Observations on the yellow hawkfish, Paracirrhites xanthus

What more can be said about Paracirrhites xanthus, the yellow hawkfish? Reef Builders showcased a beautiful yellow hawkfish specimen a few years ago, and although still very rare, one has turned up in my care in a private collection in London,…

6 Reasons for Poor Protein Skimmer Foam Production

A properly sized protein skimmer is key to the success of any marine aquarium system—provided it’s actually doing the job it’s intended to do, that is. Sometimes protein skimmers just keep right on skimming with little or no foam and…

Mame Nano Overflow review

This is a guest contribution from Briana Brasch, owner/operator of Applied Reefing in Denver Colorado.  I have always been a fan of rimless aquariums for my nano reef systems but such tanks present a bit of a challenge: how do…

A. nigropunctatus: The Pet-Like Dogface Puffer

Hobbyists with sizeable tanks who are looking for a truly pet-like fish won’t be disappointed in the aptly named dogface puffer (Arothron nigropunctatus). Looking rather like a pudgy beagle with fins instead of paws, A. nigropunctatus is loaded with piscine…

Double unboxing of the AI Director and Hydra 52

The reef scene is currently being graced by the best, brightest, and most sophisticated aquarium LED lights that we’ve ever seen. Leading the pack of this advanced lighting future is the rich family of LED lights from Aqua Illumination, with…

Favites monticularis is a spikey new species of stony coral

The moon brain corals of the family Faviidae have yielded some interesting new species lately, but the newly described Favites monticularis will stand out in your mind, literally. Favia camranensis was certainly neat with its shingle-like corallites but the spiny corallite walls…

2013 Marine Breeder’s Year in Review part 2

This is the second part of our annual Marine Breeder’s Year in Review, part 1 can be seen here.  4th Annual Marine Breeding Initiative (MBI) Breeder’s Workshop To say it’s been a busy year is an understatement, so much so…

Online coral shopping: is What-You-See really What-You-Get?

Many die-hard hobbyists know exactly where and when the new cool stuff comes in. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to be present physically when a new shipment is unpacked. In these cases, the internet is a great thing: lots…

The vitiligo angelfish, and Centropyge colouration

The dwarf angelfishes of the Genera Centropyge and Paracentropyge are amongst our favorite reef fishes, in part for their fabulous array of colour morphs and hybrids. We’ve always been fascinated by the variety of these aberrant individuals, and seem to…

2013 Marine Breeder’s Year in Review

It’s the 4th annual installment of the Marine Breeder’s Year in Review (see past installments at 2010, 2011a, 2011b, and 2012) and frankly, it’s been an interesting if not arguably “slow” year for a change, and yet I’ll probably write more…