Phage Therapy: A Possible Alternative to Antibiotics?

The first use of phage therapy traces back almost a century ago, being discovered in the early 1900s, which is earlier than the application of antibiotics. Phage therapy has received relatively little attention due to the powerful antibacterial effects of…

Continuing A Reef Show Tradition With Chris Meckley

Chris Meckley, the owner of ACI Aquaculture, and I have different levels of experience in the reefkeeping hobby. Therefore, it’s fair to say that his preferences for corals may differ from mine. However, I always enjoy the opportunity to compare…

Sustainably Farmed Clams now available from SaltwaterAquarium.Com

Something about giant clams of the genus Tridacna draws us to them. The combination of the tell-tale clam-shaped shell and exquisite mantle color and patterning encapsulates the underwater realm and conjures up far-away Pacific reefs, and another world. With T.gigas,…

Snake Polyps are the Oddballs of the Coral World

A fascinating soft coral rarely seen nowadays is the “snake polyp.” several species belong to this family, including Isaurus tuberculatus, I. cliftoni, and  I. maculatus. These species are closely related to zoanthids. They have a long stalk with a central…

Gracilaria vs Vibrio: The Antimicrobial Properties of Red Macroalgae

Bacteria of the family Vibrionaceae are some of the most universally present microbes in aquatic environments. Even well-established reef aquariums, exhibiting no apparent problems, likely contain a number of Vibrio bacteria species. This is because many species and strains of…

How to Manage Reef Tank Pests

Typically when starting a new project we only see the positive aspects and every task is filled with excitement and anticipation. For instance, when setting up a new garden in the Spring, we cultivate the soil, plant the seeds fertilize…

Orbit Marine Nano LED is the Best Value Nano Reef Light We’ve Seen

Current USA has unveiled its first new product since restructuring, and we admit to doing a double take when we saw the $59 price tag.  Named the Orbit Marine Nano LED, the fixture is a piece of black, 7”x3.5”x0.5” marine…

What to Consider When Buying Frags

This hobby has seen a lot of changes over the last forty years. Lighting, ICP testing, trace elements and flow to name a few items have all been improved upon and have helped change the hobby completely. However, even more…

Setting Up an Aquarium Log

As the old saying goes: The details are in the paperwork. This is especially true when keeping a reef tank where you can’t know where a tank is going unless you know where it’s been and you can’t really know…

Phestilla arnoldi is a New Species of Acropora Eating Nudibranch

Researchers surveying a coral reef in the Gulf of Thailand have found 13 species of coral-eating nudibranch, including one that’s totally new to science. The nudibranchs belong to the genus Phestilla – small, frilly, parasitic/predatory sea slugs which mimic the…