Many years ago while traveling around the Outer Banks of North Carolina on a family vacation, my aunt started joking about a large billboard at the city of Nag’s Head’s entrance. “Fish have feelings too” the billboard read, and my aunt quickly started joking about the “ignorance” of such a statement. The billboard was the product of a local conservation group, that worked to discourage over-fishing of marine species inhabiting the water’s off the Outer Banks. 20-25 years ago, my aunt’s...
* this is for "regular-sized" seahorses only and cannot be used in determining tankmates for Dwarf Seahorses.
0 Risk Rating
no aggressive tendencies
no food competition (*)
mostly benthic/cryptic and keep to themselves
1 Risk Rating
no aggressive tendencies
minimal food competition
mostly in water column, but does not have a fast/erratic swimming pattern
2 Risk Rating
no aggressive tendencies
minimal food competition
mostly in water column and has fast or erratic swimming pattern
3...
I don’t really consider myself the tang police. By that, I don’t head out on the internet or to local fish shops, with the sole goal of telling people not to keep tangs under certain conditions. However, I do advocate keeping a healthy, sustainable aquarium based on the principles I have personally found useful during 20 years of keeping marine fish. There are just some things that work and others that don’t. One thing I’ve never witnessed working long-term is keeping a surgeonfish (or any...
Automatic mechanical filtration
An automatic mechanical filter provides all the benefits of running filter socks, but removes particulates before they can break down in your tank and increase nitrates, and only needs to be changed once a month or less- depending on design. The basic design is a supply role of filter media, and a spool driven by a motor that takes up used filter media. Bulk Reef Supply sells the Rollermat for $400, which is similar in function. I don’t like the design of the...
Cleanup Crew. Tank Janitors. Tank Cleaners. Functionally, it means the same thing to every hobbyist…. inverts added to your tank to keep it nice and sparkly.
It’s a necessity (Well, not an absolute necessity)
Everyone has one.
But, if you ask those people what critters to include, and how many…. you’ll get many MANY different answers.
So, Great!~ Renee is going to tell you exactly how to stock your tank. Naw! You knew it wasn’t going to be that easy. I hope to give you some things to...
Water changes are one of the best maintenance practices that can be performed on any marine aquarium. They remove nutrient laden water and replace it with fresh, nutrient free water. When RODI purified water is employed, a good salt mix is able to strike a perfect balance of elements, simply by adjusting the mix’s specific gravity to normal reef levels. After a water change; calcium, magnesium and carbonate is replenished and trace nutrients that filtration was unable to remove are diluted...
It is something I read often: “Where can I buy a female for my male ____ wrasse?” Or: “I want to buy another ____ wrasse and pair them up!” Wait! Time out for a minute!
First, we really need some understanding of how wrasses interact and live in their natural environment. In the ocean, most genera of wrasses live in harems, which consists of a group of females to one dominant male. Often, there are a few transitional males in this group as well, which are essentially males-in-waiting –...
Dr. Joshi’s 500 Gallon SPS dominated mixed reef.
If you are a reef hobbyist, chances are that you are familiar with the legendary Dr. Joshi. Featured by almost, if not every, reef-keeping print publication, online blog and forum for his coral keeping ability, a quick Google search will reveal his legacy as well as pictures of his beautiful tank.
And, my favorite award - MASNA Award for "Outstanding Contribution to the Marine Aquarium Hobby", Marine Aquarium Societies of North America...
I guess it just kind of hit me, I can’t really say exactly when, but my friends - it is true that I have reached a point in my life, be it as a hobbyist or vendor, where in the things I do, and the methods I employ to keep my inhabitants happy and healthy, are often the subject of discussion with friends and customers alike. These very methods are just as often requested by information seeking enthusiasts down to the finest detail, so that they may be imitated or emulated in an effort to...
Hello Everyone! After much help from our fellow reefers and the rest of the reefing communities around the world, I was able to compile an Anemone Compatibility Sheet!
This Sheet Addresses the Following:
Which Anemones can be housed and touch in an aquarium (listed with √)
Which Anemones can NOT touch each other (and is not recommended to be housed together either) (listed with X)
And here is the most up to date draft
Special Thanks To: @ja4207 @Nemguy123 @Psiber_Syn...
