The chevron tang, Ctenochaetus hawaiiensis, has long been a popular aquarium tang, and for good reason. Juveniles are brilliantly colored and, like many tangs, does an admiral job of eating nuisance algae. Nearly all chevron tangs make their way to…
Curacao Sea Aquarium Deep Sea Display update
After 4 years in Curacao and some of the most amazing fishes known to man, I thought I had seen it all and was beginning to have doubts about whether we would find a new species that is as unique…
Macropharyngodon moyeri discovered and collected in the Philippines
Being a self-proclaimed fish nerd my interest gets piqued anytime one of those ‘rare to the hobby’ fish becomes available, even if it is a type I am not normally excited about. But when a particularly enticing specimen comes available, well forget…
Sicce XStream-E review, an efficient and silent water mover
Sicce isn’t new to the aquarium pump game by any means and they’re constantly churning out new products. So anytime we can get out hands on their newest offerings we’ve obviously got to give them a whirl. The XStream-E propeller pump…
Chronic Stress in Captive Tangs
Tangs and surgeonfish are a diverse, beautiful, and often highly personable group of fish. It is no wonder that so many of us want to keep these fish in our systems. Inexperienced keepers do the right thing by going to…
The deep sea is on display in Curacao
To most people the Mesophotic Zone is an entirely unknown part of the ocean that very few study and even fewer have physically visited. Yet these areas are more diverse than anticipated and contain a cornicopia of life from the…
Pocillopora Corals: Hardy, Adaptable Reef Architects
You may not be aware, but Pocillopora, despite being among the less popular stony corals in the reef aquarium hobby, are second only to Acropora in reef-building productivity in the wild. Their skeletons make up a huge portion of the…
Marine Aquarium Photography: Post Processing of Coral Images
Often the subject of heated online debate is the post processing of coral photos—the manipulation of the coral image by software to tweak color and exposure levels. Post processing of coral images is a particularly hot-button issue because it is…
Marine Aquarium Photography: The Basics of Exposure
At its core, the reef aquarium hobby is a pursuit of aesthetics. We seek out visually appealing fish and corals and look for inspiration in other aquarists’ tanks. More and more reef hobbyists want to share their hobby with others…
Marine Technical Concepts MVX protein skimmer review
Marine Technical Concepts has been around for decades over which time they’ve become known for solid product design and build quality. They may not be the best known manufacturer in the hobby but they should be right at the top…