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…
advice
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,…
Why is my Coral Dying? The Answer is Far From Simple
On social media, I often see the question, “Why is my coral dying?” In this article, I will explore how complicated it is to answer that question even from a scientific standpoint. In previous articles, I have covered the idea…
What You Need to Know about Aquariums and Electrical Safety
Electricity! We all know it’s dangerous and even more so when combined with water, yet often aquarists practice relaxed and sometimes downright dangerous approaches when combining the two. I was among the worst, having a few minor shocks and the…
Are Air fresheners Good or Bad for the Home Aquarium?
Let me tell you a story. A dentist’s office had a beautiful reef full of hammers and torches, which was healthy for years until a new employee placed a vanilla-scented candle in the office. The aquarium technician did not see…