How to select a Local Fish Store and How to Buy Online

During the last forty years things have changed dramatically, and with the pandemic things changed even more. In terms of the hobby, from the pandemic until now have been the best of times and the worst of times, for virtually…

Saltwater Beginner Series: Can I convert my freshwater tank to a saltwater tank?

Yes, virtually any aquarium can be converted to saltwater, as long as it doesn’t contain any parts that might rust like iron or steel. Glass and acrylic aquariums are the best for saltwater conversion but if you run an aquarium…

FAQs on Coral Sand

Coral sand is one of the first materials that new saltwater aquarium owners add to their tanks. Here we answer your most frequently asked questions on this popular reef aquarium substrate. Do I need to wash coral sand? If the…

Dice Pico 2 AIO is Maxspect’s Mini Bundle of Freshwater Fun

Equipment innovator Maxspect continues on its aquarium journey with the launch of a new little lifestyle aquarium called the Dice Pico 2 AIO. First impressions are that it is compact and cuboid in shape, but all other similarities with the…

How to Acclimate New Fish

For those of us who started with freshwater tanks, the general rule for acclimating a new fish was to simply float the bag until the temperatures matched, gradually add some tank water to gradually acclimate the fish to the tank’s…

Why and How to Quarantine Saltwater Fish 

One of the dirty little secrets of the hobby is that fish a large number of fish come with parasites. Even though most of them look healthy when we buy them, and who would buy a sick fish, the stress…

What kind of Saltwater Tank do you want?

Up until this point just about everything that has been done in preparation of setting up a new tank is pretty much the same. A tank, stand, skimmer, lights, etc are all going to be used regardless of what you…

Raja in Pajamas is the Hottest Coral in the World Right Now

With the dark-rimmed yellow mouths and green base of a Raja Rampage, and the blue streaks of a Jelly Bean Chalice, the second we saw this coral we knew we had to find out more. Blaine Shivley from Top Shelf…

Off timing coral spawning spotted in South Sulawesi

How much do we really know about corals? The answer is: Not so much, actually. While the general rule for coral spawning is a few days after the full moon, 2 hours after sunset, just before the water temperature high…

Grzegorz Grebosz’s Acropora are Probiotic Perfection

We admit to following and admiring this aquarium for a while, and although it’s existed in several guises since 2015, the bright, tabling acros and pristine, immaculately clean tank always manage to keep it looking like new. We caught up…