Top 5 reasons why we love MACNA

The Marine Aquarium Conference of North America is a yearly event buzzing with a cornucopia of reef related awesomeness. For some, it’s an annual tradition, for others, a pilgrimage. Regardless, MACNA presents its attendees with an exuberant atmosphere of fun and…

Fauna Marin Seawater Research Lab to offer mail-off water testing

Fauna Marin and GHL have teamed up to distribute their marine aquarium products in the USA themselves. The new venture called CM Distributors after the founders  Claude Schuhmacher of Fauna Marin and Matthias Groß of GHL, is based in Connecticut and…

My musings from MACNA

As usual MACNA meant so many corals and friends and equipment but so little time. Due to family commitments I was only able to spend Saturday in DC at MACNA, but it was a well-spent 8 hours. As usual, the…

Nyos Calcium, Magnesium and Carbonate Hardness test kit review

In addition to the easy-to-use Nitrate and Phosphate test kits, the NYOS Reefer line also includes some very well thought out tests for the mineral components of seawater, including Calcium, Magnesium and Alkalinity. With Ecotech Marine now distributing NYOS products in…

MACNA 2016 to be hosted in San Diego, California by the S.D Marine Aquarium Foundation

It’s official. MACNA 2016 will take place in San Diego California, hosted by the San Diego Marine Aquarium Foundation (SDMAF). The 28th annual Marine Aquarium Conference of North America makes its big return to the West Coast for the first time…

We tracked down the Purple Monster Acro to its original source

The Purple Monster Acropora is arguably one of the most infamous stony coral strains in the marine aquarium hobby, of all time. This particular strain of deep purple acro is the coral that kickstarted the whole idea of even having some corals that…

Three new species of Trimma gobies: T. aturirii, T. kardium & T. trioculatum

Three new species of Trimma pygmy gobies have been described, adding to the rapidly growing list of these miniature reef fish which are so diverse and desirable. The new species include Trimma aturirii , Trimma kardium and Trimma trioculatum, all of them quite…

Australogyra zelli, the magnificent branching moon coral

Last week we had the great fortune of returning from the Solomon Islands on a very special expedition to the Central Province, on behalf of Unique Corals, exploring for rare an unusual corals from this region of the Coral Triangle. Back in…

The Water Change Conundrum

We all have a friend in the hobby or know someone who constantly brags about how he or she has never done a water change and their tank is perfect. The corals are growing and colorful, the fish vibrant and active…

The Ecosystem Aquarium Method: What’s in the Miracle Mud?

  Of all the articles that I’ve written and all of the talks I’ve given over the years, none have stirred the souls of reefkeepers as much as my discussions of “Miracle Mud” and what it does and doesn’t do. For the…