The Flame Angelfish, Centropyge loricula, is one of the most popular dwarf angelfish species. All you have to do is see one single specimen to realize why they are so popular. These fish get their name Flame (angel) from their striking fiery red bodies with an orange center, just like a fire core. They display vertical black bars on the …
Getting your aquarium ready for vacation
Schools will be out for summer here, pretty soon, and the warm weather goes hand-in-hand with vacation. I’m gearing up here to take a few days off. If you’re relatively new to the hobby, you may be wondering…what do you do with your tank when you go on vacation? Well, if you have a reef jar, you could take it …
What is the best aquarium chiller for a saltwater reef tank?
What is the best aquarium chiller for a saltwater aquarium in 2018? Read on to find out more. Last year, I had a major setback with my display tank. While working on my tank, I messed up the temperature my heater was set at…unfortunately at the same time I was leaving for vacation, which was also during a heat wave. …
Cerith Snails: MVP of the clean up crew
Looking to add another little critter to your clean-up-crew (CUC)? Maybe you could pick out a few cerith snails, the next time you head to your local fish store. Ceriths are small, snaily scavengers with a pointy spiral shell. They only grow to be about 1 inch long and are well suited for small or large tanks alike. A popular …
The Pistol Shrimp: an awesome reef invertebrate
The pistol shrimp is an amazing reef invertebrate. It isn’t quite as popular as some of the cleaner shrimp species, like the blood red scarlet shrimp and the skunk cleaner, and for a very good reason I’ll highlight in a moment, but it certainly is just as interesting. The most fascinating thing about of the pistol shrimp is that it …
The bristle worm
What is a bristle worm? A bristle worm is a nocturnal, segmented worm from the family polychaete, which means ‘many hairs’ in Latin. One glance at these critters and you’ll know where the scientists who discovered them came up with their name. Most of the bristle worms you will find in a saltwater reef aquarium are scavengers. Most of us will happily pay good …
Blue Hippo Tang Care Guide
The blue hippo tang is an undoubtedly interesting and popular saltwater fish that ranks, in my mind, as one of the most beautiful. Is it the cool electric blue body, the yellow tailfin, the bold black markings, the freckles on the face or the Pixar movies? Yes, yes, yes, yes and (unfortunately?) YES! I think Shakespeare is credited with the …