When I was a brand new hobbyist, one of the facets of keeping fish I enjoyed most was research. Like most scientifically inclined people, learning about livestock was (and is) something I spent immense amounts of my free time doing.…
advice
Are You a Coral Collector or a Coral Hoarder?
Do you circle the dates for coral sales and frag swaps, but forget birthdays and anniversaries? Or have a frag tank filled with frags, yet there is no chance that any of these frags will make it into your display…
Mike Paletta Beginner Series: The Grand Finale
How do you write the ending for a story that isn’t finished? For the past 52 weeks, I have been writing articles designed to help newcomers to the hobby. The idea for this was not my own, but rather that…
Top Tips for Beginners and New Reef Aquarium Hobbyists
During my early years in the hobby virtually everyone I came into contact with, from shops to other hobbyists all said the same thing: “Keeping a saltwater tank is too difficult so don’t even bother trying”. Looking back I can…
Only Bad Things Happen Fast: How to Avoid Beginner Mistakes
Wouldn’t it be nice if before you started a project you knew what to look out for so that you could avoid costly mistakes? Like when you started to drive you understood that the police would be looking at you…
What to Consider When Buying Frags
This hobby has seen a lot of changes over the last forty years. Lighting, ICP testing, trace elements and flow to name a few items have all been improved upon and have helped change the hobby completely. However, even more…
Molly Miller Blenny is a Viable Alternative for Aiptasia Control
The Molly Miller Blenny, Scartella cristata, is a unique blenny that originates from the Caribbean. These blennies generally grow to about four inches in length and have a unique appetite. In the hobby, many aquarium enthusiasts report these blennies to…
Setting Up an Aquarium Log
As the old saying goes: The details are in the paperwork. This is especially true when keeping a reef tank where you can’t know where a tank is going unless you know where it’s been and you can’t really know…
Stomatella Snails are The Unsung Heroes of Clean Up Crew
One of the most unique and underappreciated members of the Trochidae family is the Stomatella Snail. With a thin, fingernail-shaped shell and a sea slug-like appearance, these snails are adept at getting into all the nooks and crannies of your…
What you need to know about Water Changes
When it comes to the most basic of maintenance tasks to be done the first one that comes to mind is the water change. As important as it is, it is also one of the least glamorous and least fun…