Ten of our Favorite #reefbuilders Fish from Instagram

We love saltwater fish just as much as we love corals. Here are just ten of the over 300,000 Reef Builders tagged images on Instagram.  Make sure you tag #reefbuilders for a chance to have your fish, tank, or corals…

Are Fish Necessary in a Reef Tank?

After keeping reef tanks for almost forty years, and having viewed literally thousands of successful tanks, including a few recently sans fish, it got me to thinking are fish necessary in a reef tank.  Now before you think I have…

How to Acclimate New Fish

For those of us who started with freshwater tanks, the general rule for acclimating a new fish was to simply float the bag until the temperatures matched, gradually add some tank water to gradually acclimate the fish to the tank’s…

Pigment Abnormalities may be related to Significant Population Decline

Researchers have documented new records of marine fish pigmentation abnormalities, including an albino-melanistic fish, the first record of a leucistic Great Hammerhead Shark, the first record of leucistic Almaco Jacks, and the first melanistic Giant Manta ray in the North…

My Mini-Reef Past, Present, and Future

I’m Back. Well, after a brief six-year hiatus, I am happy to be back writing for Reef Builders on a regular basis. To be honest, it is kind of bittersweet, as it is not quite the same as it was…

Hands-on with the 128 Gallon Rimless Tank & Stand from Pro Clear Aquatic Systems

It’s hard to deny that the ‘saltwater fish’ aquarium hobby has almost completely transformed into the ‘coral reef’ aquarium hobby, with the majority of discussions being framed in the context of a REEF tank. This is mostly good with some…

All the Fish in the Reef Builders Aquarium Hotel [Video]

Keeping most fish in a dedicated aquarium is incredibly more easy than trying to condition and acclimate them to aquarium life in a reef tank. For most of this year the Mode retail rack at the Reef Builders studio has…

This is What Healthy Quarantined & Conditioned Fish Look Like [Video]

Several weeks ago we received a truly epic shipment of fish from RVS Fishworld and Coast Tropicals. The unboxing of these awesome fish, and my live reaction at this overwhelming bounty was captured on video in which I shared my shock…

Oddball Reef System Symbiosis

Symbiotic relationships are among the most interesting aspects of this hobby. A coral reef is a battlefield for real estate; however, there are still amazing examples of cooperation between completely different animals. Everyone is very familiar with clownfish and anemones,…

Friday Smorgasbord: School is out version

Welcome to the Veteran’s Day edition of the Friday Smorgasbord. We have a few “school” related tidbits to share along with a great overview of the mysterious depths of the oceans. Enjoy! Talk About Peer Pressure Schooling fish are hypnotic…