When we consider the term “acclimation” as it relates to marine aquarium fish, we usually think of the relatively brief period during which—with the hobbyist’s help—they gradually adjust to the temperature, pH, and other water parameters in a new system.…
When New Marine Fish Die, You Need to Find Out Why!
As many marine aquarium hobbyists have discovered, adding “just one more fish” to an already-established community can, on occasion, be surprisingly problematic. In some instances, every new specimen that’s added lives only a short time, either succumbing to some unknown…
How Long Can Marine Fish Go Without Food?
This question usually arises when a marine aquarium hobbyist is either preparing to depart for vacation or trying to coax a hunger-striking new fish to eat. While it would be extremely helpful if there were a simple formula to help…
Freshwater Dip: Help Prevent External Parasites in 4 Steps
All my fish are infected with ich! Now what do I do? This is the all-too-common lament of impatient hobbyists who habitually introduce new fish to an established aquarium without a period of quarantine and other preventive measures. They may…
Acclimating Saltwater Fish in 10 Easy Steps
Contrary to popular misconception, introducing a new fish to a saltwater aquarium is not a simple matter of floating the shipping bag in the tank for 15 or 20 minutes and then releasing the fish into its new home. Sure,…
Tips for Adding New Fish to an Established Community
Here at Saltwater Smarts, we frequently advise our fellow salties to introduce fish species to an aquarium in the order of least aggressive to most aggressive. Using this tactic goes a long way toward ensuring peaceful cohabitation in a fish…
Buying Marine Fish and Inverts: LFS vs. Online
Once a new saltwater aquarium is up and running, fully cycled, and ready to receive fish and/or invertebrates, the hobbyist has the choice of buying livestock from a local fish store (LFS) or from various online sources. Both options are…
The What and When of Feeding Saltwater Fish
Feeding time is one of the most rewarding aspects of keeping saltwater fish. Let’s face it, fish don’t exactly reciprocate affection the way dogs and cats do. The closest we can really get to interacting with them is when we…
9 Tips to Maintain a Healthy Marine Fish Aquarium
There’s no better teacher than experience, and with nearly a half century of saltwater aquarium keeping under his belt, Richard “Dick” Hilgers certainly has plenty of experiences to share! Currently the owner of The Cultured Reef, a coral-aquaculture facility located…
The Benefits of Buying Captive-Bred Marine Fish
On the freshwater tropical fish market, the majority of species sold are captive-bred, either on a large scale by commercial fish farms or by dedicated hobbyists. Relatively few species are still collected in the wild. However, on the saltwater side…
