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…
The Chinese Way of NPS Coral Reefing
Wouldn’t it be nice to have a magic potion? A concoction that is easy to produce and you could just dose into your reef tank to make all your NPS thrive? While we have not found the solution for all…
The Staghorns of Bauhinia: A Short Tour Of Acropora Species In Wild Hong Kong
When someone talks about Hong Kong, we would most likely associate it with the breathtaking skyscrapers, night scenery, the bustling city life as well as its diverse people and culture. But this tiny city tucked away on the coast of…
Heliopora are Not-So-Soft, Soft Corals
Given their common name of soft corals, one would likely assume that octocorals are well… soft. However, as is common in biology, there are always exceptions to rules. Within the Octocorallia, there are a few species that form aragonite-based skeletons,…
Five Sand Sifters for a Reef Aquarium
Here are five of the best fish and invertebrates to sift the sand in your reef aquarium and keep the substrate clean Chalk Goby, Valenciennea sexguttata Chalk gobies are attractive, very peaceful bottom-dwelling fish that sift the substrate to find…
A Reefkeeper’s Guide to NPS Corals
NPS coral specialist Florian Gaudig gives us the lowdown on how to select NPS corals, which ones we should try, which ones we should avoid, and what to feed them. Many new and seasoned reefing hobbyists find themselves struggling when…
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…
Reef Safe Angelfish: What’s the Secret?
Have you ever owned a reef-safe angelfish? A hot topic of discussion that has yet to be answered. If you peruse the forums, you will find yourself reading a multitude of different opinions. Some believe they will get lucky and…
The Case for Carnivorous Starfish
For many decades, the quintessential Chocolate Chip Starfish, Protoreaster nodosus, has graced our FOWLR (fish only with live rock) tanks and refugiums with their magnificent spines and bright colors. Short-spine stars, Echinaster spinulosus, while less common, have been around just as…