Say “triggerfish” to a group of experienced salties, and you’re apt to evoke bloodcurdling memories of once-kept triggers massacring fellow fish, shredding sessile invertebrates, mangling submerged equipment, toppling rockwork, or even biting the hand that feeds them. Let’s face it,…
How to Arrange a Vacation Sitter for Your Saltwater Aquarium
You’re getting ready to depart on a well-deserved summer vacation, and everything is falling into place nicely. You’ve purchased airline tickets, made all your hotel reservations, and packed everything you could possibly need at your travel destination. You’ve even made…
4 Reasons There’s No Better Eel Than the Snowflake Moray
That’s the point I tried to communicate to my wife, Melissa, when developing the livestock list for the 125-gallon FOWLR (fish-only-with-live-rock) tank that now resides in our living room. I really wanted to include a snowflake moray (Echidna nebulosa), a…
Flame Angelfish: Heavenly Beauty With a Touch of Devilishness
The aptly named flame angelfish (Centropyge loriculus) is an eye-popping Pacific beauty that stops people in their tracks when they catch sight of it in a home aquarium or LFS sales tank. This stunning dwarf angel has much to recommend…
The What and When of Feeding Saltwater Fish
Feeding time is one of the most rewarding aspects of keeping saltwater fish. Let’s face it, fish don’t exactly reciprocate affection the way dogs and cats do. The closest we can really get to interacting with them is when we…
Bubble-Tip Anemones: Care and Propogation
Virtually every reef aquarium hobbyist has, at one time or another, dreamed of propagating corals for a living. After learning to maintain these delicate organisms in captivity and experiencing the satisfaction of trading a few frags with fellow hobbyists and…
Burrowing Beauty: Yellowhead Jawfish (Opistognathus aurifrons)
Since I first set eyes on a wild specimen while scuba diving in the Florida Keys, I’ve been enamored with the yellowhead, a.k.a. pearly, jawfish (Opistognathus aurifrons). Though not the most chromatically gifted fish in the sea, this burrowing beauty…
Red Sea Showstopper: Purple Tang (Zebrasoma xanthurum)
When it comes to vivid coloration, the purple tang (Zebrasoma xanthurum) is arguably in a class all by itself. This resplendent Red Sea showstopper has won a special place in Chris’s heart and, given appropriate housing, tankmates, and nutrition, might…
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…
Coral food recipe causes insane feeding response in Frédeau’s reef tank
This coral feeding video of Frédeau’s reef (aka Gloupe) shows just how impressive coral feeding responses can be when the right ingredients are used. We all know you are suppose to feed your corals for maximum growth rates and color…
