or Stress-Inducing?

Since we are in the midst of the holiday season, we are all familiar with how the family get-togethers, shopping, and hustle and bustle can be both stress-relieving in some ways and also stress-inducing. I have come to realize that…

Is the Hobby Getting Too Expensive? Part II Livestock

As was discussed in Part 1 the cost of getting into the hobby, equipment-wise was surprisingly not as expensive as I had thought. This was the case even when some of the best equipment was being used. Even when inflation…