So, you finally got that scope, the pièce de resistance of your reefing gear. You put your beautiful eyes to the lens, eager to finally see what dinos are plaguing you. Maybe to check your phytoplankton culture. To just enjoy…
Education
The First Rule of (Coral) Fight Club is … – Coral Warfare at a Glance
While it may be a surprise to others, just about any self-respecting reef aquarist knows that corals fight. Life on the reef can be tumultuous for a sessile, brainless colony of polyps. In addition to unforgiving environmental conditions and relentless…
Algae – The Solution to All Your Problems
I know what you’re thinking. Why would I keep ALGAE on purpose? Much less buy it to PUT in my tank?I would have agreed with you almost 15 years ago. When I got my first saltwater fish tank as a…
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…
Your Favia’s Not a Favia – A Cursory Guide to Ex-Favia Merulinid Corals
A quick internet search for “Favia for sale” will return a collection of encrusting large-polyp stony corals collectively grouped as such. However, if one were to take a closer look, they would notice that many of these “Favia” are nothing…
Coral Associated Fungi: A New Rabbit Hole
While I have spoken much about the bacterial component of the holobiont, there are many more players in a coral’s arsenal of symbionts. Something I have seen very few discuss in the hobby is marine fungi. While fungal populations exist…
Do Macroalgae Refugiums Have Unseen Consequences?
Many people have turned to growing macroalgae as a means to export nutrients for years. This has proven to be a solid method of managing nitrates and phosphates that when dialed in appear to have no negative impact on a…
The Effect of Carbon Dosing on the Microbiome: A Community Project with Aquabiomics
At Reefstock Denver, I met many industry figures in person for the first time. Some of my best connections were those with Dr. Eli Meyer and Dr. Andrew Bouwma. Dr. Meyer owns Aquabiomics, and Dr. Bouwma is his colleague and…
FAQs on Reef Aquarium Bacteria
There is so much we don’t know about the bacteria we buy and add to our reef tanks. Salem Clemens answers some of your most Frequently Asked Questions on Reef Aquarium Bacteria. Is it possible to keep bacteria alive in…
FAQs on Phytoplankton Part 4
Time for more questions and answers from the mean, green phytoplankton-making machine, Taras Pleskun. Do I need to refrigerate phyto? I would highly suggest refrigerating any live phytoplankton cells that you do not intend on feeding to the aquarium that…