Why are the most attractive and interesting-looking marine fish always the most difficult to keep alive in aquariums? Okay, maybe this isn’t actually such a truism. After all, there are lots of gorgeous-yet-easy-to-keep fish in the aquarium trade. It just…
The Many Means of Nutrient Export in Marine Aquariums
Dissolved nutrients. Sounds like a good thing, right? After all, every organism needs nutrients in one form or another in order to grow and stay in good health. So why are marine aquarium hobbyists—particularly reefkeepers—seemingly so fixated on keeping the…
Seeing Red: The Colorful, Cantankerous Maroon Clownfish
Many of the clownfishes have a well-deserved reputation for feistiness. But there’s one clown that makes all the others seem like milquetoasts by comparison—the maroon clownfish (Premnas biaculeatus) from the Indo-West Pacific. Though it’s among the hardier and more strikingly…
Does the Emerald Crab Earn Its Algae-Eating, Reef-Safe Reputation?
Among the various and sundry marine life commonly sold to aquarium hobbyists for utilitarian purposes is the emerald crab (Mithraculus sculptus). Oft touted for its propensity to gobble up bubble algae and other irksome algal forms, M. sculptus has become…
Before Adding That Marine Aquarium Supplement, Ask Yourself These 5 Questions
You’re perusing the shelves of aquarium supplements at your local fish store when you come across a colorful bottle labeled “Dr. Hfuhruhurr’s Magic Reef Elixir.” Intrigued, you read on to discover the product’s intended purpose. The claims on the label…
Tinker’s Butterflyfish: Beautiful, Hardy, and Way Beyond My Wages
Novice marine aquarium hobbyists—especially those making the transition from freshwater to saltwater fishkeeping—commonly experience “sticker shock” when they see the prices of many marine species offered in the trade. After all, when you’re accustomed to spending only a few dollars…
Thoughts on Hand-Feeding Marine Aquarium Fish and Inverts
Part of the fun of keeping marine aquariums is reaching that stage where the fish come to recognize you as the supplier of victuals—the face that always peers into the tank right before food hits the water. Some hobbyists might…
Good at Gardening? Try Reefkeeping!
Having once worked in the nursery and landscaping business, it often occurs to me that there are a surprising number of similarities between terrestrial gardening/landscaping and reefkeeping. I would even suggest that, in some ways, reefkeeping has more in common…
Why Are Juvenile Marine Angelfish So Different From Adults?
When human parents bring a child into the world, they watch their offspring eagerly for facial features and other physical characteristics that are similar to their own. Moms and dads experience a certain pride whenever someone acknowledges that, “She has…
Toledo Zoo Aquarium Renovation – Update 12: A Work in Progress
Salties who have been following the $25.5 million renovation of the Toledo Zoo’s Aquarium (slated for completion in 2015) might be wondering about the status of the project since we haven’t provided an update in a while. Well, we can…