The Reefer’s Code formally explained by Mike Paletta

The following article is a contribution from Mike Paletta to bring attention to an unspoken yet very important rule of reefing and sharing corals among friends, the Reefers Code. I was lucky this year to be invited to give a talk…

Three Old School corals that are still really cool to grow

There are many SPS corals available to the eager advanced hobbyist today. Far more than we ever had 10 years ago. I remember when the reef community was a much smaller one, a lot like a small town where everyone…

Coral larvae know the meaning of stoplight colors, backwards

It is common knowledge in the coral reef aquarium world that corals fluoresce in a multitude of colors, but coral larvae fluoresce as well. Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) is one of the most common fluorescent pigments found in the natural…

“Red Planet” from ORA on eBay selling for $12.99

Like most of you out there, your looking for those rare corals to complete or add to your collection. One of those corals might be the Red Planet, which looks similar to a acropora millepora. The coral which was imported…

Red Planet coral to hit your local LFS via Ora

ORA was busy today, releasing a new coral available to local fish stores. Named the “Red planet’, perhaps a pun about mars, with striking red colors we can see why. Obtained from a hobbyist from Europe, they have been working…

Reef Builders Guide: How to setup a Reef Tank

    The best words I have to describe a coral reef is a “lush wasteland.” By this I mean many extremely different types of life inhabit a coral reef, yet it is incredibly nutrient poor. Reefs rely on powerful…

The Five Best SPS Corals For Beginners

Small Polyp Stony Corals are some of the most popular aquarium corals, and the most populous on natural reefs, famed for their spiky branches, flat tables, or swirling plates. Not all SPS corals are the same, however, or as easy…

Is the Hobby Less Fun Than It Used to Be?

I think that we can all agree that there are many reasons to have a hobby. Some of us have one as it helps us relax such as with gardening or needlepoint. For others, a hobby keeps us active and…

The New Octocorallia: A Brief Review of Taxonomic Chaos

Soft Corals, Gorgonians, and Sea Pens comprise the Octocorallia, a major branch in the coral tree of life whose 3000+ species come in nearly every shape imaginable. Not surprisingly, this biodiversity has confounded taxonomists for centuries, resulting in no shortage…

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…