Coral Essentials CVE+ enables auto dosing of Chroma, Vibrance & Energy

Dosing liquids from little glass bottles has its own nuances, but in the last year or so we’ve seen a shift change from the detail of refrigerating and dripping straight into the top of your tank, to the ease of…

EU wrasse imports jeopardized due to catch-all disease restrictions

Reef Builders has learned that the import of all wrasses into Europe has been restricted. Fish health authorities have confirmed that wrasses and their relatives within the family Labridae are now only allowed to be exported to the European Union…

The EU Bans Five Important Australian Corals from Import

Another year, another ban, and this time its LPS corals from Australia. As of the 11th of January 2022 the import of wild-collected Duncanopsammia axifuga, Catalaphyllia jardini, Euphyllia ancora, E. paraancora and E. glabrescens is banned across the whole of…

Revised Queensland Coral Exports Approved Until 2024

The Australian government has confirmed that hard coral export from the Great Barrier Reef can continue for another three years, albeit with several caveats. In a statement by the Wildlife Trade Regulation Section, a new approval for the Wildlife Trade…

Chameleon Pachies are Packed with Color

Acanthastrea pachysepta is one of the most recognizable and hardy LPS corals even if they are still commonly confused with Lobophyllia. Ever since this coral was imported, we knew it couldn’t be mixed with any Lobophyllia without a risk of being…

We Can Only Dream of a Reef Tank Looking Like the Corals of Lizard Island

There’s no shortage of videos of wild ocean scenes, habitats and marinelife but these are almost exclusively of megafauna. If you want to see footage of sharks, dolphins, sea turtles or even more sharks, video hosting sites like YouTube have…

Pavona maldivensis Discovered with Both Orange and Green Color

Pavona maldivensis is one of the most distinctive stony corals in the world with a gnarly growth form and mound shaped corallites that reefers once believed to be a bizarre species of Cyphastrea. Unlike other more encrusting and ruffled species…

Update to Australian Coral Export Restrictions from Queensland

Last week we reported about some what was feared would be an interruption of live coral exports, from Queensland Australia specifically. The information at the time was that the harvest and export of live corals from Queensland’s reefs would be…

CITES Europe to Discuss Restrictions on Australian Corals

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species will meet on December 3rd to discuss the collection and export of certain hard coral species from Australia.

Stigmatopora harastii, a New Species of Red Pipefish from Botany Bay, Australia

Stigmatopora harastii is a brand new species of pipefish with a bright red coloration to hide amongst a particular habitat of sponges and red algaes. It’s surprising that the discovery was made in Australia’s Botany Bay, right there in the harbor of…