The Undeniable Appeal of Puffers and Porcupines
By Jay Hemdal and Jeff Kurtz
Aquarists who are looking for a truly “pet-like” marine fish with loads of personality, a nimble brain (for a fish, anyway), wild coloration and patterning, and a body plan that borders on the bizarre, just might find...
Garden Eels
Jay Hemdal
Photo by Johan Fredriksson
Diving off New Providence Island in the Bahamas some 35 years ago, I swam above a sandy plain near a coral reef, towards what looked to me like a scattered field of seagrass. As I approached the area, the grass seemed to be getting shorter and...
Ozone, (O3) has the same elemental composition as oxygen, (O2) but very different chemical properties. Ozone, (tri-atomic oxygen) is a very unstable molecule. It is a powerful oxidizer. When ozone comes in contact with a compound exhibiting an “oxygen demand”, it releases one of its oxygen...
Aquarium Humor (barely)
For some aquarists, “aquarium humor” is an oxymoron, like “jumbo shrimp” or “military intelligence”. They take their hobby or vocation so seriously that they would never dream of equating their aquariums with humor in any form. However, comedy is a particularly unique...
The Red-rimmed Batfish, Platax pinnatus
Jay Hemdal
Photo by: "desertnaturalist"
Unfortunate experiences that people have had with this fish have taught most experienced aquarists to be very wary of this species. Large individuals, (8 to 12 inches tall) fare especially poorly. In speaking...
The Magnificent Bluestriped Angelfish, Chaetodontoplus septentrionalis
Jay Hemdal
2024 Update: This is a reprint of an article I wrote in 2006. The information has been reviewed for needed changes and updates. One important update is that Bali Aquarich has been producing this and related...
Aquatic Invasive Species
Jay Hemdal
Introduction –
Humans have moved plants and animals knowingly (and unknowingly) from one location on Earth to another for tens of thousands of years. The argument can be made that there has never been a translocation of a species that did not in some way...
Drum and Croaker
http://drumandcroaker.org/
Drum and Croaker is a non-peer-reviewed journal that has acted as an "informal organ" for public aquarium professionals since 1958. It has a long history of providing a forum for the exchange of basic information - and occasional humor. It was...
This article is a bit of a mashup – combining portions of a previous public aquarium article on animal sustainability, with some longevity data and fish pricing through the supply chain. To read the article, click on the PDF link to the right of the page.
MARINE FISH AND INVERTEBRATES TO AVOID
While selecting good quality animals and then properly quarantining them is vital for acquiring long-lived specimens for your aquarium, some species start the process with one or more strikes against them. Knowing which species have extra challenges helps...
Using “Artificial Intelligence” resources to treat fish diseases
With the development and release of ChatGPT in 2022, “AI” as an informational resource is becoming more commonplace. This term is in quotes because the current methods are not true Artificial Intelligence. Instead, what the...
Aquarium Myths and Misinformation
c. 2023 Jay Hemdal
Over the last 50 years, I’ve heard a number of myths and possible misinformation applied to aquariums and the husbandry of the animals contained in them. Most of these seem to go unchallenged; at least they keep showing up online, long...
The cherry anthias, also known as the Sakura anthias (a.k.a. Sakuradai (さくらだい) in Japan), is a large, attractive and very hardy member of the family Serranidae (groupers and their allies) and the sub-family Anthiinae (the anthias). Click on the PDF link on the right (or below on your phone)...
Rotifer Culture
C. Jay Hemdal
Brackish water rotifers, (Brachionus plicatilis) are a useful food source for certain invertebrate aquarium animals, have been used as bio-assay animals, and are a virtual necessity when raising larval clownfish (Amphiprion sp.). Many culture methods have...
Basic Captive Propagation of Marine Fishes
C. 2003 - 2022 Jay Hemdal
Few people would argue that breeding and raising marine fishes is a much more difficult undertaking than raising freshwater species. The primary reason is that most marine fish have tiny larvae with an extended...
Acclimating Animals to Aquariums
Jay F. Hemdal c.2020
Introduction to acclimation techniques
Most beginning aquarists hear that they must “acclimate” any new animals they add to their aquarium. Acclimation (sometimes termed “acclimatization”) is simply the process of gradually adapting...
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Sourcing Marine Fishes and Invertebrates
Experienced aquarists are aware that fishes from different regions of the world can have different levels of sustainability when acquired for their aquariums. The reasons for these differences may include collection technique (the use of cyanide for...
Salinity Measurements for Marine Aquariums
@Jay Hemdal
Introduction
The fundamental difference between freshwater and marine aquariums is of course, their respective salt content. The salt level is usually reported as either salinity (parts per thousand of salt in water) or specific gravity...
Filefish in Marine Aquariums
Jay Hemdal C. 2022
Filefish, (often called leatherjackets in Australia) have enjoyed a moderate level of popularity for many years as marine aquarium fish. As a group however, there is some variation as to their relative appropriateness for particular aquariums...
Evaluating Synthetic Sea Salts
C. Jay Hemdal 2016
Revised January 12, 2022
This is an update of my 2016 article that examines some testing methods to evaluate synthetic seawater, some of which can be done at home. A short history and list of sea salts is also given. Please note - this is NOT...