It always seems that the more exotic looking a saltwater fish is, the more challenging it is for hobbyists to keep. Fortunately, such is not the case with Gomphosus varius, the aptly named bird wrasse. This hardy, intelligent, attractive species…
Reefapalooza celebrates 10 years this weekend in Orange County
Reefapalooza, held this weekend at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Southern California, is one of the best aquariums shows we’ve attended and looks like they have another great event planned. Reefapalooza is celebrating its 10-year anniversary, the show brings in…
Hands-on with Coral Compulsion’s 40w multicolor PAR38 LED spotlight
The actively cooled, 40 watt, multicolor LED PAR38 spotlight recently released by Coral Compulsion is one of the first new developments in this LED format in a long time. The New PAR38 spotlight has 16 discrete LEDs arranged in four…
BlueSpace and Crazy Aquarium in Bangkok is a mecca for Anthias and well groomed reef fish
In the second part of our Thailand escapade, we navigate through the labyrinth that is Jatujak. Jatujak, or JJ market, is a humongous fair that happens every weekend. The market contains over 15,000 stalls spanning 35 acres, and sells everything…
Minute wrasse Minilabrus striatus makes first US appearance
The Minute wrasse, Minilabrus striatus, is an exquisite nano reef wrasse from the Red Sea. Don’t be alarmed if you’ve never heard of this fish, we’ve never seen one either. This recent import by ACI Aquaculture could be the first…
Consider These 6 Points Before Buying a Marine Aquarium Cleanup Crew
Marine aquarium cleanup crews (CUC)—those combo packs of various snails, crabs, and echinoderms sold for the purpose of algae control and detritus elimination—can serve an excellent utilitarian function in a saltwater system. What’s more, in addition to the janitorial duties…
A rainbow of Ricordea
Florida ricordea, Ricordea floridea, are one of the staple corals that come from the oceans south of my back yard in the Florida Keys. They are a type of soft coral that occur in shallow waters on Caribbean reefs. Generally they…
Longfin clownfish clinches title for “guppy of the marine aquarium”
While “Guppy of the Marine Aquarium” has long been a title bestowed upon the Banggai Cardinalfish, I’ve long felt that the true guppy of the marine aquarium world, with its ubiquity of hobbyist breeding and ever-increasing diversity of aberrant, non-wild…
We feed our fish ALL of the best fish foods
As many new foods that come along in the marine aquarium hobby, many of them touting to be “The Best”, it’s hard to know which food you should feed your fish. In all reality, many of the top fish food…
Reef Record is creating huge transecting panoramas of the world’s reef
Ever dreamed of visiting and exploring a coral reef from the comfort of your own home? Well next to having a proper reef tank, the best thing is a new development of the Caitlin Seaview Survey which is documenting a…
