Quarantine tanks are often discussed/written about as though they require very little effort, planning, or expense. Just dust off that 10-gallon plastic “critter keeper” sitting on the shelf, fill it with salt water, drop in a heater and sponge filter,…
Harmless or Helpful Live Rock Hitchhikers: “Pods”
Regular Saltwater Smarts readers often see references to them in Paul B’s posts. They arrive in our aquaria unbidden aboard chunks of live rock, in live sand, or on coral specimens attached to rocks. At a glance, they look like…
Toledo Zoo Aquarium Renovation – Update 13: Making Steady Progress
Since we last brought you an update on the $25.5 million Aquarium renovation currently underway at the Toledo Zoo, this ambitious project has continued to move forward with more livestock arriving and more state-of-the-art exhibits nearing completion. To get a…
Picasso Triggerfish: A Marine Aquarium Masterpiece
Certain fishes available in the marine aquarium trade are truly bizarre in their coloration and patterning. Ranked high among them when it comes to both exotic appearance and aquarium adaptability is Rhinecanthus aculeatus, better known as the Picasso triggerfish or…
You’ve Bought a Tankbuster! Now What?
At one time or another in their fishkeeping career, many marine aquarium hobbyists make the mistake of purchasing a fish that is destined to grow too large for their tank. They may do so completely unwittingly (because they didn’t research…
Mile-High MACNA Rises to the Occasion
Denver, Colorado, situated a mile above sea level, might seem like an unusual host city for a conference focused exclusively on marine aquaria, but this year’s Marine Aquarium Conference of North America (MACNA), held August 29–31 at the Colorado Convention…
“Holy Grail” Angelfish Bred in Captivity
Certain marine fish are so uncommon in the aquarium hobby yet so beautiful to behold that they fetch an absolutely mind-blowing price (sometimes in the many thousands of dollars for a single specimen) when they do make a rare appearance…
The Pros and Cons of a Bare-Bottomed Marine Tank
If you’re in the process of planning and setting up a new saltwater aquarium, you’ll need to give some thought to the type of substrate you’d like to use. It may seem counterintuitive, but one of your options in this…
Orchid Dottyback: Hardy, Peaceful, and Just Right for Reef Tanks
Captive breeding of marine fishes has been a boon to our hobby in any number of ways, one of which is democratizing access to formerly really pricy species such as the orchid dottyback (Pseudochromis fridmani). While I wouldn’t characterize the…
Fish or Fishes? Shoal or School? A Few Fishy Terms Defined
In my nearly two decades as an aquarium writer and editor, I’ve noticed that certain terms routinely used in hobby literature when discussing our fine, finny friends are often a source of confusion to readers. So for today’s post, I…