Aquacultured corals are becoming more and more popular as we progress in the reefing hobby, but many of the wild or maricultured pieces seem to be appearing less frequently. Those huge tables and clusters of coral which were imported from…
Pennsylvania Borough Proposes to Ban Most Pets, Including Fish and Inverts
In Pennsylvania, the Borough of West Mifflin, a suburb of Pittsburg, has recently proposed an ordinance that would prohibit almost all animals from being kept as pets. The proposed ordinance would limit each household to only five pets, of which…
Your Favia’s Not a Favia – A Cursory Guide to Ex-Favia Merulinid Corals
A quick internet search for “Favia for sale” will return a collection of encrusting large-polyp stony corals collectively grouped as such. However, if one were to take a closer look, they would notice that many of these “Favia” are nothing…
An Identification Guide to the Saron Shrimps
Saron shrimps are a common sight on Indo-Pacific reefs, found lurking within rocky crevices during the day and emerging at night to forage and fight amongst themselves. Little is known of their ecology and behavior, but they are typically solitary…
Three Interesting Inverts for Your Reef Aquarium
Curating an NPS-biotope aquarium in your home opens the unique opportunity to keep filter-feeding and NPS-coral-associated invertebrates that might otherwise do poorly in your typical reef aquarium setup. In today’s article, I highlight three strangely beautiful inverts not commonly kept…
Can You Make It as a Fish Breeder?
Probably, but few want to after realizing how much time it takes. Most hobbyists know nearly all clownfish sold are captive-bred. You may wonder what it takes to do it yourself. Your favorite fish store certainly has lots and while…
Meiacanthus herlihyi (plus 5 more undescribed fangblennies)
Meiacanthus fangblennies are a frequently encountered group of Indo-Pacific reef fishes, several of which are regularly available within the aquarium trade, occasionally via captive breeding. The genus is home to 30 recognized species, the vast majority of which having been…
Bicolored Euplexaura is a Nonphotosynthetic Gem!
Among the soft corals we keep in our tanks, we rarely see ones that exhibit multicolored polyps. Typically, aquarium specimens are mostly monochromatic, coming in varying shades of brown, green, and pink. It’s not every day that we see an…
What You Need to Know about Aquariums and Electrical Safety
Electricity! We all know it’s dangerous and even more so when combined with water, yet often aquarists practice relaxed and sometimes downright dangerous approaches when combining the two. I was among the worst, having a few minor shocks and the…
Are Air fresheners Good or Bad for the Home Aquarium?
Let me tell you a story. A dentist’s office had a beautiful reef full of hammers and torches, which was healthy for years until a new employee placed a vanilla-scented candle in the office. The aquarium technician did not see…