Salem Clemens
Salem Clemens
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Salem Clemens is an aquarist that's been obsessed with all aspects of the hobby fresh and salt for a decade. He worked for around five years in the retail side of the industry and recently graduated with a degree in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology and a minor in Chemistry. During his time in college he studied coral pathology working closely with his universities Biology and Chemistry programs where he gained experience in microbiology, biochemistry and analytical techniques such as GC-MS. Salem has a passion for rare and oddball corals, fish and inverts, experimenting with new methods and attempting to solve problems in the trade. He hopes to utilize an objective lens to help elute the best information and practices in the industry.

Pest Nudibranch Tritoniopsis elegans Loves to Eat Soft Corals

My friend Tyler (inland_reef on Instagram) messaged me last week that he had found a strange white nudi hanging out on his Heliopora Blue Ridge Coral. After consulting Sean Ono, he determined it was Tritoniopsis elegans. This nudibranch species was…

Aquatic Symbiosis Genome (ASG) Project Fast Tracks Our Understanding of the Holobiont

Spearheaded by the Wellcome Sanger Institute and Dr. Micheal Sweet, the Aquatic Symbiosis Genome project aims to sequence as many corals and their symbionts as possible to unlock conserved trends in their associations.  In recent years, DNA extraction from corals…

New 3D Printed Frag Tile Optimizes Coral Larval Settlement

Researchers at the California State University, Northridge recently published a paper showcasing their work to optimize coral larval settlement. They tested various microhabitats to determine what structures coral larvae would best settle on. Using Pocillopora acuta as a model, the…

An Interview with a Coral Nursery Technician from the Bahamas

While staying on Cat Island in the Bahamas one day my family and I went to eat at the Greenwood Resort. Not only did it have a spectacular view and food but the people were all very warm and welcoming.…

My Top 10 Predatory Fish for 50-Gallon Aquariums and Under

One of my favorite types of tanks is nanos with predatory fish. In a small water volume, it’s easy to manage the high nutrients that come naturally with keeping more predatory fish due to their metabolism and food source. Nanos…

Reef Builders to Construct a New Multiomics Coral Disease Database

Today, I will begin accepting data to construct a multi-faceted coral disease database. This database aims to draw correlations from multiple data points in relation to coral disease. We would like both quantitative and qualitative data. If you have ever…

The Emperor of Commensal Shrimp Relationships

The Emperor shrimp is a very small, rarely imported shrimp, typically sporting bright orange and white primary colors. They can be found across the Indo-Pacific. Typically, we see this species associated with “Medusa worms” in captivity as their most popular…

Rare Mesophotic Acropora pichoni Surfaces at ACI Aquaculture

Last week, I visited ACI Aquaculture in Plant City, Florida. While there, Chris showed me a variety of specimens that he had recently imported. Among them was something I had never seen before. At first, I thought I was looking…

DOC is The Most Important Parameter For A Healthy Reef Tank: Here’s a New Method to Manage It

In this article, I will provide an overview of my take on the current zeitgeist of reefing and explain why the entire industry is ignoring a critical aspect of coral care. I will explain what issues this parameter causes, how…

Amazing Solomon Island Favites from Vibrant Corals

Remy and I were in Dallas after Aquashella, and we visited Vibrant Corals, a wholesaler that brings in corals from all over the world to distribute to US-based stores. While there, we made some videos, talked, shopped, and looked at…