To Truly Understand Coral Disease, We Must Shift Our Perception

In my time in the reef aquarium industry, I have seen much misinformation contradicting published peer-reviewed data. Some of these ideas stem from ignorance – many people haven’t been exposed to contradictory ideas to those pushed by mainstream media and…

Understanding Difficult Fish: Why Expert Only Isn’t a Simple Term

When I was a brand new hobbyist, one of the facets of keeping fish I enjoyed most was research. Like most scientifically inclined people, learning about livestock was (and is) something I spent immense amounts of my free time doing.…

How to Quarantine Copperbands and Get Them Feeding

One of the most stunning marvels of the reef, the Copperband Butterflyfish, Chelmon rostratus, is something of an idol within the reef-keeping industry. Gold and pearly white, these delicate fish flit around tanks with such poise, capturing the eye of…

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…

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…

The Promise of A Vaccine for Marine Ich, Cryptocaryon irritans

Marine Ich is one of the most prolific parasites in both the Reef Aquarium Hobby and Commercial Aquaculture. Cryptocaryon irritans is an obligate parasitic ciliate that can infect most marine fish taxa. Marine ich has a complex life cycle, which…

Is it Okay to Name Living Creatures after People?

It’s human nature to name things. It’s part of how we label and describe items, communicate, and even differentiate one another. But nomenclature stretches to living things too, like plants, animals, and fish, and we want to know if it’s…

The Importance of Proper Fish Feeding

This may seem like a rather simple topic, and I used to think it was as well, but over time I have come to realize that feeding the fish, keeping them healthy and not polluting the tank is actually a…

FAQs on Coral Sand

Coral sand is one of the first materials that new saltwater aquarium owners add to their tanks. Here we answer your most frequently asked questions on this popular reef aquarium substrate. Do I need to wash coral sand? If the…

Clean-up Crew, and Their Role in the Reef Aquarium

As mentioned in last week’s article algae and how to manage it is still the biggest problem/concern of many hobbyists both new and old. I would love to say that if everything is kept in balance and nutrients are kept…