Old and New Reef Tank Pests

It seems that when we take two steps forward we often have to take one step back. Such is the case with the success we have had in the hobby. In the early days of the hobby, we were preoccupied…

Psychedelic Rainbow Umbrella is the most colorful Discosoma neglecta we’ve seen

Umbrella mushrooms are often green, brown, or mottled and as such aren’t highly coveted by the shroom world, but this specimen displayed by Iwarna Aquafarm in Singapore stopped our scrolling fingers in their tracks. Discosoma neglecta is a corallimorph that…

Beginners: Frequently Asked Questions on Wavemakers 

It’s that time again when we answer all of the questions that get fired at us on a particular subject, even the most basic ones. Here are our answers to all the most basic questions we’re asked each week on…

Bounce Button Scoly is one of a kind find

Saltwater retailer Kraken Corals have sold an unusual coral it believes to be a bounced Button Scoly. Native to Western Australia, Button Scolys are still exported as Scolymia australis, despite being closer to the officially named Micromussa pacifica in 2016.…

Aquafest show connects hobbyists in Yorkshire LFS

As a country, Britain is bad at fish shows. Wrecked by egos and politics, getting 50 plus people into the same room to share a common passion is often much more difficult than it should be, to the detriment of…

Our choice of tanks supplied with lids – Reef Builders Gear Guide 

Our way of reefing overwhelmingly favors open-topped tanks. They are easier to light, keep cool, and maintain, but due to jumping fish, evaporation, and rising heating bills there will always be a demand for saltwater aquariums with closed hoods. Here…

Rhodactis bryoides: The shroom that thought it was an anemone!

Thanks to our friend and colleague Joe Rowlett’s book Indo-Pacific Corals new insights were provided on many different coral families. One new development I found particularly interesting concerns the taxonomy of corallimoprh since not much new work has been done…

Galaxea Can Grow as big as Houses!

Large hard coral colonies are not only a very good sign of proper reef health, they are also a mesmerizing sight when they allowed to grow to full size. These majestic coral colonies are getting hard to find so we’re…

Two companies plead guilty to unlawfully importing corals from Vietnam

Two aquatic companies pleaded guilty this week to federal criminal charges for illegally importing protected live corals from Vietnam, concealing their unlawful activity, and submitting false records with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The United States Attorney’s office…

Bluelined surgeonfish inhibits coral growth says Coral Sea Foundation

The charitable organization Coral Sea Foundation has observed Bluelined surgeonfish, Acanthurus lineatus, actively suppressing coral growth at one of its monitoring sites, Lizard Island, on the Great Barrier Reef. Also known as the Lined Surgeon, or Clown Tang, A.lineatus is…