The Orange Tree Gorgonian is a Rare, Deepwater Treat

The wonderful Swiftia exserta, also known as the Orange Tree Gorgonian, is a treat for all those reef hobbyists who enjoy oddball marine life. Their striking color and shape have them highly sought after in the non-photosynthetic side of the…

Swiss Watches Feature Nudibranchs

I’m a big fan of all things fusion and this new collaboration between watchmakers Swatch and Blancpain is giving me sweet surges of serotonin and dopamine. For those of us who are embracing the aquarium lifestyle, the Swiss watch duo…

Meet Iniistius bakunawa, the wrasse that devoured the Moon

New species can be discovered through a multitude of avenues, from thrilling expeditions in faraway places to the loud hustle and bustle of wet markets, or even the quiet halls of museum collections. More often than not, careful examination of…

How to Cure Live Rock

Up until now, everything that has been necessary to do has been relatively easy. This next step in setting up a reef tank properly is what starts to separate those who will be successful long-term from those who will not.…

FAQs on Phytoplankton Part 1

You wanna know how Phytoplankton really works in your aquarium? We asked Phycologist Taras V Pleskun.  Which reef aquarium corals and other animals can ingest, and benefit from Phytoplankton? Microalgae are the nutritional foundation of all marine ecosystems. They are…

Levi’s Caribbean Biotope Aquarium

I’ve always personally wanted to set up an aquarium endemic to a certain area of the ocean. I recently moved across the country to Florida, and with the move, I happened to have an empty 75-gallon aquarium. I figured if…

The History and Evolution of Live Rock

When Georg Smit and Alf Nilsen introduced live rock to American hobbyists in the 1980’s the keeping of saltwater animals changed forever. Up until this time, undergravel filters were the main means for biological filtration and most tanks were decorated…

Rare Soft Coral Surfaces at QGI Aquatics 

We have all seen our fair share of soft and azooxanthellate corals in the hobby, but this one is definitely different. Not much is known about Chromonephthea as they rarely make it into the hobby. The specimens pictured were imported…

Why Successful Reefing Is All About Incrementalism

Over the course of the last forty years, many changes have taken place that have made the hobby better. Looking back, it is safe to say that while all of these changes seem large now, they were all done incrementally,…

Watch Reef Therapy Episode #78

In this latest Episode of the Reef Builders podcast, we are pleased to welcome Keith Berkelhamer from the Rappin’ with ReefBum talk show. Keith is a long-term reefer with tons of experience and a passion for sticks and live rock,…