While sitting here contemplating how long it’s been since I’ve gone scuba diving (answer: way too long), it occurred to me that one can draw many parallels between the avocations of scuba diving and marine aquarium keeping. I’m not referring…
Marine Aquarium Acclimation: Bridging the Specific Gravity Gap
In today’s post, I’d like to address a very common issue marine aquarium hobbyists encounter when purchasing livestock (particularly fish) and offer a simple method for addressing it. The issue in question is how to deal with the dramatic difference…
5 Myths About Marine Quarantine Tanks
Quarantine tanks are often discussed/written about as though they require very little effort, planning, or expense. Just dust off that 10-gallon plastic “critter keeper” sitting on the shelf, fill it with salt water, drop in a heater and sponge filter,…
‘Tis the Coral Frag Swap Season, Fa La La…
September may be a long way from Christmas, but for reefkeepers, it’s the next best thing. September is the unofficial kickoff of the coral fragment swap season. Soon the eyes and hearts of reefkeepers everywhere will turn to swapper pages…
In the Marine Aquarium Hobby, “Close Enough” Just Won’t Cut It!
When it comes to achieving success with a marine aquarium, there’s a certain “X Factor” that comes into play—the hobbyist’s attention to detail. Let’s face it, some of us are pretty focused on making sure every parameter, measurement, calculation, and…
The Powder Blue Tang: An Iconic Beauty Demanding Exceptional Care
The powder blue tang (Acanthurus leucosternon) is a breathtakingly beautiful, widely recognized (even among non-hobbyists) marine fish that can be a real pain to maintain in aquaria. While it is possible to keep one successfully under ideal conditions, most specimens…
5 Marine Aquarium Misconceptions I No Longer Espouse
Casting my mind back on my early days as a marine aquarium keeper, it’s funny how some of my stances on various aspects of the hobby have, shall we say, evolved in the intervening years. Of course, these changing opinions…
Don’t Contaminate Your Saltwater Aquarium!
When we think about toxins in a marine aquarium, the first thing that usually comes to mind is ammonia or a toxic allelopathic chemical released by a coral—in other words, a biologically produced toxin originating in the tank itself. But…
7 Guidelines for Mindful Medication of Marine Aquarium Fish
Let’s face it, when a fish in our care exhibits symptoms that might suggest disease, we want to fix the problem and we want to fix it fast. What that usually means is running to the local fish store and…
My Reef Creations shows off a pimp quarantine system
My Reef Creations showed off a really sweet pre-configured quarantine system. The MRC quarantine setup is designed for stores, public institutions, and the hobbyist who wants top of the line everything. The unit comes already plumbed, including a skimmer, chiller,…
