Anemones are iconic marine organisms that have long captured the imagination of saltwater aquarium hobbyists. Unfortunately, many of these iconic critters are poorly suited to life in the average home aquarium. Even those that are generally considered good aquarium candidates,…
Halichoeres chrysus: A Hardy Little “Banana with Fins” That’s Just Right for Beginners
Known by a variety of common names—banana wrasse, canary wrasse, golden wrasse, yellow coris, et al—Halichoeres chrysus is hardy, readily available, reasonably affordable, well suited to modest-sized systems, and among the better choices for beginners. Of course, owing to all…
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…
The Yasha Shrimp Goby: A Hardy, Peaceful, Somewhat Rare Nano Reef Candidate
Certain marine fish pack a lot of visual and behavioral interest into a very small package. Such is the case with the yasha shrimp goby (Stonogobiops yasha), also sold under the common names whiteray shrimp goby, orange-striped shrimp goby, clown…
The Iconic Raccoon Butterflyfish
Some of the marine fish we like to keep are surprisingly recognizable to both hobbyists and non-hobbyists alike—probably because they’re frequently depicted in photographs and artwork. Among these iconic fishes is the raccoon butterflyfish (Chaetodon lunula) of the Indo-Pacific and…
The Hardy, Colorful, Nano-Friendly Yellow Watchman Goby
Marine aquarium hobbyists who maintain nano tanks, whether by choice or necessity, often find it challenging to acquire fish that are well suited to their diminutive systems. But in the yellow watchman goby (Cryptocentrus cinctus), they can get all the…
Pocillopora Corals: Hardy, Adaptable Reef Architects
You may not be aware, but Pocillopora, despite being among the less popular stony corals in the reef aquarium hobby, are second only to Acropora in reef-building productivity in the wild. Their skeletons make up a huge portion of the…
The Pyramid Butterflyfish: A Hardy, Reef-Safe Chaetodontid
While many of the butterflyfishes are challenging—if not outright impossible—to maintain in captivity for one reason or another, there are various species that go against the grain and make excellent or reasonably solid aquarium candidates. Among the “reasonably solid” species…
5 Traits of a “Beginner” Marine Fish
What exactly does it mean when we say that a marine fish is “good for beginners”? After all, it’s not like certain fish species come with training wheels or have a set of care instructions tattooed on their dorsal fins…
Sarcophyton Leather Corals: Attractive, Toxic, and Tough as Nails
When it comes to hardiness, ease of care, and general adaptability, few corals can compare to those of the genus Sarcophyton—the so-called toadstool, or mushroom, leather corals. Despite their lack of chromatic brilliance, they’re also pretty neat looking to boot.…
