Distilled down to its essence, success in the marine aquarium hobby is about keeping fish and invertebrates alive and thriving. And while it may sometimes seem as though fate plays a major role in how animals fare under our care,…
Top 5 Beginner-Friendly LPS Corals
With so many corals available on the marine aquarium market today, even experienced reefkeepers can have a difficult time deciding which species to choose. But for the novice reefkeeper, figuring out which corals are beginner-friendly and which are best left…
Marine Fish Bait and Switch—5 Adorable Juveniles that Blossom into Brutes
Their alluring cuteness beckons from across the LFS. At just a few inches in length and sporting dazzling colors, comical polka dots, interesting morphology, or fascinating finnage, they’re practically irresistible to the average marine-aquarium hobbyist looking to acquire a show-stopping…
Why Use Scientific Names for Saltwater Fish and Inverts?
Hobby newcomers often wonder why fish are so frequently identified by two-part scientific names in aquarium literature and online resources like Saltwater Smarts. After all, when you’re shopping at your average local fish store, the various critters in the sales…
6 Tips for Choosing the Right-Sized Tank for Saltwater Fish
Have you ever noticed that species profiles written about marine fish almost always include a recommended minimum tank size for the species? Have you also noticed that tank-size recommendations for the same species can vary wildly from one author, dealer,…
Buying Marine Fish and Inverts: LFS vs. Online
Once a new saltwater aquarium is up and running, fully cycled, and ready to receive fish and/or invertebrates, the hobbyist has the choice of buying livestock from a local fish store (LFS) or from various online sources. Both options are…
9 Tips to Maintain a Healthy Marine Fish Aquarium
There’s no better teacher than experience, and with nearly a half century of saltwater aquarium keeping under his belt, Richard “Dick” Hilgers certainly has plenty of experiences to share! Currently the owner of The Cultured Reef, a coral-aquaculture facility located…
The Benefits of Buying Captive-Bred Marine Fish
On the freshwater tropical fish market, the majority of species sold are captive-bred, either on a large scale by commercial fish farms or by dedicated hobbyists. Relatively few species are still collected in the wild. However, on the saltwater side…
4 Marine Fish Compatibility Blunders to Avoid
The realm of human interaction can be remarkably complicated. But generally speaking, as long as certain social conventions and legal constraints are observed, most people will manage to coexist in peace and seldom resort to violence. Only in cases of…
Guide to Choosing Healthy Saltwater Fish at your LFS
A healthy, thriving community of saltwater fish begins with the judicious selection of specimens at your LFS. While not every potential health problem or disease will be evident to the naked eye, cautious appraisal of all prospective specimens for health…
