Niger triggerfish can make attractive additions to large saltwater aquariums, but when it comes to mixed reefs, and anything under 180 gallons, they are best left out. Also known as Redtooth triggerfish, Odonus niger is the sole member of its…
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How to Maintain Suspension-Feeding Sea Cucumbers
When most hobbyists imagine sea cucumbers, or holothuroid species as they’ll be referred to later, we envision bottom-dwelling detritivores with little personalities whose slug-like bodies made their way into our tank simply to serve as valuable members of the clean-up-crew. …
How to Mix Aggressive and Territorial Marine Fish
One of the biggest pains in the butt with saltwater aquarium fish is not just those who are a threat to our corals, it’s those who are a threat to each other! Here are some tips for how to manage…
Rewarding Reefing
It’s easy to forget the reasons why we dedicate the majority of our lives to caring for these beautiful animals. In a changing world full of comparison, it can happen to all of us that we start in this hobby…
How a Cooling Fan Can Save Your Tank from Overheating
If you’re new to reefing there’s so much to learn about keeping corals alive, but one of the fundamentals – more important even than KH and phosphate, more important even than light and flow, is temperature. It’s not the cold…
Aquarium Safety: How to Identify and Remove Dangerous Palythoa Corals
As someone who makes a living growing and distributing aquarium corals, I am always on the lookout for exciting new varieties. Among the myriad groups of corals, Zoanthids are always among the most popular. It was with this mentality that…
My Coral Caretaker Job and Livestock Wholesale Explained
I’ve been working in the wholesale part of the aquarium hobby industry for just over three years. It has been a unique and insightful experience that opened my eyes and allowed me to see what and how the wholesale end…
Serpent Starfish are Overlooked Organisms for Aquariums
They may be alien-like, and they may look freaky. However, serpent starfish are overlooked organisms that can make a unique addition to most home aquariums. Serpent starfish can come in many different colors and variations. Today, we will look at…
Ocellated Dragonets Can Offer Alternative Flatworm Control
If you ever suffer those pesky little rust-brown flatworms the usual prescription is either a Sixline wrasse, Springer’s Damsel, or a Psychedelic mandarin, Synchiropus picturatus. These are all good choices but the species we use to best effect in my…
Mature Filter Media is Still the Quickest Way to Avoid the Ugly Phase
Cycling, and dealing with Diatoms, Dinoflagellates, and Cyanobacteria are the biggest setbacks for the new reefkeeper but they can be avoided. Bottled bacteria have their place and live rock and live sand their pros and cons, but the quickest, easiest,…