Hobby pioneer Paul “Paul B” Baldassano is not your grandfather’s reefkeeper (though he is old enough to be your grandfather!). In fact, Paul B’s perspective on just about any aspect of the marine aquarium hobby is quite distinct from anyone…
Care Requirements for Non-photosynthetic (NPS) Corals
Non photosynthetic corals (NPS) are some of the most unique corals you will ever see. They have the most odd shapes, textures, and cryptic behaviors. Their other name, azooxanthelle, suggests that their zooxanthelle is absent. However, studies have found that…
Nothing Mysterious about the Mystery Wrasse’s Charms
Pseudocheilinus ocellatus, the mystery wrasse (aka the tail-spot wrasse, white-barred wrasse, or five-barred wrasse), is somewhat uncommon in the hobby and usually priced accordingly. But if you can get past the sticker shock for such a modest-sized fish, you’ll find…
Salty Q&A: To Rinse or not to Rinse Frozen Foods?
Question This is probably a silly question, but should I rinse frozen food before feeding it to my fish? I usually just thaw the food in a cup full of aquarium water and pour it right in.” – Submitted by…
Freckled Hawkfish: A Hardy, Hefty Option for the Rough-and-Tumble Tank
When it comes to keeping hawkfishes in aquaria, one of the more common admonitions is to avoid housing these predators with fish or crustaceans small enough to swallow. For most of the hawkfish species that grace our tanks, which generally…
Aquaculturing Dory
Yep, you read that right…and, no, I am not talking about “tank-raised,” a term sometimes mistaken for “tank-bred.” “Tank-raised” (taking young post-planktonic-stage fish and raising them to sellable size) Pacific blue tangs have been available for quite some time (at…
Indigo Hamlet: A Comely Sea Bass Suited to Modest-Sized Systems
The family Serranidae, the sea basses (not to be confused with a certain film character portrayed by Cam Neely), is a diverse assemblage of fishes ranging in size from tank-busting “bruisers” to diminutive species that are well suited to life…
5 Circumstances that Warrant a Species (or Specimen) Tank
A diverse community of marine fishes presents quite a visual feast, especially when housed in a reef system brimming with colorful corals. However, in some stocking situations, it’s preferable to avoid the “typical” marine community (if there is such a…
Threadfin Cardinalfish: Peaceful and Most Impressive in Numbers
Walk by an LFS sales tank containing a few specimens of threadfin cardinalfish (Zoramia leptacantha), and you might not give them a second glance. Chromatically speaking, this species isn’t exactly a showstopper compared to some, especially when viewed in your…
A Proven Method for Treating Bacterial Infection in Anemones
Recently I had an urge to get back into keeping anemones and planned on setting up an anemone-specific aquarium with the 90-gallon tank I resealed. I knew I wanted to start looking at what has been out in the market…
