Since this hobby’s inception the dissemination of information has been one of the hallmarks of why we have gotten successful. But now that there is so much information, I sometimes question how it is we learn what works, especially when as…
The Coral Name Game
It’s all in the name. The name says it all. A rose by any other name would smell as sweet. We have all heard countless phrases that extol the importance of a name. Last names like Miller or Baker referred…
Where have the large coral colonies gone?
Recently I came across a box of slides and began looking at the shots of the many tanks I had seen over the years and several things stood out. I have been fortunate to see a lot of tanks and…
Traveling reefer blues and the anxieties of the vacationing aquarist
Piling the kids in the car. The smell of the ocean and coconut sun screen. Getting up in the middle of the night so you can be on the road when there is not much traffic. These are some of…
Reef aquarium secrets, good or bad, we need to share them
Coca-Cola has secret ingredient 7X. What goes into Chanel No. 5 is known by only a couple of people and we have all seen a movie where discovering the secret formula was the plot. And truth-be-told, most of us know…
My new reef tank after three months
As we have all heard time and time again patience is a virtue, and in this hobby it is pretty much mandatory for long-term success. Truth be told, it is not really one of the virtues I am known for.…
The importance of testing reef aquarium water
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…