Visiting the wild reefs, like we did in the Solomon Islands recently, is an incredible experience that really helps connect us to where our corals come from. Not only do we get to see a greater variety of coral species…
solomon islands
Soft Coral Safari in the Solomon Islands
It’s not a stretch to say that stony corals represent at least 75% of the corals we keep in our tanks, both in diversity and numbers. If you don’t count zoanthids, shrooms and anemones, then there’s just a tiny sliver…
Coral Diving in the Solomon Islands, Series Preview
Every coral in our aquariums did not ‘come from’ a fish store, they did not originate at an exporter, their journey began much, much further away. Every Acro, Chalice, Monti or Soft Coral came from a tropical, equatorial country most…
Myersina balteata is the Newest Species of Shrimp Goby from the Solomon Islands
Myersina balteata is a new species of shrimp-associated tropical goby that was just described from specimens collected in the Solomon Islands. This new species has a very distinctive color pattern which is divided by a very pronounced black vertical line,…
This is the BEST Parascolymia vitiensis we’ve ever seen!
Reef aquarium conferences like ReefStock and Reefapalooza are usually a great place to look for coral frags, but sometimes we get to see some truly stupendous coral colonies too. This past weekend’s event was a great new success for the…
2nd Annual Solomon Island Dive Fest Is Happening October 2-7
2nd Annual Solomon Island Dive Fest It’s almost here, only one month left before the start of the 2nd annual Solomon Island dive fest. If you’ve never heard of it, the Solomon’s are a group of remote island hidden away in…
Parapercis binotata, A New Species Of Sandperch From Solomon Islands
There’s tons of different species of sandperches, small bottom-dwelling tropical marine fish intriguing eyes and an inquisitive behavior. They’re small, hardy and usually pretty cheap, and today we can add one more species to the catalog of Parapercis, Parapercis binotata is…
Blue Acropora Yongei Documented Over 20 Years by Bruce Carlson
Blue Acropora are among the most coveted corals in reef aquarium. Meanwhile, the brilliant Green Slimer Acropora yongei is one of the most common and fastest growing corals in captivity. But did you know these two types of coral have something…
Leptoseris papyracea, the other branching Lepto coral
Leptoseris is a genus of coral that has absolutely blown up in the marine aquarium hobby in the last few years. Notable efforts to collect rare and unusual strains of Leptos, especially by Fox and Worldwide, have led to more…
The Green Splash Astreopora is alive and well in captivity
When we first discovered the Green Splash Astreopora randalli growing in a turbid chalice coral reef in the Solomon Islands, we knew this coral was special. We’ve always had a special fascination for unusual corals, among them those that show…