During the last of couple years, some amazing colored zoanthids have been coming to the aquarium hobby from Hawaii. These zoanthids belong to the same family as the PPE type zoanthids that are collected on Caribbean reefs, except the ones…
Purple Sea Plume Gorgonians should be in way more reef tanks
For awhile now I have been trying to educate more aquarists about gorgonians and how they deserve a spot in their personal reefs as much as other corals do. You can see my more comprehensive article on keeping photosynthetic gorgonians.…
A rainbow of Ricordea
Florida ricordea, Ricordea floridea, are one of the staple corals that come from the oceans south of my back yard in the Florida Keys. They are a type of soft coral that occur in shallow waters on Caribbean reefs. Generally they…
Photosynthetic Gorgonians for the Home Aquaria
Of all the amazing corals that are available to the reef aquarium hobbyists nowadays, gorgonians are frequently overlooked when choosing corals for our aquariums. In the wild they are a vital part of the environment; they filter water, provide sanctuary…
The infamous Cali Tort & Oregon Tort – classic strains of blue Acropora tortuosa
This week I would like to talk about a coral that is dear to my heart, Acropora tortuosa. I’m not sure exactly why this coral is so well loved and collected within the hobby – Is it because it occurs…
Is it an egg? Is it an anemone? No, it’s a Discosoma sanctithomae mushroom anemone
Discosoma sanctithomae are probably my favorite of all the of unique corals that come out of the Caribbean. They occur in an amazing array of colors and have such interesting bubbly tentacles. Some Discosoma sanctithomae mushrooms even have sharp, spikey…
The beauty of the flower anemone, an under-appreciated gem for any reef aquarium
I have always been a champion of the underdog when it comes to corals in this hobby and what is considered the most popular at the moment, often times are not my favorites. Flower anemones (Epicystis crucifer) are a truly…