Pacific Sun adds two new T5 bulbs to its fluorescent aresenal

Pacific Sun recently announced two new T5 tubes, an Ultra Wide UV and BlueEX, to its mix of T5 tubes. Although the industry is dominated by LED as of late, T5 is still holding strong and we are still seeing companies on the…

Penn Plax Action-Air Skeleton Ornament adds action and intrigue to any mundane reef

We have all been there before, you spend hours on aquascaping, sourcing and growing out an awe-inspiring selection of corals and adding a bevy of wonderful fish, but our reef tanks still don’t have “it”. We struggle with reaquascaping, readjusting our…

Reef Nuggets 3: Fairies and Flashers, with notes from the wild

Today’s Reef Nuggets deal with a topic very close to my heart. Cirrhilabrus and Paracheilinus, or more commonly known as the fairy and flasher wrasses. Instead of my usual banter on “this ultra rare flasher wrasse” or that “extremely deepwater…

Oriental Sweetlips: So Pretty but Seldom Suitable for Marine Systems

I recently wrote a post about the options available to hobbyists who have unwittingly purchased a tankbuster fish. The subject of today’s post—the oriental sweetlips (Plectorhinchus vittatus)—could very well serve as the “poster fish” for that situation if it weren’t…

Rare beaked whale washes ashore in Australia

From time to time the might ocean washes ashore rare and unusual creature and the latest one has scientists all aflutter because an extremely rare sea creature recently washed ashore  in Australia. This intriguing 10- to 13-foot creature is thought to…

Will you stop hiding from me! Lonesome Liopropoma

Today’s post is c0-contributed by Mr. Tay, a friend of ReefBuilders and one of my best fish buddies in Singapore. Mr. Tay is known online by his alias “Digiman”, and has an extensive collection of deepwater and unusual fish, many…

Aquaculture sales are up according to USDA Census of Aquaculture results

Late last month, the the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released the 2013 Census of Aquaculture results and noted a 26 percent increase since the last report in 2005. The census measures the U.S. aquaculture industry in…

Rolling in the Deep in this awesome video from Papua New Guinea

OceanShutter.com recently released this remarkable video shot in Papua New Guinea. While many other reefs and dive destinations in the Coral Triangle are dealing with the negative impact mankind has had on the local ecosystem, PNG is one of the…

4 Acclimation Stage Issues for Marine Aquarium Fish

When we consider the term “acclimation” as it relates to marine aquarium fish, we usually think of the relatively brief period during which—with the hobbyist’s help—they gradually adjust to the temperature, pH, and other water parameters in a new system.…

Metallic green mask Cryptocentrus pavoninoides is a rare aberration on a common fish

Aberrations in fish are rare, but extreme aberrations are seldom seen and almost unheard of. Over the years we’ve covered a heck load of aberrant and hybrid fish, but this one today is quite something. RVS Fish World just bagged a…