ORA’s Electric Indigo Dottyback – New Take On A Hybrid

We tried, oh how we tried, but on this one, Dustin Dorton’s lips are sealed.  The “Electric Indigo Dottyback” is clearly something different and unique, and is the latest in a string of debuts from ORA in early 2014. So…

The Psychedelic Sixline Wrasse

Whenever I’m asked to recommend a hardier, similarly sized, and equally attractive alternative to the green mandarinfish, the first species that usually pops into my mind is the sixline wrasse (Pseudocheilinus hexataenia). If you can acquire a healthy specimen, you’ll…

The Role of Activated Carbon in the Reef Aquarium

Of the three types of filtration used in the reef aquarium hobby today, biological, mechanical, and chemical, it is chemical filtration that is possibly the least understood. This post is all about activated carbon, the most popular type of chemical…

Two days of ReefStock means even more world class presentations

Since MACNA is in Denver’s near-future, we’ve been keeping ReefStock 2014 a little lower key than before, but low key doesn’t mean we won’t deliver our usual share of world class reefing activities. We may be only rockin’ 24 booths…

5 Good Reasons to Spend Time Observing Your Saltwater Fish

With today’s chaotic schedules, it’s the norm for many marine aquarium hobbyists to see their fish only in passing (e.g., catching a fleeting glimpse when tossing in some food just before heading off to work) or when performing routine maintenance…

Not Every Small, Benthic Fish Is A Goby

This is a guest contribution from Joe Rowlett, one of the many talented fish geeks working the fish tanks at Old Town Aquarium in Chicago.  The taxonomy and classification of fish is not a subject that your average reefkeeper investigates…

Protect Your Marine Livestock from the Perils of Powerheads

We marine aquarium hobbyists generally strive to create aquatic environments that are as naturalistic as possible for the animals in our care. We use high-quality salt mixes to replicate natural sea water (assuming we don’t collect salt water directly from…

ORA Breaks the Blenny Barrier – Captive-Bred Red Sea Mimic Blennies!

Today, ORA announced the successful breeding of the Red Sea Mimic Blenny, Ecsenius gravieri, and with it, the impenetrable blenny-barrier has been broken. For years if not decades, it has seemed that the successful captive breeding of the combtooth Blennies from…

New Morse Code PNG Maroon Clownfish from Sea & Reef

Sea & Reef Aquaculture announced the release of their new PNG-lineage “Morse Code” Maroon Clownfish, Premnas biaculeatus. Lovers of the Lightning Maroon Clownfish, or for that matter any of the unusual Maroon Clownfish that came out of Papua New Guinea…

DIY Brine Shrimp Hatchery and Shell Separator

Adult brine shrimp are not considered a good source of food for any fish, but they are sometimes used to entice a slow eater to start eating. Newborn brine shrimp, however, are an excellent source of food for many small…