A little-known fact about marine fish kept in aquariums is that they’re passive-aggressive and churlish and enjoy mocking their owners. Okay, I know we’re not supposed to anthropomorphize our livestock, but based on a recent disastrous attempt at an aquarium…
The Yellow Clown Goby: A Practically Perfect Nano Candidate
Nano marine aquarium enthusiasts must be very discerning in their livestock selections to ensure any specimens they choose won’t outgrow their systems. Reaching a maximum size that can best be described as miniscule, the yellow clown goby (Gobiodon okinawae) is…
Make Sure Your Saltwater Storage Vessel Is Up to Snuff!
One of my biggest nightmares as a marine aquarist is someday having one of the panes of my glass aquarium suddenly give out and dump 125 gallons of salt water on my living room floor. What a costly, hideous mess…
How Can We Encourage Saltwater Gender Equality?
There’s a lot of conversation these days about gender equality with respect to income, career opportunities, education, and many other arenas of life. However, we tend to give it very little thought when it comes to participation in our hobby.…
The Candy Basslet: A Sweet Deepwater Denizen on Many a Hobbyist’s Wish List
Ask any group of marine fishkeepers to name their most sought-after species—the fishes they’d really love to own if money and availability were no object—and most of them will likely place the candy basslet (Liopropoma carmabi) somewhere close to the…
What Makes Someone a Marine Aquarium Expert?
Being in a somewhat contemplative mood as I enjoy my third cup of coffee this Friday morning, I’ve posed to myself the philosophical question, what does it mean to be an “expert” marine aquarist? In other words, when I write…
What’s Wrong with This (Reef Tank) Picture?
Right now, I’m gazing at a magazine ad featuring the image of a reef tank, and the one word that comes to mind is “magnificent.” I’m sure you’ve seen one like it before, but allow me to describe it to…
The Two-Stripe Damsel: Hardiness and Hostility in Equal Measure
Among the pomacentrids (damsels and clownfishes) are many species that rank exceptionally high when it comes to hardiness in aquaria (thus their once common use as tank cyclers) but also tend to mature into little hellions that can turn a…
Is It Okay to Quarantine Multiple Marine Fish at Once?
As regular Saltwater Smarts visitors are well aware, “Caribbean Chris” and I are strong proponents of quarantining all newly acquired fish for at least four weeks before introducing them to a display tank. But what about keeping two or more…
Avoid These 5 Live Rock Aquascaping Pitfalls
Your long-anticipated live rock shipment has finally arrived at your doorstep, and you can’t wait to get it in your tank and start watching as life emerges from those gnarly chunks. Though you’re understandably eager to forge ahead putting the…