By Jay Hemdal “Oh no!” another article about sustainability! It seems that aquarium-related Facebook and Internet sites have been overwhelmed recently with articles and op-eds about the sustainability (or lack thereof) of the marine aquarium trade. No doubt, much of...
The aquarium building at the Toledo Zoo opened in 1939. Originally housing only freshwater fish, this historic W.P.A. (Works Progress Administration) building gradually had marine exhibits added, starting in the 1970’s.…
Toledo Zoo staff Jay Hemdal, Curator of Fishes and Invertebrates and Dr. Yousuf Jafarey, staff veterinarian answer your questions about fish health issues.
Some of the rainbowfish in my aquarium have raised greyish-white lumps on their bodies.…
In early the 1970’s, when I was just 13 or so, Cryptocaryon irritans (“marine ich”) and Amyloodinium ocellatum (“marine velvet”) were a bit less of a problem for my fish than they are now when I quarantine new fish as an aquarium curator.…
The cherry anthias, also known as the Sakura anthias (a.k.a. Sakuradai () 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).…
You’ve likely heard the well-known proverb, “The eyes are the window to the soul”. This actually is a particularly appropriate phrase when diagnosing fish health problems.…
This article has a not very fun or uplifting topic; death, specifically the mortality rate of fishes in captivity. A prominent zoo biologist once said, “The mortality rate for any animal in a zoo [captivity] is 100%”.…
With worldwide environmental issues very much at the forefront of our lives today, the aquarium hobby (with its often consumptive use aspects) and true aquatic conservation are often at odds with one another.…
Recently, live rock has begun to be exported from The Republic of Ghana, in West Africa to various countries around the world apparently due to a competitive pricing structure compared to existing sources.…
Every aquarist, no matter their experience level, will eventually have questions regarding some problem they are facing with their aquarium. Getting an appropriate answer to these questions is vitally important; the lives of the animals in your care depend on it.…