Articles

Have you ever witnessed an entire cloudless month? I haven’t, and if you have you must have been on another planet. Clouds pay us a daily visit. Some are treacherous storms that can last for quite some time while others are whisps of humidity that leaves as quickly as they become visible. Even...

Every fish has its reasons on this planet. Some are designed to control fish populations. Other fish have evolved into algae grazers. There are even fish who are designed to keep specific coral safe from predators or threats. Today’s topic is the group of reef safe wrasse and their duties in the...

Have you ever shopped online and purchased a coral that looked extremely bright and full of color only to receive a dulled down version? It has you question whether your tank husbandry is out of whack and makes you second guess your light choice. The truth is that you probably do have the...

Yes, I realize most people don't like putting phony looking stuff in their tank and I also hate things like sunken shops, sunken planes, sunken chests etc, but I do like putting natural stuff in my tank. In the 45 years since I have been diving I have seen all sorts of things under water from...

A lot of times you hear about aquariums as “display pieces” and are talked about like you would a painting or sculpture. In some cases, the aquarium has replaced some peoples televisions all together. One thing that may become lost in the process is the fact that no matter what your tank...

hermit crab on acan lord coral image via reef2reef member @Mr. Microscope Crabs are an essential part of the Red Lobster menu, but they play an even more important role in quite the opposite way in the wild and even your aquarium. Some types of crabs are pure evil when it comes to reef...

We all get those days when our snails take too many breaks and our glass gets a nasty film blocking our view from our beautiful tanks. Some have diatoms, others just have excess coralline algae. Whatever is on your glass should not be there, so here are some tips for cleaning off your viewing...

Refugiums are a great way to grow Algae for filtration, food, and provide excellent breeding grounds for pods, shrimp, and anything else that would otherwise be destroyed in your Display tank. Refugiums are not always designed for filtration. Some are designed purely for visual enjoyment and...

Photo via MySafetySign.com Sometimes you get to the point where your rock is not working out for you. Maybe you had a stagnant tank and everything died? Maybe you have an insane algae problem? Maybe you just got the rock for free from some fishy character on Craigslist and just don’t trust it...

beautiful reef of @swannyson7 BAKING SODA: NOT POWDER! Sodium Bicarbonate is an amazingly versatile powder of goodness. How many things in your life has someone said that baking soda was the answer to your problems, or at least one of the ingredients? It is obviously used for baking, but it is...

coralline covered aquascape image via www.fws.gov Coralline algae is a very beneficial life form that most reefers want in their tanks. It can come in many colors and some even forms interesting branching shapes. It can encrust on just about anything. After a while, cleaning it can actually...

image via anters.wordpress.com You have seen them at the pet store,or even own one or two of your own. For a cheaper fish they are quite cute and peaceful, unlike most Damselfish. They get their name from their similar body shape to the clownfish. Like the clownfish they also have a symbiotic...

This Article is Sponsored by @uniquecorals Ok, maybe after a while writing these columns, you sometimes have to tell things like they are, right? The following is one of those examples of me having a bit of an attitude today. Some of this stuff may seem a bit mean-spirited to some of you...

The ocean is a stew of nearly every element found on earth. Each part has its uses, each part has its problems. The biggest part of reef keeping is keeping these levels in their appropriate ranges. There is however no standard rule for all corals since Soft Corals do not consume anywhere close...

You are sitting in your big comfy lazy boy recliner watching “Da Bears” in one eye and your reef in the other. The window begins to shake vigorously as your team is getting creamed like usual, so you assume the booing coming from your surround sound is responsible until a massive bolt of...

There are tons of variations of most types of coral. The Symphyllia coral is no exception. It has a great reputation for being an easy coral so almost anyone can be successful with one. Low to moderate flow is best for these beauties. They are found at varied depths, so the best way to determine...

For starters, This is no home for a tang!!! World’s Smallest Reef Tank image via reef2reef member @jjreeftank Are you considering a stocking list for your aquarium? Probably not. If you are like most hobbyists you wish for fish but buy what you have available during that spontaneous moment...

This article was sponsored by @MarineDepot at www.marinedepot.com. Introduction The marine environment is one of the most complex systems on the planet. The aquarium you are about to set up is only a tiny sliver of the vast ocean, but it is no where near simple. This task is going to take...

So you got yourself a fish and he doesn’t want to eat that delicious pack of mysis shrimp that the rest of your tank inhabitants love, and even fight over. What ever shall you do?! Well first let us take a look at why a fish would not want to eat. Fish caught from the wild often hunt for live...

The art of coral grafting is very risky. It involves fragging corals, which if you have any knowledge on that know it can come with some dangers. They can contain toxins that could potentially kill someone. With proper safety you can cut any fraggable coral with confidence. Once you become a...