The Changing Face of Marine Aquarium Wholesalers

During my time in the hobby I have been fortunate in that I have gotten to know pretty a lot of the key players in the hobby including the wholesalers. I have been lucky to have been a regular visitor…

The Amazing Reef Tanks of Italy

As I have mentioned numerous times in the past, I consider myself to be a lucky person. And one of the ways this luck has manifested itself, is that I have been fortunate to get to see one of my…

First Sustainable Acropora spathulata Now Available from Bali Aquarium

Bali Aquarium has just come out with an Indonesian strain of Green Apple Acropora spathulata. After a collecting trip in central Indonesia last year, three fragments were collected out of the first ever colony of this species discovered in Indonesia. This…

Under Water in Okinawa

Okinawa, Japan is known for its great diving and lush coral reefs. Going into it, I didn’t know what to expect with this dive. I’ve heard all sorts of cautionary tales about diving in Okinawa due to its strong currents,…

Things I hate in the aquarium hobby

In a recent psychology article I was reading about relationships, the author made an interesting observation. To paraphrase, the author basically said that our strongest friendships and most passionate love affairs may not simply be based on us liking the…

Mermaids, Megalodon, and Cyanide: A Real Look at the Aquarium Trade and the Battle Against Cyanide Collection

The ocean is full of the unknown, allowing people’s imaginations to run wild. Combine that with film producers, writers, or groups with a divisive agenda, and you get mockumentaries entertaining the idea of a monster shark as big as a…

Acropora for Beginners

With the introduction of more aquaculture and mariculture facilities, there has been a boom in specimens available at the local fish stores these days. But I will say for certain that if you can get a frag from a successful…

Acropora spathulata discovered in Indonesia

Acropora spathulata is the quintessential Australian SPS Coral in our minds, but we’ve now discovered that this coral can also be found as far away as central Indonesia. Contrary to our previous belief that A. spathulata is an Australian endemic,…

The future of the saltwater aquarium hobby

Since this is my last piece for the year I thought rather than reflecting back on the past year, I would answer one of the questions I get asked the most: What do you see as the future of the…

Reef Builders Indonesia Travelogue: Tulamben, Bali

Indonesia is the heart of coral reef diversity and an important source for marine aquarium animals. Reefbuilders is on location in Bali, central Indonesia, and over the next two months we will be saturating ourselves with coral, fish, and reef knowledge to share with all of you.