During the first semester in my biochemistry class the professor started the class by bringing out two clear beakers into which he appeared to pour two identical clear fluids. Once they were full, he pulled out a worm and placed it…
Things I hate in the aquarium hobby
In a recent psychology article I was reading about relationships, the author made an interesting observation. To paraphrase, the author basically said that our strongest friendships and most passionate love affairs may not simply be based on us liking the…
Why we love the reef aquarium hobby
While my daughter Catherine was home for Spring break last week, I took her out shopping one day, and I am happy to report there is something more addicting than this hobby: shopping for a teenage girl. While we drove…
What is new and improved in the aquarium hobby?
For as long as I have been watching television or reading magazines and newspapers, the phrase “New and Improved” has been employed for just about every product on the market at one time or another. Whether it touted how it…
Bending the rules of reefkeeping
Bending the rules has been the motto of many of us in the hobby for a long time. I, like many of my fellow hobbyists, think that the rules of the hobby do not apply to us and as a result…
Why is the aquarium hobby so addicting?
We have all heard and know about the addictions that are frequently talked about such as the addictions to drugs, alcohol, gambling, eating, and sex. But in reality virtually anything can be addicting as is the case with seemingly lesser…
My simply stupid mistakes as a reefkeeper
An empty aquarium can either be the source of promise, excitement and anticipation, or it can be a reminder of failure, missed opportunity and wasted time and money. The difference is due to where it is in the time frame…
How to reach your goals as a Reef Aquarist
This past week, one of my favorite high school teachers passed away. Let me be more specific, he was not one of my favorite teachers while I was actually in high school, as he rode me like a rented mule,…
The madness of Photoshop corals
I was recently at a friend’s house who is still relatively new in the hobby and he wanted to show me his new tank and his new additions. Like most of us he was proudest of some the new additions…
And Now for Something Completely Different
A new car, a new house, a new job, just about anything new fills us with a sense of excitement and anticipation. We think of all the possibilities and what we can do since the concept of newness typically means…
