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…

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.…

FUSION Nano 10g & 20g Premium Starter Kit from Innovative Marine

Innovative Marine will soon start shipping two new sizes of their Fusion aquarium series, the 10 & 20 gallon Fusion Nano all in one aquariums with more fit and finish than has ever been offered in an aquarium of this…

Innovative Marine’s new 18w Skkye LED light

Innovative Marine is fixin’ to launch their new premium line of all in one nano aquariums called the Fusion Nano, and with it they are setting out to improve the current generation of Skkye LED lights. The old Skkye LED…

Keeping “Difficult” Marine Fish

There are no real “difficult” fish; they survive just fine in the sea before someone comes along and collects them. They know what they need, and if we studied them in the sea, we would also know what they need,…

Picasso Triggerfish: A Marine Aquarium Masterpiece

Certain fishes available in the marine aquarium trade are truly bizarre in their coloration and patterning. Ranked high among them when it comes to both exotic appearance and aquarium adaptability is Rhinecanthus aculeatus, better known as the Picasso triggerfish or…

The Sturdy but Shy Marine Betta

With its dark-brown body covered with a myriad of tiny white to pale-blue dots, the marine betta, a.k.a comet (Calloplesiops altivelis) is truly a dazzling sight to behold. Start out with a healthy specimen, and you’ll find it’s also a…

Elasmobranch Enthusiasts (Part 2): Modern Husbandry – Diet

From the ferocious great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) to the graceful white-spotted eagle ray (Aetobatus narinari), Elasmobranchii are a diverse group of boneless fishes that are circumglobal, inhabiting a diverse array of habitats, temperature ranges, salinities, and niches in the…

5 Types of Marine Fish that are Reef Safe with Caveats

When we say a marine fish is “reef safe,” we usually mean that it won’t eat the corals or other sessile invertebrates that we keep in reef systems. Using that definition, we can easily determine that, for example, the peaceful,…

Calcium: A Critical Element in Reef Aquariums

The stony corals, crustaceans, mollusks, and echinoderms in our marine aquariums depend on it to build their skeletons/shells/tests. Soft corals use it to build supportive structures, called sclerites, in their tissues. Of course, without it, you’ll never get a nice…