Hair algae is not just one of the common forms of nuisance algae, it is also among the most difficult to eradicate. Indeed, despite the numerous options for biological algae control (i.e. herbivores), few “go after” hair algae. Thankfully, the select group of reliable hair algae eaters includes the beautiful and fascinating tuxedo urchins. The …
Saltwater Aquariums
In his book Ocean Gardens: The History of the Marine Aquarium, naturalist H. Noel Humphreys wrote, “The marine Aquarium is, as yet, a plaything, a mere toy; but it is destined to become a far more important means of advancing science, and ministering to popular instruction, amusement, and wonder, than is yet dreamt of.” This he wrote in 1857. That wasn’t a typo; apparently, saltwater aquarium keeping was already a thing, and had a history, prior to the American Civil War. It might boggle one’s mind to imagine the lengths these hobbyists must have went through to keep and study marine life in private fish tanks. Saltwater aquaria (if you prefer proper Latin) are quite impressive today. They certainly are a lot more advanced. Yet, you could say that some things have come full circle. Consider the renewed value we place on live foods (e.g. pods, phyto, etc.). Consider also the rekindled interest in biological filters; new developments in natural filtration (i.e. using refugium algae and/or various types of bacteria) are still coming to light. And perhaps most significantly, many aquarium species are now available as captive bred! In this section, you will learn how to build an advanced, modern saltwater aquarium system as well as how to establish a healthy, natural biological community.
Do I Need a Protein Skimmer?
There are a lot of tough calls in reef aquarium keeping. While the focus of attention should be on creating the healthiest and most natural environment possible for your animals, some thought will (understandably) go into the tank budget. For this reason, hobbyists often question whether or not a particular piece of expensive equipment is …
Feeding Your NPS Aquarium
Photosynthetic corals dominate natural, shallow tropical coral reefs. So it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that they are so prevalent in the reef aquarium hobby. But as some aquarists master the husbandry of more delicate/demanding stony corals types, and successfully keep them for long periods of time, they start to look to other …
5 Tips for Increasing Aquarium Fish Compatibility
You purchased only the very best aquarium filtration equipment. You tested the water every other day. You feed top-shelf foods. You did everything right… only to experience livestock loss because your fishes have killed each other! Fish compatibility can be pretty frustrating, right? Just understand that this isn’t happening because your fish are “mean.” In …
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Quarantining Your Mandarin Fish
If you have even worked at the retail or wholesale end of the aquarium fish industry–even for just a week–you are probably keenly aware of the threats posed by viral, bacterial, and especially parasitic diseases. Between fish collectors, breeders, distributors, stores, etc., your new fish may have crossed paths with hundreds or even thousands of …
A Look at the CADE Frag Series Tanks
There are more than a few All-In-One aquarium manufacturers out there. Some of them make pretty decent tanks. A much smaller handful of companies make decent large tanks. Of these, none truly measure up to CADE. Particularly when you look closely at their design, the top-quality materials with which they are fabricated and their reasonable …
Keeping the Purple Tang
Some fish require little introduction. Instantly recognized even by newbie fishkeepers and regarded as a high-value species by aquarists for decades, the purple tang (Zebrasoma xanthurum) could easily be designated as an all-time hobby fave. This popularity is largely, though not entirely, due to the rich purple body coloration for which it is so aptly …
Keeping Toadstool Leather Corals
These days, soft corals don’t get quite the attention they once did. One reason for this simply is the abundance of wildly colorful stony corals that have fairly recently become available. Another reason is the concern that soft corals can release allelopathic substances into the water that may harm other (especially stony) corals. Even so, …
7 Newbie Aquascaping Mistakes
Undoubtedly, aquascaping is an art form. Designing and building the rock structure in a reef tank can be as satisfying as keeping the reef creatures themselves. But we should always remember that aquascaping entails a whole hell of a lot more than mere “decorating.” The hardscape in a reef tank must be built not just …
Blue Hypnea: The Next Hot Refugium Macro?
Though it sells out quickly when available, blue hypnea is out there for the grabs. And it’s well worth it for those that cater to its needs! This gorgeous plant can really spice up a refugium; it can also be displayed in the main tank (assuming no large herbivores are present) because it cannot overgrow …
Upgrading to the ULTIMATE Ecopack
Pods. Phyto. At AlgaeBarn, these are the bread and butter of the reef aquarium diet. And for sure, these two items form the base of most freshwater and marine food chains. Just consider OceanMagik, which is a blend of four distinctly different species of phytoplankton. Or EcoPods, which is a mixed-species (four, to be exact) …
Why CADE Aluminum Aquarium Stands are the Best
If you’ve been keeping aquariums for a long time, you’ve almost certainly owned a pressboard stand at some point. And if you had that stand for very long, there’s a chance you saw it lose its trustworthiness over time. Particularly if these cheaply made stands are exposed to moisture for extended periods, they gradually warp, …
Natural Water Quality Management for Non-Photosynthetic Reef Aquaria
There was once a time when zooxanthellate corals (especially SPS corals) were considered impossible to keep in captivity. Then advancements in aquarium lighting technology changed all that. It’s hard to imagine that there so recently was a day when marine aquarists abandoned the possibility of ever keeping Acropora–one of the most abundant genera of stony …
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An Overview of the Firefishes
Marine aquarists are blessed with a gigantic selection of beautiful fish species to keep. Among these, only some are peaceful, reef-safe and relatively easy for beginners to keep. Even fewer are small enough at full size to be suited for nano aquaria. The firefishes are exceptional in that they hit all of these marks. Still, …
What Do I Need for a Saltwater Fish Tank?
Whether scouting for your first aquarium, or “graduating” from a freshwater aquarium, there is something about a saltwater aquarium that is mesmerizing. For many lifelong aquarists, that feeling of captivating awe never goes away. Thankfully, the intimidating task of learning how to actually build and maintain a saltwater aquarium system does go away. In fact, …
An Overview of the Filefishes
In the Age of the Reef Tank, many cool (but not reef-safe) saltwater fish families that were once extremely population are now relative rarities. One such group, for sure, is the filefishes. This is too bad, as filefish are intelligent and possess abundant character. They are also quite “marine” in appearance and behavior; even the …
Building Your Mangrove Biotope
Ahhh, the planted refugium… It’s become something much bigger and much more engaging than the mere “filter” it was just a few years ago. Where we once were happy just to keep a big wad of chaeto or some such seaweed in an otherwise empty tank, we moved on to try a broad variety of …
3 Saltwater Aquarium Pests
There are a few things that any hobbyist dreads finding in their aquarium. Aquarium pests can appear out of nowhere and can spread like a wildfire. Even with all of the preventative measures that are available, at some point we’ve all had one pest sneak into our tank. It happens to all of us and …
4 Tangs For Beginners
Tangs are very common in larger aquariums because of their constant movement along with their stunning color. That being said, no tang is considered easy to keep. All tangs require a different diet than most fish (mainly herbivorous) and can be quite shy and timid when first added to the aquarium. Also, they require lots …
3 Symbiotic Relationships in the Marine Aquarium
Symbiotic relationships are perhaps the most amazing thing that occurs in marine environments. While there are some that you can deliberately recreate in aquaria, there are also many others taking place all on their own. In this article, I’m going to be discussing a few of the symbiotic relationships you can build in your aquarium. …
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