The Importance of Coral Nutrition

As we have noted in previous articles most aspects of the hobby have some controversy associated with them. Needless to say, coral nutrition is one of them. For many years the general consensus was that all corals needed to thrive…

How and Why to Dip Newly Acquired Corals

After getting corals via the internet or from a local shop they need to be treated for parasites, infections, and other maladies that we do not want to introduce into a tank. I know that shops and online stores will…

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…

How to properly Treat and Dip Newly Acquired Corals

As we have gotten better at keeping our corals and especially propagating them, we have also gotten better at recognizing the many pests that feed on them. As a result, it is now necessary to manage these pests lest they…

Old and New Reef Tank Pests

It seems that when we take two steps forward we often have to take one step back. Such is the case with the success we have had in the hobby. In the early days of the hobby, we were preoccupied…

A Day in the Life of a Coral Farmer

Going out for a drink and meeting people who ask what you do for a living is always amusing when you tell them you farm corals. It’s not often you can delve into the inner workings, hardships, and triumphs of…

Cairns Aquarium becomes Coral Biobank’s permanent new home

Last time we spoke about the Great Barrier Reef Legacy Coral Biobank Project kicking off in Queensland, Australia, there was already an admirable number of coral species being held by some Biobank partners for security, despite a lack of existence…

The New Octocorallia: Malacalcyonacea Part 1

In our previous review of octocoral classification, we saw that anywhere from 3–8 orders have traditionally been used to organize this group’s bewildering biodiversity, based on morphological assumptions of increasing complexity within the evolutionary history of these corals. It was…

Instagram’s Ancolie Coral is our favorite #reefbuilders tank right now

Every day we scroll through some of the 300,000 reef-related posts and videos carrying our hashtag on Instagram, but this Japanese aquarium by @ancoliecoral caught our attention for all the right reasons. At 160x160x70cm/63”x63”x28” and holding 1792 liters/473 gallons this…

Jasmine Coral is a great soft coral for beginners

If you want a super easy soft coral for a low-maintenance tank, a nano, or a beginner tank, then look no further than the Jasmine Coral, Knopia octocontacanalis. The Jasmine is the only member of the genus Knopia and was…