The Incredible Display of Rare Reef Fish by De Jong Marinelife

When it comes to sourcing and handling rare marine fish, De Jong Marinelife is definitely one of the world leaders for exotic reef animals from all over the world. This normally wholesale-only operation is not open to the public but every…

Don’t Be a Penny-Wise, Pound-Foolish Marine Aquarist!

Okay, class, please put away your notes and calculators, take out your number-two pencils (clear-a-vous but for a number-two!), and complete this easy multiple-choice quiz: Which of the following reef-lighting options costs the least? A) Zany Caribbean Chris’s Homemade Reef-Suitable…

Threadfin Cardinalfish: Peaceful and Most Impressive in Numbers

Walk by an LFS sales tank containing a few specimens of threadfin cardinalfish (Zoramia leptacantha), and you might not give them a second glance. Chromatically speaking, this species isn’t exactly a showstopper compared to some, especially when viewed in your…

Where have the large coral colonies gone?

Recently I came across a box of slides and began looking at the shots of the many tanks I had seen over the years and several things stood out. I have been fortunate to see a lot of tanks and…

Testing: Nano-Bubbles

Recently, the folks in my area got enamored with the topic of “nano?bubbles” for the reef tank. Being a curious engineer and avid tinkerer of tanks, I jumped right in to test it for myself. So what are nano?bubbles and…

Population of Vaquita porpoises falls to 60 individuals

The Vaquita is a rare species of porpoise, found only in the norther part of the Gulf of California. Unfortunately due to illegal fishing the Vaquita and it’s habitat are under attack and only 60 individuals remain in the wild. “We are…

Reefs In Decline

I have been lucky in my life to have had the opportunity to dive in some of the prettiest and most diverse underwater habitats on earth. Without exception, the nicest dive sites are far from civilization, which stands to reason.…

Traveling reefer blues and the anxieties of the vacationing aquarist

Piling the kids in the car. The smell of the ocean and coconut sun screen. Getting up in the middle of the night so you can be on the road when there is not much traffic. These are some of…

Identifying Chilean Devil Rays In The Azores Archipelago

For five months every year (June-October), Chilean devil rays Mobula tarapacana gather in large schools above shallow seamounts in the Azores Archipelago. These oceanic wanderers are the least known of the mobulids, and the Azores is one of only a few locations where these rays gather in large…

A Proven Method for Treating Bacterial Infection in Anemones

Recently I had an urge to get back into keeping anemones and planned on setting up an anemone-specific aquarium with the 90-gallon tank I resealed. I knew I wanted to start looking at what has been out in the market…