Per the late Bob Fenner, large anemones tend to succumb to bacterial infections easily during shipment. These large anemones often die shortly after they reach the hobbyist's tank. In 2016, I wrote an article about my first experience applying an anti-bacterial...
This summer had been filled with trips for my family. After 2 years in the COVID isolated environment we needed to get out for sanity's sake. One of these trips had us travel down to Williamsburg, Virginia for Colonial Williamsburg and Busch Gardens. As with any of my...
In the article named The Great Reset I outlined my plan to refresh an 8 year old overgrown 120 gallon reef tank. This system was Montipora species dominant with many fairy wrasses. Montipora corals are fast growers and will encrust across the aquascape and onto...
Recently I received this new Hanna Marine Ammonia Checker for review. Just in time during the fishless cycling of some new aquascape rocks I just built. In the past I would just blindly wait it out per the existing practices which can take up to 45 days. I am...
Many reefers (beginners and veterans alike) will encounter setbacks that are inherent in this hobby. In order to find a correct path forward you must learn how to quickly identify and define the problems. If you don't, you may be wasting precious time and possibly put...
The HALO2 Wireless pH Tester for Field is a nice tool for monitoring and logging your pH and temperature without a controller. The basic datalogging application I used was the Hanna Lab App on my Android phone or tablet. The benefit of monitoring is that you can catch...
If you are in Chicago, Illinois you want to stop by the Shedd Aquarium. It is a short walk along the "Magnificent Mile" on the edge of Lake Michigan. The Shedd Aquarium has one of the world's largest indoor aquariums at ~ 5 million US gallons. I was fortunate enough...
During my 25+ years in the reefing hobby I have used many different lighting brands. I have witnessed the progression of lighting technology and its positive impacts on our hobby. In 2013 I started using LED lights for the very first time. I transitioned, like most,...
One Thanksgiving week my family decided to go on a short getaway to the Rhode Island shore. It was a tolerable 7hr drive after work for a late night check-in. One logical place to visit nearby, besides the infamous "Mystic Pizza" eatery, was of course the aquarium in...
In a previous travel blog I mentioned that there were two aquariums in the state of Hawaii. The first is the Waikiki Aquarium, which is part of the University of Hawaii. The second is the Maui Ocean Center. The Maui Ocean Center was another great family destination....