From the ferocious great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) to the graceful white-spotted eagle ray (Aetobatus narinari), Elasmobranchii are a diverse group of boneless fishes that are circumglobal, inhabiting a diverse array of habitats, temperature ranges, salinity, and niches in the…
The Trouble with Coral Trade Names
The reefkeeping hobby today is full of colorful trade names for corals, and it appears that, for better or for worse, the trend is here to stay. Tidal Gardens has plenty of corals with goofy names, so we are the…
Reviewing the tiny and efficient Tunze DOC Skimmer 9001
Nano aquariums have been growing in popularity and new equipment and technology are finally making it easier to have a slice of the ocean on your desk. During Interzoo, Tunze released multiple nano gadgets that turned heads and the Tunze…
Barely There: Trace Elements in the Reef Aquarium
What are trace elements exactly and what role do they play in our reef aquariums? To put it simply, trace elements are elements that appear in very small quantities in salt water. They are vital to all sorts of biological…
‘Tis the Coral Frag Swap Season, Fa La La…
September may be a long way from Christmas, but for reefkeepers, it’s the next best thing. September is the unofficial kickoff of the coral fragment swap season. Soon the eyes and hearts of reefkeepers everywhere will turn to swapper pages…
Clearing the Air on Ozone: Part 3
In the first two parts of this series, we talked about how ozone can function as a powerful tool in keeping your reef aquarium water very clear, how it can boost your skimmer’s ability to remove waste from the water…
Elasmobranch Enthusiasts (Part 3): Modern Husbandry – Filtration
From the ferocious great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) to the graceful white-spotted eagle ray (Aetobatus narinari), Elasmobranchii are a diverse group of boneless fishes that are circumglobal, inhabiting a diverse array of habitats, temperature ranges, salinity, and niches in the…
Techniques for Maintaining Calcium and Alkalinity in Reef Tanks
Calcium and alkalinity are vitally important chemical parameters in reef aquariums. They are used by stony corals to build their calcium carbonate skeletons. A lack of calcium and alkalinity in the water will inhibit the growth of reef-building corals and…
Observations on unusually colored Acropora in the Flores Sea
During the Fluval Sea Flores Expedition we came across a couple of specimens of unusual, bicolored Acropora colonies. It’s always surprising to meet with a single coral harboring two very different color patterns throughout the colony. We don’t exactly know the correct…
A Recap of the MBI Workshop 2014
Hosted by the Marinelife Aquarium Society of Michigan (MASM) and the Marine Breeding Initiative (MBI), and held July 19, 2014 at Cranbrook Institute of Science in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, this was the fifth workshop they have offered dealing solely with…