A refugium is a safe haven for algae and invertebrates in a separate tank from the main display aquarium. These organisms provide some distinct advantages to the overall health of a reef aquarium. First off, the critters breeding in the…
Aquarium Plumbing: True Union Ball Valves and Why You Should Love Them
One of the cool things about the reef aquarium hobby is that you tend to pick up some useful skills by accident. If it wasn’t for the reef-keeping hobby, I may never have developed a love of photography and videography.…
Astreopora and Cyphastrea—So Similar, Yet Different
A few years ago, if you asked me about Astreopora or Cyphastrea, I probably would not have a whole lot to contribute to the discussion. They were (and still are to a large degree) some of the most rare corals…
GFO for Reef Aquarium Phosphate Control
Granular ferric oxide, or GFO, is a widely used form of chemical filtration in the reef-keeping hobby today. Chemical filtration, as the name suggests, purifies water by binding up impurities at the molecular level. As water is sent through the…
The Seasoned Salty’s Take on Marine Fishkeeping Success
Last week, we ran a post titled “How Do We Measure Success with Hard-to-Keep Marine Species,” which inspired Paul “Seasoned Salty” Baldassano to share his insights on that question in his own, unique style. Read on for his impressions on…
Not Every Small, Benthic Fish Is A Goby
This is a guest contribution from Joe Rowlett, one of the many talented fish geeks working the fish tanks at Old Town Aquarium in Chicago. The taxonomy and classification of fish is not a subject that your average reefkeeper investigates…
Rock Flower Anemones Resurge in Popularity
Rock flower anemones are trending in popularity as of late in the reef aquarium hobby. They have always been readily available in the industry, as they are harvested close by in the Caribbean. But despite their relatively easy accessibility, they’ve…
The tale of the Ultimate Efflo tabling acropora
Few other coral in our hobby captures the image we have about massively plating coral like Acropora efflorescens. We have seen tabling corals such as Acropora granulosa or Acropora millepora but in reality the title of a true plating Acro…
Mame Nano Overflow review
This is a guest contribution from Briana Brasch, owner/operator of Applied Reefing in Denver Colorado. I have always been a fan of rimless aquariums for my nano reef systems but such tanks present a bit of a challenge: how do…
Toledo Zoo Aquarium Renovation – Update 11: Interactive Touchpools
With the Toledo Zoo’s Aquarium currently undergoing a $25.5 million renovation and the new Aquarium slated to open in 2015, curious Zoo visitors frequently ask what exhibits the new Aquarium will feature. In this installment, let’s continue our exploration of…